The 22/23 Magic season has come to a close with a final record of 34-48 beating preseason betting projections by about 7 games. I was pretty satisfied with the season once everyone got healthy; the Magic looked like at least a .500 team to me. Get up and down the court, play some good team defense, throw in a few splashes of Bol Bol being Bol Bol, and some unstoppable Cole Anthony streaks and this was a fun team to watch. The low point of the season for me was losing Jonathon Isaac yet again. Not completely unexpected, but still feels bad. The Magic's best 5 starter in my opinion were Fultz, Harris, F. Wagner, Banchero, and Carter Jr. This lineup posted 1.15 points per possession for and 1.135 against.
Off-season Notes:
I think the frontcourt is pretty much locked in unless the 9% Wembanyama lottery bounces in the Magic's favor.
The guards present an interesting dilemma. Fultz looks good when he's out there, but he can't shoot, which severely restricts the personnel around him. Suggs can't shoot either and if one of those two guys is on the floor, everyone else on the floor needs to be a passable shooter and the Magic still need at least one "gravity" shooter. On the defensive end Fultz can cross-match onto 2s, but Suggs probably can't. Anthony is a better scorer than both but a shooting guard that can guard the 1 is necessary when he's on the court. Franz also sometimes needs cover at the 3. That leaves the Magic as currently constructed with a need for a shooting guard who has gravity and can guard up and down the lineup. Kind of an impossible thing to find in the draft. Klay Thompson would be the archetypical player comp. Failing that pick there would need to be significant internal shooting growth from Fultz or Suggs. I don't see either happening so some sort of shuffling needs to happen at the guard position. I'd take 2 bites at it with one of the 1st round picks who has the athleticism to play defense and the 36th on someone who can at least shoot. Luckily Banchero is a pretty good on-ball creator with Franz as a worthy supplement, so paired with a half competent point guard the Magic should have enough creation.
I'd like to know what everybody thinks the Magic should do in the offseason.
Since OPP is pretty much closed feel free to use the comments for whatever offseason news pops up.
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