The Orlando Magic are starting to become the youngest team in the NBA. Their success in 2021 will depend on their young players stepping up. These young players will get their chance to succeed.
Whether you’re a sports fanatic or a diehard Magic fan, there are plenty of reasons to be frustrated with the Magic’s lack of activity in Free Agency. To some people, Dwayne Bacon, James Ennis, and Gary Clark weren’t the roster moves Orlando should’ve made to secure a playoff spot. No one wants to see the Magic sputter out of the playoffs, even with Jonathan Isaac missing the 2020-2021 season. Believe it or not, but the Eastern Conference playoff race will tighten very quickly. Philadelphia, Atlanta, Charlotte, and Miami all got better in the offseason, making Orlando’s chances of taking the 8th seed for a second straight season very slim. The Magic will certainly have their work cut out for them.
Orlando’s Plan
There is always a silver lining with these situations, as there has still been changes occurring inside the roster. It may not be at the speed some fans want, and it may not be as visible, but it’s evident that the Magic are getting younger. The youth revolution for Orlando is occurring in slow motion. The average age of Orlando’s roster before the league was suspended due to the COVID-19 outbreak was 26.1 years old. The team only had two players older than 30, and neither of those players are still on the team (D.J. Augustin and Josh Magette). The average age of Orlando’s roster entering this season is a whopping 25.8 years old. Unlike last year’s team, the Magic will rely more heavily on younger players too. Mo Bamba, Cole Anthony, and Chuma Okeke should have big roles on the team, even as youngsters.
What effect will this have in the Eastern Conference?
Ultimately, The difference this makes may be small in the end. Orlando could still use some veteran presence, so Nikola Vucevic and James Ennis will be crucial with that. The rest of this roster is still so young and absolutely screams potential. Orlando even has some sneaky young players that many people expect to be a lot older. Aaron Gordon is the perfect example of this. Although Gordon is seven years into his career, he is only 25 years old. Evan Fournier is finally entering his prime at 28 years old. The Magic might have some sense of what to expect from Gordon and Fournier, but both of these players still have the potential for growth.
Moving Forward with this Stratagy
In short, the Orlando Magic’s youth revolution has already begun, as slowly as it may be going. The team isn’t a Free Agent destination and seems likely to not have a lot of money to spend to sign marquee names in Free Agency. This should prompt the statement that this team’s future is already on the roster. This means the goal for the Magic should be to let these younger players to ascend into these roles, and not necessarily make the playoffs as an eighth seed. But for the time being, the team is starting to trust its young players. It may be a small step, but Orlando will be a younger team this year. But the Magic’s youth revolution is certainly beginning.