The NBA Playoffs are set. The Orlando Magic will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in Round 1. In their regular season finales, the Magic beat the Milwaukee Bucks 113-88, and the Cavaliers lost to the Charlotte Hornets 120-110. These two teams are dark horse picks to win the Eastern Conference finals if somehow the Celtics don’t get to the NBA Finals.
What Does The NBA Playoffs Mean For The Orlando Magic?
Orlando has had a shocking turnaround from last season to this season. In the previous season, Orlando was 13th in the Eastern Conference. They had a 34-48 record, and the brightest spot for their season was the Rookie of the Year winner, Paolo Banchero. Banchero is a potential candidate for the Most Improved Player award this year. He went from averaging 20 points, roughly 7 rebounds, and 3 assists to 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists this year.
The Magic also has another young star, Franz Wagner. Franz is the second-highest scorer on Orlando behind Paolo, who averages 19.7 points per game. This will be the duo’s in the NBA Playoffs. It will be Orlando’s first time in the playoffs since the 2020 regular season. The last time Orlando was in the NBA Playoffs, they lost in the first round.
For the Magic, the playoffs are a test to the young squad. They should be excited to see how far they can go against teams that have more veterans.
What Does The NBA Playoffs Mean For The Cleveland Cavaliers?
The Cleveland Cavaliers became a dark horse team to win it all in the second half of the regular season. For the past few years, the Cavaliers have developed around Darius Garland and Issac Okoro. They’ve brought in a great defensive and rebounding presence in Jarrett Allen from the Brooklyn Nets. They even picked up the All-Star shooting guard Donovan Mitchell.
Like Orlando, the Cavaliers have some youth on their roster. Mitchell and Allen’s veteran leadership helps the young Cavs well. However, Donovan Mitchell is expected to leave Cleveland once his contract is done. Last year, the Cavaliers lost to the New York Knicks 4-1 in the first round of the playoffs. If the Cavaliers want to keep Mitchell around, they need to get to the NBA Finals or at least the Eastern Conference Finals.
For the Cavaliers, the playoffs this year is a redemption story. They looked very promising last year, and many analysts predicted they would take out the Knicks in the first round. However, they couldn’t handle the [Julius] Randle and Jalen Brunson.
For More Sports Content
If you want to keep reading relevant sports content about Mixed Martial Arts, WWE, football, and the NBA, look for articles by Justin, who is passionate about these sports. Check out all the great content Total Apex Sports has to offer. Check us out on X @TotalApexSports and our other sites: Total Apex Sports Bets and Total Apex Fantasy Sports.