The Orlando Magic are looking to build off last season. Paolo Banchero won Rookie of the Year as the team went from 22 to 34 victories, the biggest jump in the Eastern Conference.
They were still seven games out of the Play-In Tournament, but it was a positive step for a franchise that has reached the playoffs just twice since 2012.
Orlando added two more lottery picks this summer, which created rotation questions to answer during training camp.
The Orlando Magic have postseason ambitions this year. To get there, they are going to need several players on their roster to have breakout seasons and outperform expectations.
The Magic want to jump into the playoffs, but they are not quite ready. ESPN predicted they would grab the final Play-In Tournament spot (subscription required) and must win two straight games to reach the first round. It is a tall task for a young and inexperienced group, which is why the Magic must aim higher.
If they plan on making the playoffs, Orlando will need multiple breakout seasons, but who on their roster is ready to improve?
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
5. Jett Howard
The Orlando Magic were one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the NBA last season. They finished 27th in threes attempted, 25th in 3-pointers made and 24th in 3-point percentage.
Orlando desperately needed to improve their shooting and floor spacing this summer. Their answer was drafting Jett Howard 11th overall and signing Joe Ingles.
The veteran cannot play more than 25 minutes per game consistently at this stage of his career. The rookie is the son of longtime NBA veteran and current Michigan head coach Juwan Howard.
Howard shot 36.8 percent from 3-point range in college playing in a pro-style offense and flying around screens.
Fans are likely not expecting much from the teenage rookie, but he shockingly could be on the fringes of the Rookie of the Year conversation because he is an NBA-ready shooter who fills a need for the Orlando Magic.
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
4. Anthony Black
Anthony Black was the sixth overall pick in this year’s draft. But the Orlando Magic’s glut of guards has tampered down the hype.
His three games in Las Vegas did not help.
Black produced strong counting stats but had poor shooting efficiency with way too many turnovers. The sample size is too small and should not be predictive of what to expect from the teenage rookie. He also admitted he was dealing with an ankle issue during Summer League. Still the shooting was a big question for him coming out of Arkansas.
It is fair to have questions, especially about the playing time. But Black could be special.
Look no further than a fellow oversized point guard who was the sixth overall pick. Josh Giddey averaged 12.5 points per game and struggled with his efficiency in year one. But after year two, he is a prized young talent that every team wishes they employed. Black has the size and defensive upside to fit that mold.
There will be rookie struggles, which could include not playing early in the season. But time will open up.
Cole Anthony and Markelle Fultz have struggled to stay healthy throughout their careers, and Black will not look back once he sees the floor. He will be a strong rebounder and distributor who can guard multiple positions. The 6-foot-7 teenager needs time to develop as a scorer and shooter, but the tools are there.
Black will shock the world with his playing time and production this season. Next summer, the Orlando Magic may well view him as their starting point guard and a key piece of their core.
With both Fultz and Anthony facing contract years, it is possible the Magic’s point guard situation will open up quickly. Black will need to prove he can fill it.
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
3. Markelle Fultz
The former number-one overall pick is coming off the best season of his career, but what should fans expect moving forward? Markelle Fultz averages 31.8 games per season for his career and has only played more than 20 times twice in six years.
He put up 14.0 points, 5.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game in 29.6 minutes per game. Fultz started all 60 contests he played in after missing the season’s first 20 games with a toe injury suffered just before training camp. He is locked into that role. But can Orlando count on him to be in the lineup?
Fultz is entering the final year of his contract and playing for a payday, but it will not keep him healthy.
Fultz has been mostly viewed as a bust after being selected ahead of Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo, Lauri Markkanen, De’Aaron Fox and the rest of the 2017 draft class. His disappearing jump shot and struggles to stay on the floor have left more questions than answers about what the 6-foot-3 guard can be at his peak.
Is it finally time for a Markelle Fultz breakout?
Over his final 23 games, he averaged 16.7 points, 6.2 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in 32.4 minutes per game. The 25-year-old should only improve and could shock the world by leading the Orlando Magic to the playoffs in 2024.
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
2. Franz Wagner
Franz Wagner keeps improving, and Orlando Magic fans hoped to see the early signs of a star breakout at the FIBA World Cup. Instead, the 6-foot-9 forward is dealing with an ankle injury. It is not serious, and he could return before the end of the tournament.
The eighth overall pick in 2021 will be an All-Star in his prime. He averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game in 32.6 minutes per game last season as a 21-year-old. DeMar DeRozan produced similar numbers in his second NBA season and is now a six-time All-Star.
Wagner is primed for a third-year leap where he efficiently averages 20 points per game and gets into All-Star contention.
The 6-foot-9 forward must improve on both ends of the floor. Some added playmaking, another step forward on his jumper, and picking up his defense should be goals and put the Magic firmly in the postseason race.
Wagner will not be the team’s star, but the 22-year-old could make a massive leap and shock the world this season. He should be gunning for 22 points per game and shooting better than 38 percent from 3-point range.
Those improvements coupled with a bit more playmaking responsibility make him one of the best young players in the league and a key contributor in Orlando for years to come.
Orlando Magic players who could shock the world this season
1. Paolo Banchero
The number one overall pick in 2022 is fresh off winning Rookie of the Year and averaging 20.0 points and nearly seven rebounds per game. There were flashes of stardom and frustrating moments. Banchero scored 27 points in his first NBA game and proved to be a force. But he must cut down on his turnovers and improve his efficiency to reach his ceiling.
The 6-foot-10 big man could become an All-Star in year two. That is what the best prospects do. They show flashes as a rookie, but experience growing pains. In year two, comes their first All-Star trip and a playoff berth.
Can Banchero help Orlando make that leap and prove his star status?
Expect the 20-year-old to push for 25 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game. His shot selection, defense, and playmaking must improve, but that is what young stars do. Fans have seen flashes with Team USA, and the experience should only further his development.
Getting back to the playoffs will take multiple breakouts from the Orlando Magic, but they have the young and talented roster to do it. Does Paolo Banchero become an All-Star as Franz Wagner and the youngsters blossom into a solid core? Stay tuned to find out.