Noles/Bucs/Bolts/Magic: A 4 in 1 Season Recap and Offseason Preview

 

    Another football/basketball/hockey season has come and gone, and the long wait to Labor Day weekend now commences. I wouldn't say it was the worst year possible, 3 of the 4 did make the playoffs after all, but "disappointing" could be a fair adjective considering FSU had one of its worst seasons in school history and the other 3 all suffered first-round exits. I feel like if you have 4 teams, at least one of them reaching the second round of the playoffs is not an unreasonable ask.

      But that's life sometimes. For the Seminoles, everything that could go wrong pretty much did, as they followed up a 13-0 regular season with a horrendous 2-10 season. The Bucs managed to win the division for a 4th consecutive year, but then saw their season end in heartbreaking fashion as Washington barely squeaked in a game winning field goal in the final seconds (it hit the post and bounced in) to sink Tampa's ship. Orlando had bigger goals in mind when the season began, but a litany of injuries proved to be too much for the Magic to overcome, and they ran into an absolute juggernaut in the Celtics that despite their best efforts they just couldn't contend with. And for the Lightning, despite a good regular season, it was the 3rd straight year that the season ended in the first round, very much a deja vu of last year when they also lost to the Panthers in 5 games.

     But like Rafiki reminds us in the Lion King and Else reminds us in Frozen, "the past is in the past". All 4 teams now have the opportunity to go back to the drawing board and figure out how to improve on the previous season. FSU and the Bucs have already actively been doing that, while it's only just beginning for the Lightning and Magic. In some ways, the offseason can be as exciting as the regular season. It's a time of hope and optimism for every fan base but also strategizing for the front office and we get a plethora of big events like free agency, the draft, the transfer portal, national signing day, contract negotiations, etc. The decisions the GMs and their staffs make will shape not only this season but the next several years for these teams.

     And so that sets the stage for this article. We'll reflect on each team's season: the positives, the negatives, the memorable moments, and then segway into offseason goals (what the footballs teams did to address them, and what the Lightning/Magic's should be and what they can do to meet them) and look ahead to 2025-26. So without further to do...

Florida State Seminoles

Season Recap

This will, by far, be the most painful of the 4 to recap, so bare with me.

     It all started over in Dublin, Ireland on a rainy August afternoon. The Seminoles were a top 10 ranked team entering the season and were eager to build off of last year's success. The group came into the match up with false confidence and Georgia Tech wasn't having it, and the game ended with the Yellow Jackets nailing a game winning field goal as time expired to stun the Seminoles.

     Many chalked this up to a number of excuses: it was the first game, it was in a different continent, there was heavy rainfall that day, new players were still learning how to play with one another and learning the system. But then fast forward a week and things went from bad to worse. It was Labor Day night and the Noles were back home and were heavily favored to beat lowly Boston College. But the Eagles marched into Doak and dominated FSU from start to finish. They dominated the Noles in the trenches and ran the ball down their throat, by the end of it FSU knew what play was coming yet still couldn't stop it.

     The downward spiral continued from there. FSU would lose its next game to Memphis, before finally barely squeaking out its first win against Cal the following week, a game in which they needed 3 missed field goals from Cal and a final stop near the end zone by the FSU defense just to hold on for dear life. Many felt that finally getting in the win-column would be a monkey off the back for FSU and more wins would follow, but such was not the case. FSU would proceed to lose it's next 6 games, including a handful that weren't particularly close (a 49 point loss to Notre Dame, a 26 point loss to Miami, a 26 point loss to SMU, a 24 point loss to North Carolina). They would then pick up their only other win of the season against Charleston Southern, a small school whose athletes aren't anywhere close to quality of FSU's. That set up the season finale against UF, a game which ended up being a microcosm for FSU's season, where they fumbled 8 times.

     After the Notre Dame game, the house cleaning began. as both coordinators were relieved of their duties. More position coaches were fired after the season's end. And that's where the offseason begins for Mike Norvell and FSU, searching for answers and prepping for a massive overhaul of both roster and coaching staff. 

On a scale of 1-10, what would you give the 2024-25 FSU season?

Negative 99999999999. This was an utter and colossal failure in every sense of the word. FSU expected to build off of it's immensely successful 2023-24 season. They expected to be the front runner in the ACC. They expected to make the playoff. They expected to remain the best team in the state. And then they came nowhere remotely close to reaching any of those goals. There's not really much positive I can say, but at the very least it was a catalyst for some major changes and overhaul that in theory should benefit them in the long term.

The new coordinators

Step 1 of Florida State's rebuild was bringing in some big name coordinators who would be substantial upgrades from the previous ones. 

The offensive coordinator came first, when on the final day of the season it was announced that UCF head coach Gus Malzahn would be resigning from that position to accept the offensive coordinator position at FSU. Before UCF, Malzahn also served as the head coach at Auburn, and was the offensive coordinator there before being promoted to head coach. He brings a wealth of experience and offensive knowledge and is also an established recruiter. Malzahn also brought a few of his players, high school recruits, and staff members over to FSU from UCF. In terms of his offensive philosophy, he likes having a mobile QB who can run and he likes to go fast and up-tempo. Malzahn will be the one calling the plays this year, which was previously handled by Norvell.

A few days later, it was announced that FSU had hired Tony White to be its defensive coordinator. White was the DC at Nebraska and also at Rutgers before that. His defenses have ranked in the top 25 nationally each of the last 5 years, but the talent he'll have access to at FSU is higher than what he had at his two prior universities. In terms of his defensive philosophy, White wants to be aggressive and create chaos and force turnovers.

The two new coordinators, along with Norvell, then proceeded to assemble the rest of the staff and hire new position coaches.

The transfer portal

Following one of it's worst season's ever, FSU was fully prepared to purge its current roster and find the next era of Seminoles. 

To this point, FSU has brought in 21 transfers from other schools, the majority of them are expected to be immediate contributors. This included the following:

• 2 Quarterbacks
• 2 Wide Receivers
• 2 Tight Ends
• 6 Offensive Linemen
• 4 Defensive Linemen
• 3 Linebackers
• 1 Corner 
• 1 Safety

The first thing that jumps out is FSU's commitment to being better in the trenches. Nearly half of their additions are offensive and defensive linemen. 

