The Orlando Magic have three games this week: home against the Atlanta Hawks, home against the Minnesota Timberwolves and away against the New York Knicks.
This is by no means a weak stretch of games to begin the season with. Paolo Banchero and the Magic must perform well if they want to beat these three teams.
With this, comes these three burning questions for Banchero and the Magic in week one.
How will Banchero begin the season?
If the Magic want to be more successful, they will need Banchero to up his offensive production from 22.2 points per game last season to the upper 20s this year.
Banchero's start should signal what kind of offensive year should be expected from him. If he thrives on offense and leads the Magic to victory, fans should be confident that Banchero took the leaps he needed this offseason.
This is a tough slate of games to kick off the season with. Atlanta is a talented and well-rounded team, Minnesota should be set on both ends of the floor and they have to go on the road at Madison Square Garden to face the defending champions.
Given the talent of these teams and the MSG game, pressure will be on Banchero to succeed. Banchero has the perfect opportunity to show he can consistently step up and lead the Magic to wins this season by having elite offensive performances in these games.
How does Franz Wagner look?
Franz Wagner is not listed on the Magic's injury report for the game against Atlanta tomorrow.
Wagner exited the Magic's final preseason game with right shoulder soreness. It will be worth monitoring to see if that shoulder bothers him at any point during these first three games or if it is like it never happened.
Just like with Banchero, pressure will fall on Wagner in tough games as well. This slate is a great chance to see how much he can step up when the Magic need him to this season.
If both Wagner and Banchero start off hot right out the gate, it should give fans hope that they can be a strong 1-2 offensive punch in the East.
Does Sean Sweeney's system work?
These games will put Sean Sweeney's system to the test right off the bat. It will be interesting to see what the offensive approach against these three teams will be. The adjustments will also be key.
Due to the offensive talents of these opponents, the margin for error on offense is small for Orlando.
All three offenses will test Orlando's defense. The Magic's defensive approach and identity will have to be good to slow these offenses down. The Timberwolves duo of Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball should be electrifying, and playing the defending champions at MSG will not be easy.
The Magic have an opportunity to show just how strong they can be with Sweeney at the helm in the first week of the season.
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