Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Three areas of concern from the Orlando Magic’s homestand

By Luke Duffy

ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 21: Head Coach Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic reacts during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on October 21, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 21: Head Coach Jamahl Mosley of the Orlando Magic reacts during the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on October 21, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /
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Bol Bol of the Orlando Magic and Wendell Carter Jr. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /

2. The rotations are not clicking

It is hard at this stage of the season to have your ideal starting five and preferred rotations cast in stone. But the Orlando Magic are a long way off even having the correct foundations in place. Too often already it has felt like Mosley has been throwing stuff at the wall to see what works.

A lot of the time, nothing has been sticking.

If not for Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and the emergence of Jalen Suggs, where would this group truly be?

Cole Anthony was having a positive impact before going down with injury. And Markelle Fultz has not been seen yet after fracturing his toe just before training camp. But beyond these key players that are very obviously going to start and get plenty of minutes, what else do the Magic have cooking?

This is a worry because they do have a modest amount of depth with the squad that is in place, but it is not coming together.

Some nights Mosley is riding Suggs a lot, and this only seems to be increasing as he proves he can handle the load. Kevon Harris provides some defensive intensity. But after a great performance in 21 minutes in the win over the Golden State Warriors, his time on the court has dwindled in both games that followed.

R.J. Hampton also had a nice game against the Warriors, finishing with 15 points and three made 3-pointers from five taken. The Magic have a lack of depth in the backcourt, yet two games later against the Houston Rockets, Hampton did not see the court at all.

Caleb Houstan is by no means a bad player, but it feels like he is coming in at random intervals to see if he can do something. Anything.

It has not all been bad. But even the positive developments of Bol Bol have come at a cost. His arrival clearly lit a fire under Mo Bamba, and he too is contributing on a nightly basis now.

But alongside Wendell Carter, the best big man of the three, the Magic have three guys who cannot all be on the court at the same time. This has created an imbalance in the rotations, and it will take more time and the return of others to rectify this worrying situation.