The most notable transfer is QB Thomas Castellanos, who played QB for Boston College the past two seasons. Before transferring to BC, Castellanos was originally at UCF with Malzahn, and it appears that relationship was good enough to reunite in Tallahassee. Castellanos is short but speedy and elusive and the exact sort of play style that would thrive in Malzahn's offensive system. The Noles also took a second quarterback, Jaylen King from East Carolina. King is another fast athletic type that fits the system, but more importantly FSU is adding insurance at the most important position. Castellanos only has 1 year of eligibility left, after which point the expectation would be that King and Brock Glenn would compete for the starting job in 2026.

I fully expect both wide receiver transfers, Duce Robinson and Squirrel White, to be starting wide receivers this season as well.

On the flip side, FSU had 33 players transfer out, but just about all of them won't be missed. The most notable of these was QB Luke Kromenhoek, who was FSU's starting QB at the end of the season and showed flashes of potential as a true freshman. This ultimately was a money issue, with Kromenhoek and his family asking for more money than FSU was willing to pay.

High School Recruiting

FSU has also added 23 high schoolers to its roster, it's class ranks inside the top 20 nationally. Unlike the transfer portal additions, the majority of the high school additions probably won't see much playing time in the first year or two, but a select few could come in and be immediate contributors. One in particular I have my eye on is running back Ousmane Kromah. Kromah was the 3rd highest ranked running back in the country and he chose FSU over Georgia. He possessed a rare combination of speed, muscle, and balance and he is definitely someone FSU may entrust with a larger role early in his career.

The schedule

Last year, 5 of FSU's opponents finished inside the top 25, including 4 in the top 15 (Notre Dame, Clemson, Miami, SMU).

This year's schedule is as follows

Bama

East Texas A&M

Bye week

Kent State

@ Virginia

Miami

Pittsburgh

@ Stanford

Wake Forest

@ Clemson

Virginia Tech

@ NC State

@ Florida

At minimum, Alabama, Clemson, Miami, and Florida will all be ranked when the season begins, and FSU will likely be the underdog in all of those games. It's possible a fifth team sneaks into the rankings as well. 5 of FSU's first 6 games are at home, so an opportunity does exist to jump out to a good start. FSU's schedule also includes two Friday night road games, Sep. 26 at Virginia and Nov 21 at NC State. I think it's definitely possible that Lee Corso's last ever College Gameday is at Tallahassee on August 30 for FSU vs Bama, as Corso is an FSU alumni and FSU was the location of the first ever college gameday.

The ACC

     The experts are extremely high on Clemson, not just to win the conference, but as a possible National Title contender. Most experts and casinos have Miami as the second best team, though some believe SMU could repeat last year's success and be a top 2 team in the conference again. Louisville has the next best odds after Clemson, Miami, and SMU. Of the conference's 17 members, FSU is currently tied for 6th in odds to win the conference.

Honest Expectations and what would be a successful season

I would bet my life that FSU finishes with more than 2 wins this year. At the same time, it would also be unrealistic to expect that this team is going to magically go from 2-10 to a National Title contender. Most casinos have FSU's over/under win total set at 7.5, meaning they expect FSU to finish with either 7 or 8 wins. Honestly that does seem realistic, and to me anything 7 or above would be a massive improvement from last season and would suggest things are headed in the right direction again. Anything higher than 8 and I'd be ecstatic.

     In a best-case scenario, perhaps they get 9 or 10 wins and compete for and possibly even win another ACC title, which would put them in the playoffs. That might be a bit overly optimistic. But if they achieved 8 or more wins, including a win against one of the 4 aforementioned ranked teams (preferably an in-state rival), I think that's a result most people could be happy with, and one that would buy Norvell and his new staff more time in Tallahassee to build the program back into a title contender.

     There are some other more pessimistic people out there who will tell you there's no way Florida State will win more than 5 or 6 games, as getting to 7 would require more than tripling last year's win total. But I, for one, am a believer in Mike, this new staff, these hires, and the upgrades to the roster and I'm hopeful we will see some good signs this year of things getting turned around.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

 Season Recap

     The Bucs entered 2024-25 in the second year of the post-Tom Brady era. After Brady's retirement, many expected the team to fall off and enter a rebuild, but the team pleasantly surprised and still managed to win it's division and even won a playoff game in 2023-24. Entering this year, the big question was whether or not that was just a fluke, or if the Bucs could continue to run the division and extend their playoff streak, and furthermore whether they could take a step forward to establish themselves as a serious contender. In terms of the division, Atlanta was a trendy pick to dethrone the Bucs, largely due to the offseason signing of Kirk Cousins, with some thinking New Orleans would be in the mix as well.

     The regular season started well, as the Bucs jumped out to a 4-2 start. But then the injury bug began to bite as Chris Godwin suffered a gruesome season-ending ankle dislocation and Mike Evans suffered a hamstring injury that would force him to miss the next 4 games. A 4 game losing streak ensued, to be fair all to pretty good teams (Kansas City, Baltimore, San Francisco, Atlanta), which dropped Tampa's record to 4-6 entering the final 7 games. Tampa had a favorable season-ending schedule which included Carolina twice, the Giants, the Raiders, the Saints, the Cowboys, and the Chargers. The expectation was that Tampa would need to win 6 of it's final 7 to make the playoffs, and that's exactly what ended up happening. The Bucs played their best football of the season down this stretch, and they were rewarded with a 4th consecutive division title and the 3 seed in the NFC.

     Entering the playoffs optimism was high. As aforementioned they were playing their best football at the time and the offense in particular was absolutely humming. They had earned home field advantage in the Wild Card round and were hosting the Washington Commanders. The Commanders were led by rookie QB Jaden Daniels, and many felt the inexperience and home field advantage would give the Bucs a small edge. It was a very back and forth game, though I can't comment on the first half much as we spent it in the ER thanks to a certain kitty who will remain unnamed.

