Locked On Magic - Daily Podcast On The Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic are all ready to welcome Paolo Banchero back to the lineup. He seems set to ignite the Magic's offense, which has shown promise but slowed in the last few games. It is easy to forget the Magic's lineup with Banchero is one of the best in the league -- and the Magic's lineup with Tristan da Silva has actually struggled. Banchero's return will recreate that lineup that has dominate...

The Orlando Magic started their run to combat the San Antonio Spurs too late, only tying the game late before a pair of De'Aaron Fox free throws and a Luke Kornet block sealed their fate in a 114-112 defeat. The Magic were playing on their back foot the entire game and could not get over the hump against a surprisingly energetic Spurs team. Their habit of easing into games and trying to rescue the...

The Orlando Magic have surged to a 13-8 record after their slow start to the season. The turning point was Desmond Bane's game-winning shot against the Portland Trail Blazers. That released the pressure from the team and has unleashed Bane on the rest of the league. As the Magic look ahead to the next 20 games, they are top-10 in both offensive and defensive rating and should count themselves amon...

The Orlando Magic are trying to prove they can be among the elite teams. A win over the Chicago Bulls is not likely to prove that. But finding a way to win even on a bad night and willing themselves to victory is what the elite teams do. Desmond Bane scored 18 of his 39 points in the fourth quarter to help will the Magic to victory and Anthony Black helped spark the Magic back from a 15-point defi...

The Orlando Magic have surged into the top 10 in both offensive and defensive rating as they approach the quarter mark of the season. But they still have work to do and there are clear pressure points for them to cover as they continue to advance through the season. The Magic have feasted in transition but still struggle to make the half-court possessions that define Playoff basketball. Their defe...

A month ago, the Orlando Magic were at rock bottom after the Detroit Pistons pushed them around and ran circles around them to complete a frustrating 1-4 start. The Magic did not back down in Friday's 112-109 victory, pushing first and pushing back to take the win against the Pistons with their gritty and physical identity. The Magic did not win this one with pretty offense or by outscoring the Pi...

The Orlando Magic and Detroit Pistons are expected to have many high-stakes battles in the Eastern Conference's future. Friday, they battle for the top spot in Group B in the NBA Cup and an inside track to a wide-open Eastern Conference. Locked On Pistons' Ku Khahil joins the show to break down the Pistons' surprising hot start and what has helped elevate them into the best team in the Eastern Con...

The Orlando Magic dismantled the Philadelphia 76ers in one of the best offensive showings in franchise history as the team continues to cement itself as a capable offensive team. No player exemplified the team's offensive potential and shift in mindset as Anthony Black. His 20 second-quarter points on his way to a career-high 31 points changed the game and turned it into not only a rout but a hist...

Paolo Banchero is inching closer to a return from his strained groin. There is already some handwringing and belief that he may derail the offensive growth the team has gone through. The numbers from before his injury do not support that. They support that Banchero will boost the team's offense with his improved efficiency and driving and potential to be another ace passer. The Magic are seemingly...

The Orlando Magic's deep bench sparked a furious fourth-quarter comeback before giving way to the Boston Celtics on the second night of a back-to-back. Jett Howard, Jase Richardson and Noah Penda all impressed in extended playing time to lead the comeback. All three showed enough fight and production to push for playing time in the Magic's regular rotation. Howard scored 22 of his 30 points in the...

The Orlando Magic overwhelmed the New York Knicks with a decisive 13-0 run in the fourth quarter. It was the kind of run that showed the team's inevitability and how the Magic can potentially devastate teams with timely runs and killer defense. This is a trait of every championship team. The Magic got contributions throughout the roster from stars like Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane carrying the sc...

Jalen Suggs is unleashed at long last as he appears to be past his minute restriction and let loose on unsuspecting offenses. The LA Clippers learned that the hard way in a 129-101 Orlando Magic victory on Thursday. Suggs has long been the team's heart and "head of the snake." But injuries have slowed him down. Now he is learning to pick his spots better and is more consistently impacting games in...

