Orlando Magic Player Comparisons: What’s in store for the sophomores

The Orlando Magic are an extremely young team.

One of the problems in trying to put together their roster for the upcoming season was figuring out how to balance the team while still giving their long list of young players plenty of time.

The reality might well be that Orlando cannot give them all time. Part of the upcoming season will be about sorting through these young players and figure out who to invest in.

That will all happen on the court. And for the Magic, their young players have shown enough to keep getting playing time and get an opportunity until otherwise noted.

Orlando was in a unique position last year at the end of the season with three rookies all in the rotation for the team. Having three first-round picks all on the same roster is a pretty rare thing. Adding another guard in the draft this year is even rarer, putting a bit of a crunch on the team.

That is a good problem to have. Especially with such a young team. the team will begin sorting through these players.

The Orlando Magic have three promising rookies who showed their potential but also their potential limitations to start their careers.

All three of the Magic’s rising sophomore players had their moments as rookies.

Chuma Okeke had breakout performances and big shots like the ones he hit in the win over the Golden State Warriors. R.J. Hampton ended up winning the Rookie of the Month for May. And Cole Anthony had a pair of game-winning baskets and a ton of positive moments throughout the course of the season.

For a typical rookie, that would seemingly lead to the player seeing an increased role or knowing his place on the team. They can take the experience of playing their first NBA seasons and grow from them.

Everyone always says the biggest growth comes between the rookie and second season for a player. And so the Magic are expecting all three of these players to take a huge step forward.

Summer League though did not suggest these three players made this step. Cole Anthony struggled with his shot and playing off the ball next to Jalen Suggs. Hampton showed an improved 3-pointer but was played out of position at small forward. And Okeke did not even play.

The Magic’s young players are as much a mystery as anyone else. And so it is still difficult to project just who these young players are.

To wrap up our player comparison series, we are going to look at what statistical models say about the Magic’s rookies and even dive back into draft comparisons to see just what potential they are fulfilling.