2. Jalen Suggs
The Orlando Magic are putting a lot of trust in Jalen Suggs this season. Instead of getting an impactful point guard, the Magic seem determined to go into the season with Suggs as the starting point guard.
The ball will still be in Paolo Banchero's hands a lot, but he will need help if the Magic want any chance of improving offensively. Plus, someone has to step up as a playmaker if Banchero is injured.
That responsibility will fall on Suggs, and he needs to prove that he can rise to the challenge. He already took a big step forward offensively last season. Now, it is all about continuing on that trajectory and proving that his three-point shooting was no fluke.
His development will dictate much of the Magic's success in 2024-25. Suggs is already the heart and soul of the Magic's offense. Now, he must become just as vital offensively and truly establish himself as one of the next great two-way guards in the game.
The 2024-25 season might be about more than just helping his team win, though. Suggs and the Magic have not agreed on an extension yet. We might still see it happening before the season, but we also might not. If the Magic are offering less than Suggs believes he is worth, he could consider using the next season to prove his point and earn a pay raise.
In that case, he really needs the season to go well from an individual as well as a team standpoint.