     Fast forwarding to the 4th quarter, the Bucs were protecting a 4 point lead and the offense had just gotten the ball back after the defense had gotten a massive 4th & goal stop to prevent the Commanders from going ahead. But a fumble on a bad handoff exchange between Baker Mayfield and Jalen McMillan gave the Commanders the ball back deep in Tampa territory, and this time they capitalized with a go ahead touchdown. On the following Bucs possession, Baker and the boys went down the field and kicked a game-tying field goal with about 4 and a half minutes left. From there the Bucs entrusted their defense with keeping their season alive, but Daniels was able to lead Washington down the field and set up Zane Gonzalez for a 37 yard field goal attempt to win the game. Visibly nervous, Gonzalez pushed the ball to the right. The ball ended up hitting the post, but then bounced inside the uprights to give Washington its first playoff win a 20 years, simultaneously ending Tampa's season. Had the ball been pushed an inch or two further to the right, the game would have gone to overtime.

On a scale of 1-10, what would you give the 2024-25 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season?

     7.5. Overall the team improved from last season. The offense was top 5 in the league in many statistical metrics, even with the stud receivers missing time. Baker statistically had the best season of his career, and the running backs gave Tampa it's best ground game in years. Many of their draft picks ended up looking like home runs: Bucky Irving proved to be the running back of the present and future, Graham Barton started every game but one on the offensive line and did well, Jalen McMillan really stepped up at wide receiver when called upon due to the injuries, and Tykee Smith provided some good snaps on defense as well.

     The play of the defense, as well as losing a first round playoff game in which they were favored, is the reason I can't give this an 8 or higher. There were several games where the Bucs lost because the defense allowed too many points and/or couldn't get a stop in a late game situation when Tampa needed it most. After beating Tampa, Washington would go on to beat the Lions in the following round in a shocking upset, so in hindsight this loss actually looked better than it did initially.

      Regardless, a 10 win season with another division title and playoff appearance deserves no lower than a 7. Add an extra 0.5 for how good the offensive looks and how good the young talent looks. There's definite reason to be excited about what Tampa is building and what 2025 could hold.

Free Agency

     Tampa entered free agency with the main priority being taking care of their own. Bringing back Chris Godwin specifically, who was one of the best available Wide Receivers on the market, was top priority. Godwin has spent the entirety of his career in Tampa, but was a highly coveted player for other receiver-needy teams. In the end, Godwin did decide to stay home, even turning down a significantly higher offer from the Patriots to remain a Buccaneer.

     Most of Tampa's signings were retaining their own players, however one noteworthy new acquisition was edge rusher Hasson Reddick. One of Tampa's goals is to be better on defense at pressuring the quarterback and generating sacks, and Reddick has recorded double-digit sack numbers all but one year since 2020. The caveat is, that "one year" was last year, when Reddick only played 10 games and only recorded one sack. The Bucs are banking on Reddick's production in the 5 years since 2020 being more indicative than last season alone, however they only signed him to a 1 year contract so if Reddick has another disappointing season Tampa can move on from him after this season.

The Draft

     The Bucs entered the draft with the 19th overall pick, and many believed their priority would be adding more defensive playmakers to further address the team's weaknesses. But in a surprising move, the Bucs used their first round selection on Emeka Egbuka, a talented wide receiver from Ohio State. The more I think about this one, the more I like it. Adding Egbuka to a wide receiver room that already includes Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan gives Tampa arguably the deepest group of talented receivers in the league. Evans and Godwin can be often injured and almost never play all 16 games as well, so it's not out of the realm of possibility that one or both will miss time in 2025 (as we saw last year) and then Egbuka becomes an important part of the equation. Evans is also in a contract year and at 32 years old could begin to ponder retirement, while Godwin will turn 30 at the end of next season as well. Evans/Godwin have been a dynamic duo in Tampa since 2017, but it feels like eventually there will be a passing of the torch to McMillan and Egbuka, so this is a move that considers both the present and the future. Most importantly, the Bucs stuck to their philosophy of not reaching for need but rather selecting the best available player on the board, an ideology that's served them well in recent years. No one should be happier than Baker Mayfield, who now has an arsenal of weapons to throw to, it will be hard for defenses to cover all of them.

     In rounds 2 and 3, the Bucs double dipped at Corner in an attempt to bolster their secondary, which was arguably the weakest part of the team last year. Too often on 3rd down & long's, opposing wide receivers would get wide open and help other teams convert and keep the march down the field going against the Bucs defense. This group definitely sustained a large amount of injuries, but even when fully healthy this was a struggle. So in round 2, the Bucs selected Benjamin Morrison from Notre Dame. Morrison was a pre-season All-American and someone who would have likely been a first round pick if healthy, but a hip injury that required season-ending surgery caused Morrison to miss the final 10 games and slide to the second round. This is a calculated risk by Tampa, but if Morrison makes a full recovery and plays to his pre-injury potential this could prove to be an excellent pick. But to add insurance and depth, the Bucs went Corner again in round 3, this time selecting Jacob Parrish from Kansas State. Parrish has ordinary measurables, but the scouts love his read-react quickness, and unlike Morrison, he doesn't really come with health concerns. An added bonus of drafting these two corners, is that the Bucs could then move Tykee Smith back to Safety. Smith was a rookie last season who played Safety at Georgia, but the Bucs tried to play him at Corner instead when injuries began to mount. But Smith has expressed a desire to return to his original position, and adding two Corners makes that more likely.

     The Bucs had 3 picks on the final day, one each in rounds 4, 5, and 7. Tampa once again used the first two of these to double-dip, this time on a pair edge rushers: David Walker from Central Arkansas and Elijah Roberts from SMU. This gives the Bucs a pair of developmental prospects at a position of need and also an insurance plan in case Reddick proves to be a bust. With their last pick, the Bucs added one more receiver, Tez Johnson out of Oregon. Johnson is a bit undersized height and weight wise but possesses great speed and ability to get open, but as aforementioned the receiver room is already getting crowded. 

     All in all, I do like what the Bucs did in the draft. Egbuka has a chance to be a future star and they did attempt to better their defense through adding two high-upside Corners and two edge-rushers.

The NFC South

     If Tampa is to win its 5th straight division title, it would once again requiring finishing ahead of the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints.

