The Orlando Magic are at a bit of a crossroads as they begin the third quarter of the 2024 regular season.
Monday's 126-99 home loss at the hands of the Cleveland Cavaliers might prove the Orlando Magic are improved but not quite ready to hang with the big boys in the Eastern Conference.
The team currently sits at 23-21, just two games above .500. They are in the 8-seed, 2.5 games ahead of the Chicago Bulls for that spot in the 7/8 Play-In Tournament and only 1.5 games back of the 6th seed and avoiding the Play-In Tournament altogether.
Simply put, the Magic are smack-dab in the middle of the playoff race and right where we had hoped they would be. If not for their offense being stuck in the mud, they might be even higher in the standings. Right now, they find themselves a step below the real contenders in the conference.
The inconsistency, offensive struggles and changing rotations contribute to the many questions the fanbase seems to be asking as the team turns for home and begins a playoff push. Although there is general positivity around the Magic, most understand windows are only so long and waiting too long to take your shot could be deadly.
The difference between this season and past seasons is these questions revolve around actual basketball like: Who is the best center off the bench? And who do the Magic need to add for a playoff push?
It is a little bit different than refreshing Tankathon and looking at mock drafts. There is a playoff chase to pursue and basketball to play past the 82nd game of the season if this team keeps trendingin the right direction.
I say all of that to say, be thankful for these questions Orlando Magic fans. It means your team is playing competitive, meaningful basketball on a nightly basis and that’s exciting.
But the second half of the season will have far-reaching effects for the team and not only set them up for this year's playoff push but just how quickly the Magic can make that climb to contention.
It starts with the urgency of the next 20 games into the third quarter of the season.
5 questions for the third quarter of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season
What will the Orlando Magic do at the trade deadline?
This question is first because it will have the most trickle-down effect for this year and beyond. What the Orlando Magic do at the trade deadline could inform just about anything for the rest of the season.
In the weeks leading up to the Feb. 8 deadline, you will see many names floated out in the rumor mill. But these deadlines are usually less climatic than the rumors that proceed them, especially for the Magic.
I am not underselling the big moves around the league that have taken place in the last couple of years -- or even with Pascal Siakam moving to the Indiana Pacers and OG Anunoby heading to the New York Knicks already this season. But the deadline is more about playoff teams adding rotation players than overall roster building.
For the Magic specifically, names like Zach Lavine, Dejounte Murray and Anfernee Simons have been attached to them or bandied around by fans. However, the likelihood that any of those deals will happen is pretty low.
The Magic are in no rush to attach multiple first-round picks to valuable players to trade for B-level stars who do not elevate their ceiling.
More likely moves would be trading for role players or specialty players like Sacramento Kings guard Kevin Huerter or New York Knicks wing Quentin Grimes to improve the team's shooting options, swapping assets to get a playmaking guard like Washington Wizards guard Tyus Jones, or even being the team that finally makes a move for Indiana Pacers sharpshooter Buddy Hield.
The move the Magic make at the deadline seems more likely to be a small one. The front office does not see this year as the end-all, be-all. A play-in appearance and a first-round playoff series are reasonable steps for this young team.
There is some value in adding another veteran presence to complement the steadiness that Joe Ingles has been providing. And, as you will read later, a playmaking point guard would go a long way in helping this team.
The likelihood that the Magic brass make this their "all-in" move at this deadline is pretty much slim to none.
5 questions for the third quarter of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season
Who will be left out of the Orlando Magic rotation?
Here is the one-million-dollar question and one of the main contributing factors to Orlando Magic fans' confusion right now.
Due to injuries, showcasing players for trades and lots of things shifting around, 15 players on the Magic are currently averaging more than 12 minutes per game.
Many of these players have played in fewer than half of the team's games, so continuity among lineups has been an issue. Only three lineups have played more than 100 minutes so far this season. The Magic's opening night starting lineup of Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter have played just 97 minutes in five games together this season.
There is a bit of a log jam at the center position with Wendell Carter returning from injury and Goga Bitadze and Moe Wagner playing good basketball in his absence.
The forward bench unit is also decently crowded with Joe Ingles, Caleb Houstan and Jonathan Isaac playing good basketball. Although he is technically a guard, Gary Harris also fits in here. When healthy, he will play and eat into minutes at that position.
The point guard position is still a big mystery that deserves its own slide and conversation. But with Markelle Fultz ramping back up, Anthony Black’s minutes have been cut into. It looks like Cole Anthony remains locked in as the sixth man, which is a perfect spot for him.
We know the Magic cannot carry this deep of a rotation the whole season, and barring more injuries, players will be getting some DNPs very shortly. It is already happening to Moe Wagner, although he returned to the rotation with Wendell Carter back in the starting lineup.
It is important to note the Magic currently have the fourth-highest-scoring bench in the league. Trimming the rotation is not a matter of fixing it but rather about picking between multiple great options.
