NBA Analysts rightfully urge Orlando Magic to not let big opportunity pass by

The Orlando Magic’s current roster and success are the result of a patient rebuild that saw the team draft and develop several key players. For a few years now, the Magic have been incredibly quiet outside the draft. Even this summer, when they were one of the few playoff teams with significant cap space available, the Magic only made one big move and signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. 

Fans and analysts alike seem pretty content with the Magic’s patient approach to building this team so far. After all, they have plenty of young talent and are under no pressure to accelerate their players’ timelines unnecessarily. It didn’t seem to be the time to make an all-in move yet—not while the Magic are still figuring out what exactly they have. 

That privilege won’t last forever, though. This passive approach won’t be enough for much longer. 

Zach Lowe and Mo Dakhil caution Magic to not miss their window to make a significant move 

On the latest episode of The Lowe Post, the Magic received plenty of praise. Both Zach Lowe and Mo Dakhil picked them as one of the most promising teams in the Eastern Conference outside of the Celtics, Bucks, 76ers, and Knicks. They agreed that the Magic were set up well for the future and were an intriguing team but also shared the same concerns about the team’s offense. 

The Magic are not a good offensive team. It is their biggest weakness. Last season, they shot and made too few threes, lacked a playmaker at the guard spot, put a lot on Paolo Banchero’s young shoulders, and eventually stalled out in the playoffs. Over the summer, the team addressed the 3-point shooting by signing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope but did not do much about the other issues. They are betting on internal improvement. 

Zach Lowe mentioned that he didn’t mind the Magic “betting on internal improvement” but also would have liked them to go after a player like Donovan Mitchell and noted that they will have to make a big move to improve offensively eventually. 

Mo Dakhil quickly agreed. 

“The front office does have to strike because at a certain point, you wait too long and the moment has passed you by, and now you’re not able to make the moves you need to make and then you’re in a situation where it’s like, okay, now we’re stuck and now what do we do?” he said. 

Lowe added, “I already think it’s disappointing that they had all these windows of cap room and it didn’t yield as much as it should have.” 

The Magic’s front office can’t be cautious for much longer

Dakhil’s warning that the Magic should not let the moment to make a big move pass by is more than justified. The patient approach has worked so far but the Magic likely only have one more season left of playing without much pressure to win in the playoffs. Just one season of winning saw the expectations for the Magic’s future spike and not just among fans. 

Those expectations will only continue to increase and soon enough the Magic will have to enter the top tier in the East, competing with the likes of Milwaukee, Philadelphia, New York, and Boston. To do that, the Magic will have to bring in a third star or at least someone who can be a big contributor offensively. Those players are not always easy to get and are not always the type of lengthy defenders the Magic usually like. 

This is not to say that the Magic were wrong to keep the roster together this summer. It was the right decision because the team is still developing and growing. But soon enough, that won’t be enough anymore and the Magic do not want to miss out on an opportunity to take the team to the next level. The league will only continue to be better and the Magic cannot afford to fall behind the other young up-and-coming teams.