     According to Vegas and the Casinos, Tampa is currently the betting favorite to win this division again. Atlanta is firmly in second, as Michael Penix looked good as a rookie QB and the Falcons were only one game behind the Bucs last season (and beat them twice). The oddsmakers have Carolina third, as Bryce Young and the Panthers had an encouraging finish to 2024-25 and people expect that growth to continue. New Orleans consistently ranks last, as they still have unresolved QB issues and they are likely the least threatening team to Tampa of the division rivals. My own expectations with align with these: Tampa first, Atlanta second, Carolina third, New Orleans 4th.

The NFC

     Now widening our lens to look outside the division and at the NFC as a whole, to see how realistic Tampa's chances of reaching the Super Bowl are. The Eagles enter the offseason as the favorite, rightfully so since they're bringing back the majority of a Super Bowl winning team. The Lions are firmly in second, rightfully so after a dominant 15-2 regular season. Many rank Washington 3rd after their surprise run to the Conference Championship game last season, there's a growing belief that Jayden Daniels will become a very special quarterback and take more steps forward in year 2, and Washington also made some "win-now" roster moves of their own. However, Washington plays in the same division as the Eagles (the NFC East) so there's a reasonable chance Washington would be forced to play road games throughout the playoffs if the Eagles expectedly won the division again.

    From there there's a plethora of teams with similar longer odds, which includes Tampa, as well as San Franciso, the Rams, the Vikings, and the Packers. The 49ers are an interesting one to monitor as they were decimated by injuries last season but when fully healthy were consistently competing for conference titles and Super Bowls, however this core is getting older and that window could be closing. Minnesota personally, I just don't see it. They're gonna hand over the QB position to JJ McCarthy who still hasn't played a snap in the NFL and is coming off of an ACL tear, and they're probably a Wild Card at best don't beat out Detroit to win their division. For the Rams and Packers, this is probably fair. A Super Bowl run is in the realm of possibility, but can't say it's as likely as it is for Philly/Detroit/Washington.

     Looking at Tampa specifically, I really do think there's a chance this time, but it all hinges on whether or not the defense takes steps forward. The offense proved last year that when everyone is healthy, they're explosive enough to go all the way. The question is whether or not the defense can be the backbone the team needs in critical moments. It doesn't have to be perfect, the offense is going to score many points and the defense just needs to to enough to ensure Tampa's point totals are higher than their opponents. I do expect them to be better at rushing the passer and in coverage, but the middle of the field, linebacker specifically, remains a concern. Regardless, when you have an offense that ranks top 5 in most major categories, there's at least a fighting a chance every week. Even if the defense disappoints, you're firepower may still be able to win out.

Honest Expectations and what would be a successful season?

     Firstly, I do expect the Bucs to win the division again and return to the playoffs. I think anything less would be considered a failure this year.

     I think the Bucs believe they are good enough to hope and expect to go further than they did this past season, i.e. reach at least the second round of the playoffs. If they do indeed win the division and thus secure a home playoff game, they will put themselves in good position to reach that goal. From there, anything further would be icing on the cake.

     A best case scenario would be, and I get goose bumps saying this, a Super Bowl. In this scenario everyone stays relatively healthy, the defense takes a big step forward, the offense is still uber efficient, and the Bucs go all the way. It would need to be near perfect, but for someone every year it is. Conversely, a worst case scenario is that the defense shows no improvement and the injury bug piles on and the Bucs end up losing the division and missing the playoffs. But end of the day, my honest expectations are another division title and another playoff appearance, and as long as you get in, there's a chance.

Orlando Magic

Season Recap

     Fresh off of their best season since the Dwight Howard era in 2010-11, the Magic were hoping to build off that success and reach even higher goals. 50 wins, a top 4 seed in the East, and advancing to the second round of the playoffs (something they haven't done since 2010) all seemed achievable, but a litany of injuries plagued Orlando this season and forced the team to re-assess their realistic goals. More specifically, the Magic's "big 3" of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Jalen Suggs only got to play in 6 games together, and shared the court together for a total of only 97 minutes. In total, Banchero missed 36 games, Wagner missed 22, and Suggs missed 52, including the 5 playoff games. It's also worth mentioning that before his ACL tear, Moe Wagner was Orlando's leading bench scorer, but he missed 57 total games.

     Orlando really only made one big move last offseason, and it was signing KCP (Kentavious Caldwell-Pope) to a 3 year deal. KCP was someone the Magic believed would elevate their 3 point shooting, play sound defense, and as a former 2-time champion Orlando hoped he would provide veteran leadership and experience as someone who knows how to win at the highest level. In the end, Orlando got partially what it wanted, as KCP was still a strong perimeter defender, but unfortunately shot the lowest 3 point percentage of his career.

     The Magic finished the regular season 41-41. Early on it appeared they would finish much higher. Even without Paolo, the team started 17-9 and Franz and Suggs were leading the charge. But as injuries mounted, so did the losses, and by mid-March the team had slipped to 32-38 with serious questions about whether or not they would even make the playoffs. Fortunately, a strong 9-3 finish was enough to ascend up to 7th place. The Magic would then host the 8th place Atlanta Hawks in a play-in game, and Orlando protected home court and won this game handily so secure it's playoff birth and a date with the defending champ Boston Celtics.

     Orlando entered the Boston series as a massive underdog, but still wanted to prove they could compete with the NBA's best. The first 2 games were in Boston. In Game 1, Orlando actually played a good first half, and went into halftime leading by 1, however Boston came about guns-a-blazing in the 3rd quarter, with a barrage of 3's and Magic turnovers, and Orlando was unable to recover and ended up losing by 17. Similarly, Orlando competed well in the first half in game 2, only trailing by 3 at the half, but ended up losing the game by 9. The series then moved to Orlando for the next 2 games, where the Magic hoped home court advantage and the energy of the home crowd could help them play their way back into the series. Orlando's best performance came in Game 3, where the Magic's suffocating defense held Boston to only 11 points in the 3rd quarter and Orlando did just enough to squeak out a close one and beat the Celtics 95-93. Orlando made a similar valiant effort in Game 4, and came from behind to tie the game with 4 minutes left, but Boston's stars stepped up and hit clutch shots which helped the Celtics win the game and head back to Boston with a 3-1 lead. With no more room for error, Orlando once again put together a strong first half in Game 5, and went into halftime with a 2 point lead. But then some questionable officiating went down, and Banchero was called for 3 fouls within 3 minutes of the 3rd quarter, which relegated him to the bench for the remainder of the quarter. This took the wind out of Orlando's sails and Boston exploded to go on another massive 3rd quarter run and the rest was history.