The Orlando Magic had a rocky start that sent everyone panicking and worrying about the team and its future. But the team has turned it around, finding its defensive identity and enough offense to show improvement. Everything is trending in the right direction for them. There is still plenty of work to do. It is too early in the season to say anything has stuck. And most of the Magic's challenge f...

The Orlando Magic rallied past the Golden State Warriors to score a big win, recovering from Sunday's disappointing defeat. The Magic seem to have found their identity and their formula to win as they continue their strong run after their slow start to the season. The Magic got huge games from Anthony Black and Desmond Bane to help pace them through the game. And Jalen Suggs' return helped wear do...

The Orlando Magic's ambitions for the season may rest on Anthony Black's development. He has shown plenty of improvement and promise early in the season. But his flaws and inconsistency are still costing the team in critical moments, like the end of Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets. Statistically, the Magic tend to go how Black's shooting goes. That makes him a vital player who could lift the...

The Orlando Magic fell in overtime to the Houston Rockets despite missing Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs. They look more and more like the team everyone imagined they could be. But even though they led for most of the game, several key details were missing that cost them in the fourth quarter and overtime. The Magic's offense continued to slow down at critical junctures and missed free throws, par...

The Orlando Magic edged out the Brooklyn Nets thanks to a pair of clutch 3-pointers from Franz Wagner and an 11-0 run that rescued the game. Orlando was happy to survive this scare and score the victory. But they were unahppy for all the mistakes they made and their failure to play up to their exacting standards. If the Magic are the team they think they can be, they will have to play with more pr...

The Orlando Magic brace for a pivotal stretch as Paolo Banchero suffers a left groin strain and will miss at least one game -- and probably more. Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane will have to step up and take on a bigger role to help the Magic stay afloat and continue growing. The Magic proved they could do it last year. Ryam Kaminsky of Orlando Magic on SI joins the show for part two of our conversa...

The Orlando Magic will be without Paolo Banchero for at least one game -- and probably longer -- as an MRI confirmed that he strained his groin. All eyes turn to Franz Wagner then to lead the team like he did last year. The Magic are prepared to handle Banchero's absence thanks to that run last year. And it could be good for getting Wagner and Desmond Bane going after slow starts to the season. Th...

The Orlando Magic silenced their critics and a lot of noise with a commanding 124-107 rout of the New York Knicks on national TV. The Magic re-established their defensive identity and stifled a powerful Knicks offense, using that to power their own scoring and race ahead in the middle two quarters. After struggling through the first weeks of the season, the Magic have started to find some rhythm a...

The Orlando Magic edged past the Portland Trail Blazers to improve to 4-2 in their last six games. The team appears to have turned at least a minor corner to pick up wins and gain ground in the early part of the season. But it still does not feel like the team is where everyone thinks it should be. There are still a lot of mistakes and flaws for the team to clean up. It was evident in that win on...

The Orlando Magic escaped the Portland Trail Blazers thanks to a dramatic buzzer-beating three from Desmond Bane. Can this be a turning point for him and the Magic in the beginning of the season? Bane has struggled to start the year and even struggled to find three-point shots. The Magic came out determined to get him going and he took his share of shots, leading the team for long stretches with 2...

The Orlando Magic gave away their chance to sweep the Boston Celtics as turnovers once again gutted the Magic and slowed their offense to a crawl. Orlando's 17 turnovers led to 29 Boston points and it was the only thing an angry Jamahl Mosley wanted to mention after the game. The Magic have been one of the worst teams in the league at protecting the ball and it continues to derail their progress a...

The Orlando Magic rediscovered their hard-nosed identity, toppling the Boston Celtics 123-110. Could this statement win ignite their season? The Magic used a balanced offensive attack that moved and shared the ball to finally get their breakthrough and power a solid defensive effort. But it was the team finally responding to adversity that changed things. After giving away their lead, they answere...

The Orlando Magic's Paolo Banchero has been a lightning rod for criticism throughout his career and especially early in the season as the Magic have struggled. But during the Magic's road trip, Banchero found a way to impact games and evolve his play in unexpected ways. Paolo Banchero’s recent surge—highlighted by rebounding, assists, and defensive stats—shows he’s evolving beyond just scoring, ev...