2 days Ago By James Shearman, NBA Analysis Network
The Orlando Magic have been playing really well. They have won six straight games and are up to third in the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic surprised many last season with their fifth place regular season finish and seven-game playoff series battle with the Cleveland Cavaliers .
They added Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this summer but it still seemed unlikely that they would improve on their 47-35 record. Now, we are not even a quarter of the way through the season but Jamahl Mosley’s team are on course to win 50 games. And they have just done something which no NBA team has since 2018, despite Paolo Banchero’s absence due to an oblique injury.
Orlando Magic achieve incredible feat The Magic have gone on a six-game winning streak despite Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr’s absences, with Franz Wagner elevating his game to an All-NBA level. The German has averaged 29 points on this run, proving to the world that the Magic have two number one options on the roster. But the most impressive aspect of the last six games has not been any individual’s performance but the the team’s as a whole, especially on the defensive end.
Everyone knows that the Magic are a top defensive team but they have reached new heights on that side of the ball. They have just become the first NBA team since 2018 to hold their opponents to less than 100 points in six consecutive games. Six-game winning streak When will Paolo Banchero return from injury? The Magic have been impressive without Banchero but that does not change the fact that he is a crucial part of the team.
The third-year forward was putting up 29 points per game before he got injured. And those points are even more valuable considering the Magic are one of the lowest-scoring teams in the league. Banchero will be out for a while longer but he hopes to return in around a month’s time, potentially on December 19 against the Oklahoma City Thunder .
“This isn’t from the medical team or anything but the way I feel and I’ve been feeling, I think I can get back before Christmas,” he told Andscape . “Now, if it’s around that time and [VP of performance and wellness Arnie Kander] says ‘no way, you can’t go’ then I’ll listen. But if he gives me the green light, I’ll do it.
” This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission..