     All in all, Orlando should be happy with the way they competed. Every game was close at halftime, they won Game 3, 2 and 4 were close and 5 would have been close had Banchero not gotten in foul trouble. Paolo and Franz specifically were excellent in this series, Banchero averaged 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Wagner averaged 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. The problem was the lack of help behind the two superstars, as the only other Orlando player in the series who averaged double digit points was Wendell Carter, who averaged 10. Another thing that should make them happy is they genuinely got under Boston's skin. It was clear from the interviews and press conferences that Boston was bothered by Orlando's physicality. They probably expected this series to be a cakewalk, but Orlando wasn't going to get bullied or embarrassed and was prepared to put up a fight, perhaps even literally at times. This was a competitive 5 game series, if Suggs and Moe are healthy it easily could have gone 6, mayyybeee even 7 and from there anything could have happened. 

On a scale of 1-10, what would you give the 2024-25 Orlando Magic season?

     6.5. I'm giving them some grace due to the amount of injuries and magnitude of them, but can't go 7 or above since they ultimately fell short of their preseason goals. This was a team we all expected to have more wins than losses and finish better than 7th place. That being said, they were dealt a difficult hand, but still managed to do enough to return to the playoffs and have a decent showing once they got there. At some point this season, every single member of the roster had to step up into a more significant role and was thrust into a more challenging situation than originally planned, and for the most part, they stepped up and weathered the storm and did enough to keep the Magic afloat. Jamahl Mosely and his coaching staff deserve a lot of credit as well, as they made the most of what they had and even when the team was slumping and at risk of missing the playoffs, they found a way to fix things and and finish the season strong. Boston was always going to be a massive challenge, and I would have been ecstatic if Orlando won more than once in that series, but again as a fan I was overall happy with the way they competed.

Offseason Goals for the Magic

     Short answer, more shooting and possible a true floor general type point guard.

     I think this is finally the summer where we start seeing Orlando's front office get aggressive. They have practiced patience to this point, but in his post-season press conference, GM Jeff Weltman said, on multiple occasions, that it is now time for Orlando and the front office to start operating through a win-now lens, and that the culture-building and development part of this rebuild is now complete. Both Weltman and Mosely acknowledge that the team needs to get better offensively, specifically on the 3 point line, and they have even admitted they would be willing to sacrifice some defense in order to get better at offense.

      At this point, any move the Magic make would likely need to come in the form of a trade. Franz and Suggs have lucrative extensions that kick in this season, meaning Orlando won't have the large amount of cap space it has had the past couple offseasons. I am of the belief that they should not move Banchero, Franz, or Suggs. I also think Moe is protected due to being Franz's sibling. Everyone else, I think, could be on the trading block for the right price. Orlando also owns two first round draft picks this year, which could also be included in a trade. They own their own (#16) and Denver's (#25).

In-house items

     Firstly, Paolo Banchero becomes extension-eligible on July 1. The Magic will offer him a max contract and honestly he is worth every penny. I expect him to put pen-to-paper that day, on a 5 year deal, which wouldn't begin until the 2026-27 season (next season is the last season of his rookie deal). Assuming that happens, Orlando will have Paolo locked up until 2031.

     Orlando also has 4 players on which it has a "team option". What this means is the Magic can either bring them back next season for a predetermined price, or the Magic can decline the option and allow them to become a free agent. The 4 players and the price tags are as follows:

Gary Harris - $7.5 million

Caleb Houstan - $2.2 million

Moe Wagner - $11 million

Corey Joseph - $3.5 million

     As aforementioned, it should be assumed Moe is coming back, either by exercising the team option, or declining it but then signing him to a new deal. Harris I think is the most likely of the 4 to not have his option picked up, as his play was a disappointment this year, and Orlando could save money by declining and a new player being brought in would further minimize his role. Houstan and Joseph are toss ups, as both are cheap and were helpful to the team at times last season. Houstan is primarily a catch and shoot guy, and is still only 22, and towards the end of the season was given a more significant role off the bench. At some point Orlando will need to decide whether to prioritize him or Jett Howard, as both are younger players who serve similar roles, but that decision may not necessarily need to be made this summer. On the contrary, Joseph will be 34, but his veteran presence was helpful to the team last season especially after Suggs went down. Joseph's option largely depends on what Orlando wants to do with its other point guards (Suggs, Anthony Black, Cole Anthony). If Suggs moves back to shooting guard, and/or Black or Cole is traded, that opens the door to bring Joseph back, but if all 3 remain on the roster, Orlando may let Joseph test the market.

Who are some potential trade targets for the Magic and what would they need to give up?

     As aforementioned, the Magic are actively looking for a proven volume shooter and/or a floor general who can help facilitate and run the offense. In a perfect world this would be someone who also compliment's Orlando's defensive identity but that's not necessarily a requirement. The most likely scenario for Orlando to swing a deal, is to find a rebuilding team looking to offload big contracts in exchange for young prospects, draft picks, and/or expiring salaries (people in the final year of their contract). The player Orlando acquires may not necessarily be a starter, but could be someone who comes off the bench and is an instant sparkplug that keeps Orlando's scoring going when its stars are resting on the bench.

     Some initial names I've heard multiple times from team reporters, beat-writers, and podcasters that fit this description include Colin Sexton (Utah Jazz), Anfernee Simons (Portland Trailblazers), Jordan Poole (Washington Wizards), Coby White (Chicago Bulls), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers) and Malik Monk (Sacramento Kings). All of these players are between 25 and 27 years old, play point guard, and shot a better percentage from 3 then Orlando did as a team. It was rumored that Orlando inquired about some of these names at the trade deadline in February, however the asking price for each was more than the Magic were willing to give up at the time. There are some other, more budget-friendly, volume shooters the Magic could explore but we're going to focus on names that would represent a big move.

