Can Magic Become Next Year's Kings?

The Sacramento Kings have been the early surprise to the 2023 NBA Playoffs and the Orlando Magic should take note.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 18, 2023

Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Sacramento Kings are experiencing one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history.

After 17 years of not even qualifying for the playoffs, the Kings won 48 games, the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference and are halfway towards eliminating the defending champion Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

Sacramento's dramatic turnaround and small market success should have Orlando Magic fans wondering if the team in central Florida can have a similar trajectory next season.

While Orlando's playoff drought is only three years old, the Magic has not won a playoff series since 2010.

The past decade or so for the Magic has been defined by mediocrity and being unable to get past being "okay." However, the Magic's current setup has the team dreaming bigger.

In the past three drafts, the team has selected Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, all of whom have proven to be potential building blocks for the franchise. In addition, the team has acquired Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr. and Gary Harris in big trades to make the team more whole.

On top of that, the Magic potentially has a pair of lottery picks to work with in the stacked 2023 NBA Draft.

Sacramento's success largely has to do with its draft picks. De'Aaron Fox, Davion Mitchell and Keegan Murray have played key roles for the team. And, trades have turned a pretender into a contender with Domantas Sabonis and Kevin Huerter among others.

While the Kings still have a long way to go, even in the first round series against the Warriors, their early playoff fortunes should inspire the Magic to hopefully do something similar in the near future.

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Published Apr 18, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.