With the majority of the league approaching 20 games played in the 2023-24 NBA regular season, there have been a few surprises in both the Eastern and Western Conferences.
The Oklahoma City Thunder (11-4) and Minnesota Timberwolves (11-3) have been dominating the competition in the West, which has turned a lot of heads thus far.
However, the Orlando Magic (11-5) have been arguably the biggest surprise of the season, with Paolo Banchero and company playing some impressive basketball ever since the season began a few weeks ago.
One of the most impressive things the Magic have done this season is how well they’ve played defensively, with Orlando currently having the most games holding opponents under 100 points so far this year with six, according to StatMuse.
Most games holding opponents under 100 points this season:
6 — Magic
5 — Timberwolves
5 — KnicksOrlando is undefeated in those games. pic.twitter.com/JSbHzOFub6
— StatMuse (@statmuse) November 24, 2023
With the Magic winning all six of the games in which they’ve held their opponents under 100 points, the team’s defense is starting to shine and could be their path to success this season if they can continue to play well on that side of the floor.
Although this is an impressive start to the 2023-24 campaign, there’s a long way to go for Orlando to really make an impact and prove to the rest of the league that they are a legitimate force to be reckoned with.
This young team building confidence early in the season and putting in the work defensively is a great sign of things to come for Orlando, as it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they secure a high seed in the East before the NBA playoffs begin.
NEXT: Fans React As The Magic Extend Notable Streak