ORLANDO (CBSMiami/SportsDirect) – There could be some very good basketball played this season between the NBA’s two Florida franchises.
The Orlando Magic changed direction in the offseason and enter the 2016-17 campaign with high expectations as they host the re-vamped Miami Heat on Wednesday in the opener for both.
The Magic dealt second-leading scorer Victor Oladipo, hired coach Frank Vogel and brought in Serge Ibaka, Bismack Biyombo, D.J. Augustin and Jeff Green – among others – to spur confidence that a four-year postseason drought will end.
“We are a playoff team on paper,” Ibaka told the Orlando Sentinel.