Magic season preview: The Paolo Banchero era begins
The Orlando Magic already have promising returns from their decision to blow up their core at the 2020-21 trade deadline in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. The team’s roster is filled with a lot of intriguing talent but it will likely still take them at least another year before they can start looking like a cohesive group.
Below is a preview of the upcoming 2022-23 Magic season.
Roster changes
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Returning: Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr., Gary Harris, Terrence Ross, Mo Bamba, Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke, RJ Hampton, Bol Bol, Mo Wagner, Devin Cannady, Admiral Schofield
Additions: Paolo Banchero (Duke), Caleb Houstan (Michigan), Kevon Harris (Raptors 905)
Subtractions: Robin Lopez (Cleveland), Ignas Brazdeikis (Žalgiris Kaunas)
Strengths
John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
* Frontcourt of the future in Banchero and Wagner… The Magic have two really special players to look forward to. Banchero has the makings of an elite passer for a big man who can create opportunities for teammates. Wagner is a high-IQ player who can operate really well both on and off the ball. Together they can develop a great two-man game, which can be advantageous in pick-and-roll scenarios thanks to their size.
* Good defensive personnel… The Magic had the 19th-best defensive rating in the league last season and that was largely thanks to their personnel. They have a surplus of bigs that they have been able to play together to employ super-sized lineups. They kept nearly everyone from last year’s roster and could get a further boost with the return of Jonathan Isaac. Internal improvement and good health could get the Magic’s defense closer to above average this season.
Weaknesses
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* Not enough playmaking… The Magic have four young guards in Markelle Fultz, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, and RJ Hampton primarily running the point and two of them are already injured to start the season. They may have to rely on more secondary playmakers like Wagner and Banchero to compensate but that could be a lot for them to overcome. They were the 22nd-ranked offense last year and it could be challenging for them to significantly raise it this season.
* Not enough shooting… Orlando had the second-worst offense in the league last year and a lot of that stemmed from their three-point shooting. They attempted a ton of them but also missed them as they had the second-worst three-point percentage last season. Their biggest addition in that department is Houstan, who has a reputation as a shooter, but they’ll need internal improvements from the rest of the roster to significantly upgrade their three-point shooting.
Depth chart
Possible moves
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The Magic have had a ton of flexibility via sizeable trade exceptions since their fire sale at the 2021 trade deadline but have been mostly conservative with it. They passed on using maximum cap space this past offseason to re-sign Harris, Bamba, and Bol, but have retained their flexibility going into the summer of 2023. They are projected to generate as much as $40-60 million in cap space next offseason which could be used to take on bad money with assets attached or sign veterans who can help them get back to competing.
They are heading into this campaign with almost the same exact roster as last year’s. This year will be critical for some players as the Magic could determine who they want to keep going forward. This mainly includes their point guard rotation, which has yet to have a long-term starter stand out, as well as some of their veteran big men like Isaac, Bamba, and Bol. Veterans like Gary Harris and Terence Ross could also become available if the right offers come along.
Salaries
Prediction
5th in the Southeast Division, 14th in the Eastern Conference (as voted by the HoopsHype staff)
