The Orlando Magic have been the talk of the NBA town this offseason after acquiring Desmond Bane from the Memphis Grizzlies. Hype is higher than it has been in years, and rightfully so, but among the hubbub, there may be a forgotten man who's in line for a huge season.
Tristan da Silva is not the first, second (or third or fourth) most popular name on this roster, but if his performance at EuroBasket for tourney champs Germany is any indication of what is to come in the NBA, the second-year forward could instantly make the team reconsider its rotation.
da Silva averaged 10.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, went 18/34 from 3-point range and recorded 15 stocks as Germany captured its first EuroBasket title since 1993. He was a huge part of the run next to fellow Magic star Franz Wagner and Kings point guard Dennis Schröder, who both made the EuroBasket All-Star Five.
His play encouraged Magic fans and experts alike. Adam Mares of the ALL NBA podcast raved about his play, stating:
"I thought he was a phenomenal player in this game, and I thought he popped in most of this tournament... He was not just one of the guys, he was a standout in my opinion..."
Gonna have to agree with that one. da Silva did stand out, giving fans a potential glimpse at what his role could be back in Orlando; a floor-spacing, do-it-all complementary connector on offense and a lockdown, versatile defender on the other end.
Could da Silva be the Magic sixth man this season?
He won't start for the Magic — the starting forward rotation is set, obviously — but if da Silva makes the year two leap that is so common in the NBA, could he eventually become the first man off the bench for Jamahl Mosley's team? I'm leaning toward yes, especially if Mosely wants to stagger the minutes of his star forwards.
da Silva doesn't have the typical sixth man archetype in the NBA. Usually, the first guy off the bench for teams is an offensive-minded guard. Bench buckets will never go out of style, et cetera et cetera. But if he can carry over the energy (and especially the shooting) he played with at EuroBasket, it's going to be tough to bury him on this depth chart.
Jonathan Isaac, Anthony Black, and Tyus Jones seem like the other options to fill the sixth man role. Isaac, as we know, has played that part very well in the past — his otherworldly disruption on defense being a big part of that. But if da Silva knocks down 3-pointers at a league-average or better clip this year, it could be the difference-maker in securing that sixth man spot.
da Silva fell out of the rotation as a rookie, but still showed promise
My approach to evaluating rookies in the NBA is simple; if, at any point, they have a multi-game stretch where they impact the game positively every night, then I am sold on their long-term potential as at least a rotation piece in the NBA. da Silva did that — he had games with over 15 points in December while the Magic were dealing with some injuries. Thus, him falling out of the rotation near the end of the year doesn't bother me at all.
NBA insider Tim Legler seems to feel the same way, stating on the ALL NBA podcast his impressions of rookie da Silva as a rookie:
"So, I called a couple of their games a year ago, including a playoff game... I was so impressed with his defense. He really stood out on a team that's an excellent defensive team. They expect that... He jumped off the page at me..."
Being in the Tristan da Silva fan club feels like such an "if you know, you know" situation right now. I don't think it will be too long before everybody "knows."