​To be the best, you’ve got to beat the best, and there aren’t any more excuses because of injuries. Now it’s time to exceed expectations and execute for stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.The Orlando Magic have a higher level of competition in the Eastern Conference compared to the beginning of last season, when they were viewed as a potential top-three seed. Now, with the New York Knicks starting the season as defending champions, LeBron James joining the 76ers and an overall improvement in talent across the conference, the Magic aren’t projected to be as good this season.On the Full Court Magic Podcast, I reacted to the schedule release with my partner and co-host, Don Strouble.”If the Magic have the internal expectation and the standards that they can make a deep run into the playoffs—we’re talking about what Paolo Banchero said, the standard that Sean Sweeney wants to have, the standard of Jeff Weltman—these are six teams that they need to beat in the regular season, and they all have an opportunity to here. If the Magic want to be a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference, they need to beat the teams that they’re being bunched in with right now. I would put the Magic right now on the same tier as Charlotte, the Magic on the same tier as an Atlanta team that is getting really scary. This is a Magic team that wants to be up with the Philadelphia 76ers and the New York Knicks of the Eastern Conference. You got to beat the teams in the tier below to prove that you are better than those teams.” On NBA Cup Group A opponents (Raptors, Bucks, Nets, Pistons):”Don, I just have to say this outright: this is a chance for the Orlando Magic to prove if they’re serious going into next season. This will be an ‘are you a man or are you a mouse?’ moment for the Magic. They should be able to beat every other team in that group except have a competition for the Detroit Pistons. Are the Magic going to be able to get their revenge, to show that they were a team that was supposed to beat the Pistons had they stayed healthy? This is something that the Magic should take—they should have a heated sense right now. They should be mad at the NBA, they should be mad at themselves. They should come into this season with some piss and vinegar and show that they have something to prove, because if we know more than anything, Paolo Banchero wants to get on the hardwood and Franz Wagner has a lot to prove. This is a Magic team that has almost everything to prove but nothing to lose, because we saw the lowest of their lows last season blowing that 3-1 lead.”