Realistic expectations for Tristan da Silva during rookie season with Magic

For the first time in a while, the Magic did not have a lottery pick. Instead, they picked right outside the top 15, which is not an easy spot to be in. The sure-fire talent is usually gone by then and you are either getting a player with a lower ceiling or a serious developmental project. 

Luckily, the Magic did not need to find another star in the draft. The team was looking for someone to develop into a reliable, versatile role player. Tristan da Silva seems to be a perfect fit for that. Hopes for his future with the Magic are high and rightfully so. The rookie already showed out in Summer League. 

Still, Summer League is much different than the NBA and the Magic have big goals for the 2024-25 season. So, the question is what should we expect from Tristan da Silva in his first NBA season? 

Da Silva likely won’t play a huge role right away 

Rookies rarely make a huge difference on a playoff team and da Silva should be no exception. He provides skills the Magic need, most importantly his 3-point shooting. Even with the addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, the Magic still don’t have a ton of proven volume shooters opponents fear from behind the arc. 

If he can hit open threes, hold his own on defense, and do all the little things, da Silva should find himself in the position to claim a regular spot in the rotation despite his status as a rookie. The Magic do not have much forward depth behind Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero unless Coach Mosley decides to go with some smaller wings. 

In a draft class short of clear-cut star potential, da Silva has even been mentioned as a possible candidate to snatch the Rookie of the Year award from some of the higher draft picks. While there is a solid chance that da Silva will be one of the most reliable and steady rookies in his draft class, Magic fans should not expect him to receive too much praise outside of Orlando. 

Even if he claims consistent rotational minutes, da Silva likely won’t put up big, eye-popping numbers. He is not necessarily a volume scorer and won’t be a focal point of the Magic’s offense but that does not mean he cannot help the Magic win some games. It just seems his impact will not always be visible in the stat sheet and might not draw much attention from people who are not Magic fans or covering the team. 

All in all, da Silva seems like the perfect backup to Franz Wagner—a big forward who can space the floor and defend—and the Magic should want to give him a chance to get acclimated to the NBA and the ways of a winning team this season. Everything he has shown so far indicates that he is NBA-ready. 

Being NBA-ready doesn’t always mean putting up impressive numbers and vowing a national audience. In da Silva’s case, it will mean filling a role and playing solid basketball whenever his number is called. 

Last season’s lottery picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard are living proof that Jamahl Mosley does not just hand out minutes. They need to be earned. Da Silva is older and further along in his development than Black and Howard, but still needs to prove himself at the NBA level. 

The 2024-25 season will still see the Magic put a focus on development and growth. At the same time, however, there are expectations the team needs to meet. Winning in the regular season is the biggest part of that and Magic fans should not be upset if da Silva is not always a part of that. 

We should expect to see him on the court but maybe not in every situation. Once Coach Mosley needs to shorten his rotation, da Silva might find himself out of the loop, as many rookies do when they join a playoff team.