This is not the Orlando Magic team you are used to.Of course they are young.
They are the fourth youngest team in the NBA with an average team age of 23.94 years. But their young core is learning to play together, and after recording 12 wins year-over-year between 2021-22 and 2022-23, they are on pace to win 50 games this season. Not bad for a team that won 22 games two seasons ago. They built their roster through the draft. The starting five tonight will consist of four players drafted by the organization, led by last season’s first overall pick in the NBA Draft, Paolo Bacnhero. Banchero led (or tied) the team in scoring 11 times, rebounding 9 times and assisting 11 times. He averages 21.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 4.6 assists. When he plays against young teams, attack is usually their strong point. For Orlando, however, defense is the backbone of their success and the reason why they are the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference. The team boasts the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, allowing just 110.6 points per night (which is 5th best). On the Phoenix side, we will see the Big Three in action again. Offensively, the team made a good showing in their recent win against the Charlotte Hornets. The ball movement was crisp, Devin Booker excelled at playing off the ball, Beal and Durant are developing offensive sets and chemistry that will draw opponents’ attacks, and Jusuf Nurkic excelled at punishing the interior accordingly. The Suns defense? Well, that’s another story.Allowing 119 points to a team with the fourth-worst offense in the conference? Not ideal. Sure, Scary Terry Rozier almost had a career night — he was just 2 points away from tying his career high with 44 points — and took some ridiculous shots, but that’s becoming a regular theme. Come! Play the Suns! A member of your team is going to have the night of their life!Let’s hope Paolo, whose career-high 42 points (which he reached in a loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this month), doesn’t add his name to the list of performances elite against the Suns. Injury reportTo sunbathe:Josh Okogie – PROBABLY (sprained right ankle)Nassir Little – OUT (left knee pain)Damion Lee – OUT (right meniscus surgery)Magic:Wendell Carter, Jr. – QUESTIONABLE (right knee tendonitis)Markelle Fultz – QUESTIONABLE (left knee tendonitis)Gary Harris – QUESTIONABLE (right calf strain)Jonathan Isaac – QUESTIONABLE (right hamstring)Joe Ingles – OUT (sprained left ankle)Uniform match
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