     Monk was someone Orlando planned on targeting last summer in free agency, but days before he hit the open market Sacramento was able to reach a multi-year extension with him. Sexton and White both seem like natural fits to me. Sexton maybe makes more sense as he plays in the West (teams are more likely to trade with teams from the opposite conference), and also because Chicago is sort of in a weird place between rebuilding and trying to win, whereas Utah is clearly in an all-out rebuild. Simons is a name that gets brought up annually, not only because he's a good shooter on a bad team but because he's a local kid. Simons grew up in Altamonte and played high school ball at Edgewater. He's not as good of a defender as the others on this list but perhaps with the staff's development this could improve. Poole is the only player on this list who has won a championship, as he was a starter and the 3rd or 4th option on the Golden State Warriors when they won in 2022. Poole was traded to the Wizards in 2023, where he sought a bigger payday and a more prominent role, but the Wizards have been one of the worst teams in that 3 year span and Poole may wish to be a role player for a contender again. Reaves was the Lakers' 3rd best scorer this season, but he's become a hot name to watch on the trade market as Los Angeles as he's someone the Lakers would likely include in a deal to create more cap space for a bigger move.

But what would it cost?    

     I think anyone not named Paolo/Franz/Suggs is fair game. Draft picks would be part of the package, but after that the conversation probably starts with Orlando's young prospects like Anthony Black, Tristan Da Silva, and Jett Howard. Black is by far the most intriguing trade chip the Magic own, but one they would be reluctant to give up if they could avoid it. But opposing teams would absolutely want Black in a trade package as he's only 21, an excellent defender, good at attacking the rim, and the jump shot is improving. Howard is also 21 but his development is still a work in progress, but there's potential there to be a 3 point specialist who can also create his own shot and hold his own on defense. Da Silva is an older prospect at 24, but could be of interest to other teams as well. Da Silva has good length and size and while he doesn't specialize in any single skill, he can do just about everything average or better. If the Magic did pick up the team option on Caleb Houstan, he would fit into this group as well as a 22 year old 3 point specialist with length.

     Orlando would likely also need to include a bigger contract to help match salaries with whichever player they are bringing in. This is where players like KCP, Wendell Carter, Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, and Goga Bitadze come in. All of these players have reasons I would want to keep them but realistically in a deal at least one of them would need to be included. Starting with KCP, the shooting numbers weren't what we hoped for, but I'm still of the belief they could go up again next season and that he can still be one of the volume shooters Orlando needs, and he was as-advertised defensively. Carter has had his ups and downs, but he's probably the best and most well-rounded Center that Orlando has on its roster currently, but it's possible Orlando would be just fine with a big man rotation of Isaac, Goga, Moe Wagner, and either a draft pick or trade acquisition. Isaac is an interesting one because we've seen him be an elite rim protector and defense player for the Magic, but his health issues force him to be on a nightly minutes restriction, which is unfortunate given how much Orlando is paying him. Goga is an interesting one too because he's an affordable contract for a big man and when Carter was hurt last season Goga was super effective as an every game starter, but his more affordable deal might make him a more intriguing option to other teams than the more expensive contracts of Carter and Isaac. Cole Anthony is a fan favorite and one of the best personalities on the team. He's a sparkplug off the bench sometimes, there are certain games this past season they don't win without Cole, but he's also a liability on defense and turnover prone at times and when his shooting goes cold he can be more harmful than helpful. 

The East

     While I never wish injury upon anyone, Jason Tatum's achilles tear, coupled with the fact that Boston is going to have to move one of its other big contracts (either Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, or Jrue Holiday) means the East is more open and winnable than it has been in previous years. The Celtics, Knicks, and Pacers will likely enter 2025-26 as the favorites, probably Cleveland as well since they finished in 1st place in the regular season before injuries hit them in the playoffs. Orlando could be one big move away from joining that list. This was a top 4 team in the East the first couple months of this past season after all before the injuries piled on. Orlando is not far off from being a true contender to win the East, and winning the East means reaching the NBA Finals.

Honest Expectations and what would be a successful season?

     My honest expectation is that the front office is going to make some sort of big move, which would make the fanbase happy. From what the front office is saying, it sounds like they'll be actively looking to make a win-now move. Assuming that happens, it's pretty cut and dry: Orlando needs to win a playoff series for the first time since 2010. Long has this fan base and city waited, and it's time to finally deliver. Anything further would be icing on the cake.

     There's plenty of subgoals the Magic could set along the way en route to the big goal. 50 wins, a top 4 seed in the East (meaning home court advantage in round 1), and Paolo and Franz making the All-Star game, are all things I think could be in play and would factor in to the bigger picture. But by the time next year's playoffs roll around, it will have 16 years since Orlando's last playoff series win. It is time to finally end the drought, and the day that happens will be a very happy and special day for this city.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Season Recap

     After reaching 3 consecutive Stanley Cup Finals (and winning two of them), the Lightning had been eliminated in the first round of the playoffs the past two seasons, so they entered 2024-25 with aspirations of breaking through the first round and making another deep playoff run. The biggest shake up of the offseason came when the organization decided not to bring back team captain and Lightning legend Steven Stamkos, who spent 16 seasons in Tampa, and instead signed Jake Guentzel, who is an established star in his own right, to a 7 year contract. Some fans were saddened and upset with management for letting someone who was the heart and soul of the team walk away, but at the end of the day it's a business, and the Bolts front office felt this was what was best for both short and long term (Guentzel is 5 years younger).

     In the second biggest move of the offseason, Tampa made a trade to reunite with an old friend in Ryan McDonough. McDonough, along with Hedman, was the anchor of the defense during the Bolts Stanley Cup runs, but was traded to Nashville in the summer of 2022 when Tampa could no longer afford him and somebody had to be moved. In the third biggest move of the offseason, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev was traded to Utah for a collection of players and picks. The two players Tampa acquired, JJ Moser and Connor Geekie, both were important pieces of Tampa's rotation.

