Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

How the Orlando Magic answered our questions throughout the year

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic have had their struggles throughout the season and have left plenty of our questions unanswered. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images)
The Orlando Magic have had their struggles throughout the season and have left plenty of our questions unanswered. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 7
Next
Markelle Fultz, Orlando Magic
Markelle Fultz recorded a team-high 14 assists to lead the Orlando Magic’s attack and check off another box in a win over the Charlotte Hornets. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) /

How will the Orlando Magic further integrate Markelle Fultz?

At the beginning of the season, Markelle Fultz felt like a curiosity. Nobody really knew what to expect from him.

It honestly felt like if the Magic could get anything from him, even off the bench, they would be more than thrilled. They were clearly trying to ease him back into the league and protect him and put him in positions to succeed.

But he blew past those expectations quickly. He almost immediately entered the starting lineup (five games into the season) and he was finding his way.

The biggest question the Magic have faced throughout the season has been impatience to give Fultz more to do and more control over the offense. Everyone just senses how much better the Magic are with him running the show.

At the midpoint of the season, Fultz was averaging 11.7 points per game and 4.6 assists per game on 46.2-percent shooting. His full-season average is now 12.1 points per game and 5.2 assists per game on 47.3-percent shooting.

That means in the last 23 games, Fultz has averaged 12.6 points per game and 6.3 assists per game and 49.2-percent shooting.

He is doing all this on a pretty pedestrian 20.7-percent usage rate for the season. If anything, the Magic probably need to trust and give the ball more to Fultz. That has been the biggest ask all year.

Back at the midpoint of the season, we asked for more Fultz. We largely got it. And now it just seems like we want even more. It seems like he keeps checking off box after box in his return from thoracic outlet syndrome.

The stats, at least what is publicly available, have not quite caught up. But it feels so clear when he is empowered to run the offense, he makes good things happen. He can pick everyone up and get the team moving.

When Fultz is confident, he is a shot of energy that the team just needs more of it seems.

My sense is that this has been part of a proscribed program. They wanted to slowly build him up and give him a role he could succeed in before giving him more and more.

We have been more impatient than anything else.

I think when the Magic get back to work after the hiatus and certainly heading into next season, the Magic will be ready to give Fultz a whole lot more.