Orlando Magic Question: Who will be the next player to score 50 in a game?

The topic of scoring is to the forefront of the NBA right now. With Donovan Mitchell, the one that may have gotten away for the Orlando Magic, having recently poured in 71, we are seeing a scoring boom the likes of which we have never seen.

The level of offensive talent in the league is ridiculous right now, and it is crazy to think that on the night Donovan Mitchell had his historic figure, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors had a casual 54 points of his own.

It does not matter if a team is good or bad or playing a superior opponent. The opportunity exists on any given night for a player to go off big.

Even the Orlando Magic are experiencing a scoring boom with the impressive scoring totals Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are putting in. They are set to become the Magic’s first duo to average 20 points per game in the same season since Shaquille O’Neal and Anfernee Hardaway in 1996.

Do not worry, they are still 23rd in the league in offensive rating at 110.8 points per 100 possessions.

It begs the very real and interesting question: Which Orlando Magic player will be the next to break the 50-point barrier?

As hard as it may be to believe, only three players in Magic history have ever managed this feat. Even more incredibly, Shaquille O’Neal only managed this once in Orlando, while Dwight Howard does not exist on the list at all.

The other two players other than O’Neal? Nick Anderson also managed the achievement once and that game was overshadowed by Shaquille O’Neal tearing down the basket in New Jersey. And Tracy McGrady reached 50 points four times in 215 games played for the organization. That is about once every 55 games or so, an amazing mark when you think about it.

The previous three individuals who broke this mark give us some clues into the most likely current player who will be best placed to break through.

Let’s approach this through the process of elimination.

Dwight Howard was one of the most dominant big men of all time. And if he could not manage it than none of Wendell Carter, Bol Bol, Jonathan Isaac or Mo Bamba have much hope.

Markelle Fultz is too well-rounded to focus solely on scoring, while Jalen Suggs does not look like the type either. We are getting a little warmer with Cole Anthony though. He is far from the most likely, but is streaky enough as their growing sixth man to maybe sniff 40.

After that, who knows?

Diverging from the path, Terrence Ross and Gary Harris are both more likely to do this than you might think. If any player mirrors that of Anderson, who was ahead of his time in how he played, it is these two.

Ross is nicknamed “The Human Torch” for a reason, and his career high in scoring is actually 51 points. A feat he managed with the Toronto Raptors versus the LA Clippers on January 25, 2014.

Could he do this again? After all, that Raptors squad was not all that good and he is far savvier as a veteran now. Some of his athleticism is gone, but he is shooting 37.3 percent from deep this season.

Ross being the guy is not as crazy as you might think. It is a little harder to imagine with Harris, whose career high is 34 points (he has managed this twice), and who is also not as athletic as he once was.

As a tandem package, you could do worse than think one of these two could be the next to score 50. On the other hand, it is unclear how much longer either will be with the franchise given their skill sets would be of real use to some contenders out there.

How about Franz Wagner then?

The second-year forward is already an excellent offensive player. More than that, his two-way game is improving at a rapid rate. It feels like there is nothing he cannot do for the Magic.

He may have the second-highest usage rating on the team (24.8 percent), but to watch this team is to know that some of his best work comes while cutting and moving without the ball. Still, he has scored 38 points in a game already (versus the Milwaukee Bucks on December 28, 2021), already more than Harris.

He has shown too how quickly he can score points. He scored 19 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He has the ability to score points in bunches.

It is definitely possible. Wagner is capable of getting hot and can score well at all three levels. More than that, he figures to get better at scoring the ball in every area of the court as time goes on. His teammates already trust him to get them a bucket when needed.

But right now there can only be one clear choice, and that is rookie Paolo Banchero. He will surely win Rookie of the Year. He has an outside chance at making the All-Star game this season. He is everything this organization ever needed.

https://twitter.com/NBAAllStar/status/1611070295208517632

He has scored 33 points already as a rookie (one of four games with 30-plus points ths year), has the highest usage rating on the roster (28.4 percent) and looks to have grown some since being drafted. When he stands next to Carter, a center, they look identical in height.

Banchero has the ball the most, is trusted to make so much happen offensively already and understands how to step into a moment. His big frame ensures he can score in a myriad of ways and refuses to be bullied out of his spots anywhere on the court.

He has some similarities in stature and game type to the legendary Carmelo Anthony. His career high is 62 points, coming as a member of the New York Knicks against the Charlotte Bobcats. Ironically he did this one day before Ross went off for 51, back in 2014.

Which ties all of this in a bow for us by showing that scoring booms existed nine years ago, and could be accomplished by superstars and role players alike. Just like today. Also that Banchero is the guy. Has to be that guy, who is most likely to break through the 50-point barrier next.