In-depth analysis: Banchero and Wagner are expected to lead the team to rise quickly after the Magic loses to the Celtics

The Orlando Magic lost 89-120 to defending champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday night, ending in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs. Despite being eliminated early, people are optimistic about the future of the team, led by Paul Bancello and a young core player, and they are preparing to grow rapidly.

Although he only played 46 games due to a torn oblique muscle at the beginning of the year, Bencello still performed well in his third season in the NBA. The 22-year-old averaged 25.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game, shooting as high as 45.2% from the field and 32% from three-pointers. After the All-Star Game, Benchero's average data increased to 29.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 47.3%, second only to MVP candidate Shay Gilgers-Alexander in the All-Star Game scoring list.

Banchero's influence continued to the playoffs. In the five-game series against the Boston Celtics, he averaged 29.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game, shooting as high as 43.5% from the field and 44.4% from three-pointers. This is the second time in a row that he has maintained high productivity under playoff pressure.

Franz Wagner played side by side with Paul Bancello, and the Magic could still stabilize the defense when the key player was injured and eventually defeated the Celtics.

In addition to Bancero, Franz Wagner has also become a key member of the team. Wagner, 23, missed some seasons with a torn oblique muscle, but he still set a career-high 24.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 60 games. In the playoffs, Wagner averaged 25.8 points, 5.6 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, with a total shooting percentage of 44.3%. After experiencing the slump in the 2024 playoffs, he finally found his own shining point.

On the defensive end, the Orlando Magic maintained the team's character. During the regular season, the Celtics averaged 116.3 points per game and shot 36.8% from three-pointers. In the series, the Magic limited the Celtics' scoring to 106.4 points, and the three-pointers were only 11.8%. However, the Boston Celtics are still slightly more efficient, at 37.8%. The injuries of key players of the team further highlighted the resilience of the Orlando Magic. Jaylen Sages averaged a career-high 16.2 points, 4 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game, but he played in just 35 games after suffering a season-reimbursed injury at the beginning of the season. Moritz Wagner averaged a career-high 12.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game, shooting as high as 56.2% from the field and 36% from three-pointers. However, he only played 30 games due to a torn ACL at the beginning of the season. Although two of the team's top four scorers were absent, the Magic remained competitive throughout the year.

Banchero and Wagner stressed that the team should have higher expectations, and Jamal Mosley urged players to reflect after losing the playoffs

, Paul Banchero bluntly commented on the end of the season.

"We want to advance to the second round. I don't think anyone will be happy that we weren't eliminated in four games. That's not our goal," he said. "Our goal is to win and advance to the second round. I won't get any spiritual victory from this series."

Wagner expressed the same view, pointing out the Orlando Magic's defense and the slight difference between the two teams.

"We saw the effectiveness of our defense against one of the top teams in the league," he said. "Many games with close scores... One or two possessions can sometimes make a huge difference."

head coach Jamal Mosley emphasized the importance of reflection in the offseason.

"You have to reflect on this summer, don't make excuses, but think about how to improve what needs to be done next season," Mosley said.

Although the Magic are strong, their offensive difficulties doomed their failures, as the young core players prepare for the team's next development.

Although Orlando made an indelible contribution on the defensive end, the shortcomings on the offensive end are obvious. At the end of the regular season, the Magic ranked 27th in scoring (105.4 points per game), with both bottom three-point shooting percentage (31.8%) and three-point shooting (11.2 per game). In the playoffs, these difficulties became even worse - Orlando averaged only 93.6 points per game, and his three-point shooting percentage dropped to the league's lowest 26.3%, and his three-point shooting averaged only 8.2 - they were the only team in the playoffs to average less than 10 three-point shooting averages. In Game 5, the Magic's shooting problems were particularly prominent. According to the Orlando Magic Daily, the team made 8 of 38 three-pointers, including 19 consecutive misses in the second and third quarters. They made 5 of 25 shots from the "big open" three-pointers and 3 of 13 shots from the "broad open" three-pointers. All of their 38 shots were classified as open shots or large open shots, highlighting the disconnect between shooting quality and shooting percentage.

Despite this, both Paul Bancello and Franz Wagner were under 24 and performed well, and the team's foundation was still solid. The Orlando Magic will enter the offseason with healthy cap space, multiple first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, and assets to upgrade their roster. In the fight against the defending champion, the team still showed growth momentum despite the injuries, and they seemed ready to take the next step.