It will not be very long before the Orlando Magic begin to reassemble in Orlando for group workouts at the AdventHealth Training Center and the start of training camp on Sept. 28.
There are now only four weeks until the start of training camp and the start of this highly anticipated 2027 season.
Many players on the team already met in the Los Angeles area earlier this month for group workouts and at least one pick-up run at the Rico Hines Run. Paolo Banchero posted photos of several players together at Pepperdine alongside coach Sean Sweeney. Jalen Suggs told Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel that he met with Sean Sweeney in Minneapolis this offseason.
They are still allowed to enjoy the last bits of their summer. But soon it will be time to get to work and prepare for the season.
The Magic did not change very much. They lost Moe Wagner and Jett Howard and added Nikola Vucevic. A new coach will bring some change and something different to the team.
The team wil have a different flavor. Every team always does.
But the basic construct will be the same. There is not a lot of change to the depth chart.
After all, Orlando's whole offseason thesis was that its starting lineup was among the best in the league. Why mess with it?
The distinction will come in how Sean Sweeney devises his rotation. The different playing combinations and philosophy he has for getting through the entire game, and what he is willing to experiment with or emphasize. All of that will develop throughout training camp and into the season.
The goal for the Magic will be to play their best at the Playoffs -- and hope they have accumulated a strong enough record to give them advantages in the postseason.
For now, at least, this is how the depth chart seems to be playing out:
Starter | Reserve | Deep Bench | Two-Way | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
PG | Jalen Suggs | Jevon Carter | Jase Richardson | |
SG | Desmond Bane | Anthony Black | Alex Morales | |
SF | Franz Wagner | Tristan da Silva | Jamal Cain | |
PF | Paolo Banchero | Noah Penda | Jonathan Isaac | Izaiyah Nelson |
C | Wendell Carter | Nikola Vucevic | Goga Bitadze | Colin Castleton |
The Magic's whole thesis for standing still in this offseason was to invest in better health for a starting lineup that was among the best in the league in the regular season and the Playoffs. Orlando looked at its philosophy and saw something that worked but was not available nearly enough.
Do not expect any changes to the starting lineup. The only thing that might happen is Anthony Black pushing for starter minutes if his growth continues or Jalen Suggs struggles with injuries or on offense.
But all the numbers suggest Suggs is a supercharger for every lineup he is in. Orlando is not about to disrupt this starting lineup after sticking by it this offseason. There should not be any change here with Black lining up as the sixth man to boost bench lineups.
The rest of those bench lineups are among the questions the Magic will have to answer.
Backup center question
Perhaps the biggest question the Orlando Magic will have is whether they will give their big free agent acquisition the nod at center or stick with the defensive-minded Goga Bitadze.
Nikola Vucevic is still a capable scorer and shooter. He averaged 15.1 points per game last season, including 16.9 points per game on 37.6 percent shooting from three with the Chicago Bulls beofre the trade to the Boston Celtics. Vucevic still has a lot of gas in the tank.
The question is whether the Magic can absorb Vucevic losing a step defensively or not. And what their priority will be.
Orlando needs Vucevic's shooting and floor spacing. That is something the team does not have enough of still. But the question is how much can they sacrifice on defense.
The thought is that Vucevic will play fewer minutes and so his defensive shortcomings can be hidden more and the Magic can benefit from his offensive strengths. The team thought the same about Tyus Jones last year.
Orlando still has the reliable Goga Bitadze as the defensive-minded big behind him. He should be the fill-in starter to give the team defense in the starting lineup. But perhaps the Magic will value defense more and that is where Bitadze still has a lot of value.
Orlando will spend part of its season figuring out what kind of team it wants to be, what it can cover and what fits together. And that is going to be the central argument with the center position because Vucevic and Bitadze give two different things.
Noah Penda's growth
One of the big stories to watch when training camp begins is whether Noah Penda is truly ready for bigger minutes.
Earlier when I wrote about camp battles, I leaned toward Jonathan Isaac and his veteran know-how over Noah Penda, with the expectation Penda could earn his way into more playing time.
Then Penda turned in a very good Summer League. He looked like the versatile dynamo the Magic need at the forward position.
The reporting is that Penda has continued a strong summer where he has reshaped his body and gotten leaner, losing a ton of weight. That could be enough to push him for minutes quicker if his skills stay caught up with his physical transformation.
It will be one of the bigger stories in training camp to figure out where Penda fits in the conversation.
Isaac is still likely the better defender. Even with how up and down his season was last year, the Magic were far better with him on the floor defensively. He just could not contribute much offensively.
If Penda is a capable defender and can hit threes consistently or contribute more consistently on offense, then it will be time to carve out a clearer role for him.
Penda seems like a player who could shock a lot of people quickly.
Tristan da Silva's future?
Tristan da Silva's versatility as a forward remains valuable. His shooting is also still really valuable -- he shot 37.4 percent from three. That is not something to throw away. Da Silva is a good plug-and-play forward who will do his role with little deviation.
There is little reason to give up on da Silva, even if he is not going to scale up his role. He will be that player who, when he gets shot attempts, it is because the offense is working and the ball is moving to him.
That is something the Orlando Magic need.
But this summer's World Cup qualifying window did not make da Silva look great. He made only 2 for 11 from three in the last two games and did not look super effective within Germany's Dennis Schroder-centered offense.
Da Silva still fades into the background. And this was against a Netherlands and Poland team without any NBA players.
The Magic are not asking him to take over games. But he needs to make shots.
That is what he struggled with in the Playoffs last year. And that is why Jamal Cain ended up playing more.
Cain's impact was felt more defensively, even if he was inconsistent. Getting a full contract could lead to Cain getting more confident and improving greatly. He is still someone to watch.
Da Silva is likely to remain in the rotation. And his contributions will be vital as a floor spacer and solid defender off the bench. But the Magic will always be looking for ways to improve. And Cain proved himself in a some way during the Playoffs.
Add us as a preferred source on Google