The Orlando Magic dominated the Atlanta Hawks in the Play-In Tournament and will play the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs. The Celtics will be favored in this series and the absence of Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner makes this series a bigger challenge.
The Magic will compete and give Boston their best shot, but it will be a tall task. The final result aside, the Magic must find the smaller wins across the series. This matchup will provide a learning experience and opportunities to grow. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will be given another playoff series to improve as stars. Anthony Black will make his playoff debut, and it will give one final opportunity for the role players to show they can play their best basketball at the right time.
The duo of Banchero and Wagner have been compared to Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown—Two big forwards who are capable of doing everything on the court. Another high-level playoff series will only make the Magic‘s young duo grow. Last season, Banchero averaged 27 points on 45.6 percent shooting from the field and 40.0 percent from three in the playoffs. Franz Wagner averaged 18.9 points on 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 26.5 percent from three, including a nightmare of a Game 7.
This is an opportunity for the duo to continue to get experience and play a championship-level team. Missing Suggs from the starting unit will make the series more challenging, but it will only show more holes in the young stars' games. Banchero and Wagner will be forced to take their games to another level, which will be beneficial in the long run. It will be a win if Banchero and Wagner can find their spots and perform at a high level to keep this series competitive.
This is a big moment for Anthony Black. Black did not play meaningful minutes in last year's playoffs. These reps will provide invaluable experience for the young guard. The Magic are looking for the next guard to pair with Suggs, and this series may provide an insight into whether or not Black can be the answer.
In 26 games since the All-Star break, Black has averaged 9.8 points and 2.5 assists per game. Black has shot an efficient 38 percent from three although on only 2.7 attempts per game. No one is expecting Black to burst on the scene and average 20 this series, but the question is rather if Black will stay aggressive and keep the pressure on Boston's bench unit. Too many times this season the issue with Black was not the effectiveness of his play, but more so his aggressiveness. The Magic need Black to be aggressive for their bench unit to perform at their best.
The Magic may not win this series, but if Wagner, Banchero, and Black play well and show improvements, they should consider the trip to the postseason a success.
The playoffs offer opportunities for every Magic player to show out
This series will also provide bounce-back opportunities for Wendell Carter Jr., Cole Anthony, Jonathan Isaac, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. This season was full of inconsistencies across the Magic’s roster. Jonathan Isaac was the only player from this group to have a strong playoff showing last season, shooting 50 percent from the field and 37. percent from three. However, this season, whether it be because of inconsistent minutes or his struggle with the new weight program, Isaac has struggled. Lately, he has been playing the best basketball of the season and needs to take momentum into the playoffs.
Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony are in the same boat. Both showed flashes in the series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and struggled at times this season. Since the All-Star break, both Carter and Anthony have been playing extremely well, and the Magic need them to continue to play at that level.
Anthony is averaging 10.1 points and 3.2 assists per game since the break. He's shooting 43.6 percent from beyond the arc on 3.4 attempts per game. Anthony has been a spark off the bench pushing pace and being a strong scorer off the bench. This is the Cole Anthony the Magic were expecting when the front office extended Anthony. The Magic need Black and Anthony to play well off the bench to compete with the Celtics.
Wendell Carter Jr., on the other hand, has been elite defensively. Carter Jr. continues to display the ability to switch onto the perimeter and contest smaller players. Now Carter is doing a better job of contesting shots at the rim as well. Players are only shooting 50.8 percent from the field within 6 feet from the basket. Carter's defense allows Wagner and Banchero to attack the glass, push the pace, and attempt to get easy points.
Carter Jr. is also showing flashes offensively. He is attacking the offensive glass, averaging nearly three offensive rebounds per game—up from 1.8. Carter is also attempting more shots per game—7.9 per game compared to 6.8. The shooting has yet to fully return as he is still only shooting 28.1 percent from three, but it already improved from 20.2. Especially without Suggs, the Magic need Carter to be aggressive on the offensive end. Carter needs to put pressure on Boston's defense to make the Magic's stars' lives easier. This playoff series will be a good sample that will make Carter's case as the Magic's center for the future.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is finally coming around at the perfect time. The Magic signed the veteran for his shooting ability to help spread the floor. Caldwell-Pope struggled early to shoot from the perimeter, shooting 30.9 percent from three. He has been consistently a 40-percent shooter in the last couple of years. However, in his last 24 games, he is shooting 44 percent from three. Caldwell-Pope’s playoff experience and shooting will be important to Orlando's chances in the first round. The Magic signed him for the playoffs and now is his chance to prove them right.