Can Magic remove the greatest power of Celtics in the series of the first round?

The Celtics are seen as the overwhelming favorites (-6000) to bring down the Orlando magic in the first round of the NBA play-offs of 2025.

But even if Boston has the talent, the depth and the experience that is needed to orchestrate a deep play -off run, that does not mean that a stingy team such as the magic still cannot give the Celtics – especially on the offensive side of the ball.

How little is inspiring if the attack of Orlando could be (108.9 attacking rating-27th in NBA), the team of Jamahl Mosley has proven to be a thorn in the side of some of the best score teams in the competition that is largely limited due to a plodding approach that limits break-point quickly.

Given Joe Mazzulla and the tendency of the Celtics to shoot away from 3-point reach, could Orlando prove to be a more discouraging matchup than initially expected?

“They have many great defenders,“Jayson Tatum said about the magic on Wednesday. “They play their style that benefits them to the defensive end. They are a bit in the paint. They are a big team.

“They have many guys who go to you, especially boys from the bank who make it difficult. So (that’s) something you need to be ready for.”

Orlando is one of the best defensive units in the NBA and leads the competition by allowing only 105.5 points per match during the 2024-25 season.

Much of that success is rooted in their ability to limit a barrage of shots from outside of the arc, whereby Orlando opponents limits to only 31.4 3-point attempts and 11.4 3-Pointers that are made per game as the least in the NBA.

Even with defensive AAS Jalen Suggs due to injury, Orlando has a selection full of athletic, long pregnant women such as Paolo Banchero (6-foot-10) and Franz Wagner (6-foot-10) who can close on shooters and limit teams of tracing many dieh attempts.

That characteristic of the defensive approach of Orlando directly clashes with Boston’s desire to start 3-Pointers in an instant with the Celtics that comes from a regular season where it established the NBA record for the most made three (1.457).

Although the Celtics also have the means to score in the paint, the 3-point defense of Orlando would chase away the primary source of Boston attack. During the first matchup of Boston against the magic this season on December 23, the Celtics sank only eight 3-Pointers on their way to a loss of 108-104, although Tatum did not play in that game.

“They are a physical team,” said Kristaps Porzingis about Orlando. “They will grow up, they will become handy, and there are certain areas that they are good at. So we just have to make sure that we do our best in those departments. And of course we prepare for an opponent, so we look at what things they do good and try to be excellent in those things.”

Even if the magic manages to limit how many 3-PINTERS Boston tries in this series, that does not mean lower volume exactly that the Celtics still cannot cause any damage with their sharpening fence.

Orlando is perhaps the best in the competition in limiting 3-point attempts, but opponents have still converted to 36.5 percent of their 3-Pointers against the magic that was the seventh best figure in the competition.

No matter how effective the defense of Orlando could be, the Celtics also have more than enough players on the Roster who should be able to land during this series – even if the magical predictable shooting options such as Tatum and Derrick White from the gate.

“The key to prevent it is just taking the photos they give you and fight for the best shot,” said Joe Mazzulla about Orlando. “And they are doing well. They have a lot of defensive versatility, change their coverage and they are really physically about to attack.

“So for me the most important thing is that we make sure that we are just as physical in the offensive end, possessing our space and fighting for the best shot we can own.”

Add that Orlando’s own 3-point shooting is gloomy (31.8 percent shooting percentage, last in the NBA), and the magic may not even have the horses in place to keep pace with the hindered (but still dangerous) attacking approach of the Celtics.

Conor Ryan is a staff writer for the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role that he has conducted since 2023.