ORLANDO — For the first time in five years, the Orlando Magic won the Southeast Division.
Can they win it in consecutive seasons for the first time in nearly 15 years?
DraftKings listed Orlando as the favorite at -140 odds to win the Southeast Division in the 2024-25 season. The Miami Heat are within striking distance at +150 odds and easily the biggest threat to Orlando winning the division for a second straight year. The Magic went 1-3 against Miami last season.
The Magic won the division by one game over Miami last season. That ultimately was the difference between Orlando being the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs and the Heat being in the play-in tournament.
The Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Hornets and Washington Wizards are each a longshot to dethrone the Magic. Atlanta has +1,400 odds, while the Hornets are +8,000 and Washington is +40,000.
The last time Orlando won its division in consecutive seasons was from 2007-2010 when it won the Southeast Division three years in a row. The Magic won over 50 games in each season and made its last NBA Finals appearance in 2009.
The threat of a Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo-led Heat team can’t be discounted. They’re just a year removed from an NBA Finals appearance and have shown a knack for being at their best when it matters most.
Orlando has made vast improvement in each of the last two seasons, improving from 22 wins to 34 in 2022-23 and winning 47 games last season. With the continued growth of a team that was the fifth-youngest in the NBA and the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in free agency this offseason, the Magic could be poised to make another jump in win total next season, and it’ll likely be necessary if they’re going to win the Southeast Division for a second straight season.
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