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4 biggest takeaways from Orlando Magic's first four games in Playoffs

The Orlando Magic and Cleveland Cavaliers have played to a stale mate in the first four games of their series with the home team holding serve. As the teams head for the high-pressured final three games, here is what we have learned so far.

By Patrick Previty

Cleveland Cavaliers v Orlando Magic - Game Three
Cleveland Cavaliers v Orlando Magic - Game Three / Rich Storry/GettyImages
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4 biggest takeaways from Orlando Magic's first four games in Playoffs

Paolo Banchero is ready but can Franz Wagner stay consistent?

Going into the series it had already been clearly established that Paolo Banchero was the top dog on the Orlando Magic. He is the locomotive and Orlando goes as far as he can take them.

The only question was whether he would be ready for the moment or if he is still one season away. Through four games, Banchero has emphatically — in a win or a loss for the Magic — asserted that he can rise to the occasion.

In his first career playoff game, Banchero accounted for 24 of the Magic's 84 points while adding seven rebounds and five assists (ignore the nine turnovers for now). For the series, he is putting up 21.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. So there is no worry that he can show up when it matters most.

Moving to Franz Wagner, who has been the second option all season, he is actually leading the team in scoring with 21.5 points per game but the main issue comes by the way of consistency.

Wagner scored a game-high 34 points in Game 4. But prior to that performance, he had games of 18, 18 and 16 points.

If the Magic are going to be able to take this series home, it must be because Wagner shows up to help Banchero down the stretch. The Magic do not have enough scoring on their roster to keep up with the Cavaliers without him playing well.

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