Orlando Magic: 3 Goals for the 2022 Season

Orlando Magic 2022 Season Goal #1:

Evaluate Talent

Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac, Cole Anthony, Chuma Okeke, Wendell Carter, Mohamed Bamba and R.J. Hampton. I do not know about you, but these players are an excellent starting point.

If the Magic choose to keep the fifth and eighth pick, add two more players that may include Jonathan Kuminga, Scottie Barnes or Moses Moody just to name a few.

This year will be a year of figuring out who stays and goes. If the Magic fully embrace the youth movement, players like Gary Harris, Terrence Ross and Otto Porter will most likely be on the move. This will naturally free up minutes for the younger players and allow the Magic to see their squad in its entirety.

Specifically for players like Bamba and Hampton, this will be a crucial year. They both have something to prove.

Bamba will be entering his fourth year and has only shown incremental improvement. Highly touted in his draft class, the 7-footer with a 7-foot-10 wingspan will need to show he can contribute efficiently and effectively on both sides of the floor.

A new coach might help get a new mindset or a new pair of eyes on him after coach Steve Clifford constantly pushed veterans over Mohamed Bamba. But Bamba too needs to prove himself. A healthy summer would go a long way to cementing the gains he has made in his game that have only been glimmers so far on the court.

Orlando Magic

There were occasions where Bamba bit on pump fakes and picked up unnecessary fouls and has yet to show a level of patience that is often required of elite defenders. This season, Bamba saw a jump in usage, and in return, his defensive stats and impact waned.

The Magic will carefully be watching Bamba’s progress to see if he can become what they envisioned him to be. A two-way difference-maker with immense potential.

In his sophomore year, Hampton will need to show growth and improvement on both sides of the floor.

Hampton was better than expected with an increased workload after arriving in Orlando. But in order to prove he should be the backup guard, he will need to tighten up his handle and his decision-making.

With the Magic, Hampton averaged 11.2 points, 2.5 assists and five rebounds per game. He shot 31.9-percent from behind the arc, a four percentage point increase from his time in Denver and had an effective field goal percentage of 48.2-percent.

With more minutes, Hampton was able to stretch his legs and play his style of basketball. He was relentless on fastbreaks but was a shaky shooter. He will need to improve his 3-point shooting along with his free throw percentage which dropped from 75-percent with the Nuggets to 65.7-percent with the Magic.

While there is time and freedom to evaluate players, this will also mean the front office should be willing to trade any of the young players as they see fit.