Four straight seasons of improvement seem like a trend upward, but not for the Orlando Magic. Between 2020-21 and 2023-24, the Orlando Magic enjoyed an increase in their win totals from 21 to 47. That momentum stalled last season, as injuries to rising stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, along with key players Jalen Suggs and Moe Wagner, disrupted their promising start. The struggles seem to be continuing into this season, with the Magic currently at 1-3, a situation that has caught the attention of NBA insiders.

On the Zach Lowe podcast, Kirk Goldsberry shared his growing concerns about the Orlando Magic. While acknowledging that the team has a plan and a young roster, he warned that some trends from last season are resurfacing. “They’re clearly trying to get up the Eastern Conference. They have a plan. They have a young group of dudes, but dude, there are some alarming stats with the Orlando Magic that are not just small sample theaters, Zach. They track back with their fatal flaw of last year that make me very concerned,” he said, pointing to a weakness that could derail their progress.

Goldsberry highlighted a particularly alarming stat from a recent loss to the Chicago Bulls. That night, the Magic scored just 15 points on jump shots, the lowest in that category since December 2023. They made only six of 35 attempts from distance. “This is not small sample size. This tracks with their biggest weakness last year,” he added.

On their more recent trip to face the 76ers, Orlando’s defensive struggles were on full display. While the Magic entered Monday with the sixth-best defensive rating in the league, their execution has been patchy. Philadelphia’s dynamic backcourt, led by Tyrese Maxey and third overall pick VJ Edgecombe, took full advantage. A defense that can usually disrupt opponents managed to force only six turnovers, with just one coming in the first half. 

The Magic showed glimpses of their potential, tightening up in stretches during the third and fourth quarters, but it wasn’t enough. The bigger issue is that Orlando still hasn’t found the formula to sustain elite defense for a full 48 minutes.

And obviously, the Magic are not unaware of their weaknesses. Offense has been a problem for years, which is why the team brought in Desmond Bane this season. But Goldsberry is pointing to another player as a bigger concern. He said, “It’s not fair to expect Desmond Bane, who makes about three jump shots per game throughout his career, to come in and fix all of this. This team has a clear red flag and it’s more associated with Paolo Banchero than Desmond Bane. They can’t shoot.”

However, against the 76ers, Orlando’s offense leaned heavily on Paolo Banchero, who delivered a standout performance with 32 points, shooting 10 of 18 from the field and hitting all 11 of his free throws. While Banchero screamed perfection, the others on the roster grappled, combining for just 15 of 27 free throws.

Desmond Bane added 24 points, and Franz Wagner chipped in 22, keeping the scoreboard ticking. Bench contributions came from Anthony Black with 14 points, Jalen Suggs with 12, and Wendell Carter Jr. with 10, but even with these efforts, the team’s shooting struggles lingered.

The Orlando Magic connected on only 8 of 25 three-pointers, falling six behind the 76ers. In a game decided by 12 points, that gap from long range was telling and reinforced Kirk Goldsberry’s earlier warning: the Magic’s offensive red flags.

Orlando’s shooting woes remain evident, especially from deep, even with Banchero and Wagner carrying the load. In the second half, the duo scored nearly half the team’s points, lifting the Magic to 55.3 percent shooting. Better ball movement and forcing the 76ers to rotate created higher-quality looks, but consistency beyond their stars is still missing.

Zach Lowe even shared his candid wish for the Magic’s future. He said, “I’m just going to say this. If they can’t crack a top 20 off, you know, this is my favorite stat in the NBA, that they have not even been in the top 20, I think since 2012. Like they’ve been bottom 10 every year in a league in which, by the by, March six teams are not even gonna be trying to win…If they can’t get in the top 20, we just might have to take a break. Just take a break. Move the team to Lakeland or Tampa or something because like this is not working.”

And it’s true, because their matchup against the 76ers only proves that.

Maxey and Edgecombe shine as Sixers dominate Magic

The Philadelphia 76ers extended their unbeaten start to the season with a 136-124 victory over the Orlando Magic, even without Joel Embiid on the floor. The game belonged to Tyrese Maxey and rookie VJ Edgecombe, who turned in spectacular performances that kept the Sixers in control from start to finish.

Notably, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps cited Matt Williams for this historical stat the 76ers’ young backcourt achieved: “Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe have combined for 186 points this season. That’s the most points by any starting backcourt through any team’s first 3 games of a season since starters were first tracked in 1970-71.”

Edgecombe’s early stardom adds a new dimension- when a rookie can step into high output immediately, it alters how opponents plan and how the team allocates its offensive resources. Such a start means you can’t treat either Maxey or Edgecombe as a secondary threat.

Their combined volume forces defenses to adjust differently—perhaps more attention to ball-screens, more traps, or more help defense- and that opens other parts of the 76ers’ roster.

Maxey was unstoppable, scoring 43 points, including eight straight during a critical fourth-quarter stretch, while Edgecombe added 26 points and seven assists, showing poise beyond his first three NBA games.

Philadelphia started strong, putting up 12 points in the first three minutes, and Maxey dominated the second quarter with 17 points in under three minutes, giving the Sixers a 72-60 halftime lead.

Orlando fought back late in the fourth, with Wendell Carter Jr.’s three-pointer and Anthony Black’s layup cutting the gap to two, but Maxey scored on three straight possessions to seal the win. Kelly Oubre Jr. added 25 points and 10 rebounds. 

The Magic battled hard, cutting into Philadelphia’s lead at times, but Maxey and Edgecombe were too strong. Their scoring and playmaking kept the Sixers ahead, and even when Orlando got close at 101-94, Philadelphia pulled away for a comfortable win.

Maxey captured the team’s mindset perfectly, saying, “I think that’s just determined. I want us to win. I want us to win so bad every single game, and I want to do what I can to help my team do that. That’s really it.”