     In the regular season, the Lightning statistically were one of the league's best teams. They had the best goal differential (goals scored minus goals allowed) in the Eastern Conference, a total of +73, which was also 2nd best in NHL behind only Winnipeg. They finished with the 3rd most points in the Eastern Conference behind only Washington and Toronto, 4 points ahead of defending champion and arch rival Florida. Things seemed to be clicking for them, especially in the 2nd half of the season as the new players developed chemistry with the tenured ones, and Tampa began to ascend up the standings. The offense was generating scoring opportunities at a frequent clip, the defense was much improved from the year prior, and Vasy looked healthier and sharper in net.

     Tampa would finish 2nd in their division, meaning they would get matched up in the first round with the team that finished 3rd in the division, which happened to be Florida. This set up a rematch of last season when the Panthers had defeated the Lightning in 5 games. This time around, Tampa would have home ice advantage, and there was a genuine belief that this was Tampa's best team since its Cup years.

     In Game 1, Florida landed the first punch, cruising to a 6-2 victory in Tampa. It felt as though the Lightning were humbled in this game, as Florida sought to remind them who the defending champs were. Tampa would come out with a better effort in Game 2, which proved to be a goaltender's duel between Vasy and Sergei Bobrovsky. Vasy only let one in that night, but unfortunately Tampa was unable to get one by Bobrovsky and the Lightning fell into an 0-2 hole in the series. Hope was fading fast as the series then moved to Sunrise, but Tampa managed to collect itself and put together its best game of the series in Game 3, which they won 5-1. This set up a pivotal Game 4. If the Lightning could pull it out, they would have evened the series at 2 games apiece heading back to Tampa, however a loss would put the Bolts on the brink of elimination. In a close contest, the Bolts had a 2-1 lead with just under 4 minutes left, and then everything unraveled. Florida would score 2 goals in 11 seconds, and then a third goal minutes later the second Tampa pulled the goaltender in a desperation move. The series then returned to Tampa. The Lightning trailed 3 games to 1, but two of the final 3 games would be in Tampa, so there was still a semblance of belief they could turn this around one game at a time. Unfortunately, that hope was short lived, and Florida would take it's 3rd straight game in Tampa by a score of 6-3, clinching them the series.

     A third straight season with a first-round exit leaves more questions than answers. Is this group capable of making one more Cup run? Or is the window closing/closed? Do they even still have the same hunger that made them great in the first place? Or did winning 2 Cups and reaching 3 straight wet their appetite and make them complacent and lack the drive of some of their rivals? Questions even arose about if head coach Jon Cooper should be brought back for the final year of his contract, but these were quickly dismissed by GM Julien Brisebois saying Cooper would indeed be the coach next season, and hopefully long after.

     From the initial press conferences, it seems like the front office doesn't want to change too much. They believe in the statistics and the numbers, and believe they had a really good team last season, but just happened to get matched up with arguably the best team in the league. While much may stay the same, the front office should still feel some pressure to evaluate every possible move and see if any exist, no matter how small, that would increase their chances of winning it all. A fourth straight first-round exit would make the fanbase impatient, and leave others worrying for their jobs.

 On a scale of 1-10, what would you give the 2024-25 Tampa Bay Lightning season?

     6. I'll give it above a 5 because they did finish rather high in the standings and statistically were a better team than their playoff showing suggested. That being said, I think most us expected to last longer and go further in the playoffs when they began, so to have their playoffs end a week after they began was definitely a disappointment. And it wasn't just the fact that they lost, but the nature of it. Players who are normally stars like Kucherov, Point, and Hedman felt invisible, the defense struggled mightily after being solid most of the year, and Vasy wasn't bad but also wasn't anywhere near the stone wall he was in the Cup years. The icing on the cake is that the Lightning now must acknowledge that the Panthers are now the big brother of the rivalry. Twice in a row now Florida has defeated them in 5 games, and 3 different times in this series Tampa had to sit there and watch Florida parade around on their own ice. End of the day, I do still think the moves they made were more helpful than harmful, which is a large part of the reason I'm giving it a score above 5. But still, when you make some major changes only to get the same results, it leaves you a bit disappointed. 

In-house items

     The good news for the Lightning is their core players are all still locked up for several years. This includes Vasy, Kucherov, Point, Hedman, Guentzel, Hagel, Cirelli, and Cernak. Due to all these big contracts, Tampa's cap space is a bit limited, projected around 8 million.

    The following players are now free agents and the Bolts need to determine whether or not to bring them back: Yanni Gourde, Nick Perbix, Luke Glendenning, and Cam Atkinson. Back up goaltender Jonas Johanssen was originally on this list as well but recently had his contract extended.

     Within this list, Gourde is probably the most likely to be brought back. Gourde was a fan favorite during the Cup years, and then when the Seattle Kraken joined the league (2021) and the expansion draft happened, Seattle was able to pry Gourde away from Tampa. Gourde was with the Kraken until this past season's trade deadline, when the Bolts made a trade to bring him back home. He may not be in his prime anymore, he'll turn 34 next season, but he's still a scrappy hard-working player that Tampa can use on multiple lines.

     Glendenning is a bit of a toss up. His role is a face-off specialist, he wins face offs at a 57% clip which is one of the highest percentages in this league. This helps Tampa generate more possessions and time with the puck. That being said, he's not great for much else and he's getting up there in age. Perbix is someone I think the Bolts move on from, as he struggled mightily on defense in the playoffs and they could probably explore better options. Same can be said for Atkinson, whose best years are behind him.

     Another situation the Bolts must navigate is prospect and former first-round pick Isaac Howard. Tampa has only had one first round pick since 2020 (because they continually trade these away at the deadline to bring in players they believe will help them make Stanley Cup runs), it came in 2022 and was used on 18 year old college player Isaac Howard. NHL drafts are weird in that you can draft players before they leave college and you own their rights for 4 years, but they can opt to remain in college as they continue to develop. That's exactly what Howard did, remaining at Michigan State every year since he was drafted. As a prospect, Howard has been excellent, and looked like an absolute steal for Tampa. He won the award for best collegiate player last season and has spent time was the US National Team in the junior Olympics and world championships.

