5 questions for the Orlando Magic's 2024 offseason
5. Who is the table setter Paolo Banchero is looking for?
If the Orlando Magic's run through the playoffs did not make it obvious, Paolo Banchero made it pretty clear himself in an interview with The Washington Post. The Magic need some help at guard. They need a point guard.
Banchero described the Magic's need as more of a "table setter." He wants to be an "offensive hub" more than a true point guard and playmaker. That is what he had to do in the playoffs—he still ranks sixth in the playoffs in touches per game with 87.3 according to Second Spectrum.
The Magic are not about to limit what Banchero can do. They want to use him as a 6-foot-10 playmaker. That is what makes their attack unique.
But it was also pretty clear that only relying on him wore him down. He was dragging by the end of Game 7 as he put up 38 points and got little consistent help elsewhere.
At this point, everyone is expecting the Magic to use their considerable cap room to go after a guard. Whether that is a more traditional point guard like Tyus Jones, a scoring guard like D'Angelo Russell, or a hybrid guard like Malik Monk. Or whether that is chasing someone like Anfernee Simons or Dejounte Murray in a trade, it feels everyone's focus is on finding someone to ease the ball-handling and playmaking pressure.
The question will be how the Magic fill this spot—and ultimately how the Magic spend their excess of cap space this offseason.
The Magic know that part of their success is that Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner were on the ball. A lot of teams do not have the capabilities to handle one 6-foot-10 ballhandler and playmaker let alone two. The Magic do not want to take the ball too much out of their star players' hands.
There is definitely a balance the Magic are looking for. And figuring out that balance—all the while adding a new player to the mix—will be one of the big dilemmas for the summer.
The Magic need a guard who can create some for himself and distribute the ball but also be successful playing off the ball, especially spreading the floor. Orlando needs floor spacers to create driving lanes too.
And there appear to be no perfect answers—all the good shooters are suspect on defense and all the great playmakers may need the ball too much.
Seeking out this need for a guard and a tablesetter is also about understanding where the team can compromise on some of its beliefs and foundation and figuring out which player can adapt to the Magic's style of basketball.
The Magic though need to make a major play. They need to invest in this position. And they need to get this decision right, even if it is to carry the team to the next phase of this development project.