Jett Howard's huge game proves he may be the answer to horrible past Magic stat

Preseason is all about figuring out rotations, systems, and what new or young players can do. With Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jonathan Isaac, Wendell Carter Jr., and Gary Harris not playing, the Magic got a showcase of what some of their less prominent players could do against the San Antonio Spurs.

Jett Howard stood out the most with his offensive impact. Howard spent most of his rookie season in the G League and is looking to break into Jamahl Mosley's rotation this season. Against the Spurs, he made the most of his opportunity on the court. 

In almost 29 minutes, Howard put up a team-high 19 points, 3 assists, and 2 steals. He was not afraid to look for his shot and gave the Magic a much-needed offensive boost, especially from behind the 3-point line. 

Magic's young shooters showed out against the Spurs

Improving the team's 3-point shooting is one of the main goals this season. With Caldwell-Pope, Harris, and Carter Jr. the Magic were missing quite a lot of firepower from behind the arc. The team's overall shooting reflected that. 

Orlando made only 12 of its 38 3-point attempts as a team. Franz Wagner missed both of his attempts from long-range and Jalen Suggs went 1-6. Two of the team's main scorers not hitting threes hurt the team, but Howard did his best to remedy the Magic's lack of 3-point shooting. 

Howard took seven threes and made three of them, shooting 42.9 percent from three for the game. For a team that desperately needs players who can light it up from behind the arc, that was a very welcome sight. 

Howard was not the only young guy who impressed from behind the arc. Tristan da Silva made two of his three attempts from long range on his way to eight points. The two combined to shoot 5-10 from three, which is exactly what they were drafted for. 

If both can carry that kind of shooting over to the regular season and see the court consistently it could elevate the Magic from being one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league to a mediocre one. The Magic ranked 24th in three-point percentage and 29th in attempts per game during the 2023-24 season. 

The only way to remedy that is to have more capable shooters in the rotation. Howard and da Silva could be a big part of that, especially combined with Caldwell-Pope and hopefully Suggs, Harris, and Wagner. Both Suggs and Wagner struggled from three against the Spurs but have the potential to be real 3-point threats. 

The only problem is where Jamahl Mosley will find minutes for Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva if the Magic are healthy. Mosley has a deep team, and neither Howard nor da Silva has proven that they can be reliable shooters in the NBA outside of Summer League or preseason. 

Orlando desperately needs an offensive punch, though. If Howard continues to play like this every time he gets a chance to step onto the court, it will be tough to leave him on the bench for the majority of the season again.