     The problem is, Howard is returning to Michigan State for another season, and his contract will expire next summer, making him a free agent. This leaves Tampa with a few options:

1. Play it safe, trade him now while his value is extremely high, and don't afford losing someone for nothing who may never wear the uniform.

2. Continue between now and next summer to try and work out a long-term deal with him, and convince him to join the team. If the two sides can't work it out, trade him, but understand each month that passes his trade value decreases (other teams will be able to low-ball and squeeze Tampa and take advantage of the situation).

3. Ride this out until the end, but understand the risk that he may become a free agent and sign elsewhere, meaning a first round pick was wasted on a player who never played a game with the team.

     If Tampa wanted to trade Howard today, his trade value would probably be pretty good. They could probably recuperate one or multiple first round picks, and maybe add a veteran or two as well. This may be Howard's preference as well, as there are other teams that could use younger players and offer more immediate significant playing time than Tampa could. However, Tampa probably offers a better path in the short term to competing in the playoffs and trying to win the Cup than the other rebuilding teams can. It's an unfortunate situation, as Tampa desperately needs young developmental prospects, and Howard is the one with the highest upside, but Tampa needs to weigh its options on how to handle this.

     Tampa's last in-house item will be the draft. Once again they are without a first round pick, and their highest pick is their second-rounder, 56th overall. They also own picks in rounds 4, 5, and 7. 

     Honest offseason expectations

     Honestly, I don't think much is going to change. Reading the tea leaves, the front office doesn't want to change much, and even if they did, they lack the cap space and assets to do so. The one thing that could change this is trading Isaac Howard, as that would assuredly add at least one first-round pick, and/or win-now veterans. With the little cap space they have, I think Tampa would look to add depth to their defense, and/or a bigger more physical offensive depth player. But the reality is the "big moves" happened last season, when Guentzel and McDonough came in, and Stamkos and Sergachev went out.

     The East

     At the time of writing this, Florida still appears to be the cream of the crop in the conference. The Carolina Hurricanes are close behind and Toronto is still uber talented but needs to exorcise their playoff demons.

     From there there's a handful of teams I think the jury is still out on. Washington finished with the best record in the East, but this team is getting older and most of its stars are past their primes and I'm just not sure how sustainable they are at the moment. New Jersey was a team that looked good before some key injuries derailed their season. Ottawa and Montreal are two younger teams that made the playoffs for the first time in years, and it remains to be seen if they can build off of that success and take another step forward. Boston was a team that until this year was in that upper tier, maybe they have a bounce back as well. 

     Honest Expectations and what would be a successful season?

     The recurring theme has been "get past the first round" and perhaps that rings truer for the Lightning more than anyone else since the team has endured 3 consecutive years of first round exits. It was forgivable after the cup years, as fatigue was definitely a factor, and they were losing core players every year due to salary cap restrictions. But now, enough time has passed, and it's time to make a late-round playoff run once again.

     This team has built a winning culture and expects to make the playoffs every year. With the amount of star power still on the roster, that isn't going to change anytime soon. Unlike the other teams in this article, the Bolts have been there/done that, the question is how much longer can the window remain open. Personally, I think at bare minimum we have 2 more years of really going for it, before serious conversations can be had about blowing things up and entering a rebuild. Although if they were to lose in round 1 for a 4th straight season, people would start throwing those ideas around next offseason. The biggest challenge is that if the Bolts finish 2nd or 3rd in their division, odds are they will get matched up with either Florida or Toronto (which ever one isn't 1st) in the first round, and both have proven to be formidable opponents. Of the two, my preferred opponent would probably be Toronto, given their history of playoff failures, as opposed to Florida, a proven champion who can flip the switch when they need to.

     I think there is a world where Tampa's core could make one last title run before some of them ride off into the sunset. Sure, that's very Hollywood, very story book, and other teams will definitely be favored ahead of them, but it's in the realm of possibility. At the same time, I won't be mad if that doesn't happen. If they make the second round and lose in 6, that's something I would be at peace with and grateful for a few weeks of fun competitive playoff hockey again. But in terms of expectation, I do think they'll perform well in the regular season once again, finish top 2 or 3 in their division, and get matched up with Florida or Toronto. Making it past round 1 is a bit of a toss up, but as a fan I hold onto hope that they have paid their dues these past few years and that it's time for another deeper run.

In Conclusion

     Whew. This was a long one.

     I'm excited to see what 2025-26 holds. I think Florida State and the Bucs have already put in some good offseason work, and I'm excited and hopeful Orlando and the Lightning can do the same.

     For the Seminoles, I'm hopeful this a year of redemption, and that after a year of embarrassment and shame, we see some signs that brighter days are ahead. My hope and believe is that this new elevated staff, in conjunction with the roster overhaul, will spark some positive change and instill some hope in the alumni and fan base once again.

     For the Buccaneers, I think they're getting close. The defense needs some fine tuning, but with the moves they made and some internal growth, there's a chance here. But I do believe in my heart of hearts the offense is good enough and deep enough to win the whole thing, they just need the defense to reach the same level.

     For the Magic, my hope is the front office finally rewards us (the fans) for our patience, and takes a big swing and makes a big move. The fact that they already have two budding stars, both 23 years of age or younger, is already a blessing in itself and provides this fan base with the most hope it has had in 15 years. The culture building and development part of this process is finished, it's time to figure out how to take the next step and continue building toward the organization's first ever championship, as the biggest pieces are already there.

     For the Lightning, they've already seen the mountain top, and as fans we're just selfishly hoping that maybe this group can get one last shot at it before the end of an era. I don't expect much to change roster-wise, but hopefully the little moves they can make are beneficial, and there's some internal growth, and maybe some better puck-luck come playoff team.

      It'll be a long 3+ months until it's football season again. After my God, my wife, my family, and my friends, the thing I'll love next most is my sports and my teams. The joy I get from inviting these guys into my living room for several months and going on a journey with them over the course of a season is something that will always hold a special place in my heart, and I know I'll be fighting tears whenever one of them reaches the mountain top again. Here's to trying to find the joy in the waiting and the anticipation before everything starts up again :)