The Orlando Magic are a young team. There is not going to be a lot of difference between their starters and their bench — at least when the team is fully healthy. Starters will mix with reserves.
For now, the Magic seem to have settled on some basic players as part of their rotation. But the somewhat surprising move to bring Mo Bamba into the starting lineup alongside Wendell Carter shows just how fluid the Magic’s rotation will be.
Especially at the start of the season.
If the preseason is any reflection of the regular season, we may see perennial sixth man Terrence Ross in the starting lineup more often. He came off the bench in the team’s season-opening loss to the San Antonio Spurs but still played the exepcted starter-level of minutes.
Ross will play plenty for good reason. He has invaluable experience for an otherwise young lineup and has always been relatively reliable.
So far, Jahmal Mosley has run five different starting lineups in the team’s five games (four preseason and one regular season). Gary Harris has started four (only missing Wednesday’s game because of a hamstring injury). While Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony have swapped in and out. Similarly, Mo Bamba and Wendell Carter Jr. have started four, three of those being together.
What will be interesting is who ends up grabbing the starting center position. This will determine who will be the most impactful big man off the bench and set the rest of the rotation.
The Orlando Magic are still settling on their rotation. As they sort out their regular bench rotation, these players will prove key to the team.
At this point, there really is not much indication as to who it will be. Bamba has been a better interior defender than Carter and has looked more comfortable pulling up from mid-range.
Mosley may even opt to play both at the same time since there has been some success with the two on the floor. However, Carter is still more consistent and that may be enough to get him the permanent starting job, at least for now.
The sixth, seventh and eighth player off the bench is the most important as of now. And to be honest, there is not anyone who will surprise you.
It is the usual suspects of R.J. Hampton, Franz Wagner and Michael Carter-Williams who will have the biggest impact for the team in regular roles off the bench. There may be times when any of these players enter the starting lineup, especially if Ross, Harris or even Suggs are unavailable.
This also does not take into consideration the returns of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac since the timetable for their return has been kept under wraps for the most part.
R.J. Hampton
R.J. Hampton posted a preseason best of 20 points, eight rebounds and two steals in the team’s preseason finale against the Boston Celtics. Given the Celtics’ bench is not full of stellar defenders he was breaking them down with ease at times. He was active off the ball and his slashing was seriously hurting the defense.
There was one particular possession that showed the most promise. R.J. Hampton passed the ball ahead to Franz Wagner on the break and got it back and effortlessly stepped into a three.
Hampton is a career 31-percent three-point shooter and if he can bump that up to around 35-percent for the season, he’ll be harder to guard.
Hampton obviously still has some work to do. In Wednesday’s game against the San Antonio Spurs, he scored only six points on 2-for-8 shooting, often looking a bit too sped up at times.
Adding a reliable shot to his explosiveness will be a scary combo for the Magic bench. He looks for comfortable attacking off the dribble as well.
There is a lot to like so hopefully he can keep it up.
Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner had a great debut in Wednesday’s opening game. He scored 12 points to go with four rebounds, two blocks, a steal and zero turnovers. He was efficient and did not waste much time with the ball.
There were several possessions where he attacked off the dribble and took advantage of the slower but bigger Jakob Poeltl defending him. Poeltl is not a slouch on defense. In fact, he is one of the best defensive bigs in the game so Wagner attacking with confidence, well, inspires confidence.
He also had a few dimes out of the pick and roll and was frequently cutting to the basket. It was his cutting that earned him the majority of his 12 points and the Spurs defense was caught sleeping on several of those points.
However, take this game with a grain of salt. It was a blowout and while the Spurs are projected to be one of the better defensive teams in the league, their individual defenders are not well equipped to deal with a player like Wagner.
Wagner is 6-foot-9, surprisingly shifty and works well in a scheme. Poeltl was clearly a step too slow which Wagner rightfully took advantage of at times.
Wagner started Wednesday’s game. But he will likely move back to the bench once Chuma Okeke and Jonathan Isaac return. Still, Wagner filled in a lot of gaps and proved to be a valuable player in his first regular-season game.
It will be interesting to see how Franz Wagner fairs against bigger wing defenders like Paul George, most likely not well, but it pays to learn sooner rather than later.
Michael Carter-Williams
The veteran guard is still out with an injury but with all the changes to the roster and what is available, Michael Carter-Williams may thrive now more than ever.
For a young team, he is the ideal veteran. While he is not the perfect player by any means, he has been around long enough to know how the game is played.
While players like Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony and Chuma Okeke still get adjusted to the pace of the game, Michael Carter-Williams will be a consistent presence off the bench.
Last season Carter-Williams averaged 8.8 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game. A solid stat line. But he was mostly inefficient due to an increased workload and Steve Clifford asking him to do more than he is capable of.
Chances are he plays less and is less productive this year, especially since he has to learn to play with a whole new roster. But that is why he will be so valuable for the Magic.
He will coach the younger guards, especially on the defensive end. The Magic may be on the wrong end of blowouts this season but it takes energy and motivation to keep your head high. Carter-Wiliams will provide just that for a wildly inexperienced team.