ORLANDO, Fla. — Things were looking pretty dark for the Orlando Magic after they lost their second game in a row to begin the season by 22 points at the Kia Center.
On top of the loss, news broke that Paolo Banchero would be out for several weeks due to a high ankle sprain after playing at an All-NBA level for the first six quarters of the season.
The Magic continued that spell of bad luck into their game against the New York Knicks, where they fell behind 12-0 in the first minutes of the contest, but then they began chipping away like the resilient team they are. Here's why the Magic shouldn't worry after their slow start:
It's Only Been 3 Games
It's very easy to look at one game and overreact, especially when that's the only sample size you have. The team struggled defensively against the Atlanta Hawks and then offensively against the Minnesota Timberwolves, but everything seemed to come together against the Knicks, even without Banchero in the lineup.
Still, it's only been three games, and even if Orlando won all of them convincingly by 20 points, it wouldn't teach us much of anything. They could still lose every single game from here on out, which would completely negate the wins.
This team is only going to get more comfortable in new head coach Sean Sweeney's system, and that is going to result in the full vision of this team coming together.
The Depth Can Compete
The Magic know exactly what the next-man-up mentality is like. It's what they've had to deal with for the last several years, and it has become part of their identity. Orlando needs its players healthy for the end of the season, not at the beginning. While it's unfortunate that anybody is injured at all, things could certainly be a lot worse.
Players like Tristan da Silva, Anthony Black, Jamal Cain, and Jase Richardson are going to get an opportunity to step up to the plate, and they should take advantage of it. They are all ready for the moment.
Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs Will Be Back Soon
While losing Banchero and Suggs in the first three games is not how Orlando envisioned the season starting, these players should be back in due time. Banchero will likely miss a few weeks, and Suggs is expected to have a similar timeline.
If each of them can be back before Christmas, that would be great for the team. And that is a reasonable outcome given the timelines we are anticipating. Other injuries can still happen between now and then, but the Magic should be in a position to have a long season, hopefully with their full lineup together.
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