Desmond Bane can still be the missing piece the Orlando Magic need

Desmond Bane was in a rut.

It felt like the Orlando Magic had run into a similar problem they had with their patchwork shooter fix from the previous year. Something about the way the Magic operated or their personnel sapped the superpower of their highly efficient shooters.

Bane was not sweating his start.

In the first 11 games of the season, Bane shot 13 for 47 from three (27.7 percent). The Magic got off to that rough 1-4 start and had mostly recovered. But something was missing with Bane not quite finding his footing.

In that 11th games, Bane shot just 1 for 6 from three, delivering the volume but not the efficiency they paid so much for.

That one three changed everything.

After the Orlando Magic had blown a late lead with some baffling late game gaffes, they still had the ball against the Portland Trail Blazers in a tie game and a chance to win. The inbound came to Desmond Bane and he fired a fading away three.

That bucket to win the game at the buzzer seemed to open the floodgates for him.

Desmond Bane indeed became a supercharger from three, even as the Magic needed him on the ball more with Franz Wagner out of the lineup. He had a strong season.

And it seems to have slid under the radar just how efficient and how good Bane was throughout his first season in Orlando. He can still clearly deliver what the Magic hoped for when they acquired him.

Everyone seems to be forgetting that.

When NBA 2K released its top 10 3-point shooters for the upcoming release of NBA 2K27, Bane was not among the top 10:

It was a down year for Bane from deep, although it was about even with his last year with the Memphis Grizzlies. And all 10 of these shooters are strong choices. But nobody should forget why the Magic acquired Bane and what he did last season.

Bane was arguably the best player for the Magic last year -- playing in all 82 games ertainly helped with that argument. He averaged 20.1 points per game and shot 39.1 percent on 5.2 3-point attempts per game.

That was the best percentage for a Magic player who took at least 5.0 3-point attempts per game since Jalen Suggs in 2024 and since Nikola Vucevic in 2021 (excluding Devin Cannady's five-game cameo in 2022).

The Magic still believe Bane can make a huge difference. And everyone is forgetting why the Magic made this move.

3-point surge

Those numbers included the first 10 games when Desmond Bane looked abysmal. It was indeed a rough start.

Bane finished his season shooting 39.1 percent on 5.2 3-point attempts per game. It was similar to his percentage in his final year with the Memphis Grizzlies. The attempts were the fewest since his rookie year. Orlando needed to try to get him more volume.

But there was no doubt that the Magic saw hints of that version of Bane.

That big three against the Portland Trail Blazers came a day after Bane got only one three-point attempt in a loss to the Boston Celtics.

In his next 11 games, Bane made 23 of 61 from three (37.7 percent). Things only got better from there.

The rest of the season after that Blazers game-winner, Bane shot 40.5 percent from three on 5.4 3-point attempts per game. That is almost exactly what the Magic envisioned. They would surely love to get that volume up.

In all, Bane's 39.1 percent shooting ranked 24th among players with at least 5.0 3-point attempts per game. That was right behind Stephen Curry's 39.3 percent last year (on 11.3 attempts per game).

A 40.5 percent would rise him to 13th among those 92 players.

Bane remains one of the best volume 3-point shooters. The problem throughout last season was making sure Bane got the volume and could take a bunch of threes, something he said he was eager to do in the offseason but rarely executed.

The Magic have an untapped superpower in Bane's 3-point shooting. And it feels like everyone is sleeping on it.

Bane's impact

The Orlando Magic's difficult season and the team's current state have left a lot of hand-wringing over whether the team over-leveraged itself in trading for Desmond Bane.

It cost a lot -- Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and four first-round picks. The Magic's future is tied into the Bane trade.

Orlando is mostly happy with Bane's presence so far. His shooting was a big impactor for the Magic last year. He gave the team the extra attacking it needed and the threat of his shooting.

He took a step back in the Playoffs -- 18.1 points per game, but 43.1 percent 3-point shooting on 8.3 attempts per game -- but occupied enough of Ausar Thompson's time to free up Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner for much of the series.

That kind of production and 3-point volume will be more than enough with a resurgent Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in the lineup.

Last season, the Magic had a +1.2 net rating with Bane on the floor, compared to -3.0 with Bane off the floor, according to Databallr, which removes low-leverage minutes.

The Magic had a 115.6 offensive rating with Bane on the floor. He did not supercharge the offense as imagined. But the team still operated better with Bane on the floor.

An offense that moves faster and looks to get him more spot-up threes will go a long way. Bane made 46.5 percent of his spot-up field goals, according to Synergy Sports. That put him in the 81st percentile for the league. He made only 44.8 percent of those shots in his final year with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Bane had a stellar season last year in his first with the Magic. They could feel his impact and he helped keep the team afloat and in the Playoff race as they dealt with their injuries.

There is very little regret in that deal. The Magic still feel that Bane can take this team to another level, despite the cost -- both the capital it took to acquire him and where the Magic find themselves financially now.

It is clear that if the team's stars are available, Bane can still deliver everything the Magic hoped.

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