"If Orlando and Miami fans raced through this year's batch of player rankings on ESPN, the former routinely had their appetite satisfied first. Magic swingman Paolo Banchero was the highest-ranked player among the two teams at No. 17; Bam Adebayo paced the Heat at No. 21. Franz Wagner was the highest-ranked second option at No. 32; Tyler Herro checked in at No. 68. As for those offseason pickups, Orlando once again had the big advantage with Desmond Bane ranking 39th, or 43 spots higher than 82nd-ranked Norman Powell."
"Granted, preseason rankings are subjective and certainly not the end-all, be-all in terms of evaluations, but most player lists will follow this same pattern: Miami's stars and support players lagging behind Orlando's. Adding insult to...well, insult, the Magic's most important players are also younger than the Heat's: Banchero and Wagner are younger than Herro; Bane is younger than both Adebayo and Powell."
Orlando holds a clear edge over Miami across multiple measures: brighter stars, stingier defense, younger core players, and more impactful offseason additions. ESPN preseason rankings placed Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Desmond Bane ahead of Miami counterparts such as Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and Norman Powell. The Magic's roster composition and external expectations align to position them as the stronger franchise now and likely into the near future. Miami retains competitiveness but trails in perceived talent and youth, giving Orlando a realistic chance to widen the gap going forward.
Read at All U Can Heat
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