How do the new-look Sixers match up with Paolo Banchero, Magic?

The Philadelphia 76ers have dominated the offseason headlines due to the major moves they have made to the roster between acquiring Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics, signing LeBron James in free agency, and adding to their depth with solid moves. The busy summer has put Philadelphia in a great position to end a lot of long playoff droughts in 2027.

With that being said, it's time to go deeper into the Eastern Conference. The season continues to approach rather quickly, and the Sixers will have some work to do in order to nail down chemistry and cohesion, while other teams will have that aspect down pat.

In this edition, Sixers Wire has teamed up with Orlando-based Cody Taylor of The Rookie Wire to give a deep dive on the Orlando Magic and how the two teams can match up:

The Magic have been somewhat underwhelming in recent seasons. How can new coach Sean Sweeney make the Banchero-Wagner duo work?

CT, Rookie Wire: The first piece for the Magic to have success is the health of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Injuries to key players have plagued the Magic over the past few years, and we saw that once again last season, including in the first round of the playoffs. If Banchero and Wagner can stay healthy, along with the other key players on the roster, the Magic can be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference and avoid the play-in tournament altogether (their starting five had one of the best plus-minuses in the league).

Former coach Jamahl Mosley did a tremendous job of building a mindset and culture in Orlando by playing with an intensity and physicality few other teams could match. Of course, those principles took a dive last season, resulting in his firing. New coach Sean Sweeney will be tasked with building on those traits while also maximizing each player’s role, including helping Banchero and Wagner take the next step in their respective development. The two have developed a strong rapport with each other in Orlando and seem to have an innate ability to anticipate what the other will do on any given play.

Ky Carlin, Sixers Wire: I can’t see the Magic making any kind of push unless Banchero develops a reliable jumper. He is so physically imposing and can score at will, but he relies so much on a jumper that isn’t there at the moment. Per Cleaning the Glass, 11% of shot attempts qualify as long mid-range jumpers (87th percentile) and he only knocks down 37% (58th percentile) of them. Teams just wall him off and he will settle for a jumper that he will miss more often than not. To Banchero’s credit, he has been great as a playmaker, so that helps. If Wagner stays healthy, then Orlando can make a push. I thought once he went down in Round 1 against Detroit, that changed everything for the Magic.

What kind of threat can Orlando pose to the Sixers? It isn’t like the cupboard is bare for the Magic.

CT, Rookie Wire: The Magic have fared well and competed at a high level against the top teams over the past few seasons when they receive contributions from each player who takes the court. Desmond Bane was a revelation for the group last season and looked to be well worth the draft capital the team gave up to acquire him from Memphis. Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. and Anthony Black are all also crucial to their success. They will look to see Tristan da Silva, Noah Penda and Jase Richardson take a step in their development. Fans are also excited to see Nikola Vucevic back in his familiar No. 9 jersey, so it will be worth watching if he can help solidify their backup center position, which was inconsistent at times last season. We’re all going to be watching to see how it comes together for the Sixers and what learning curve they may experience, but you’d expect them to have it figured out by the postseason. Of course, health is always an issue with the Sixers, but the Magic would be competitive in a series and would likely push them to six or seven games.

KC, Sixers Wire: The Magic are talented. Banchero and Wagner are borderline All-Stars, while Desmond Bane is everything a team wants in a role player. The issues remain the same. They don’t have much shooting outside of Bane and teams are just going to load up on Banchero and force him to shoot jumpers, which he struggles on. I wonder if Sweeney can unlock more of that roster because it should be up there with the Sixers and others in terms of contention in the East. To your point, Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva are players who can really make an impact, but they're a bit too streaky at times. With that being said, the Magic were one win away from upsetting the heavily favored Pistons in the playoffs, so there is something there.

How important is Jalen Suggs to this lineup defensively? Especially, against the duo of Maxey and Edgecombe?

CT, Rookie Wire: Jalen Suggs is crucial to the Magic on that end of the floor after ranking in the top 20 in steals and deflections per game last season. While he struggled offensively in the playoffs against the Pistons, he is a spark plug on defense and can deliver game-changing plays seemingly every night. Suggs is lightning fast and won’t hesitate twice to put his body on the line, a couple of the many traits that make him so fascinating to watch. But he is also sure to have some head-scratching sequences by overplaying his hand in a matchup or by picking up early fouls, which also happened at inopportune times in the playoffs. Mosley had often said that he was willing to live with those mistakes because of his impact on games. But now that Mosley is gone, it will be interesting to see how Sweeney handles those situations. Suggs is surely among those players who can keep up with the likes of Maxey and Edgecombe and attempt to slow them down, which has made for some fun matchups in the past.

KC, Sixers Wire: Defense is the biggest aspect Suggs brings to the floor. When it comes to defending Maxey and Edgecombe, it’s going to take a lot of physicality because both guards are so quick and can score in a variety of ways. The Magic don’t have a legitimate rim protector, either, so if guards get by Suggs, Black, or Bane on the perimeter, it’s a rather easy shot for players like Maxey and Edgecombe. Suggs is one of the more important players for Orlando in matchups with Philadelphia due to the physical tone he sets on the perimeter and the Magic follow his lead at that point. With that being said, Maxey and Edgecombe can make it look easy against nearly everybody when they find that rhythm.

Do the Magic have enough offense to keep up with a team like the Sixers?

CT, Rookie Wire: Sweeney has hinted at instilling more structure on offense and becoming more efficient, while honing in on defense and returning to being one of the top units again (after dropping from second to 13th in defensive rating last season). It will be interesting to see how a new coach like Sweeney views the existing roster and how he may structure some of the lineups and use players differently than Mosley did during his time in Orlando. It may very well be a work in progress to improve the offense and take most of the season to nail down, so we’ll see how the team can improve on that end of the court.

KC, Sixers Wire: Quite frankly, I would say no. The pieces are there because of how talented Banchero and Wagner are, and Bane is obviously a big knockdown shooter, but Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. are inconsistent. When looking at the Sixers and the offensive pieces they have, it’s hard to see Orlando being able to keep up. With that said, we’re saying this in August. Maybe Sweeney can put together a different scheme and bring out the most of this roster that Jamahl Mosley just wasn’t quite able to.

Are the Sixers the biggest threat to the defending champion Knicks in the East?

CT, Rookie Wire: As is always the case with the Sixers, their health will be worth monitoring throughout the season, and that will ultimately determine how far they can advance in the conference. But even if the Sixers can remain relatively healthy, they still face challenges outside the Knicks, like the Pistons, Cavaliers and Celtics. Of course, the Hawks, Heat, Pacers, and Raptors also improved and are projected to have strong years. Simply put: The East is no joke this season, as many others have noted.

KC, Sixers Wire: Health is always the biggest factor for Philadelphia, but on paper, yes they are. When adding experienced talent like James and Brown to join Maxey, Embiid, and Edgecombe, as well as beefing up the bench unit, the Sixers have such a strong roster at the moment. Then, there’s coach Nick Nurse, who will be looking to lend his championship experience to this roster and help the Sixers get over the top.

This article originally appeared on Sixers Wire: How do the new-look Sixers match up with Paolo Banchero, Magic?