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Orlando Magic First Quarter Review: The Magic’s 5 best lineups

By Philip Rossman-Reich

The Orlando Magic have struggled in their record, but Jamahl Mosley has some very successful lineups he can use to soften that blow. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports
The Orlando Magic have struggled in their record, but Jamahl Mosley has some very successful lineups he can use to soften that blow. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports /
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Gary Harris, Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors
Gary Harris and the Orlando Magic found it tough to operate in the second half as the Toronto Raptors tightened their defense. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

Orlando Magic’s top 5 lineups

Almost New Starters

Cole Anthony/R.J. Hampton/Gary Harris/Franz Wagner/Wendell Carter

23 minutes (6 games) – +33.3 Net Rating (117.4/84.1)

There is no denying these are some really small sample sizes here as the Orlando Magic tried to settle their rotation early in the year.

Like the first lineup on this list, it seems like it is a transition lineup as the Magic move from their starting group to their reserve group. So they are not on the court for long.

Their effectiveness still seems hard to deny. And it is a wonder perhaps why the team is not going with them a bit longer. That important trio of Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter and Franz Wagner are obviously still present.

For now, that does not make sense for the team’s rotation. It all stems from Orlando’s decision to start both Wendell Carter and Mo Bamba. That mixes up the Magic’s frontcourt rotation and sets every other piece of the puzzle in place.

It really means Franz Wagner plays a lot at the 3 more than he does at 4 as the team goes with its bigger alignment more often. So far this season Wagner has played 78-percent of his minutes at small forward, according to Basketball-Reference.

Wagner will likely remain nominally a small forward throughout the rest of the season. It is going to be hard to take him out of the starting lineup.

But, to a certain point, the Magic have to begin priming themselves for some change. Jonathan Isaac will return to the court and likely shift the Magic back to a more modern, versatile-4 lineup. That will leave the Magic splitting the minutes between Carter and Bamba a whole lot more.

That is something that probably should have been done already for this team. The Magic probably should be making sure to have one of Bamba or Carter on the floor at all times. Jonathan Isaac’s return — or even Chuma Okeke finding his rhythm again — will certainly push the team into a more traditionally modern lineup.

The Magic may be hesitant to do that at the moment. But the one thing that is clear is there is at least some proof of concept that a spread-out lineup with Wagner at the 4 and the Magic’s three key players can work. That is a good sign for whenever Isaac returns.