5 Orlando Magic storylines to follow during the NBA Finals

2. The Jayson Tatum/Jaylen Brown connection

Most Orlando Magic fans will probably be cheering for the Dallas Mavericks. There is a lot of distaste among Orlando Magic fans for the Boston Celtics. But there should be plenty of admiration for what the Celtics have built and how they have built.

Boston has faced tons of questions about their decision to build around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But at every turn, they have stuck to that duo. And even after falling short several times in the playoffs and not reaching the mountaintop, they have believed in this young core.

There are not many examples of teams winning championships with two wing players as their best players—the 2019 Toronto Raptors (Kawhi Leonard and Pascal Siakam), the 2012-13 Miami Heat (LeBron James and Dwyane Wade), the 1990s Chicago Bulls (Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen).

Maybe you could fudge positions, but typically the best teams either pair a point guard or a center with their wings. They are rarely two wing creators like Brown and Tatum are.

That is not dissimilar from what the Magic are trying to build with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. There have been several analysts trying to compare the Magic's build as a jumbo-sized version of what the Celtics have built. It is an evolution in some ways of the Celtics.

So, a Boston win in the Finals would be something of a proof of concept that teams can win with elite wing players and supporting players who are point guards and at center. The Mavericks might be proving that too with two ball-handlers like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

At the end of the day, winning in the league takes having elite players surrounded by strong role players. Both the Celtics and Mavericks have that. The Magic are trying to build that.

But Boston especially is providing a roadmap for what future Orlando success looks like.