The Orlando Magic fell short of the postseason this season. Their 5-20 start to the season proved to be too deep a hole for them to climb out of. They were unable to make up that much ground.
But they certainly gave it a good run, finishing the season 29-28 for a final record of 34-48. That left the Magic six games out of the final Play-In spot, although the team packing it in for the final three games of the season after they were officially eliminated made the margin greater than it actually was in the end.
Orlando though clearly still has some work to do to make the postseason. But it is also clearly on everyone’s mind.
Where the Magic in the past have been a little bit more coy about their expectations and what they hope to accomplish in the upcoming season, a lot of players did not beat around the bush at exit interviews. They expect to be in the postseason next year.
The Orlando Magic are already thinking about what they need to make the playoffs. That should include examining their roster and thinking who could be their X-factor for the postseason.
And there is definitely hope that most of the roster will return — knowing president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman likes to operate and even judging off what he has said since the season ended, it might be safe to bet many of the changes this offseason will be more cosmetic rather than seismic.
The Magic are not in the playoffs though. But now more than ever the team needs to be thinking about and planning for what they will need to do to not only make the playoffs and succeed in it.
Obviously, that starts with the internal growth of their key players like Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. But every good playoff team needs a secondary player or role player who can step up. They need someone who can give them a matchup advantage or make defenses pay for putting too much attention on the star players.
As Shaquille O’Neal always puts it on the TNT broadcasts, every team needs its “others” and someone to step up in the postseason.
Now that the Magic are putting their focus on the postseason and making that a clear goal and expectation for this team, the Magic should be thinking about which players are built for the postseason. Who will be their X-factor when the time comes?
Orlando is certainly still in a position to develop players. But as the team looks to its future, it needs to be assessing which of their players will step up when the time is called for.
As a pure exercise then, it is good think of who would be the Magic’s x-factors in a playoff series from their current roster. We certainly have a few ideas.
3 would-be X-factors for the Orlando Magic’s postseason
Jalen Suggs
Jalen Suggs‘ first two years in the NBA have not exactly gone to plan.
Injuries slowed him down in each of his first two seasons and kept him from gaining a consistent rhythm. That and the expectations heaped upon him on a team that was desperate for a player — particularly a guard or wing player — with star potential.
Suggs did not live up to those expectations although he never really got a chance with a late-November hand injury and then an ankle injury to end his season. That and the long leash he had to make mistakes and just take whatever shots he wanted did not help him. His rookie-year stats were certainly disappointing.
His sophomore season did not get off to any better of a start.
He sprained his ankle early in the season, kept coming back because he was too tough to sit out (an endearing if sometimes destructive feature from Suggs) and then sat out until everything was straightened out.
In the end, Suggs had a solid but not spectacular sophomore season.
He continued to establish himself as one of the best young defenders in the league, willing to mix it up and be physical with just about anybody in front of him. And he slowly started to find his shot — averaging 9.0 points per game and shooting 41.9 percent from the floor, 34.3 percent from beyond the arc and 75.0 percent from the foul line in 39 largely uninterrupted games to end the season.
Those are not numbers to write home about. But there is optimism that with an offseason to improve and work — something he did not have after his rookie year because of the offseason surgery — that Suggs can take a sizable leap.
The one thing Magic fans should know though is that Suggs is someone who could very well thrive under postseason pressure. That is perhaps the one thing that is already clearly established about Suggs. And even if he stays exactly as he is now as a sparkplug off the bench, he is the kind of player who becomes a pest and a specialist in a postseason situation.
First, Suggs has already proven throughout his short career his willingness to step up to the big moment.
His play in the NCAA Tournament — including the famous half-court shot against UCLA in the Final Four — was one of the big attractions of drafting him. He has a penchant for stepping up to the moment.
That has carried through to the NBA. In the Orlando Magic’s home win over the Golden State Warriors in November, he buried two huge threes late and then ripped Stephen Curry for steals on two occasions to help the Magic seal the win. Those were big-time plays.
Then in the biggest play of his season, he hit the game-winning shot against the Chicago Bulls on the road.
Suggs is not afraid of the moment. And his defense is certainly a big factor too.
Suggs is a disruptive defender, ranking better than the 90th percentile according to Basketball-Index in steals per 75 possessions and deflections per 75 possessions. He navigates screens effectively and chases players down well. Even his interior defense rates well for a guard.
This is the kind of player that changes a playoff series. The kind of guy who the team deploys on the best player on the other team to annoy him and get him off rhythm. And a player who can just flip a game on its head.
The Magic are not giving up on Suggs even after two difficult seasons. He has shown enough to keep investing in him. He could very well return from his offseason a very different and more impactful player.
But as things stand now, Suggs is a huge playoff weapon.
