2 Magic players who deserve a larger role this season, 2 who could lose minutes

Could lose minutes: Cole Anthony 

Cole Anthony has spent all of his four NBA seasons with the Orlando Magic. Since the 2021-22 season, his minutes and scoring have consistently gone down each season, as he moved from starting to a bench role. Coming off the bench, Cole’s production went down but he became a more efficient player. His field goal percentage went up by around five percent and his turnovers decreased. 

And yet, Anthony may be in danger of losing even more minutes in the 2024-25 season. Last season, he went from being the Magic’s sixth man and fourth-leading scorer in the regular season to averaging the ninth-most minutes in the playoffs. 

Anthony adds a scoring punch off the bench but he does not have a reliable 3-point shot and is not the most efficient player overall. When the Magic were struggling to create a functioning offense in the playoffs, it was difficult to put him on the court, as he only shot 31.7 percent from the field and 15.4 percent from three. 

Anthony should get a chance to start the season as the Magic’s main scorer off the bench. While the Magic added shooting in the offseason, they did not add a volume scorer. Unless Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr., or Kentavious Caldwell-Pope take on more scoring responsibilities than they have in the past, the Magic will need Anthony’s ability to get a bucket. 

And yet, his lack of a reliable 3-point shot puts him at a disadvantage. Much like Harris, he could be one of the more veteran players who will have to sacrifice minutes to create space for Black’s and Howard’s development. If Anthony Black can take a major jump in his second year, he may even eventually outplay Anthony as the backup guard.