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Ranking the Magic's top 3 draft classes by total points scored in their rookie seasons

Which Magic draft classes scored the most total points in their rookie seasons?

By Elaine Blum

Orlando Magic v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Seven
Orlando Magic v Cleveland Cavaliers - Game Seven / Jason Miller/GettyImages
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The 2024 NBA Draft is almost here. For the first time in a few years, the Magic do not have a lottery pick. Picking 18th doesn't mean that Orlando can't find a nice contributor, however. Other teams have done it before. 

Since the draft is so close, this is a good time to look back at some of the Magic's past draft classes. So, let's look at Orlando's three best draft classes by total points scored in their rookie seasons. This only includes players who actually played for the Magic in their rookie seasons. For example, the Magic's 2000 draft class combined for 2042 total points scored in their rookie seasons, but only Mike Miller actually played for the Magic. Keyon Dooling was traded to the Clippers on draft day, and Courtney Alexander to the Mavericks. 

3. The 2022 draft class

In 2022, the Magic had the first overall pick and selected their future superstar and face of the franchise. Paolo Banchero played 72 games in his rookie season with the Magic and scored a total of 1437 points over those games. 

Not surprisingly, Banchero won the Rookie of the Year award and made his first All-Star appearance just one year later. He totaled 1804 points in the 2023-24 regular season, plus 189 points over seven playoff games. Banchero is clearly on his way to becoming one of the next superstars in the NBA and will bring the Magic plenty of success in the coming years if they surround him with the right players. 

Banchero is such a force that it is easy to forget that the Magic had another pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. At number 32, they selected Caleb Houstan. Houstan has yet to carve out a real role for himself with the Magic. Nevertheless, he scored a total of 193 points over 51 games in his rookie season. In his second season, Houstan already upped his scoring total to 253 points despite not playing much more. 

While they are on very different paths right now, Banchero and Houstan combined for a total of 1630 points scored in their rookie season.

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