Less than 48 hours ago, the Timberwolves began their regular season in near picture-perfect fashion. They beat the Heat in Miami 131-106. Minnesota’s offense was dialed in, the defense was mature, and Anthony Edwards scored a historic 45 points, setting a new franchise high for most points scored by a Wolves player in a season opener.
The Wolves are now 236 miles north in Orlando, where they will play the Magic at 6 PM CT this evening. The Magic are coming off a 132-125 home loss in their season opener against the Hawks. Paolo Banchero scored 35 points on 10 of 12 from the floor, but Orlando’s defense struggled both inside and out, allowing the Hawks to shoot 49% from the floor and old friend Nickeil Alexander-Walker to score 31 points in 30 minutes.
To learn more about where the Magic are entering Friday’s contest against Minnesota, we reached out to Orlando Magic On SI writer Jeremy Brener, who answered five questions.
1. What should Wolves fans expect to see from Paolo Banchero against their small-ball team tonight?
Banchero is on a mission this season to silence the doubters who have populated the last three years. He is on the verge of a true breakout, and new head coach Sean Sweeney is helping him reach new heights.
In the game against the Atlanta Hawks, we saw a sharper version of Banchero, one who was finding his teammates for more open shots rather than settling for tough twos.
The Magic offense is aiming to be more consistent and efficient, and there is a stronger emphasis on the defensive side of things after giving up 132 points in their season opener.
2. What is Orlando’s biggest weakness that the Wolves should look to exploit?
The Magic had trouble defending the three against the Hawks. Given how well LaMelo Ball and Edwards did on the perimeter against the Heat, that could be an area Minnesota looks to exploit.
3. What is Orlando’s greatest strength that the Wolves must stay aware of?
Defending both Banchero and Franz Wagner is going to be a bit of a challenge. Both of them stand 6'10" and play on the perimeter, which will force Minnesota to employ larger lineups than they are used to. Orlando should have a size advantage in these places, and that will be the area they will need to exploit in order to pull out this win.
4. What is the biggest difference between this year’s Magic team and last year's? Is Sean Sweeney having the team operate noticeably differently than Jamahl Mosley?
The players have emphasized the details and the small things that are different compared to last year. The offense has a lot more movement in it than last year, when it was a lot more isolation-heavy. We're seeing a lot of screen-and-rolls with Paolo and Franz, and that should open up the door for everyone on the floor to get involved.
5. If the Magic were to lose to the Wolves, what would the reason why be?
If they lose again, it will likely be due to their defense. Orlando struggled defensively against Atlanta, especially when it came to defending the perimeter. If Ball and Edwards have another strong shooting night, Orlando will have a tough time keeping up with Minnesota, and it could lead to their second consecutive loss.
Jeremy’s final score prediction
Wolves 124, Magic 119
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