3 Things to Keep an Eye on: Odds and Predictions

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Season series: Tonight in Orlando; Nov. 29 in Brooklyn (NBA Cup); December 1 in Brooklyn; December 29th in Orlando
Season series 2024: Nets 124, Magic 104 at Brooklyn on November 14 (NBA Cup); Nets 129, Magic 101 at Brooklyn on Dec. 2; Magic 108, Nets 81 in Orlando on Feb. 27; Magic 114, Nets 106 in Orlando on March 13

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The Orlando Magic spent the entire offseason saying they were ready to take the next step and secure home-field advantage in the Eastern Conference. They believe they are ready to compete at the highest level of the conference. And to achieve that, they pointed out many things.

One of the biggest was the understanding that every game is important. That the game against the bottom team in mid-January was just as important as the last game of the season.

Orlando cemented the team's ambitions for the first time, defeating the Miami Heat 116-97 in its season opener on Wednesday. That was an away win where the chances were stacked against us.

Friday's home opener at the Kia Center will give the Magic an opportunity to show the other side of that coin. Will they once again dominate the teams expected to finish at the bottom of the standings after losing 28-7 to teams with sub-.500 records?

Orlando needs to have the same focus and intensity as the team did after Miami. After all, two of the Magic's losses last year were against teams with losing records at the Brooklyn Nets.

3. Orlando Magic, 3-point shooting team?

The Orlando Magic's most glaring weakness and greatest need has always been their three-point shooting. Last year they ranked 24th in 3-point field goal percentage and 29th in 3-point attempts per game. As a result, they made the fewest 3-point shots in the league.

Everyone was concerned about the Magic's shooting and their ability to generate enough 3-point looks.

So what do we think about the Magic making 49 3-point attempts in the season opener?

Last year, Orlando only had six games with 40 or more 3-point attempts and only one game with more than 45 3-point attempts. Those 49 attempts would have been the most the Magic allowed in a game last year. The fact that they made 18 just made it even sweeter.

Orlando spent much of the offseason focused on improving its spacing and the Magic's 22 corners, after averaging 8.1 corners per game last year.

It's just a game. But this deserves an “Is that something?” Watch the Magic head into their second game.

2. Pace and transition

The Orlando Magic are also trying to improve offensively in another area. The team needs to be more effective in transition and score more points on counterattacks. The Magic struggled in that area last year, scoring just 12.4 fast break points per game and 1.10 points per possession in transition last year.

In the game against the Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic increased the tempo a little. But scoring in transition remains a struggle. Orlando scored just 0.96 points per possession in transition, although they took advantage of more opportunities to score 19 fast break points.

The bigger question in the game against the Brooklyn Nets is whether the Orlando Magic can convert their defense into offense more effectively and limit their own substitution options.

The biggest issue Orlando struggled with in Wednesday's game was communicating in transition to make sure they were covering each other. The Heat scored 18 fastbreak possessions, most of them in the first half. The Magic need to increase that communication defensively.

1. Franz Wagner's great game

Everyone is rightly raving about Paolo Banchero's great performance in the Orlando Magic's season opener – his 33-point performance in the opening game and the complete control he had over the game. The world is buzzing about a year that looks like a breakthrough for him.

But Franz Wagner wasn't too shabby in this mission either. Wagner scored 23 points on 10-for-16 shooting. He even made three of his six 3-point attempts, including two in the third quarter. Wagner got off to a slow start, only making three of his first seven shots. He was still a little off on his floaters and intermediate play.

He picked up momentum in the third quarter. That was a big part of revitalizing the team and the way the team moved forward. Wagner has done a lot of work on cuts and in the middle of the Miami Heat's defense. He created his own scoring opportunities with steals.

Wagner really needed to see the ball go through the basket after struggling with his shot in the preseason. The Magic will need him to continue to gain confidence.