As the playoffs get closer, games have higher stakes and rotations get smaller. Every team needs its best players and most reliable players playing at a high level down the stretch.
The Orlando Magic have one of the top young rosters in the NBA. But, usually, teams fighting for playoff positioning are no longer handing out major minutes to players who are still developing their skill sets. Results matter more than growth at this stage. And the Magic still need wins to solidify their position in the Eastern Conference standings.
That will be a tough task with so many players still going through their first playoff chase in their careers.
The Magic have very little playoff experience with just Joe Ingles, Gary Harris, Jonathan Isaac and Markelle Fultz playing in the postseason. That inexperience was evident in their two recent losses to the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers.
The Magic have valued development throughout this rebuild. And there will still be some growth and development to come just from the experience of playing through a postseason chase. But the team must briefly pause that and put a lot of stock into consistency, availability, versatility and impact down the stretch.
The Magic need wins, trailing the Knicks by a half-game for fourth in the Eastern Conference and leading the Pacers by 1.5 games for sixth and safety from the Play-In Tournament. There is a lot that is going to be decided in the next month.
The Magic need to play their best and have their lineup ready for the challenges ahead.
Some players like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, of course, have their minutes locked in but some have played their way into more minutes down the stretch while others may find themselves fighting for major minutes for this playoff chase.
As coach Jamahl Mosley weighs how to set his playoff rotation, he needs to use the season's final month to figure out who can step up to the plate and who does not have it.
As Orlando enters this critical eight-game homestand beginning Sunday, the team has to weigh whose stock is heading up ahead of the playoffs and who is heading down.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Up -- Jonathan Isaac
Jonathan Isaac's impact on the Orlando Magic is massive and people are finally starting to notice.
There are a few obvious indicators of just how impactful Isaac is for the Magic starting with his unbelievable 101.7 defensive rating and +10.9 net rating when he is on the floor. That includes scoring 11 points on 4-for-6 shooting and two blocks in Wednesday's win over the Brooklyn Nets as his offense starts to round into better form.
Isaac also has a plus-minus of 3.0 points per game, which is the highest on the entire team.
Isaac is also one of the only players on Orlando's roster who has playoff experience. He has been a calming voice in tough situations for this young team.
Isaac has been working for a long time to finally have this chance at a playoff chase as part of a team on its way up. He will be rewarded with as many minutes as his body can handle.
It is going to be hard to keep him off the floor with his energy and defensive acumen.
Isaac is one of Orlando's two most impactful players on the defensive end. He embodies the versatility Orlando's front office values perfectly. He is able to guard any position 1 through 5, even logging some minutes at center in Wednesday's win.
In the playoffs, his generational talent on the defensive end will be unleashed against the opponent's most dangerous offensive player for extended stretches. This could give Orlando's offense stretches either to catch up or to separate while the opposing team's best player is occupied with getting around Isaac's 7-foot wingspan.
Isaac has a skill set that will undoubtedly be utilized down the stretch and in the playoffs.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Down -- Caleb Houstan
Caleb Houstan has seen growth in his game overall this season. He has stepped up into a starting role when the Orlando Magic were extremely short-handed and has improved on the defensive end.
While he is shooting 37.7 percent from three on the season, his shooting this year has not been reliable enough to warrant major minutes down the stretch.
Houstan has played in 49 games this year. In 24 games he has shot more than three attempts and has shot worse than 35 percent in 14 of those 24 games.
Houstan has not yet developed any versatility to his offensive game. He is either hitting threes or he is providing very little to the team offensively. In fact, 61 of his 68 field goals on the season have been three-pointers.
He has the confidence a great shooter needs. But he has not yet developed the consistency.
Down the stretch consistency is a priority.
While it still seems Houstan will have a bright NBA future, he has a lot of development needed and is not a very versatile player at this stage. He will probably see very few if any minutes for the remainder of the season.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Up -- Cole Anthony
Cole Anthony has had a somewhat up-and-down season. January and February were rough months for him, but Anthony has played extremely well in March and looks to be on the other side of his slump.
Anthony has scored more than 10 points and shot 80 percent from the free throw line in three of Orlando's last six games. He has been in a zone using his dribbling ability to blow by defenders and either drop off the pass for an assist or take it to the rim.
Anthony has also been using his quick hands on defense to force turnovers. His versatility will be useful down the stretch.
Anthony is Orlando's best rebounder in the backcourt and has had six or more rebounds in 17 games. In those games, Orlando is 11-6.
