NFL
Growing up in the late 1980’s and 1990’s the NBA had a plethora of Dynasties:
- The”Showtime” Lakers, with Magic Johnson, won 5 NBA Titles.
- The Boston Celtics, with Larry Bird, won 3 Championships.
- The Detroit Pistons won back-to-back rings in 1989-90.
- The Chicago Bulls won 6 titles in 1991,1992,1993,1996,1997,1998.
We’ve seen a few more championship runs over the past few decades as well. The Lakers with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James has played in 9 NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. The Golden State Warriors won 3 Championships in 2015,2017 and 2018. The Landscape of the NBA has changed. For the most part, teams used to build through the draft and let their players grow and develop. Now, with the salary cap and free agency, it is almost impossible to be patient and develop players. Teams are either chasing or title or “tanking.” There is one organization that appears to be “staying the course“and letting their young players develop.
The Orlando Magic made the playoffs last year, for the first time in 6 years. To the casual fan, this was somewhat of a shock. But, for those who have followed the Magic, this was no surprise at all. The Magic have the quietest super-star in the NBA, Nikola Vucevic. Orlando selected Vucevic with the 16th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft and in 2019, he was voted to his first all-star game. The 29-year-old is averaging, 18.9 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. The Magic’s Center has been a picture of consistency. He can score in the post and stretch the defense as well. He is shooting 36.6% from behind the 3-point line.
Orlando sits as the number 7 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of, 21-23.
Evan Fournier is 27-years-old and is averaging 19 points per game.
Markelle Fultz is 21-years-old and is averaging, 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game.
Aaron Gordon is 24-years-old and is averaging 13 points and 7 rebounds per game.
The Magic have potential to be a good team for years to come. They should be aggressive at the trading deadline and try to acquire a legitimate scorer or Chris Paul from the Oklahoma City Thunder. This is the year for Orlando to take the next step and advance to the 2nd round of the playoffs. In a world where every professional team wants to win quickly, it is refreshing to see a young team develop right before our eyes.
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