After a disappointing, injury-plagued 2025-26 regular season, Orlando nearly upset top-seeded Detroit in the first round of the playoffs. The Pistons won a home Game 7 by 22, but the Magic gave a strong overall effort and might have won had Franz Wagner been available after Game 4. Still, keeping things tight against the No. 1 seed wasn’t enough to save Jamahl Mosley’s job, and he may have been out even with a win.
Reporting suggested Mosley and star Paolo Banchero no longer saw eye to eye, and it felt like he had taken the Magic as far as he could. So the front office hired highly coveted San Antonio assistant Sean Sweeney.
Like Mosley, Sweeney is known as a defensive-minded coach, so the Magic aren’t exactly reinventing the wheel. But they wanted to give their current core one last shot at figuring it out, and they felt a new voice could help. That voice played a big role in helping the Spurs reach the NBA Finals last year.
Banchero and Wagner will again lead the way, with Desmond Bane supplying perimeter firepower. Jalen Suggs will be the floor general while digging in at the point of attack. He better be on his game, though, because Anthony Black is nipping at his heels and eager to claim the starting point guard spot.
The Magic didn’t do much to improve the roster. Their one meaningful acquisition was bringing back Nikola Vucevic, who will back up Wendell Carter Jr. at center. Orlando is hoping Sweeney, along with better luck on the injury front, will finally solve this puzzle. To an extent, I think he will. I like the Over on 43.5 and believe this team can break out again.
BURNING QUESTIONS
How will Sweeney shake things up?
Last season, Orlando finished 11th in the NBA in Adjusted Defensive Rating (113.4), snapping a two-year streak of finishing exactly third. Sweeney ran the defense for the Spurs, so expect tweaks. However, Sweeney would sign up for some of the Magic’s recent defensive success.
Based on Sweeney’s comments since being hired, Orlando will very likely ramp up ball pressure and physicality. Mosley leaned heavily on the length on his roster and hoped for maximum effort at all times. Sweeney, known for his strong attention to detail, will bring a little more structure.
Sweeney also seems to run circles around Mosley as an offensive coach. That might not be what he’s known for, but Orlando will play with more purpose. Sweeney wants his players settled into clear roles, so there will be less of the Magic rolling the ball out and letting everyone do whatever they want. He also wants Orlando to play much faster, set drastically more screens, and prioritize spacing. The last one is easier said than done without good shooting, but Sweeney doesn’t want Wagner and Banchero attacking packed paints.
The Magic likely won’t be a top-10 offense as long as this core is around. But they did finish 18th in aORTG (114.4) last year, snapping a 13-year streak of finishing 20th or worse. If Sweeney can turn this into a top-15 offense, the Magic would be thrilled.
Will Banchero and Wagner show signs of life as a pairing?
There’s no leap coming without Banchero and Wagner getting on the same page. Sweeney has been impressed with what he has seen from them together, but little suggests the two enjoy playing with one another.
It’s almost shocking how little they have competed together given how long they’ve been in Orlando. The Magic always seem to be playing without one of them, and both players seem to prefer that.
Over the last two years, Orlando’s Net Rating is only +3.2 in the minutes they’ve shared. That’s not good enough for two players combining to make over $80 million.
It’s on Banchero to find a way to fit in. The 2023 Rookie of the Year is always good for big numbers, and he has been excellent as an isolation scorer in the postseason. But Wagner is a winning player. He takes good shots, he’s an excellent playmaker, and he’s a high-level defender who guards multiple positions. Banchero doesn’t impact the game in nearly as many ways, and he’s a ball-stopper on offense. He has to start taking pride in doing some of the little things.
Is Black the most important player nobody’s talking about?
A few weeks ago, Suggs apologized to Magic fans for his postseason play. He’s the ideal point-of-attack defender and can occasionally get hot from three, but his percentages have been down for years, his three-ball abandoned him against the Pistons, and he can’t stay healthy. At some point, the Magic will have to consider giving Black a shot at the starting job.
Black still has work to do as a shooter, but he averaged a career-high 15.0 points per game last season. He also posted a Defensive Estimated Plus-Minus of +0.5, and as a 6-foot-7 lead guard, he can disrupt multiple spots.
The 22-year-old is coming on fast, and he’s arguably the best blue-chip youngster in the NBA that people aren’t paying attention to. The Magic don’t have many avenues for improvement, but if Black keeps getting better, Orlando will be in much better shape.
WIN TOTAL BET: Over 43.5