To no one’s surprise, the Orlando Magic have quickly fallen to among the NBA’s worst teams in the entire league. Sitting at 4-15, Orlando has the worst record in the Eastern Conference and the third-worst record in the NBA. At first glance, this isn’t an encouraging fact whatsoever. If we look past the Magic’s record, however, they’re only six games worse than the 10-9 Celtics, who have the final spot of the play-in tournament. This year’s Magic team isn’t the dysfunctional team we’ve witnessed last season. Rather, they are a young and growing team with loads of potential. Twelve of Orlando’s nineteen players are under the age of 25, which is the biggest sign of their ongoing rebuild. So on this wonderful Thanksgiving, take a brief moment and give thanks for these five things that are going right for Orlando Magic this season.
1. Trading Nikola Vucevic to Chicago for Wendell Carter Jr., Franz Wagner, and Draft Capital
At the time, trading two-time All-Star Vucevic, who was the center of your franchise for the last five years for future assets, was painful to witness. However, in hindsight, the mathematical theory ‘Addition by Subtraction’ has proven to be true for Orlando this season. As a result of shipping Vucevic to the windy city, the Magic received Wendell Carter Jr., an intriguing young talent that has the potential to be a key player on a championship-level team. Since arriving in the Sunshine State, Carter Jr. has seamlessly fit in and made the jump to stardom. Carter Jr. has been having a career season with the absence of Jonathan Isaac, averaging 12.3 PPG, 9.4 RPG, and 2.4 APG while shooting 50.8% from the field and 40.3% from downtown, which shockingly leads the Magic. Orlando was also able to net two of Chicago’s upcoming first-round picks in 2021 and 2023, with the 2021 selection translating to Michigan’s Wagner.
2. Franz Wagner’s Immediate Rookie Impact
Speaking of Wagner, he has undoubtedly been Orlando’s best rookie player in the first 18 games of the season. In these 18 games, Wagner is averaging 12.6 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.1 SPG, all ranking inside the top ten among rookies. Wagner has also been near the top when it comes to his shooting percentages, as the Michigan graduate is shooting 43.2% from the field, 37.7% from free-point range, and 79.4% from the free-throw line, all ranking inside the top-six for rookies. Wagner’s physical frame, at 6’10” and 220 pounds, makes him so hard to defend, especially when he’s driving toward the basket, as shown by his lethal poster against Minnesota.
Let’s not let this overshadow his superb defensive skills, though. So far into his career, Wagner has been tasked with guarding some of the NBA’s most prestigious scorers in Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Jayson Tatum, Julius Randle, and Trae Young. Despite this, opponents are shooting 41.1% from the field and 30.4% from downtown when Wagner is the closest defender. Among rookies, Wagner has been the closest defender to the third most shots, only behind Evan Mobley and Scottie Barnes. Add all of this up, and Wagner had enjoyed one of the NBA’s smoothest rookie transitions in recent memory and has entered the Rookie of the Year Race as a serious candidate.
3. Cole Anthony Taking the Jump to Stardom in just his Second Season
If there’s one player in the NBA that’s in the midst of a breakout season and isn’t receiving any recognition for it, it has to be Cole Anthony. With the absence of Markelle Fultz, Anthony has taken the role of the lead point guard in Orlando, and hasn’t disappointed. In 34.1 MPG, Anthony is averaging 19.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 5.9 APG, and 1.1 SPG. What’s more encouraging for Magic fans is Anthony has been shooting the ball much more effectively than last season. Anthony’s improved his 39.7% field goal and 37.3% three-point percentages to a more respectable 41.6% mark from the field and 36.6% mark from downtown. While Anthony will still make his fair share of mistakes and turnovers (2.9 TPG), that’s expected to occur throughout the beginning parts of his career. So far into this season, Anthony has played like a five-year veteran and has exceeded all expectations.
4. All of Orlando’s Young and Upcoming Talent
In spite of the great breakout seasons that Anthony, Wagner, and Carter Jr. are enjoying, overlooking the rest of Orlando’s roster is very easy. It’s important to not do this, as the supporting cast has been just as important as Anthony, Wagner, and Carter Jr. to the Magic’s success. The No. 5 overall pick from the 2021 Draft, Jalen Suggs, is still turning heads despite growing pains, averaging 12.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, and 3.6 APG. Mo Bamba has asserted himself as Orlando’s presence in the paint with 11.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG, and the second-highest BPG in the NBA with 2.1 BPG. Even second-year players R.J. Hampton and Chuma Okeke have still managed to contribute despite a crowded rotation. Hampton’s averaged 7.7 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 2.5 APG in just 18.8 MPG, while Okeke has notched 7.5 PPG, 3.8 RPG, and 1.2 APG in his 20.6 MPG.
5. The Chance of landing a Superstar in the 2022 NBA Draft
As long as the Magic continue to struggle throughout the season and finish among the league’s worst records, Orlando will find themselves with another intriguing decision to make when the 2022 NBA Draft rolls around in June. Currently, the Magic own the Eastern Conference’s worst record at 4-12, which is good enough for fourth-worst in the entire NBA. If this continues, the Magic will likely own another top-five pick in a star-heavy draft class. Among these stars are Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, and Memphis’ Jalen Duren, all versatile big-men who are slated to go in the top-five. Even if Orlando doesn’t get any of these stars, ending up with anyone from the next level of prospects wouldn’t be something to scoff at. These players include Auburn’s Jabari Smith, G-League Ignite’s Jaden Hardy, Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s Patrick Baldwin Jr., and Michigan’s Caleb Houstan.