The Orlando Magic have just 29 games left in their season, and there is reason to believe they could start to catch fire.
Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes believes the team will finish 17-12 in their second half of the season, finishing with a record of 45-37.
“There are several teams that rate as more disappointing than the Orlando Magic, but it’s not great that they’re in the conversation,” Hughes wrote. “Far from making the superstar leap many expected, Paolo Banchero is regressing. He’s on pace to post his lowest scoring average and effective field-goal percentage since his rookie year and is now facing questions about his fitness as the key piece of a respectable NBA offense.
“Franz Wagner has missed close to half the season, Jalen Suggs will struggle to reach 60 games and Desmond Bane’s relative durability has come with a mere 35.7 percent hit rate on threes. Overall, the Magic are again on track to post an offensive rating in the bottom 10 (that’ll make it 10 straight years), and their defense, once a calling card, is now in the middle of the pack.
“We’re pricing in some desperation-fueled improvement in our prediction, as Orlando’s point differential is only that of a 39-win team.”