Something has changed in Orlando, and it isn’t just the scoreboard. After another middling 41–41 season and a first-round exit, the Magic opened this preseason differently: confident, connected, and, according to their star, actually enjoying being together. That shift matters. NBA GMs just voted Orlando the most likely team to improve (47% in the 2025–26 GM Survey), and Paolo Banchero insists the reason that number feels real is simple: chemistry.

On SiriusXM NBA Radio’s Orlando Magic Season Preview with Sarah Kustok (aired Oct. 10, 2025), Banchero didn’t point to Xs and Os or a single new piece of hardware. He pointed to people. “Winners throughout the locker room,” he said. “Everybody is very friendly with each other and talkative on and off the court. I think it carries over to how we play, just how connected we are.” That’s the thesis: the Magic’s intangible lived chemistry might be the tangible that turns the GMs’ vote into a reality.

Chemistry isn’t fluff. It affects rotations, bench buy-in, and how a team survives the 82-game grind. Banchero explained it plainly: “The season is long. We spend a lot of time together… I wouldn’t want to be with a group that I didn’t like to be around.” Translation: when minutes are heavy and bodies are tired, teams that like each other keep competing. When they don’t, small holes become big problems.

Then he revealed how that actually works: “The season is long. We spend a lot of time together during the season. I wouldn’t want to be with a group that I didn’t like to be around because we spent so much time together. I’m definitely happy that I’m with this group and that we all make it work with each other. We’re all able to feed off each other’s energy.”

We saw a hint of that connection in the preseason win over Miami (126–118). Orlando looked composed despite Jalen Suggs and Moritz Wagner being listed as day-to-day with knee issues. That composure is exactly the sort of payoff coaches and front offices pray chemistry buys them.

The front office didn’t sit still. This offseason added two proven things that typically help young teams mature: veteran winners and spacing.

• Desmond Bane (acquired July 2025) brings elite 3-point shooting and two-way toughness, a player GMs flagged as one of the most underrated acquisitions.

• Tyus Jones (signed in free agency) brings steady playmaking and an assist-to-turnover profile that stabilizes end-game possessions.

Those moves plug last season’s clear leaks: Orlando finished unusually poorly on shooting and suffered through injury disruptions that wrecked continuity. If Bane spaces the floor and Jones controls the pace, the young core’s defensive identity can turn into more efficient offense, and chemistry makes those pieces fit faster.

Coach Jamahl Mosley has repeatedly tied success to the same thing Banchero mentioned: communication and buy-in. Mosley has repeatedly tied success to communication and buy-in, telling reporters in early October that the team must ‘go out and put a product on the floor’ and praising veterans Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones for the spacing and leadership they bring to the locker room. Teammates echoed the vibe: Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. called out unselfish ball movement and a positive locker-room atmosphere during practice and media day.

Put simply: star quotes + coach reinforcement + teammate confirmation = a credible internal narrative, not just preseason PR.

Why the 47% “most improved” projection for Orlando feels justified

The 47% GM vote for “Most Improved” is loud. Historically, such consensus is rare; last year’s top vote-getter (Memphis at 67%) was an outlier. GMs pointed to Orlando’s defensive identity, roster upgrades, and young core continuity when they voted. Some projection models (and power rankings) moved Orlando into top-10 territory this fall, which aligns with the GM sentiment.

But there’s a natural caveat: projection models assume health and integration. If Banchero, Wagner, or Suggs miss extended time or Bane needs more time to fully sync, the upside compresses fast.

• The Eastern Conference isn’t a cakewalk. Teams like Boston, Milwaukee, and New York remain serious obstacles, and Cleveland and Indiana aren’t pushovers.

• Injuries derailed Orlando last season; many core pieces carry miles and histories that aren’t erased by an optimistic preseason.

• Shooting was a glaring weakness in 2024-25; while Bane helps, systemic shooting improvements can take time.

Analysts warn that the Magic are a conditional pick: high upside if healthy and cohesive, vulnerable if either fails.

Labels like “most improved” are predictions; chemistry is evidence. Paolo Banchero’s comments on SiriusXM that the locker room is youthful, talkative, and full of winners give the GM vote more than hype. They give it context. If Orlando’s lived connection translates to the court all season, if veterans like Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane truly accelerate growth, and if the injury bug stays away, that 47% could look prescient instead of optimistic.

Paolo’s message is simple and measurable in one way: when a team genuinely likes being together, they play for each other. The Magic are betting their future on that principle. If they’re right, the rest of the East will notice, and the GMs’ wager will have paid off.