Magic have another significant weakness that is not a lack of offensive production 

The Magic are one of the most interesting young teams in the NBA right now. They already have an All-Star-level player and a unique defensive foundation. Orlando has some obvious strengths: there are few weak defensive links on the roster, they have size and versatility, and Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are only getting better. 

Likewise, the Magic have some obvious weaknesses. The biggest one is a lack of offensive production. While the Magic are strong defensively, they often struggled to get the offense going last season. The main reason for that is a lack of 3-point shooting and offensive creation. 

Orlando addressed the shooting issues during the offseason but did not add a playmaker or go-to scorer. Much has been said about this, but the Magic have another weakness that should not go unnoticed. 

The Magic are still young and inexperienced 

Being a young team has its perks. Players are full of energy and usually not as injury-prone as older players. Besides, young players are not finished products. There is always room to experiment and explore and be surprised by what they can do. 

Watching a young team grow together is fun, but it does not come without problems. Young players will go through growing pains and sometimes just do not have the experience to deal with a new situation as easily as veterans can. 

At this point, most of the players on the Orlando Magic’s roster have seven playoff games under their belt. That is a start, but not nearly as much as most of the other top teams in the Eastern Conference. 

The Celtics just won the championship, the Knicks, Bucks, and 76ers have plenty of veterans, and the Miami Heat put together several deep playoff runs in recent years. Even the Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers have more playoff experience than the Magic.

While experience is certainly not the only factor deciding regular season success or a playoff series, it could make the difference in certain situations. The majority of the Magic’s competition in the Eastern Conference has been in several high-pressure situations and knows how to win at the highest level. This group of Orlando Magic players has not reached that level yet, with the exception of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. 

They should soon, though. Even if the Magic do not win a playoff series this season or do not take a step forward in the standings, every close game, every big win or tough loss, and every playoff game will give the team valuable experience. 

The Magic have expectations they need to meet, but unless they miss the playoffs the 2024-25 season shouldn’t be a disappointment. It is still all about working out the team’s weaknesses and figuring out how to fix them. The easiest way to fix most of their issues is internal improvement and a chance to gather experiences and learn from them. 

So, while their inexperience could hurt the Magic this season (and maybe next), it won’t be a weakness for much longer.