The Orlando Magic will be making their first playoff appearance since 2019, taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 7-game first-round series.
The Magic have officially reached phase 3 of their rebuild upon reaching the postseason. Now, the next step for the franchise is to see where their young core will take them in this year’s playoffs.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who secured the No. 4 seed and home-court advantage on the last day of the regular season, provide a tough challenge for the inexperienced Magic squad.
Led by the All-Star backcourt of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, the Cavs enter this year’s playoffs looking to erase the memory of their first-round exit at the hands of the New York Knicks last year.
The Magic may have split their four regular-season games with the Cavs, but it’s evident that Cleveland has a slight edge in terms of experience and home-court advantage.
Crunching the Numbers
The Magic finished the regular season as the No. 1 rebounding team (39.9 rpg) and No. 4 in points allowed per game (108.7), establishing themselves as a bruising, defensive-oriented ballclub.
The Cavs are also among the top defensive teams in the regular season, ranking 6th in opponent field goal percentage (46.3%), 10th in rebounds (42.6 rpg), and 7th in points allowed per game (110.1 ppg).
The Orlando Magic finished with the 2nd-best defensive rating in the NBA this year.
They join the 2008-09 Magic as the only teams to finish top 2 defensively in franchise history. #MagicTogether pic.twitter.com/pGSl1bb1wo
— ORLmuse (@ORLmuse) April 16, 2024
Players to watch:
Banchero, the 2023 Rookie of the Year, has taken his game to another level this season, averaging 22.6 points on 45.5 FG%, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
Franz Wagner also increased his production in this third season, averaging 19.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists.
Donovan Mitchell put up 26.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists despite missing a significant number of games due to a knee injury.
Darius Garland, the Cavs’ other All-Star guard, averaged 18.0 points and 6.5 assists and played a significant role in helping the Cavs hold on to the No. 4 spot while missing Mitchell’s services.
Prediction: Magic in 7 Games
NBA writer Steve Aschburner believes the Magic have a legitimate chance of pulling off an upset if the series goes seven games. The analyst said that, while the Cavs have postseason experience, they are not “peaking at the right time.” In contrast, the Magic, despite their youth, have demonstrated poise beyond their years in some close games. Since their last matchup on February 19, the Magic have compiled a 16-10 record, while the Cavs have gone 12-16.
“The Magic are in the playoffs for the first time since 2020 and haven’t won a series since 2010, but the guys playing well for them now know nothing of that,” Aschburner predicted.
