The Orlando Magic have big goals for the 2024-25 season. After making a somewhat surprising run to the playoffs last season and pushing the Cleveland Cavaliers to seven games, the next step is to secure homecourt advantage and maybe even win a series. The goal seems to be to do that this season.
While it is not at all crazy to think that the Magic could finish the regular season as one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, it won’t be easy. The East may still be the weaker of the two conferences but it has strong teams at the top.
So, the Magic will have to work on their weaknesses. The biggest one is undoubtedly a lack of offensive firepower and creation. The 2024-25 season should be all about fixing those issues. Fortunately, there are some rather simple fixes out there for the Magic.
3. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope adds a volume shooter to the mix
The Magic are putting a lot of trust in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. He was the best 3-and-D player available in free agency and the Magic signed him to do just that: form one of the best defensive backcourts in the league with Jalen Suggs and space the floor for the Magic.
The former should come easily but the latter might require Caldwell-Pope to adjust his game a little bit. Opponents know Caldwell-Pope and his ability to win wherever he goes. His 3-point shot is a big part of that. Defenses will respect him from behind the arc.
It is not just about drawing defenders out to give Paolo Banchero more space to work with, though. It is also a math issue. In today’s NBA it is tough to keep up with other teams’ scoring if they constantly take and make more threes than you. Caldwell-Pope is the easiest answer to that problem for the Magic.
He has been converting around 40 percent of his 3-point attempts for years now. The Magic will just need him to do it at a higher volume. Four or five three-point attempts per game might not be enough to make much of a difference for the Magic offensively.
It will be an adjustment but there is no reason to believe that Caldwell-Pope can’t do what the Magic need from him.
2. Jalen Suggs takes the next step offensively
Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner are the two Magic players with the most to prove next season. Suggs is the bigger variable, however. Even if Wagner continues to struggle from three, he will have a huge impact offensively with his playmaking and ability to get to the rim. Suggs could help take the Magic’s offense to the next level or be a big reason the team continues to struggle on that end of the floor.
While Suggs’ defense has always been impressive, his offense at the NBA level was more of a question mark. Last season, he answered most of those questions, adding a 3-point shot to his skill set and having his best all-around season yet.
The 2024-25 season is his chance to prove that last season was no fluke and he can truly be one of the best young two-way guards in the league. It is also a chance for him to take the next step offensively, though. Ideally, that would not only include maintaining last season’s 3-point efficiency but also improving as a playmaker.
The Magic want the ball to be in Paolo Banchero’s and Franz Wagner’s hands as much as possible. Nevertheless, they will need someone who can help create offense for themselves and others and step up when either of the forwards is out. Suggs could be and should be that player. It would be the easiest answer to the Magic’s offensive struggles right now and could save the team a lot of trouble in the future.
1. The Magic trade for an offensive-minded player
The Magic have a deep roster, but it is not necessarily a group of players that scores a lot. Last season, the only players to average around 20 points per game were Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, Wendell Carter Jr., and Moritz Wagner all added double-digit scoring averages to the mix.
While that is not bad at all, the Magic have few go-to scorers and few players to rely on in crunch time. Most of that responsibility rests on the young shoulders of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. The easiest way to get them some help would be to trade for another go-to scorer, preferably someone who is also a good playmaker.
Giving Suggs a chance to grow in both of those areas can’t hurt but it doesn’t seem like he will reach the level offensively the Magic will need to compete in the Eastern Conference. Making a trade doesn’t seem like something the Magic want to do right now.
Otherwise, they could have gone out and gotten a player like that in the offseason. So, it seems like this would be a last resort but it would certainly be a very effective fix for the Magic’s offensive struggles even if Caldwell-Pope ups his 3-point attempts, Suggs keeps improving, and one of the recent first-round picks can step up.