What Tristan da Silva can do in preseason to instantly win over Magic fans

Drafting right outside the lottery is not an easy position to be in. Finding a future star in the middle of the first round is rare. Fortunately, the Orlando Magic did not need to discover another star in the 2024 NBA Draft. They already had Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who led the team to a playoff appearance, as well as Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac, and Anthony Black, who were also high lottery picks. 

What the Magic needed was someone who was not much of a developmental project and could learn how to fill a role well at the NBA level. Considering those needs, most Magic fans were pretty content when the Magic drafted Tristan da Silva. 

Da Silva played four full seasons of college basketball, excelled as a 3-point shooter in college, has good size, and seemed ready for the next level. If everything goes well, he should be the perfect player to back up Franz Wagner. 

Summer League was a success for da Silva even though he did not play in every game. He shot the ball well and showed flashes of playmaking, which is exactly what the Magic would need him to do offensively. 

Summer League is only the first step on a rookie’s path toward impressing fans. Preseason is the next one. It will be the first time da Silva will have a chance to earn minutes against real NBA competition. His mission should be clear. 

Tristan da Silva has a clear path toward impressing Magic fans in preseason 

The Magic will kick off preseason on Monday against the New Orleans Pelicans. After months without NBA basketball, Magic fans are excited to see their team in action again. The most exciting part will be seeing how returning players developed over the summer and how the new additions are fitting in. 

Tristan da Silva’s play will be under the microscope. After all, the Magic’s forward rotation is still a bit unsure. Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, and Jonathan Isaac are the only forwards who have minutes at the three or four guaranteed. Who will receive the brunt of the backup small forward minutes is still somewhat of a question mark. 

Tristan da Silva looks like the obvious choice due to his size and skill set, but he still has to prove that he is ready to perform at the NBA level. Otherwise, the Magic could go with more veteran players like Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Gary Harris, or Caleb Houstan, relying on experience while giving up some size. 

So, what does da Silva have to do to impress in preseason? The first thing is simple: Shoot the three well, and don’t hesitate. Orlando needs to fix several things offensively, but improving the team’s outside shooting will help with pretty much everything that went wrong on that end of the floor last season. 

If da Silva can bring his hot shooting from Summer League to preseason, it should make fans incredibly excited about the rookie and guarantee him a chance to earn his spot in the rotation. 

Shooting is not everything, though. On a team like the Magic, defense will be just as important. Defense is what the Magic built their success on. It is the most important part of this team’s identity. It won’t matter much how well da Silva shoots the ball if he cannot hold his own defensively. 

If he can emerge as a true two-way player early on in his NBA career, winning over Magic fans should not be difficult. The one thing that could make it even easier would be adding some secondary playmaking to the mix. 

No one expects da Silva to reach the same level of play and individual success as Franz Wagner, but the two have a similar skill set. If da Silva can show as early as preseason that he can step in for Wagner and provide many of the same things—defense, playmaking, and shooting—it would go a long way for the Magic.