Despite losing Paolo Banchero to an injury early in the season, the Magic were on a tear, holding on to one of the top seeds in the Eastern Conference. Franz Wagner was the driving force behind that success. He elevated his game and established himself as an All-Star-level player. His ability to do just that was questioned frequently after the Magic gave him a max rookie extension this summer.
Wagner answered all the concerns about the new contract, leading the Magic in Banchero‘s absence. Then, the Magic received more devastating news: Wagner suffered the same injury as Banchero, and the Magic would have to play without their two star forwards. Losing two star players can take down any team, but the Magic survived the first test.
The Magic had little time to grieve because the Phoenix Suns were waiting for them already. The Suns theoretically have the potential to be a force in the Western Conference but also had to deal with their own injury issues. No matter the opponent‘s strength, the Magic had to find a way to compete and, preferably, win. The first game without Wagner and Bancher set the tone for the games to come until Banchero can get back on the court.
The Magic showed that they can continue to win, even without Banchero and Wagner, behind the contributions of several other players. Orlando secured the 115-110 win by committee. Even players like Caleb Houstan and Jett Howard, who have not played much yet this season, contributed to the win. Moritz Wagner and Anthony Black continued their solid play off the Magic’s bench, and rookie Tristan da Silva stepped into the starting lineup again. Everyone did their best to keep the Magic in the game, but some impacted the game at a higher level than others.
3. Goga Bitadze
Goga Bitadze‘s time with the Magic has often been defined by inconsistent playing time. Just last season, he was the Magic‘s third center and mostly just saw significant minutes when Wendell Carter Jr. was injured. That‘s why he first entered the starting lineup this season as well but this time around he did not go back to the bench.
Instead, Jamahl Mosley opted to start Bitadze and Carter Jr. together in Banchero‘s absence, giving the Magic a supersized frontcourt and a rim protector in the starting lineup. Last season, Orlando quickly established itself as a top defensive team, even with their two best shot blockers coming off the bench. Having Bitadze in the starting lineup adds a different element to the Magic’s defense.
Against the Suns, Bitadze showed just why he was still playing so much. He scored 21 points on 53.3 percent shooting from the field, grabbed 16 rebounds, and dished out a team-high four assists.
Bitadze was a force in the paint and on the glass, as the Magic fought for the win.
2. Jalen Suggs
When the news of Franz Wagner‘s injury surfaced, the pressure on Jalen Suggs immediately increased significantly. He is one of the Magic‘s key players, and without either Wagner or Banchero available, he would have to be the one to lead the team. Suggs is used to doing that on the defensive end of the floor but now also has to take on additional responsibilities offensively.
Suggs rose to the challenge in the Magic‘s first game without their two stars. He struggled early and only converted eight of his eighteen field goal attempts. Nevertheless, Suggs finished the game as the Magic‘s leading scorer with 26 points. He hit four threes and made six of his seven free-throw attempts.
Turnovers are still an issue—Suggs committed four against the Suns—but Suggs never gave up, battled, and made some huge plays on both ends of the floor late in the game. In the end, all that really matters is the win. Without both Banchero and Wagner, the Magic will have some games that are not pretty but instead won with hustle and grit.
1. Cole Anthony
The Cole Anthony Magic fans know and love seems to be back. Anthony struggled to start the season. His shot just wasn’t falling, and he eventually found himself on the Magic‘s bench more often than on the court. Fortunately, he put together one of his best games of the season right when the Magic needed to find a way to win without Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
For only the second time this season, Anthony played more than 25 minutes. In those minutes, he gave the Magic some much-needed energy offensively. Anthony finished the game with 14 points, shooting 42.9 percent from the field, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks, and 1 steal. He did a little bit of everything and once again led the Magic‘s bench. He even closed the game alongside Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Goga Bitadze. That‘s a big turnaround for a player who was just battling for minutes.