Orlando dropped three straight after Paolo Banchero — the team’s leading scorer and primary shot creator — went down with a torn right oblique. The expectation was the Magic would fall off a cliff, at least until Banchero returned.
But the reports of the Magic’s death are greatly exaggerated — Orlando has won four in a row and sits in third place in the Eastern Conference at 7-6.
Two things are driving the improved play — and the first is what didn’t change: Orlando’s suffocating defense. The Magic have the second-best defense in the NBA, led by a very good transition defense. That’s keeping the Magic in games. Then there is Franz Wagner, who had the role of lead shot creator dropped on his plate, and he admitted to Josh Robbins of The Athletic that it took some time for him to adjust to.
“I think it’s a little of a mentality shift for me as well,” Wagner said after Tuesday’s victory over Charlotte. “The way I grew up playing was a lot off the ball and just taking really good shots all the time. Sometimes it’s OK to take a midrange shot and stuff like that. So, that’s something that’s not ingrained necessarily, or wasn’t taught to me from a young age. So, it’s a good challenge for me.”
During the Magic’s four-game win streak, Wagner has averaged 27.8 points and six assists a night, both leading Orlando, plus he is grabbing five rebounds a game. He’s still not a threat from 3 (29.6% during this streak) but he is finding a comfort zone as a shot creator.
Orlando’s first three wins in this streak came against struggling teams in New Orleans, Washington and Charlotte. However, the last one against Indiana felt different, showing this team could hang on in an East where only two teams looked dominant (Boston and Cleveland).
The tests are coming. Orlando faces Philadelphia Friday in an NBA Cup game, then heads out on the road for 4-of-5, including facing Phoenix and both Los Angeles teams.
However those tests play out, the Magic have shown they are not going anywhere — this looks like a top-six for sure, maybe a top-four team in the East. Doing that without Banchero for an extended period will be impressive.
