Orlando Magic’s depth will be a crucial asset during the 2024-25 season

When the season began, Caleb Houstan was out of the rotation. The young, second-year forward would still need time to get a consistent role. But the promise of a quality shooter at his size was always enough for the Orlando Magic to stay invested in the former second-round pick.

Houstan, like everyone else on the team, knew they would have to be ready. In the long journey of the NBA season, the team would call on every player at some point. The teams that survive and outperform their expectations are the ones who have depth.

The Magic had plenty of depth during the 2024 season. Look no further than a player like Houstan.

Teammates began to call Houstan "The Machine" for his work behind the scenes.

Houstan is one of the youngest players on a young team and could be very quiet. He was trying to work his way into the picture for the Magic. When he would get his opportunity he would be ready.

He appeared in 59 games with 13 starts, averaging 4.3 points per game and shooting 37.3 percent from three. He was a constant threat to shoot, a desperate need for Orlando.

During the stretch in December and January when the team dealt with injuries, Orlando needed Houstan. Without his contributions, the Magic likely would not have made the playoffs or would have had to fight uphill in the Play-In Tournament.

Houstan had to stay ready.

"It always feels good to get in especially big games like those and getting those minutes," Houstan said after a November win over the Charlotte Hornets during the team's nine-game win streak. "It always helps me grow and develop as a player. . . . I think staying ready is a big thing that all the coaches preach. Just continue to work on my game and stay ready. I try to do that to the best of my ability."

Houstan was deeper into the rotation and the Magic ultimately did not use him in the playoffs, but he played a critical part during those rough times in the middle of the season. He is the kind of player the Magic will need at some point this year. That he, as a young player, may not crack the rotation speaks to the talent and depth of this Magic team.

"The Machine" stayed ready and the Magic valued his three-point shooting. He must show he has improved and continue putting in that work when his number is called. He must show he has improved to fight for a spot in the rotation.

Depth was a feature of Orlando's season last year. Coach Jamahl Mosley stuck with a 10-man rotation even into the Playoffs (sometimes to frustrating effect). There is no reason to believe the Magic will not do so again.

The key to their success will again be in their depth.

The Orlando Magic had one of the best benches in the league in 2024

The Orlando Magic's depth and bench was a big factor in the team's success and break through during the 2024 season.

The Magic averaged 41.5 points per game off the bench, the fourth-most in the league. They were led in scoring off the bench by Cole Anthony with 11.6 points per game. They were anchored too by Jonathan Isaac's other-worldly defense (even in his limited minutes). And often the bench units featured both Franz Wagner and Moe Wagner, adding another layer of scoring.

Mixing in Joe Ingles' playmaking and shooting or Caleb Houstan's shooting only added to the weaponry off the bench.

Many of the Magic's best lineups last year were their bench-led groups.

The lineup of Cole Anthony, Anthony Black, Joe Ingles, Jonathan Isaac and Moritz Wagner had a net rating of +19.1 points per 100 possessions (127.5 offensive rating/108.4 defensive rating) in 88 minutes across 12 games.

The lineup of Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Franz Wagner, Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner had a net rating of +21.1 (111.4/90.3 split) in 81 minutes across 19 games. And the lineup of Cole Anthony, Franz Wagner, Joe Ingles, Jonathan Isaac and Moe Wagner had a +21.2 net rating (125.9/104.6 split) in 74 minutes across 13 games.

If anything, injuries limited how much the Magic could press and use these bench lineups. And while Ingles is no longer on the team, the Magic should be able to recreate many of these lineups with Jonathan Isaac's defense anchoring the groups and Franz Wagner giving them a starter-level boost.

If there is a concern, however, it is that these bench groups struggled during the playoffs.

Orlando scored only 28.0 points per game off the bench—second most in the playoffs but still 13 points per game fewer than the regular season. Anthony averaged only 5.1 points per game in his first playoff series and Markelle Fultz was the leading scorer off the bench with 6.4 points per game.

Of course, Anthony had one of the biggest plays of the postseason with his putback dunk at the end of Game 6. There are a lot of players on the Magic using their playoff performance as fuel to improve next season.

Orlando is hoping that reshaping the bench a bit and adding some versatility will reverse that and make the bench a strength again not just in the regular season, but in the playoffs too.

Orlando Magic's bench will be different in 2025, but equally promising

Still, this is a different bench group.

Looking at the Orlando Magic's depth chart, the Magic are expecting to put out a five-man bench platoon of Anthony Black, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris, Jonathan Isaac, and Moritz Wagner. They have Caleb Houstan, Goga Bitadze, Jett Howard, and Tristan da Silva ready to compete for minutes too. And veteran Cory Joseph should be good for minutes when his number is called.

There is a lot of youth—da Silva is a rookie and Black and Howard are in their second years with Howard essentially in his rookie year after his G-League gap year last year. There is a lot of uncertainty off the bench just as there is a lot of promise.

A big part of the Magic's development plan is to give these young players the chance to prove themselves. And they have a lot of options. Their training camp should be competitive and it should be a constant competition for minutes. Not to mention should there be any injuries, the Magic have players who can fill in as starters or off the bench as needed.

This is how Orlando plans to get through its 82-game season and be a constant threat throughout the season. Depth is going to be an important part of the Magic's season—on top of being a potential buffer should the team make a major trade at some point in the near future.

And so Houstan will have to go to work. The Machine will have to put in the sweat equity to fight for his spot. But like last year, he knows he will be called upon at some point in the season. And like he did in a January win over Atlanta, he will have to perform with a strong shooting showing.

The point and the power for the Magic once again will be that they have these players to call on and they have these players to develop and grow off their bench. It is essential to the team copying last year's success and growing from last year's success too.