Weekly Orlando Magic Power Rankings

How the Magic fared in NBA power rankings around the web

By Mike Cali Nov 6, 2018, 2:08pm EST

Each week, we will gather all of the NBA power rankings from various outlets to see how the Magic fared.

Last season, during the Magic’s 25-52 campaign, each weekly power ranking on OPP featured what unfortunately became known as the “Disappointed Vogel Photo” as the main picture with the story...

We’re hoping Steve Clifford doesn’t suffer the same fate as we try to match his photo to the week the Magic have had. This week we have a mostly satisfied Clifford thanks to the Magic’s back-to-back victories with a rare win in San Antonio and a buzzer-beater against the Cavaliers.

So let’s see where the Magic stand in the early season power rankings (Note: the win over the Cavs came after some of these rankings were made).

Click on each publication for the full ranking....

ESPN - Magic jump from 27 to 26

The Magic are one of five NBA teams with a scoring margin of minus-9 or worse, indicating that not only are they losing, they also are having trouble being competitive on a game-to-game basis. Their schedule has not helped them, as their first nine opponents have a combined record of 44-27. Their next five opponents are a combined 10-32, so there might be a chance to get on track soon. -- Andre Snellings

CBS Sports - Magic remain at 27

The NBA’s least-efficient offense and worst shooting team. There’s plenty to like about this team defensively. A big win on Sunday nearly turned into an awful loss, as the Magic nearly blew a 26-point lead with nine minutes remaining. -- Reid Forgrave

NBA.com - Magic jump from 24 to 22

After scoring a brutal 92 points per 100 possessions over their previous three games, the Magic had their best offensive performance of the season in San Antonio on Sunday. It might not be a coincidence that Jonathan Isaac missed the game with a sprained ankle, because his injury allowed Aaron Gordon to play the four next to Wesley Iwundu or Terrence Ross. Gordon scored 26 points (after averaging just 11 over the previous three games) and has an effective field goal percentage of 56 percent with Isaac off the floor and just 44 percent with Isaac on the floor. The game in San Antonio concluded a stretch of seven straight games against teams that that currently have winning records and the league’s worst offense will face the league’s worst defense on Monday. -- John Schuhmann

SI.com - Magic remain at 24

Orlando was doing everything it could to negate the first 40 minutes of basketball it played against the Spurs on Sunday. I want to take more out of how the Magic held on for the win on the road, but they made life way more difficult for themselves than they should have in the first place. At least they broke 100 points in the victory. They hadn’t done that in more than a week. -- Khadrice Rollins

Sporting News - Magic at 25

The shooting can’t get much worse in Orlando, where the Magic are making 41.0 percent from the field (last in the NBA) and 30.5 percent from the 3-point line (28th). They’re struggling from the free-throw line, too, making 73.5 percent of their foul shots, 21st in the league. -- Sean Deveney

UPROXX - Magic jump from 23 to 22

The Magic had no business winning on Monday night but they did it anyway. As a result, the team owns a 4-6 record and, while Orlando is almost certainly worse than that, there is some ugliness behind them. -- Brad Rowland

FanSided - Magic fall from 23 to 27

Orlando split their four games this week but their four double-digit losses on the season are outweighing their four close wins right now, including needing a buzzer-beater from Evan Fournier to get past the Cavaliers. -- Ian Levy

Rotoworld - Magic at 25

The Magic notched their most impressive victory of the season on Sunday night when they knocked off the Spurs in San Antonio. Orlando has faced one of the league’s toughest schedules early on, but it lightens up this week. The Magic head home to host the Cavs on Monday and then welcome the Pistons and Wizards, before heading to New York to take on the Knicks. -- Tommy Beer

Hoops Habit - Magic fall from 21 to 23

The Orlando Magic remain baffling. For every predictable loss (or three) they rack up, the Magic wind up responding with an unexpected win to restore faith that this rebuild isn’t just spinning its wheels in the mud.

First, there was the three-point win over Miami on opening night. Two losses later, Orlando randomly decided to beat the Celtics in Boston to get back to .500. After a string of four consecutive losses, they end the red-hot Spurs’ four-game win streak. Sure, Magic. Sure. -- Gerald Bourguet

Bleacher Report - Magic at 27 (Posted Nov. 2)

The Magic don’t have anyone to generate advantages on offense. No slithery point guard to pierce the defense. No pick-and-roll wizard. No reliable post-up weapon (who won’t destroy the defense, Nikola Vucevic). No lights-out floor-spacing shooter.

No surprise, then, that Orlando ranks 30th in offensive efficiency through its first seven games, five of which have been losses. -- Grant Hughes