After making the playoffs and battling the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games as one of the youngest teams in the postseason picture, the Orlando Magic can stamp the 2023-24 season as a success. Sure, not everything was perfect, and the team struggled at times in the playoffs, but they were still ahead of schedule. When the season first started, not many people would have expected the Magic to have so much success.
From now on, any kind of success the Magic have won't be a surprise to anyone anymore—unless they magically make a run for the NBA Finals. This new expectation to consistently be a winning team creates a whole different kind of pressure that this squad has not yet experienced.
It also makes room for disappointment, doubts, and concerns. So, let's look at some of the biggest fears for the Magic's 2024-25 season.
3. Franz Wagner cannot fix his outside shooting
Franz Wagner's three-point percentage has become a real concern. He was never an outstanding shooter at the NBA level, but the 35.4 and 36.1 percent he averaged in his first two seasons were solid for a young player. In his third season, his three-point percentage plummeted to 28.1 percent at almost the same volume as in the previous season, however.
In the playoffs, it dropped even more, and Wagner only hit nine of his thirty-four total three-point attempts.
Wagner's struggles from behind the arc were a problem for the Magic. During the regular season, he averaged the second-most three-point attempts per game but was by far the worst shooter out of all players who averaged at least two attempts per game.
It was far from just Wagner's fault that the Magic ranked at the bottom of the league in three-point shooting, but his struggles certainly contributed. Now, the Magic need to address that issue. Some of that includes bringing in some proven three-point threats either in free agency or via trades. Some of it will also have to come through internal improvement, however, and that includes Wagner.
Even if the Magic were to bring in a big name over the summer, Wagner would still be on the court a lot and have the ball in his hands. If he cannot find his outside shot, it will hurt the Magic's offense. No one expects him to suddenly turn into Stephen Curry, but it would be awesome if he could get his percentage back up to around 36 percent. It would really change the Magic's floor-spacing and offense.
2. There is little or no internal growth
This fear sort of goes hand in hand with the previous one. The Magic are a young team and naturally need their young players to keep improving. That includes Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner and mainly their three-point shooting.
More so, it is about Anthony Black and Jett Howard, though. Black mostly just played meaningful minutes when other players were injured, and Howard spent most of his time in the G League. Neither one got a chance to impact the playoffs.
And still, it seems the Magic are high on the two youngsters. Both could fill a role for the team next season if given a chance. The Magic need shooting, which is Howard's specialty. They also need someone to play point guard and the hope is that Black can provide some of that.
Orlando drafted Black with the sixth overall pick, and he fits the team's defensive identity incredibly well. The goal should be to have him develop into a building block and rotational player sooner rather than later.
He should be getting a chance to play more next season, especially if the Magic let Markelle Fultz walk in free agency. It would be concerning if he, and Howard for that matter, cannot show some improvement, even though they theoretically still have time. Practically, Orlando might need their contributions, however. Injuries might push one or both of the youngsters into bigger roles than expected and the Magic might not be able to afford taking a step back over any stretch of time.
Plus, once extensions for Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Paolo Banchero kick in, having young contributors on cheap rookie contracts will be incredibly valuable for the Magic.
Black and Howard are not the only ones who have work to do, however. In the end, the Magic’s success will not come down to their performances. Jalen Suggs could improve as a playmaker, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jonathan Isaac could improve simply by being healthy and available, Franz Wagner needs to work on his shot, and Paolo Banchero should work on turning the ball over less., for example. The core of this team is incredibly young. Everyone still has room to grow and needs to keep improving. This will only get more difficult from here on out.
1. The Magic lose some of their defensive identity
This entire season, the Magic's identity was that they were a strong and gritty defensive team. Despite the young age of most players, the team posted one of the best defensive ratings in the league. That is how they won most of their games.
Plenty of players put up solid numbers but offense just wasn't what the team did best. A lack of three-point shooting meant that the Magic couldn't space the floor very well, and when things got tough, it seemed that the only solution they had was to give the ball to Paolo Banchero and hope that he would get a bucket.
The team's offensive struggles will hopefully be addressed with moves over the summer and internal improvement alike. With that comes another risk, however. How many offensive-minded players can the Magic bring in over the summer without giving up too much of their defensive identity?
Orlando theoretically has enough strong defenders to make up for any weak links on that end of the floor but in actuality, it might change the team's defensive production. It seems unlikely that it would change so much that the Magic suddenly become a bad defensive team—and that is not the main concern here. The concern is that the Magic might lose a little too much of their defensive identity.
Almost all free agents or trade candidates that have been noted as fitting players for the Magic, like Malik Monk, Buddy Hield, Tyus Jones, Trae Young, Zach LaVine, or Darius Garland, are not necessarily very strong defenders. The Magic need to add some offense but they need to walk the line between improving on one end of the floor without giving up too much of what they do best.