SPECIAL EDITION WITH A SPECIAL SOMEONE || ANALYZING THE ORLANDO MAGIC!!!!
Edition #50 HALF A CENTURY! WE'VE DONE IT!!!!!!
Intro:
Yes, guys. It’s finally that day. The day I’ve been waiting for… EDITION #50!!!! I started this newsletter 4 months ago. 4 months ago, I had a passion and a dream to get my news out there, so people could read it and know something about sports!
I certainly love playing them. Yes, I very much do. But for me, watching them, predicting the picks, shouting when my team hits a basket, HR, or achieves a TD, and even writing big long essays about these things. That’s something I love to do and trust me, I hate writing big ol’ essays about, I don’t know, why Jolly Ranchers taste so good.
Today, I have a special for the many subscribers who have stuck with me throughout this journey. (Btw, we finally have enough subscribers to get on the sports newsletter subscriber/community leaderboard, even though we’re dead last.) You guys are about to see a person who is one of the most inspirational Substack writers to me. He’s one of the main people who got me involved in this writing stuff, and a very famous writer as well. Friends, I introduce an editor, writer, and sports journalist who worked at one of the biggest places for sports journalism, ESPN, Royce Webb! He’s the writer of a famous newsletter on this platform called 5x5! Check it out here!
You might have already seen the title, but if you didn't, that’s perfect. What we’re doing here at Sports Square as a celebratory 50th post is an analysis of a team, that I will not disclose until we get there. We’re going to do this analysis with someone who has some of the best insights into the basketball world…
Alright! So, what are we waiting for? Let’s get started!(Smayan = me… Royce = our ESPN writer!)
THE GUEST POST/ANALYSIS
Smayan:
What about the Orlando Magic, y’all?
Do you guys remember the 2021-2022 season? When the Magic were dead last place?
What did they do the following season?
They bumped up two places and won 12 more games…
What about this season?
They're in 8th place and have already won 3 more games than the amount they won in total in 2021. Heck, they have more wins than the Warriors and the HAWKS right now… They have the same amount of wins as the Pistons + Wizards + Spurs!
Now, their last 10 haven’t been the best, but why? Why are the Magic so good? They should be rebuilding right now! That’s our main topic today, plus some other stuff!
The number 1 thing to do is ask Royce Webb this question. So Royce… Why is this happening?
Royce:
Orlando fans probably don’t feel like this success has come overnight, given the franchise has had one winning season since 2012 and has attempted to rebuild multiple times. But this time it does seem to be working, and the amount of young talent is impressive.
The progress on defense is especially noteworthy, as they’ve moved up from 26th in defensive rating three seasons ago to 5th this season. That’s fantastic for a young team, and it points to commitment from the players and good coaching by Jamahl Mosley and his staff, especially since no one believed before this season that Orlando’s defensive talent was special.
Jeff Weltman, Orlando’s president of basketball operations, worked with us at ESPN 17 years ago, and I’m pleased to see what a solid organization he has built.
Smayan:
Obviously the players are a huge factor. Just like you said, Jeff Weltman has done an amazing job building up this team, and man… Paolo Banchero… Amazing… But it isn’t just one guy. Franz Wagner… Wendell Carter Jr… All very amazing players… I mean the young talent is just blooming. The oldest guy on the Magic is Joe Ingles, who is 36, but the second oldest… Is 29 years old! Isn’t that crazy?
But with Paolo Banchero just killing it, and the Magic in playoff position… Is there still a question about whom the best player on the Magic is? I say, no! Because basketball isn’t just about one guy, (although Luka can do that stuff…). Wendell, Franz, and many other people on the Magic also show up at times, but we can definitely say that Paolo is the most consistent…
Do you agree, Royce? Do you think that Paolo is consistent in what he does?
Royce:
Paolo’s the one you want to buy stock in. He’s barely 21 and his all-around game is already quite developed. He carries a big load, particularly on offense, and Thursday was named to his first All-Star team.
