Despite the Philadelphia 76ers turn in the offseason of offseasonsThere’s a major reason why they’re not considered favorites to win the Eastern Conference. Besides the fact that the defending champions are in their way, the East has become a haven for extreme operators and wannabe contenders.
Veteran teams led by longtime All-Stars still dominate the Eastern Conference, but teams like the Indiana Pacers and Orlando Magic, once modest prospects, became eye-opening stories last season, with the former even reaching the Eastern Conference Finals. Now it appears the latter intend to follow suit.
Paolo Banchero, the centerpiece of the Orlando franchise who made the All-Star team for the first time last season, intends to lead his team on the 76ers and others who are currently expected to battle for pole position in the East.
On ESPN First take In another segment, Banchero said he believes the Magic can compete with the conference’s elite teams.
We feel like we’re in a good spot. We’re in a good spot with all these (elite Eastern) teams. I remember last year we started the year as a top two or three seed and everybody thought it was a fluke. Everybody thought we were going to be a playoff team and come out on top of the Eastern Conference. We finished strong and got the fifth seed and had a chance to really take the second spot at the end of the season. We were in a good spot last year. We’ve gotten better this year. I’ve gotten better, we’ve all gotten better. We’ve got some new pieces that are going to help a lot. We’re trying to make some noise. We should easily be a top four or top three team and have a chance to win the Eastern Conference.
Orlando, which had the league’s second-best defense last season, has a ton of potential, but Banchero is jumping the gun on that front far too soon. The Magic, as currently constructed, don’t have the firepower to step up. They’ll need more than another leap from Banchero to be in the conversation among the East’s elite teams.
The 76ers will have to tread very carefully against the Magic, however. They will be difficult to eliminate in the playoffs due to their defensive ethic and inherent length, which can pose serious problems for teams that rely on monotonous offensive schemes.
The Magic have the makings of a growing team, but they are unlikely to be very strong again next season. In the meantime, the Philadelphia 76ers have bigger fish to fry, which unfortunately does not include Orlando.
At least, not yet.
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