3 would-be X-factors for the Orlando Magic’s postseason
Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony did not always seem set for the kind of impact role he could have for the Orlando Magic. His first two seasons pushed him into the starting lineup and into a primary scoring role with so many players on the team injured and then the team depleted to begin its rebuilding stage.
Anthony could put up points in the NBA. That was always clear.
And he had a real moment of clarity that showed his potential to start the 2022 season. But it dissipated as teams focused on him. It was clear Anthony would struggle to be a full-time starter and play the way he was comfortable playing.
Anthony still has a lot to improve on. But the credit to Anthony is how he has improved and embraced his role. Now, it really does feel like Anthony could make a difference in the postseason.
The way Anthony finished his season was a complete embrace of his role coming off the bench. It was also an expansion of his game where he learned how to create space for himself, finish with a strong in-between game and shake off any pressure or attention defenses put on him.
Doing it off the bench helped. But Anthony is a high-level bench player now.
After the All-Star Break, Anthony averaged 14.9 points per game and shot 47.1 percent from the floor and 41.8 percent from beyond the arc. On top of this, the Magic had a +2.0 net rating with Cole Anthony on the floor after the All-Star Break, trailing only Goga Bitadze.
That is the kind of efficiency that felt unimaginable for Anthony in his first two seasons because he was carrying such a large burden.
But coming off the bench, going up against second units, and playing alongside a growing Franz Wagner really unlocked Cole Anthony’s game. He had a solid foundation with his scoring instincts and everything just clicked with his decision-making.
Not to mention he is a great rebounder for his size, averaging 5.2 rebounds per game after the All-Star Break.
To win in the playoffs, teams need players who can play above their averages. When defenses shift their focus to stopping stars, someone needs to step up. Having a guard who can have big games and score when the opportunity arises is extremely valuable.
If this Magic team were in the playoffs, they would be relying heavily on Anthony to provide scoring punch off the bench. And to win a playoff game, they will need a few big games from Anthony.
Whether Anthony can ultimately fill this role is something the Magic will have to think about that as they consider his extension this offseason — and if not an extension this offseason then in restricted free agency next summer.
To be sure, Anthony is going to be a major X-factor for the Magic next season. He is someone who could make the Magic’s bench that much deadlier and give them a boost in minutes that are otherwise about taking a bit of a breath.
If Anthony carries over how he finished the season into next season, he is going to be a major impact player for this team and its playoff push.
3 would-be X-factors for the Orlando Magic’s postseason
Goga Bitadze
Ultimately, when it comes to the playoffs, what matters is who is going to do something that stands out. Who is going to be able to step up and make that extra play or that extra stop? Who is ready to give that little bit or make that last play to help the team get over the top?
There are always players who play seemingly small roles that make a big impact. They may have flaws and their minutes might be limited in a playoff situation, but they make the most of the minutes they get.
Goga Bitadze certainly made the most of his minutes and his opportunity after joining the Orlando Magic late in the season. He certainly accomplished his goals in making his impact and forcing the Magic to make at least some kind of decision about him.
His stats are obviously fairly meager — 5.8 points per game and 5.2 rebounds per game in 15.0 minutes per game across 17 games. But Bitadze showed what he could do and slowly started to push for playing time.
By the end of the season, Jamahl Mosley was almost picking which of his two backup centers he would play depending on what his team needed. If they needed the offensive boost, Moe Wagner would get the call. If he needed a defensive presence and a little rim protection, he would go with Bitadze.
That is a good luxury to have. But in the playoffs, bad defenders get targeted. And that should at least be some concern with Wagner.
Wagner is great at taking charges, leading the team in charges drawn this year. But he also rates as the worst center defending at the rim in the league — giving up 75.5 percent shooting at the rim according to Second Spectrum, the worst mark of any center who regularly played minutes this season.
In the playoffs, teams are going to drive right at Wagner and take their chances that he will not get the charge. That is not the case with Bitadze. Opponents shot just 52.5 percent at the rim against Bitadze while he was with the Magic, the best mark on the team.
It was easy to see the impact defensively Bitadze brought. The numbers back that up too. The Magic had a team-best +2.9 net rating and a team-best 104.8 defensive rating with Bitadze on the floor this season.
Bitadze is a free agent this offseason as is Wagner. And it certainly feels like the Magic will likely only be able to bring back one of those players. In either case, Bitadze is going to battle for some backup center minutes.
While Bitadze still has to improve offensively — he sustained himself mostly on putbacks which is valuable in itself — his defense was something that already made an impact for the Magic this past season. It certainly feels like the Magic found something in Bitadze that is worth another year of exploration — certainly worth another year of exploration somewhere in the NBA.
As the Magic consider what comes next for Bitadze, they need to think about how he will play in the playoffs. And that defense coming off the bench to keep a rim protector on the floor would prove extremely valuable.