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5 lineups the Orlando Magic should use to take advantage of their size, versatility

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Versatility is the hallmark of the Orlando Magic's offense. And that will allow them to get creative and mix and match lineups. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Versatility is the hallmark of the Orlando Magic's offense. And that will allow them to get creative and mix and match lineups. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Anthony Black, Orlando Magic
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 08: Anthony Black #0 of Orlando Magic dribbles the ball against the Detroit Pistonsduring the first quarter of a 2023 NBA Summer League game at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 08, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) /

5 lineups the Orlando Magic can use to take advantage of length, versatility

All the point guards

If there is one lingering criticism for the Orlando Magic and their roster construction entering this season it is that it seems like the team has an overstuffed point guard room.

The Orlando Magic want to go positionless so that is not necessarily a bad thing. They want multiple players who can handle the ball and do so in untraditional ways. So it does not seem like they are too worried about having Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Markelle Fultz and Anthony Black — especially with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner able to handle the ball and Joe Ingles able to work as a point forward in half-court settings.

In any case, expect the Magic to play their guards together and run a lot of lineups that would seem like two-point-guard lineups.

Last year, the Magic played traditional point guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony together for 454 minutes with a net rating of -8.3 points per 100 possessions (108.2/116.5). That is not encouraging for that combo despite the though that Anthony could work better off the ball with a playmaking point guard.

However, Anthony and Suggs played together for 550 minutes with a net rating of +3.4 points per 100 possessions (111.5/108.1 split). It feels like looking at these numbers Anthony might pair better with an ace perimeter defender.

Perhaps that means the Magic could try three-point-guard lineups with Anthony playing alongside Suggs and Black. The Magic would lose a lot of shooting in this case, but Anthony would be well-insulated defensively.

Black’s size at 6-foot-7 certainly gives the Magic a lot of flexibility to move him around. If he can stand up defensively against bigger small forwards, then Orlando could put out three-guard lineups where it would only take one player getting the ball to get the team going in transition.

Orlando ranked 23rd in the league with 12.8 fast-break points per game. The Magic struggled in transition. Having players who can grab a rebound — both Anthony and Black project as strong rebounders for guards — and get up the court quickly before the defense can get set should help the team increase that number.

The Magic undoubtedly will play their guards together in several lineups. They are going to play tons of lineups with three or four players they feel confident handling the ball and running the offense. That is part of the versatility this roster has.

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