Now that the All-Star break is over, what’s next for the Magic?

It’s been a long journey. You might have heard over the years to “trust the process” and, at times, that would have been pretty tough to hear. After committing to a rebuild in 2020, after back-to-back playoff appearances, the Magic frankly haven’t been good.

But the front office stuck to their plan. Jamal Mosley has taken criticism as a first time head coach, now in his third season. The roster moves, or lack there of, have puzzled fans and analysts alike at times. But here we are. 30 wins before the end of February for the first time since the 2010-2011 season, the tail end of the Dwight Howard era. And the Magic feel they have their next star.

Paolo Banchero represented the Magic well at All-Star Weekend, participating in the Skills Challenge, the Rising Stars game, and in the main event All-Star game on Sunday. And while it is great to have that as a part of this season, his first appearance as an All-Star after being the #1 overall pick and Rookie of the Year just last season, this team is in a position for much more than individual accolades.

At 30-25, the Magic find themselves 8th in the Eastern Conference standings. And with recent changes to the NBA playoffs that only buys them into the Play-In Tournament. But right now, they are only 3 games back of the 4th spot in the East. Injuries have been a concern, just as in years past, but the All-Star break came at just the right time. The 8 day break should allow for key pieces like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz, and Jonathan Isaac to nurse some wounds and help for the playoff push.

With 15 of the remaining 27 games at home, including an 8 game homestand starting in mid-March, and the easiest remaining schedule in the league by winning percentage, this could be a very exciting end to the season. The first time we can say that about the Magic in a while.

The Magic season starts back up on February 22nd with a game in Cleveland.

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