Orlando Magic
2017-18 record: 27-55
2017-18 season series: 3-0, Sixers
2018-19 advantage: Sixers
The Magic are still rebuilding. Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba are all promising young pieces. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier are effective veterans who can contribute to winning basketball.
Orlando, of course, hasn’t produced winning basketball in quite some time. That won’t change this season, with little tangible progress made this offseason. Isaac’s second season has breakout potential, but nothing that moves the needle in the win-loss column.
Simply put, the Magic are waiting for their big hit in the draft. It’s almost like stripping things down and rebuilding through the draft, rather than hanging around in mediocrity with no clear path toward success, is the right approach.
The Sixers boast elite talent at multiple positions. The Magic don’t. This matchup doesn’t feel any closer than it was last season.