That said, the advanced stats have Franz Wagner as the most efficient Magic player so far, and Wagner is just 22.
So they have a pair of budding stars — Wagner’s arguably a little ahead of Banchero, but Paolo has the higher upside and greater star power.
Smayan:
Yes, I definitely agree with you and in a league with so many great players, especially in the Eastern Conference, that’s AMAZING.
Before we get on any further with the analysis, why don’t we look at a little nugget here?
NUGGET: Well, the thing is, the Magic didn’t have the strongest of Januaries… 6-10 was their record and oh man that ain’t the best…
The trade deadline is in 7 days. The Magic have a few kinks to work out if they want to make the deep run into the playoffs. What do they need to do?
Get some shooting or get some kind of three-point specialist. Orlando takes the fourth-fewest 3's in the NBA and makes the worst percentage of them in basketball. Maybe they should get rid of Markelle Fultz or Gary Harris? I mean, it’s not because they’re old… If you remember what I said before, the 2nd oldest guy on the team is 29 years old! It just doesn’t look like these guys are a long-time option for the Magic. They’re also on expiring contracts…
Another guy that might feel surprising to many people is Jonathan Issac. He has a non-guaranteed contract for next season and has played incredible defense this year, but still only in limited minutes…
Royce? What do you think? Who should the Magic target or get rid of?
Royce:
For a team in Orlando’s position, trading a veteran with an expiring or quasi-expiring deal could make a lot of sense, particularly anyone not in the Magic’s long-term plans. That might or might not apply to Isaac. I think it probably does apply to Fultz and Harris, and I won’t be surprised if they get moved. So I think you’re right about them, and perhaps Isaac too.
If the Magic can acquire a point guard and/or get some shooting on the roster, they should. Ultimately, the offense will struggle until it’s better organized and the spacing is better. So anyone who can help with one or both of those facets of the Orlando offense should be targeted before the trade deadline. Ideally they’ll be able to acquire a playmaker who can get easier shots for Banchero and others.
Smayan:
Well, speaking of the shooting, is that a place they need to improve much? I mean, just a bit earlier, I shared the stat about the 3-point percentage, and that was pretty bad. But, they’re in 8th place and while that means they’re currently in a position to get a play-in spot, 8th place does not equal first place.
Let’s look at these stats…
And one more thing about the three-point shooting? Even the pistons are better than them…
But basketball isn’t about just shooting… The defense must be there too! If you only look at the shooting stats and say a team is good or bad based on only the shooting stats… Well, it’s like saying defense isn’t important in baseball!
Well, let’s head to our concluding thoughts!
Thumbnail by Baseball-Bro28.
CONCLUDING THOUGHTS
Smayan:
I don’t feel good about the Orlando Magic picking up a guard before the deadline, but Paolo, Wendell, and I mean all of these guys. This defense is going to be fantastic, and it’s going to lead them to the playoffs. I don’t think they can make a deep run, but I think it’s going to be a great start to a… dynasty???
Royce:
To me, the Magic look on track for 7th in the East. It's possible they'll avoid the play-in, but I like what Indiana's got going and expect the Pacers to finish 6th.
But 7th would represent a great step forward. And maybe they'll find a way to win more than one playoff game for the first time in 13 years.
Regardless, big things are brewing in Orlando, and they should be fixtures in the playoff race for years to come.
Conclusion
I just want to issue one more thanks to all of you guys who have been on this journey from the start. A special thanks to
who has been one of the most influential writers for me. Royce may pop in a few more times here on Sports Square, so if you enjoyed this post, make sure to subscribe, but not only to us! Make sure to look at his amazing posts he makes himself at 5x5!Sports Quote of the Day
“The five S’s of sports training are: stamina, speed, strength, skill, and spirit; but the greatest of these is spirit.” — Ken Doherty
It really does relate to the Orlando Magic… Doesn’t it?)
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