NBA 2K thinks Orlando Magic hit their summer out of the park

Everyone knows the Orlando Magic's biggest weakness.

It became unavoidable throughout the season and especially in the Playoffs. The Magic could not shoot.

Their 31.8 percent 3-point shooting was the worst mark from three in nearly a decade. The Magic merely needed to be competent from three to win, it felt like.

Certainly, if the Magic were going to be title contenders, they would have to figure out their 3-point shooting. They would need some space to get the most out of their young stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and climb the standings.

Orlando needed bold action this offseason to improve their offense.

That came in mid-June when the team acquired Desmond Bane in a blockbuster trade, sending out Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony and a cache of first-round draft picks.

The moment that the deal became official, everything changed for the Magic -- the conversation on what the Magic could be changed. Suddenly, the Magic were not just talking about advancing out of the first round but winning a championship.

The excitement of adding Bane has not waned in the two months since the trade. Everyone still does not have a full concept of how he will shift the team and help solve this intractable shooting problem.

If the early reveal of NBA 2K ratings is any indication, the Magic are about to get a major shooting injection. The annual NBA video game rated Bane as the fourth-best 3-point shooter in the league.

That certainly feels like the Magic addressed their shooting need in a major way. It only increases the anticipation of adding someone like Bane.

More than anything else, this is a sign the Magic will have the reputation that comes with a good shooter. That means gravity and space for Banchero and Wagner to drive. It means they are a bigger threat on offense just from Bane's presence.

The question is: How much will Bane transform the team's offense. Will this number be more than just a video game prediction?

Bane is one of the best 3-point shooters in the league

The crazy part is Desmond Bane is coming off one of the worst shooting seasons of his sterling career.

Bane finished last season averaging 19.2 points per game. He shot 39.2 percent, the second season of his career that he shot worse than 40 percent from three. That 39.2 percent would still be the best mark on the Magic last year.

On top of that, Bane is a volume shooter. His 6.1 3-point attempts per game last year were the fewest since his rookie season.

In almost every way you can shoot threes, Bane is proficient even in a relative down year like last year.

He made 42.3 percent of his 2.6 catch-and-shoot 3-point attempts per game and 37.8 percent on 3.3 pull-up 3-point attempts per game. Bane can hit threes at every level.

About the only place he struggled was in the corners, where he shot 26 for 83 (31.3 percent) last year.

But the Magic will take threes wherever they can get them. They are desperate for good shooting. And however the Magic decide to use Bane, they should be able to get something out of him.

He should make the team a lot better. And that is just his shooting. He is a capable passer and can also hold his own on defense. The Magic added an elite shooter without sacrificing much of their defensive or playmaking identity.

NBA 2K's Bane prediction is a strong sign for the Magic

Desmond Bane is not exactly a well-kept secret around the league. He has been considered a borderline All-Star, who could not break through in a crowded Western Conference.

To see Bane as the fourth best shooter in the video game is something else. Especially with the Magic logo next to his name, considering the Magic have struggled to shoot since Dwight Howard's departure in 2012. They have struggled to score at all since then.

NBA 2K26 is rating him with an 88 3-point shot, the same rating he had at the beginning of NBA 2K25, according to 2KRatings.com. He did not improve from one year to he next in the game.

The game then is not worried about Bane having a down year. The game sees Bane as bouncing back and becoming a solid shooter for the Magic.

If anything, sticking him with the same rating would suggest the game thinks he will benefit from Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on the team. They see no drop off.

The Magic are surely expecting Bane to make a major impact on their team. They are expecting that 88 3-point shooting to transform their offense.

That is the basis for the team to step up into contention. Bane is a player who can make a major impact.

As far as adding a big-name player to their team, the Magic indeed seemed to hit it out of the park.