So to answer the question, I do believe a player or two may be moved before the deadline, maybe Carter to clear up the center spot? Houston and Okeke will eventually be relegated back to the end of the bench when all the guys are healthy.
The point guard spot should sort itself out, with Fultz or Black eventually grabbing the reigns.
5 questions for the third quarter of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season
Who is the long-term option at point guard?
Ah, the Orlando Magic and questions about the point guard position. Have we seen this before?
The harsh truth is if you have had questions about the point guard position for this many years, it might mean that the answer is not currently in your locker room. And that is okay.
As we talked about earlier, a trade to bring in and established, veteran floor general might be the move here. It might be the most immediate need the Magic have to answer.
If not now, then definitely addressing it in free agency this summer.
Looking inward, it is hard to say whether the long-term option for this position is currently on the Magic's roster. But there is a way to find out.
We all love Markelle Fultz. That is not really up for discussion. He has come into Orlando, worked his butt off and turned around his career.
I just do not know if he is best for what the Magic need at this time.
When he is out there, he is great. The problem is he is not out there a whole lot. It is tough to put faith in him being a cornerstone piece when injuries derail most seasons.
And then there are his shooting struggles which seemed to get worse after showing promise to end last season.
With two potential All-Star forwards in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, what the Magic need is someone steady at point guard. Someone who is healthy, someone who can shoot the ball when passed to and someone who can make all these moving pieces fit.
In what we have seen from Anthony Black so far, the potential is there, we are just not sure yet. And defenses are certainly happy to let Black shoot despite the way he has grown.
Black plays defense, has young legs and can only get better in his offense abilities with more reps.
With Fultz set to become a free agent this summer, the Magic must start looking to a world without Fultz and moving on from the once-promising guard. They must consider giving Black those starting reps the rest of the season and then readdressing the problem this offseason.
Keeping Fultz could put a Band-Aid on this season. But then, you will never really know what you have in Black.
5 questions for the third quarter of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season
Can the Orlando Magic gain any ground in the East?
There is quite a gap in the Eastern Conference between the haves and the have-nots in the Eastern Conference. The Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers are in a class of their own on top of the conference.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and Indiana Pacers would probably be the next tier.
The Orlando Magic find themselves somewhere between that group and the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks of the world at the bottom of the play-in.
The Magic are right up there with the Pacers and Heat, fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament. Both teams, and the Knicks as well, have recently made moves to get better. The Magic have the talent to compete with them, but it is also clear they might need a bit more to break into that group permanently.
The best part about the third-quarter schedule is the Magic do not have games against those top-tier teams. Having already played the Celtics, Bucks and 76ers a fair amount, they will not see any of those teams again until the last week of the regular season.
This is the time to make a run. A great goal would be to avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether by grabbing the 5- or 6-seed. They are only 1.5 games back of the Heat for the 6-seed and 3.5 games behind the Knicks at 5.
A little relief in the schedule and guys returning from injury may create the perfect opportunity to go on a streak. The Magic have the easiest schedule remaining in the league. They can indeed take advantage of it.
5 questions for the third quarter of the Orlando Magic's 2024 season
Will Paolo Banchero make the All-Star team?
Wrapping this up on a fun note – Paolo Banchero has looked like an All-Star all season and deserves to be selected for the showcase game in Indianapolis next month.
This is an impressive thing. And even if Banchero is one of the snubs and does not get the call, he has had an All-Star-caliber season.
The NBA is simply overflowing with talent and deserving players. The days of making an All-Star because of your name are nearly over. It is also not a guarantee you will continue to make an All-Star team after you get your first selection, just as Trae Young or Devin Booker.
Banchero is trying to break into an exclusive group.
Banchero is averaging 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game this season. He has played every game and kept the Magic afloat with key players out with injuries. He is a clear number-one option and a future star of this league.
A quick glance at the fan voting reveals Banchero will not be a starter -- Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo should get the nod when the starters are announced Thursday. He will need to be selected by the NBA’s coaches.
Paolo Banchero will be in a group with Scottie Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Bam Adebayo, Julius Randle, Jarrett Allen and Pascal Siakam, among others, for a reserve spot. There are also a couple of big-name guards like Damian Lillard, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson, who will also take up a reserve spot.
Banchero has an edge over Siakam if you look at their numbers. He is about in the same class as Barnes and Randle. But beating so many established players will still be a tall task. And the Magic's slip in the standings does not help his case.
Listing all the names out shows that if Banchero does not make the team, he will be the first or second guy out. This is important because it seems like players get elevated as an alternate every year due to injury. And Banchero should be in Indianapolis regardless to play in the Rising Stars Game as the league's top sophomore.
No matter how it shakes out, making the All-Star team is a huge accomplishment reflecting Banchero’s impact on the Magic this season.