Gameday: Magic @ Raptors, Oct. 28

After the Magic secured their spot in Raptors folk-lore by kicking off their championship run in truly unique fashion; these two teams meet with much lower stakes, but plenty of intrigue nonetheless.

The Magic have “run it back” for the most part, keeping the majority of their players from last year. If they want to maximize their position in the Eastern conference this year, it’s important that they take advantage of teams who are still gelling in the early portion of the season. The Raptors however, don’t fit that mold.

The Raptors are sitting comfortably at 2-1 in the young season – it could be 3-0 pretty easily, but that’s okay – and have been able to win games almost exclusively on the strength of their returning players. Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet engineering the win against the Pelicans, OG Anunoby stepping into the fray vs. the Bulls.

Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Evan Fournier, and Terrence Ross all remain with the Magic. There’s hope for Fournier and Gordon to improve on last year, but with Ross and Vucevic a continuation of last year’s play would be welcome news. It’s the dynamic play of Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz that could push the Magic from a team that ranks 8-10 in the east, closer to 4-7.

During the playoffs last year the Magic pressed into the Raptors with a clear cut defensive identity, and this year figures to be no different. Isaac and Gordon should provide Siakam with his toughest defensive matchup yet, and it should be interesting to see how the Raptors offense responds under that burden.

The biggest change by far is the insertion of Fultz into the rotation. DJ Augustin did a bang-up job last year, but Fultz brings with him the tempting scent of potential. In these early games he has flashed a savant-like passing ability, hop-stepping through the lane before dump-offs, snaking the pick n’ roll before lobbing to Mo Bamba, and running the break with ferocity before throwing down vicious dunks. Not only that, but Fultz brings a high defensive motor, length and instinct to the Magic’s already lengthy and smart defense. The Magic are beating teams while he’s on the floor.

The question remains: “Will the Magic beat good teams while Fultz is on the floor?”

The Trae Young led Hawks are fun, and the Cavaliers are… not that. The Raptors are a whole other beast compared to those two teams. Dividing the offense between Augustin and Fultz in the name of potential isn’t going to do it on it’s own, even if they capture something special. The Magic need a team performance to compete with the defending champs.

It’s particularly encouraging that Marc Gasol’s form has turned around right before this matchup. We might have reached the stage where Serge Ibaka has eclipsed him, but there’s no doubt that Gasol is a terrific defensive matchup for the Magic’s star: Vucevic. I also have a sneaking suspicion that Ibaka would take Mamba to school if their playtime overlapped.

A certainty in this game is the Isaac/Siakam matchup. They went at each-other consistently for 5 games in the postseason, see-sawing between who would get the better of the other. Isaac was prolific on the defensive end, but was an anchor weighing down the Magic’s offense. Siakam, a necessary scoring outlet for the Raptors, pushing the boulder up the hill and grinding out possessions against Isaac’s length. No slouch on the defensive end, though, Siakam brought it on both ends of the floor. That’s why Siakam signed a max extension, and the Magic are waiting for Isaac to take the step that Siakam already made.

The biggest question mark has to be the looming Gordon and Anunoby matchup on the wing. Anunoby didn’t get a chance to play in the postseason last year, but he’s come out gangbusters to start this campaign. Will Anunoby be able to prolong Gordon’s disappointing start to the year? I think so. The Magic’s offense this year has reserved far less initiation for the wing players, and Gordon has struggled to assert himself in this newfound role. Anunoby has been one of the few highlights for the Raptors as far as rebounding the ball goes, and he could stymy the area in which Gordon has actually provided a little bit more punch, the offensive glass.

This isn’t a cakewalk for the Raptors, but they have a clear identity, and championship talent on the roster. Winning games like this is what the Raptors have done, and should do.