Expectations for the Orlando Magic's 2024-25 season are high. Paolo Banchero already confidently declared on First Take that he believed the Magic should be able to finish third or fourth in the Eastern Conference. Not everyone shares that opinion. ESPN, for example, predicted the Magic to finish sixth in the East.
Looking at the competition, that is not an unreasonable take. The Magic are young, still relatively inexperienced, and have serious offensive concerns to address. Meanwhile, the Celtics, Knicks, 76ers, Cavaliers, and Bucks have rosters full of experienced veterans and star players.
Securing a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference won't be easy for the Magic, but it is also not impossible, so let's look at how they could get there.
What do the Magic need to do to secure a top seed in the Eastern Conference?
With seven or eight teams eying the top six of the Eastern Conference standings, there will be little room for error in the 2024-25 season. So, the first thing that needs to happen for the Magic is that they figure out how to run a functioning offense.
Defense will carry the team part of the way, but they will also need to score enough to beat opponents and have other strategies than just giving Paolo Banchero the ball in the clutch and hoping he will figure something out.
Last season, six of the eight playoff teams in the East ranked in the top 16 of offensive rating across the league. Only the Magic and the Heat ranked below that, finishing the regular season 22nd and 21st respectively. Likewise, six of the eight teams ranked 11th or better in defensive rating across the league.
The top three teams in the East last season were the Celtics, the Knicks, and the Bucks. They ranked first, seventh, and sixth in offensive rating across the league and second, ninth, and twentieth in defensive rating. The Celtics and Knicks were great on both ends of the floor, while the Bucks made do with a below-average defense and a strong offense.
Orlando would have to do it the other way around. The Magic already have a very strong defense. Now, they need to improve the offense and preferably finish better than 20th across the league in offensive rating.
Internal improvement is the biggest key to the Magic improving offensively and securing a top 3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Jalen Suggs needs to prove that his 3-point shot is legit and continue to expand his offensive game, especially as a creator and playmaker. Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva, and Jett Howard must be ready whenever their numbers are called. Gary Harris has to be a more impactful shooter than he was last season.
The list goes on, but most importantly, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero have to continue to improve. If Wagner fixes his outside shot and jumps to the perennial All-Star level, and if Banchero goes from All-Star to All-NBA player, the Magic will be set up well to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
What needs to happen in the Eastern Conference for the Magic to secure a top 3 seed?
Improvement from the Magic alone might not be enough for them to secure a top 3 seed in the East. They will likely need some “help” from the other contenders.
That help could come in the form of unexpected struggles. If the Cavaliers' big four implodes, the Bucks cannot make the Damian Lillard-Giannis Antetokounmpo pairing work, or Paul George turns out not to be such a great fit on the 76ers, the Magic should have a chance to sneak into the top of the standings.
Health should also play to the Magic's advantage. In such a close race for the top of the East, it could take only one injury to a star player to have a team plummeting in the standings. Last season, the Magic were very healthy, while other teams struggled with injuries. We should never wish for players to suffer injuries, but the easiest path to the top of the East would be if the Magic could take advantage of opponents' injury troubles.