The Magic are 9-4 since their 1-4 start as they have made great strides on the offensive end. Orlando ranks No. 10 in the league in offensive rating and No. 19 in 3-point shooting, as their guards have done a good job of getting into the paint, drawing attention and kicking to open up and set up shooters. That’s something the Sixers will have to deal with on Tuesday.
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“I think they’re a team that has the highest percentage in the paint or getting to the paint,” Justin Edwards said at shootaround Tuesday morning. “I think they’re like 45% or something. So, it’s going to be tough trying to keep them out of the paint and, honestly, just the defensive part. I feel like we’ll be able to handle the offensive part.”
The Sixers defeated the Magic earlier in the season with Paolo Banchero on the court, but they won’t have Banchero in this contest. Orlando is 4-2 without its star forward in the 2025-26 season and went 20-16 without him in the 2024-25 season, which means guys like Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs take over a bit of the offense, something coach Nick Nurse highlighted.
“Obviously they’re different than the last time we played them and Banchero is out,” Nurse said at Monday’s practice. “The focus on Wagner has changed a lot more, right? You guys remember this happened to him last year. I think each of them came out at different times and it changed for him. Suggs is back playing a lot more, too. I think he’s a really big driver for his team. I think he’s a really good player, a leader and a competitor for them. So he’s back playing.”
The Magic are also a more traditional team, as they have players who play traditional positions rather than being big or small in certain lineups. There will be pressure on big man Andre Drummond to protect the basket and defend Wendell Carter Jr. on the perimeter, as he can provide both types of offensive production for Orlando.
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“They’re a little more, you know, a little more traditional,” Nurse added. “I think there’s kind of a 1-2-3-4-5 instead of a couple of 4s, maybe there and all that kind of stuff. So, yeah, they’ve actually been playing really well.”
The Sixers and Magic will kick off Tuesday at 8 pm EST in the NBA Cup.
This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: Sixers Discuss Magic’s Biggest Challenges Ahead of NBA Cup Showdown