After an extended period in the wilderness, there are strongly positive signs around the Orlando Magic. The Magic won 21 and 22 games in back-to-back seasons but, with the addition of No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, the development of Franz Wagner, and relative stability with the roster, Orlando took a step forward with a 34-48 mark a year ago. Now comes the difficult part for the Magic, as the rebuild starts to turn the corner toward competitiveness, even in an Eastern Conference full of intriguing, talented, and experienced teams.
Expectations are raised for Orlando and, with that, there is one major question and one X-Factor on the roster that need to be explored.
Biggest Question: What’s Next For Paolo Banchero And Franz Wagner?
This is both obvious and also the correct question to ask. For teams on the rise, there is often a point in which it becomes clear that every player is not a “core player” for the future, and that could happen with some of the guards (see below) in Orlando. There is a pretty good feeling that Banchero and Wagner are core pieces, however, and Banchero is coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign after being drafted No. 1 overall. That is usually a formula for at least a long, fruitful career at the NBA level, and Wagner’s versatile, effective game makes him the envy of many teams and general managers across the league.
With that out of the way, the big question is whether there is a real, contending-level team to be built around Banchero and Wagner as the top two, or even two of the top three, pieces on the squad. Banchero faced real efficiency issues (52.9 percent true shooting) as a rookie and isn’t a dynamic off-ball threat at this juncture. Wagner has almost no uncertainty as a secondary piece after a season in which he averaged 18.6 points on 58.9 percent true shooting, but can he scale up? Orlando’s supporting cast might be what dictates win-loss success in 2023-24, but in the big picture, it’s all about Banchero and Wagner for the Magic. This season could begin to paint a very, very intriguing picture.
X-Factor: Jalen Suggs
In some ways, the X-factor could be the entire backcourt for Orlando. The Magic have talented guards like Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, and 2023 lottery pick Anthony Black, but Suggs is perhaps the biggest enigma right now. Suggs, a former top-five pick, has appeared in only 101 games through two seasons and, on the offensive end, his limitations have been evident. That includes a career 48.7 percent true shooting mark and a 17.5 percent turnover rate that is unsustainably poor. On the positive side, Suggs has shown a great deal of aptitude and effectiveness on the defensive end but, in short, that is not why guards are drafted in the range where he was selected.
Can Suggs find more efficiency? Can his shooting come around? Beyond that, what is his best role moving forward on a team that will almost certainly play heavily through its forwards? A lot of questions should be answered over the course of the next few months.
