Desmond Bane was struggling.
He knew it. Fans knew it. Everyone knew it.
And there was a lot of hand-wringing that came with those struggles. The Magic started 1-4 and could not seem to get itself going on either end. Their defense was not whipped quite into shape, and the offense was stagnant as ever.
There was seemingly something in the water in Orlando that sapped the power from the league's best shooters. It was confounding and frustrating as the Magic were slow out of the gates.
It hit a crescendo when Desmond Bane finally had his breakthrough.
It might be too poetic or too convenient to say that Bane's game-winning shot against the Portland Trail Blazers was what turned the season around. But there is no denying that it was a turning point moment.
Orlando was 4-6 entering that game against Portland. The team is 9-2 since.
Bane's three-pointer was like a pressure-release valve. It gave the team a feeling of invincibility and a moment of joy. It may have been exactly what they needed to turn things around. It was certainly exactly what Bane needed.
Through the season's first 21 games, no player represented the direction the Magic are going and their potential to keep improving like Bane. This tam only settled in when he settled in.
That is what makes him the team's MVP for the first quarter of the season. Bane was meant to transform the Magic as a team. He has indeed done that.
Flipping the switch
The game-winning shot was a turning point for Desmond Bane. It is not just a narrative device. Everything changed for him with that shot, just as it changed for the team.
It has not quite been the season the Magic expected still. But he has still provided a lot to this team.
He is averaging 19.2 points per game on 45.5/32.4/93.4 shooting splits. The scoring average is the same as last year, but he is shooting a career-worst from the field and from three. And he has only 5.0 3-point attempts per game, the fewest since his rookie season.
The Magic wanted Bane for his volume shooting. That was supposed to transform the offense. Bane has had to struggle to find his fit and where to be within the offense. He needed to find his rhythm from three.
Throughout those early games, Bane preached patience. Every shooter goes through slumps. He was not concerned as he tried to fit in. He knew it would come in time.
In the 11 games, including the win over the Blazers, Bane averaged 14.9 points per game on 43.7/27.7/87.1 shooting splits. He took only 4.3 3-point attempts per game. It hit rock bottom when he took only one 3-point attempt in a loss to the Boston Celtics (the night before the win over the Portland Trail Blazers).
This is not the Bane the Magic paid for. It looked like he was trying too hard to fit in. When all the Magic wanted was for Bane to be himself.
Perhaps if there is one good thing that has come from Paolo Banchero's absence is that it forced the ball into Desmond Bane's hands more. It forced him to be aggressive and make the offense fit him and his game rather than joining an established group.
Since that game-winning shot, Bane is averaging a team-high 23.9 points per game on 47.1/36.2/96.7 shooting splits. He is taking 5.8 3-point attempts per game.
That is certainly closer to what the team expected. He willed the Orlando Magic to huge victories over the Detroit Pistons and Chicago Bulls in the last two outings, scoring a season-high 37 points in both games.
It may not be exactly how the Magic imagined. But Bane has been a driving force to the team's surge in the last three weeks.
Impact beyond shooting
Desmond Bane is not the only one who has taken a big leap -- Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs deserve their kudos for this season, and Black, particularly, during this surge. But Bane found himself making a bigger impact.
One of the reasons the Magic wanted to get Bane was because of his playmaking in addition to his shooting. He averaged more than 5.0 assists per game in each of the last two seasons. He is not just a catch-and-shoot scorer.
So even when he was struggling with his jumper, Bane was capable of attacking and getting defenses to move with him. He still had massive gravity.
The Magic have a +4.9 net rating with Bane on the floor this season, the same as their full-season total. Orlando has a slightly below-average 116.6 offensive rating.
But in the last 10 games, the Magic have a +11.0 net rating with Bane on the floor and a stellar 108.9 defensive rating.
Bane's shooting is still working to come around. That will be important for the Magic's playoff hopes. Desmond Bane should benefit from Paolo Banchero's return since the two are often paired together. He can get a lot more shots playing off the Magic's gravity-shaping superstar.
Bane will still find his ways to attack and get his assists. That part is not going away.
But Bane also continues to be a key leader in the locker room. He and Tyus Jones are the only players who have been out of the first round on the roster. Bane's voice carries a lot of weight.
Bane was struggling to find his way, but he was among the key players preaching focus. He is still among the players who gather the team together and keep their poise and calm.
That is what Bane proved with these last two big performances. He stepped up when the moment called for it.
There will be more moments for Bane to step up. Orlando will still need a lot more from him.
But his turnaround mirrored the team's turnaround. His patience and resilience mirrored the team's patience and resilience.
His success has powered the Magic back to where they belong.