Magic Guard Markelle Fultz Tweets Cryptic, Yet Bold Orlando Prediction

Fultz has high hopes for the Magic this season.

Jeremy Brener | Aug 19, 2022

Magic Guard Markelle Fultz Tweets Cryptic, Yet Bold Orlando Prediction /

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz is eagerly waiting for his return to the court this season, especially because he has high hopes for his team this season.

Early Friday morning, Fultz tweeted "4th seed," which fans and followers interpreted as what he believed the Magic could be in the upcoming season.

It's going to be difficult for the Magic to go from the worst record in the Eastern Conference to the fourth-best, but Fultz has this quiet confidence about the team.

The Magic didn't change much during the offseason in free agency. The team simply retained its own free agents, but Orlando made a splash in the draft, selecting Paolo Banchero No. 1 overall.

In a way, one could look at Fultz being one of the team's "free agent" acquisitions, considering he didn't play much for the team last season after recovering from a torn ACL. He played in 18 games down the stretch for the Magic, averaging 10.8 points and 5.5 assists per game.

The team also anticipates the return of defensive juggernaut Jonathan Isaac, a former top-10 pick who hasn't played an NBA game in two years.

While the returns of the team's higher draft picks are promising, it will still be difficult to crack the top four of the Eastern Conference. The Miami Heat, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, last season's top four East teams, are all expected to contend for a championship again. Meanwhile, teams like the Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks all expect to be competitive as well.

The sportsbooks don't like the Magic's chances either.

In Caesar's Sportsbook’s most up-to-date win total projections, the Magic sits at the fifth-worst record at 26.5, with only the Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs holding worse odds.

There's a lot going against the Magic right now, but the team's point guard manifesting success is a step in the right direction towards building a winning culture in Orlando.

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Published Aug 19, 2022

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.