Photo for Headline Surfer / Nikola Vucevic is expected to lead the Orlando Magic against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in a best 4-7 first round series in the NBA Bubbnle at Disney. The Bucks will likely sweep the Magic who are without Jonathan Issac and Mo Bamba for post-season play.
HENRY FREDERICK / Headline Surfer
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Bleacher Report posted its post-season rankings of the 16 teams in the NBA Bubble on Monday prior to the start of game play and the Orlando Magic were ranked dead last.
Like it wouldn't have been otherwise, considering their losing record (33-40) in regular season play? And yet another non-surprise. The Magic's first round opponent tonight is the Milwaukee Bucks (56-17 regular season), ranked No. 1 by Bleacher Report. The Bucks are the top seed in the NBA Eastern Conference while the Magic are the eighth and final seed.
Here is how Bleacher Report explained its rankings:
With only 16 teams left, it's time to figure out where they all stand at the outset of this quest for a title.
To determine where each should rank, we'll use FiveThirtyEight's ELO ratings, Basketball Reference's simple rating system (point differential plus strength of schedule), ESPN's basketball power index, FanDuel's championship odds and a dash of subjectivity.
With all those ingredients in the pot, we cooked up the following power rankings. Bear in mind, that's exactly what they are. This isn't necessarily a prediction of who will win the title.
And here is what Blechher Report said in part for the bottom of the barrel ranking for the Orlando Magic:
... They enter the postseason with very little momentum—a win against the New Orleans Pelicans' backups notwithstanding—and a series against a full-blown juggernaut. Nikola Vucevic will surely have a good game or two. Aaron Gordon may bother Giannis Antetokounmpo on a handful of possessions. But the Magic's stay in the bubble probably won't last much longer.
Here are the top 5 teams, according to Bleacher Report:
1. Milwaukee Bucks; 2. Los Angeles Clippers; 3. Los Angeles Lakers; 4. Boston Celtics; 5. Toronto Raptors (defending NBA champions).
For the complete rankings and the odds for each team, here is the Bleacher Report: NBA Power Rankings and Championship Odds for Every Playoff Team.
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Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba shut down for the rest of the season due to coronavirus
Henry Frederick is publisher of Headline Surfer, the award-winning 24/7 internet news outlet launched 12 years ago that serves greater Daytona Beach, Sanford & Orlando, Florida via HeadlineSurfer.com. Frederick has amassed more than a hundred journalism industry awards in print & online -- more than all other members of the working press combined in Central Florida since the mid-1990s. He earned his Master of Arts in New Media Journalism with academic honors from Full Sail University in 2019. Having witnessed the execution of serial killer Aileen Wuornos in Florida's death chamber and other high profile cases, Frederick has appeared on national crime documentary programs on Discovery ID and Reelz for his investigative reporting and cops & courts breaking news stories.