Orlando Magic 2022/2023 Season Preview

The Magic netted themselves the #1 pick in the draft thanks to a sobering 22-60 record last season, and with the rebuild still in full effect, expect player development to once again be a the top of the priorities list in Orlando.

The biggest addition to this squad comes in the form of #1 overall pick in the draft, Paola Banchero. There was speculation about who the Magic would select with the pick right down to the wire, but Banchero got the nod and there is no reason he can’t be an impact player on the offensive end from the get-go.

There haven’t been many other changes to this roster otherwise, and given the extremely young demographic and rebuilding nature of the team, that isn’t much of a surprise. This season, however, it would likely serve Coach Mosley well to begin definitively carving some roles for his players and establishing some sort of an eating order for the teams scoring options.

Cole Anthony (pictured) emerged as Orlando's emotional leader last season., Credit: The SportsRush

Having a whopping eight players average double figures in scoring last season highlights two things. Firstly, that Coach Mosley has refused to define a hierarchy to this point, and secondly, that the team lacks a genuine leader to rally behind. Cole Anthony most certainly looked like the emotional leader of the team for stretches last season, but on the floor, you could argue that Wagner or Carter Jr are higher impact players, or at least project as being so in the future.

There will come a time in the Magic’s development where they will need to either give up or cash in on some of their young talent, and while they could reasonably start doing that with some players this season, I’d expect them to wait another year at least before they start making those decision.

The Magic have an incredibly talented, young roster full of potential, but in a world of wins and losses, they’ll likely struggle again this season.

Ceiling: 11th seed

Floor: 15th seed