The last time the Orlando Magic churned out a top-10 offense, Dwight Howard was their leading scorer, on track to finish second in MVP voting. That was 15 years ago, which gives them the second-longest drought in the NBA, trailing only the Detroit Pistons, who have not deployed a top-10 offense since 2008.
This could all change during the 2025-26 season.
Sure, most fans would get googly eyed at the sight of even a league-average offense. The Magic haven’t fielded one of those since 2011-12, the final season of the Dwight Howard era. And yet, after acquiring Desmond Bane, signing Tyus Jones, and assembling one of the most tantalizing young cores in the entire league, it’s time for Orlando to think—to expect—bigger things.
Yes, Desmond Bane makes that much of a difference
Pegging the Magic as one of the Association’s 10 most efficient offenses puts a lot of pressure on Bane. And, well, he’s up to the task.
One shooter can make all the difference when they inject a powerful meld of volume, accuracy, movement, and even creation. Last year, Bane rated in the 83rd percentile or better of catch-and-shoot three-point efficiency (83rd percentile), pull-up three-point shot-making efficiency (90th percentile), movement scoring impact per 75 possessions, and overall three-point shot creation (94th percentile), according to BBall Index.
Slotting him next to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will be a boon for the offense, not just because of buckets he’ll get, but also because of the room he'll create for them to operate. This type of runway is not a luxury they’ve ever enjoyed.
Magic players not named Paolo Banchero last season rated in the 14th percentile of off-ball gravity, and the 1st percentile of three-point shot-making. Adjust it to players not named Franz Wagner, and you’re looking at the 11th percentile and 2nd percentile respectively.
The Magic have shown signs they can turn a corner
This isn’t just about Bane, though. The Magic continue to make big bets on internal improvement, most notably from Banchero and Wagner, but also from Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, and Tristan da Silva.
That’s a more-than-reasonable gambit. Banchero has never been the most efficient player, but again, his shooting slashes will spike within a better spacing environment. Both he and Wagner should see the quality of their shots improve a great deal.
Plus, we have already received glimpses into what can happen if you give the two of them a floor-spacing ball-handlier to play alongside. The Magic posted an above-average offense last season, while lighting it up at the rim and from the corners, when Banchero and Wagner shared the court with Cole Anthony. During those minutes, Wagner hit around 58 percent of his twos, and Banchero banged in 38 percent of his threes.
Now imagine sticking Orlando’s two stars next to Bane instead of Anthony. Or even beside Tyus Jones, who is drilling nearly 40 percent of his triples over the past four seasons, and is a much better table-setter than Anthony.
Make no mistake, the Magic have a number of swing factors that must tilt in their direction. Suggs needs to shoot it like he did in 2023-24. Wagner needs to get his three-point percentage back up out of the 20s. Wendell Carter Jr. can’t nail fewer than 25 percent of his own triples again.
Even so, for the first time in the better part of two decades, the Magic finally have enough to at least aim for a top-10 offense. And that’s a monster upgrade unto itself.