'Glimmers of Hope': Magic Making Midseason Grade?

The Orlando Magic isn't projected to be a playoff team this season, but there's a lot of promise in central Florida.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 14, 2023

'Glimmers of Hope': Magic Making Midseason Grade? /

The Orlando Magic has crossed the halfway point in its season on the current five-game road trip, and the team still sits outside the playoff picture at 16-27.

However, given the fact that the Magic held the No. 1 pick in the last NBA Draft, things in Orlando are going just fine.

In its midseason report card for every team, The Athletic gave the Magic a modest B-.

"The Magic are barely on the periphery of the Play-In Tournament in the East, so it’s hard to see progress for the franchise," The Athletic writes. "But halfway through the season, Orlando was already seven wins away from tying its wins total for last season. More important, Paolo Banchero seems like a legit future NBA star and is already producing at a likely Rookie-of-the-Year level. Franz Wagner has improved. Bol Bol looks like a find. Wendell Carter is a strong player in the middle. Markelle Fultz has shown progress. There are glimmers of hope on the roster, though muted sometimes."

B- is definitely a passing grade, and Orlando has seen a ton of progress this season. While it may not result in bonus basketball this season, the Magic will only get better when Jonathan Isaac returns to the lineup in the second half and in the offseason when two more lottery picks call central Florida their home.

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Published Jan 14, 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.