The Orlando Magic have been plagued by injuries all season long. Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, and Gary Harris have all missed time with some smaller injuries. Paolo Banchero tore his right oblique and has been out since October 31. The Magic have now played the last two games without Franz Wagner as well, who is out indefinitely with his own torn right oblique. Jamahl Mosley is now looking for answers and new combinations to win games until players return from injury.
Jamahl Mosley has established a culture with the Magic that demands every player to play hard on both ends of the court and step up when needed. Off the court, the Magic feel like a family and they always play for one another. The Magic also play the right way and have a physical defensive identity that is consistent no matter who is available to play.
The Magic rank third in defensive rating and 9th in net rating across the league. They are sitting in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 17-10 record. The Magic staying afloat despite enduring all the injuries can't be ignored.
Jamahl Mosley is doing a great job of making adjustments and decisions with the rotation.
Mosley turned to Goga Bitadze once Carter Jr. went down, and he is playing well, averaging 8.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Now, Mosley has decided to pair the two big men in the front court, and they have been playing well.
Mosley also inserted Tristan da Silva into the starting line-up when Orlando was down two starters. Da Silva earned Mosley's trust through his high IQ and willingness to play the right way and is having a strong rookie campaign.
There's still going to need to be an offensive adjustment until Banchero returns. Once Banchero returns, he will take time to find his rhythm.
The Magic still have plenty to figure out
The obvious answer to who will keep the Magic afloat is Jalen Suggs. Since Wagner’s injury, Suggs has averaged 26.7 points per game on 44.4 percent shooting from the field and 33.3 percent from three. Suggs is learning how to find his spots and the right time to attempt to take over games. The Magic need Suggs to continue to be aggressive and score, even when Banchero returns.
While Suggs needs to be the player to step up, Cole Anthony and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have to get back to their offensive means.
Cole Anthony fell out of the rotation early this season, but this is the opportunity for him to earn back his minutes. This season, Anthony is averaging 5.2 points per game on 37.7 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent from beyond the arc. While inefficient, the last 10 games have given signs of improvement to 7.7 points on 39.7 percent shooting overall and 38.5 percent from three in only 14.1 minutes per game. Anthony will see his minutes increase, and Orlando needs Anthony to be aggressive and impactful.
It's a different story for Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Pope has found his shooting touch, shooting 38.9 percent from three and 48.7 from the field in the last 10 games. Mosley needs to find shots for Caldwell-Pope and opportunities to get the veteran looks from three. In the loss to the Milwaukee Bucks, Caldwell-Pope only took 7 shots and 2 three-pointers. Pope needs to be a threat on the offensive end to spread the floor for Suggs, and eventually Banchero. Caldwell-Pope has the cache as a shooter, but to spread defenses, he needs to be willing to shoot.
The Magic have to survive a tough stretch of their schedule, and this next week will provide Mosley time to hit the reset button. The Magic only play one game between December 11th and the 19th when Orlando takes on the Oklahoma City Thunder.
This will be the time for the team to get practice time and rest. This will be a time when Orlando could see Paolo Banchero and Jonathan Isaac return. It is the perfect time for Mosley to reintegrate players and find new combinations before the Magic continue the " toughest " part of the schedule.
Jamahl Mosley deserves to be in the Coach of the Year conversation. The Magic are dealing with injuries, but with the culture Mosley has set and the way he has navigated these injuries, the Magic still find themselves near the top of the Eastern Conference. This next week will give Mosley time to reset, adjust, and put the rest of the league on notice.