Can Magic Be Better Than Nets Next Season?

The Brooklyn Nets are facing elimination today and an uncertain offseason, one that the Orlando Magic could take advantage of.

Jeremy Brener | Apr 22, 2023

Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic isn't in the playoffs this season, and if it wants to be there a year from now, a team currently in the postseason will have to take a step back.

A potential candidate for a regressor in the Eastern Conference would be the Brooklyn Nets, a team that has undergone a seismic shift and is a game away from elimination against the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Nets are the No. 6 seed in the East, but it comes after trading Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving just before the trade deadline in February.

Before trading Durant on Feb. 8, the Nets were 32-22, but the current iteration of the team led by Mikal Bridges went 13-15, just a smidge better percentage-wise than the Magic was this past season.

That being said, Orlando is a team on the rise while Brooklyn is a team trending in the wrong direction. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Markelle Fultz are all expected to take another step in the right direction next season and the Magic has a pair of lottery picks coming its way. Meanwhile, the Nets have a pair of picks in the 20s.

The Magic has a nicer outlook and could do some damage next season. Somewhere, Orlando will need a target to take its place in the playoffs and Brooklyn might be that team.

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Published Apr 22, 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.