Every NBA season, there is one franchise that was not expected to make a splash in the regular season but they shocked the world at some point in their campaign. Sustaining it for an 82-game stretch is another impressive feat, and that is what the Orlando Magic have been doing for the past 71 contests. With the NBA playoffs on the horizon, here are the Magic dream NBA playoff scenario and matchups.
The team is currently at the fifth spot in the East with a 42-29 record, one and a half-game behind the third-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. Earning home-court advantage in the first round is a plausible scenario as that would be a huge goal in the next couple of weeks.
Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have been one of the most underrated duos in the Association, and it seems they will still take a leap in April and possibly May. The ancillary pieces like Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, and Mo Wagner have been playing at a wonderful level, so the momentum seems to be great heading into the final stretch.
With that, this is the Magic dream NBA playoffs scenario and matchup that Orlando fans must wish for.
Magic-Pacers is the ideal NBA playoff matchup scenario for Orlando
Among the teams that are likely going to make the top six, it is unfortunately the Indiana Pacers that will be the best matchup for the Magic. Orlando has claimed two road victories in Indianapolis this year, which is vital in any playoff battle. The ferocity and relentlessness that head coach Jamahl Mosley has brought to his guys is what will be integral in a postseason series against Orlando.
The Pacers rely a ton on their pace as they have the most field goals made per game in the league, and the highest field goal percentage as well. These strengths will be negated or contained when they face the Magic in April, so Indiana will need to step up on other facets if they want to compete with Orlando.
The Magic do have struggles with their outside shooting, but they have proven to hit timely buckets. The slashing ability of both Banchero and Wagner will be magnified in this series because the Pacers lack the defensive personnel to put bodies on them. Inexperience can be an issue for both organizations, but it will definitely be an intriguing series.
Avoiding the Boston bracket; Knicks in Round 2
Avoiding the Boston Celtics bracket has been the consensus argument for NBA pundits when the discussion is about the East playoff race. The Magic may have a difficult time advancing further if they meet the Celtics at the early juncture of the postseason. Boston is a juggernaut, and they seem to have the perfect recipe to advance to the finals, so Orlando may rather prefer facing someone like the New York Knicks.
In four outings this season, the Magic have come out victorious in three of those contests, so it is evident that they will stand a legitimate chance against the Knicks. Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson still have not returned to the court, so an undermanned New York roster will give the advantage to the Orlando side.
The Knicks did have a bit of trouble manufacturing points against the Magic as they did not crack 110 points in any of their games. Orlando versus New York in the postseason will be an ugly and physical battle, so in this kind of scenario, the Magic will always have a puncher's chance because the scoring margin will not be too far.
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