I'm pro-running. No, you can't convince me to join a run club (please don't even try) but I do, at least, understand the benefits of getting out and running. In 2025-26, I hope the Orlando Magic discover those benefits, too. At least a little bit. The past two seasons, Jamahl Mosley's team has finished bottom four in pace, and last season they were dead last. A little more context is required for those numbers, of course, and Mosley was making an effort to establish his team's identity as a defense-first, grind-it-out team that is happy to play games in the mud. And they did do that!
So, Mosley's propensity to slow offense is not really a problem yet. But with the addition of Desmond Bane, who brings a scoring dimension the Magic have sorely lacked in those two seasons, the Magic now have a little more reason to get out and push the pace, and not doing so might hinder what this new-look offense is capable of. Mosley needs to make sure he doesn't fall in love with the idea of slowing down and dragging out every game. If there are chances to run — run!
The Magic don't need to be the Nuggets or Pistons, who get out and run whenever possible, but being near the middle of the league in pace and fast break points is low-hanging fruit for Mosley in his fifth season.
More pace would benefit the Magic stars
When the star of a team plays like a 6-foot-10 ballet dancer combined with a monster truck, it might behoove said team to allow him to get downhill a little bit more. Paolo Banchero has shown plenty of ability to create for himself in the halfcourt, but... letting him get out and run a little is worth the experiment, right? Banchero and his fellow forward Franz Wagner both finished 2024-25 in the top 20 in fast break points; when they got out in transition, they were, unsurprisingly, dang good. Orlando as a team, though, finished 25th in fast-break points. Running the floor simply wasn't a point of emphasis for the offense.
But the new guy might help change that. Bane also finished top 20 in fast break points last season, and the Magic are the only team in the league with three players on that list. As our friends in the broadcast booth would ask, "Is this anything?" And yeah, I think this is something.
A new look should get this team back to its old ways
Mosley's first two seasons as the Magic head coach obviously weren't as successful as his past two, through no fault of his own — those teams were simply not talented enough to compete. However, they might serve as a blueprint for the 2025-26 Magic. In 2021-22, Mosley's first year on the job, the Magic were 10th in pace, and the next year they were 15th. We've seen Mosley's teams play fast(ish) before. Now, coaching by far his most talented team with a more established style as a coach, he can mix the style of his first two seasons with the style of his past two. A little more pace will not take away this team's identity as a defensive powerhouse.
The 2024-25 season reminded Magic fans that rebuilds are seldom linear. But there's real reason for excitement in 2025-26, and a slight tweak — or a slight tweak back — from Jamahl Mosley could be what unlocks the best roster he's overseen in Orlando.