A quick look at the offensive stats in the early part of the season for the Orlando Magic is not going to inspire a ton of confidence.
The Magic are currently sitting in last place with a 102.5 offensive rating, 28th in effective field goal percentage at 49.0 percent and last in 3-point field goal percentage at 28.2 percent.
The good news is that it is so early that one good game and a stretch of good games would change this dramatically -- the Dallas Mavericks went from last at 95.2 points per 100 possessions to 106.3 points per 100 possessions thanks to a 139-129 win over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday.
There is a lot of basketball left to play. But that has not stopped anyone from hand-wringing over these familiar offensive issues. Everyone is waiting for the Magic's key players to click into place.
There are still some offensive bright spots though. When the rest of the Magic get into shape, those players are going to be the ones that lift the team to meet the team's runaway expectations.
And no player has looked better on offense or stepped up more it seems than Tristan da Silva.
Da Silva has turned in one of the most impressive turnarounds this season and has been a big boost in the early part of the season.
If the Magic get what they have gotten from da Silva through three games for the rest of the season, the Magic will have plenty of offnesive firepower to get them deeper into the Playoffs.
da Silva's hot start
The Orlando Magic certainly had high expectations for Tristan da Silva after he had a stellar run at EuroBasket for Germany.
Da Silva quickly established himself as a key 3-and-D player for the national team, helping them win the gold medal. Orlando certainly hoped that this play would carry over into the season.
Through three games, it clearly has.
Da Silva is averaging 13.0 points per game and shooting 5 for 15 from three (33.3 percent). But that includes a 0-for-6 in Saturday's loss against the Chicago Bulls. The Magic are expecting him to be one of the team's most reliable 3-point shooters.
Even all of those misses from three were a good sign. The Magic wanted da Silva to be more aggressive this season. And he certainly has the confidence to let it fly, often doing straight catch-and-shoots even with defenders in the vicinity.
Da Silva's poor shooting game against the Bulls has depressed his stats -- 0.75 points per possession on spot-ups. But the potential is clear, and his shooting has boosted the team.
Da Silva has made important gains in his game.
Da Silva is taking a lot of threes. But he is also a far more aggressive player, already shooting 4 for 7 at the rim.
Da Silva is averaging 3.7 drives per game this year against 2.7 drives per game last year, according to Second Spectrum. That hints at his aggression and willingness to attack. This is what the Magic wanted to see from him.
When da Silva is not scoring on spot-ups, he is scoring in transition and taking advantage of the Magic's increased pace. He has scored 15 points in transition this season and posted 1.36 points per possession in transition, according to data from Synergy Sports.
He can still become more efficient. And, as a second year player in a larger role, he will have some growing pains. But this is the growth the Magic want to see.
He has become a reliable and confident shooter and that is a huge development.
Boosting the offense
Tristan da Silva's emergence has been a boost to the team.
Through the first three games, the Orlando Magic have a 114.1 offensive rating with da Silva on the floor. Only Anthony Black and Jalen Suggs have better on-court offensive ratings for the moment.
For a team still so desperate for shooting, da Silva's early shooting threat is creating space. He plays perfectly off Franz Wagner and is smart about knowing when to cut and attack the rim.
Da Silva has become more aggressive and has sought his shot a lot more. But he still does not force very much. Everything flows naturally to him.
And like so many things, da Silva will benefit from the team getting on the same page. He is the kind of player who can help them get on the same page by being so reliable.
It helps too that da Silva does not take away from the defense either.
The Magic have a 100.0 defensive rating with Tristan da Silva on the floor, a mark that only trails all-defensive team-level players in Jalen Suggs and Jonathan Isaac. It is da Silva's smarts on defense, in addition to his shooting, that have likely secured da Silva's spot in the rotation over Isaac.
Da Silva is still a young player, even though he entered the league after four seasons at Colorado. That veteran know-how from college helped him get comfortable in the league quickly.
It has now helped da Silva adjust to the league and grow into this role.
The Magic are still searching for some answers on offense. But da Silva has given them at least one bright spot early this season.