When Anthony is right, he is also a quick bucket and has scored 15 or more points in 21 games resulting in a 13-8 record in those games for Orlando.
Anthony's offensive production can still be a bit spotty -- he is coming off a 4-for-14 showing in the loss to the Indiana Pacers and he scored just six points on 2-for-5 shooting in the win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. But the threat of his scoring and driving are key to the team's success.
His scoring punch will be vitally important to Orlando's ability to space the floor and move the ball crisply. Expect him to be a focal point of one of Magic's biggest strengths down the stretch - their second unit.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Down -- Anthony Black
Anthony Black has been absolutely as advertised and has been an elite rookie on the defensive end of the floor this year. He is another guy who has stepped up and played in a starting role when guys got injured. He has proven his ability to use his 6-foot-7 frame to lock down opposing perimeter players.
That being said, Black as a 19-year-old rookie expectedly has tons of development still needed as well.
He is still largely ignored on offense. And while Black has parlayed that into a solid shooting showing -- a surprising 39.1 percent from deep. He is not exactly an offensive dynamo.
Despite several start, Black is averaging just 4.9 points per game. He is shooting only 3.8 field goal attempts per game. Black is a non-factor on offense even if he is more comfortable shooting it from deep.
Black lacks any true go-to moves and is not much of a threat off the dribble. As he showed this past weekend in starts agains the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers, the moment can get a little big for him as he is a rookie playing major minutes and sometimes afraid to make mistakes.
Orlando should be comfortable unleashing him on defense. He will hound players and get after them in a major way. But teams will also ignore him on offense and dare him to shoot from three or try to work off the dribble. Neither are his strengths quite yet.
Because of this, his minutes down the stretch will likely be sporadic at best.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Up -- Joe Ingles
When the Orlando Magic signed Joe Ingles last summer, a lot of fans were not quite sure what to make of it. Even though he has been one of the first guys off the bench in many of the Magic's games this season, this stretch of games is why Joe Ingles was brought to Orlando.
Just look at how Joe Ingles works his way under Cam Johnson's skin. He then backed it up with six points and two 3-pointers for the Magic to help build their lead in the second quarter.
How do you have beef with Joe Ingles? 😂 pic.twitter.com/tr2YewURqX
— Bally Sports Florida: Magic (@BallyMagic) March 13, 2024
He is another player with playoff experience and is a veteran presence for the team in stressful situations. He has developed great chemistry with multiple players off of Orlando's bench and oftentimes contributes to unlocking the best versions of both Moe Wagner and Cole Anthony.
Joe Ingles has been very effective in moving the basketball and running point for the second unit. Orlando is 16-10 when Joe Ingles has three or more assists. That has honestly been Ingles' greatest value.
Since returning from his injury, Ingles is averaging 3.8 points per game, but hitting 42.9 percent of his 3-pointers. He has averaged 2.4 assists per game in that time. Pretty solid considering he plays only 16.4 minutes per game.
Finding a way to work the ball to him more will surely boost the Magic's offense. They have a team-best 115.1 offensive rating when he is on the floor this year.
His abilities to spread the floor as a reliable shooter, distribute the basketball and calm the team will prove valuable for the playoff chase.
Stock Up, Stock Down for the Orlando Magic's Playoff chase
Stock Down -- Markelle Fultz
Markelle Fultz's disappointing season has been well-documented. But Fultz continues to be an emotional leader for this team with the ability to organize the Orlando Magic's offense, a skill not many players on the roster have.
He can still get to the rim with ease, push the pace and play good defense.
That was on display throughout Wednesday's game when Fultz scored 10 pointso n 4-for-10 shooting to go with eight rebounds. Fultz can still mix things up in the paint and hit the mid-range jumper when it is there.
But this has been a rough season for him. He is coming off the bench now after knee tendinitis slowed him down all year. He is averaging only 8.3 points per game and shooting 48.6 percent from the field. After the All-Star Break that has bumped down to 8.0 points per game and 47.1 percent shooting.
That is going the wrong way.
And Fultz is a reluctant 3-point shooter again. A lot of teams will combat the Magic's versatility by putting their center on Fultz and letting the center roam and deter any drives to the basket since Fult zis not a threat from beyond the arc. Fultz has been better at making himself available in open pockets and hitting from the mid-range.
But in the playoffs, those spaces will close down faster. It may be more difficult to play Fultz meaningful minutes in a playoff series.
Fultz is not on this list because he will have to fight for minutes. Only because he will likely continue his stint in the second unit upon his return from yet another injury -- which is not the position Fultz was expected to be in last summer.