Orlando Magic’s three positives from first nine games

3 positives from Orlando Magic’s first nine games

2. Bol Bol

Be honest, you did not see this coming did you?

When Bol Bol made his way to the Orlando Magic at last year’s trade deadline and signed a fresh contract this summer, he arrived as a player who was injured and who had never done much of anything during his tenure with the Denver Nuggets.

Oh, how the Nuggets would love to have him back to round out their rotation now.

It is not that Bol has been a world-beater. But when you consider the Magic bought into him when his stock was so low, what he is doing on the court is nothing short of remarkable. With career averages of 3.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game in 8.4 minutes per game in three years with the Nuggets, Bol has obliterated those numbers already.

He has started four of the Magic’s games, and is a legitimate presence in the paint. He is still skinny, but moves with a quickness on both ends that constantly throws opponents off.

So far he is averaging 10.3 points and 7.2 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per night. His 2.6 blocks per game are tied for the second most in the entire league.

The best part about this from the organization’s perspective is how overnight they found a player who is everything they wanted Mo Bamba to be. Bol is a career 36.2-percent 3-point shooter which is extremely misleading. But he is still averaging an attempt per night so far this season. A long stretch five is what Bamba promised, and what Bol is now delivering.

At this early stage, Bol actually leads the entire league in two-point field goal percentage (72.9 percent) as well. This has been an absolute success story and a positive for the Magic to find that sort of production on the scrap heap.

Better still it ensures Wendell Carter does not get run into the ground each night and gives their rotation another element.