ORLANDO, FLA- Despite their 34-48 record, the 2022-2023 season was a success for the Orlando Magic, as the club saw some of their young players enjoy monumental development.
With this being said, ten awards were handed out to the most deserving players on the Magic’s roster based on their respective 2022-2023 seasons in Orlando.
Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year: SF/PF Paolo Banchero
As a result of winning the No. 1 pick in the 2022 draft from the NBA draft lottery, Orlando had a paramount choice to make on June 23rd. With the possibility of drafting Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, or Jabari Smith Jr., Orlando opted for Banchero, a questionable decision at the time. Due to a dominant rookie season by Banchero, the season-ending injury to OKC’s Holmgren, and the profound struggles by Houston’s Smith Jr., it seems as if Orlando made the correct draft decision.
In 72 starts (72 games), Banchero averaged 33.8 MPG, a team and rookie-high 20.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG (4th for rookies), and 3.7 APG (3rd for rookies) on 42.7% shooting from the field and 73.8% from the free-throw line. In addition, Banchero has been excellent on defense, notching 60 steals (4th for rookies) and 39 blocks (8th for rookies) while also posting a DWS of 2.5, the highest mark among all 2022-2023 rookies.
Standing at 6’10” and 250 pounds, Banchero already excels at scoring in all three levels of the court, as shown by Banchero’s 38 games in scoring 20+ points and five games scoring 30+ points, per Statmuse. Notwithstanding of a team-high 27.5% usage rate, Banchero was still efficient, recording a PER of 14.9 and a true shooting percentage of 52.9%. Due to scoring 20+ points in 40 games this season, Banchero only trails NBA Hall-of-Fame Center Shaquille O’ Neal for the most such games (60) in Orlando Magic Franchise History.
Even though Banchero shot just 29.8% from three-point range this season, Banchero did attempt 285 shots from behind the arc, the fifth-highest total in this year’s rookie class. Behind his stellar play, Banchero was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in December, January, and February, the most in Orlando’s franchise history. While the NBA hasn’t yet announced the winners for the major regular-season awards, it’s safe to say Banchero was the NBA’s 2023 Rookie of the Year.
Most Consistent Player: SG/SF Franz Wagner
Since being drafted by the Magic with the No. 8 pick in the 2021 draft, Wagner has made a seamless transition from college to the NBA.
Courtesy of a balanced statline of 30.7 MPG, 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG on 46.8%/35.4%/86.3% splits in 79 starts, Wagner was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month in December while earning 2021-2022 All-Rookie First Team Honors. This season, Wagner has been even better, as Wagner averaged a career-high 32.8 MPG, 18.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.5 APG, and 0.9 SPG on 48.5% shooting from the field, 36.2% from downtown, and 83.9% from the charity stripe in 74 starts. As a result, Wagner made the NBA’s 2023 Rising Stars tournament alongside Banchero, and displayed his all-around skill case in Utah.
Despite posting a 23.4% usage rate (2nd in ORL), Wagner remained one of the most reliable players in Orlando and the NBA, as Wagner recorded a team-high 2,594 minutes, the 15th-most in the league. In spite of a significant workload, Wagner has missed just six games across his first two NBA seasons, and has been one of the Magic’s top players, even at just 21 years old.
Most Improved Player: PG/SG Markelle Fultz
Just fifteen months ago, Fultz was in the midst of a gloomy twelve-month recovery program in hopes to return to Orlando’s rotation after tearing his ACL versus Cleveland on January 6th, 2021. Fast forward to the present, and Fultz emerged as a true star following a career year in 2022-2023 with the Magic. In 59 starts this season, Fultz averaged 29.9 MPG, 14.1 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 5.7 APG, and 1.5 SPG on 51.4% shooting from the field, all career-bests. Likewise, Fultz began to develop a decent three-point shot, as the 2017 No. 1 draft pick shot 31.0% on 1.4 three-point attempts per game while posting a 56.4% true-shooting clip in using a new shooting form. As well as averaging the 9th-most steals in the NBA, Fultz was a disruptive defender, posting 2.1 DWS, 3.7 WS, 0.7 DBPM, and 1.2 VORP, the top marks of his six-year career. At just 24 years old, Fultz still has his best basketball ahead of him, and should continue to develop under second-year head coach Jahmal Mosley as the Magic’s lead point guard.
Biggest Disappointment: PG/SG Jalen Suggs
As indicated in last season’s edition of this article, this award isn’t an indictment on Suggs’ talent level or potential. Rather, this is formed on Suggs’ measure of production, which has underwhelmed based on his fantastic play at the University at Gonzaga that helped the Bulldogs reach the 2021 NCAA National Championship. In his lone season at Gonzaga, Suggs averaged 14.4 PPG while shooting 33.7% from three-point range on 3.5 attempts per game (ATPG). For comparison, Suggs is averaging 10.8 PPG on 26.8% shooting from downtown on 4.0 ATPG through his first two NBA seasons, including a putrid 21.4% mark on 4.1 ATPG in his rookie season. Granted, Suggs has improved to a 32.2% shooting clip on 3.8 ATPG with three-pointers this season, an encouraging sign of development for the 6’4″, 205-pound guard. In spite of the shooting improvement, Suggs went from averaging 11.8 PPG to 9.9 PPG amid the solid play by Fultz and Anthony this season. Even though Suggs has still been one of the NBA’s premier on-ball defenders 1.3 SPG, Suggs just hasn’t lived up to Orlando’s expectations.
Sixth Man of the Year: PG/SG Cole Anthony
After enduring considerable shooting inefficiency in his rookie and sophomore seasons, Anthony has become one of Orlando’s best shooters in his third NBA season. In 60 games (four starts) this season, Anthony is shooting 45.4% from the field, 36.4% from three-point range, 89.4% from the free-throw line, and 51.6% effective field-goal percentage, all career-highs. As the Magic’s primary sixth-man, Anthony has thrived, averaging 25.9 MPG, 13.0 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 3.9 APG, and 0.6 SPG. In addition, Anthony averaged 1.5 TPG and posted a 2.5 to 1 assist-to-turnover ratio after averaging 2.6 TPG and a 2.1 AST to TO ratio in 2021-2022, both career-worsts. Although Fultz is just 6’2″ and 185 pounds, the 2020 No. 15 pick has been a solid defender, as Fultz finished the season with 37 steals (0.6 SPG) and 31 blocks (0.5 BPG) while also notching 1.7 DWS, 3.8 WS, 0.5 DBPM, and 1.3 VORP, all personal-bests. Alongside Fultz (6’3″, 209 pounds), Anthony has formed a formidable backcourt duo in Orlando, one that may remain for the coming seasons. As stated by Sportrac, Anthony is set to make just $5.5 million in 2023-2024, before being eligible to accept a $7.7 million qualifying offer as a restricted free agent in 2024, making Anthony a cost-effective source of scoring from the guard position for Orlando.
Most Overlooked: PF/C Wendell Carter Jr.
Amid Banchero’s record-setting rookie season and great seasons from Wagner and Fultz, it wasn’t hard to overlook Carter Jr. this year. In spite of this, the 6’10”, 270-pound Carter Jr. was even better in his second season with the Magic following a career year in 2021-2022. In 56(53 starts), Carter Jr. averaged 29.9 MPG, a career-high 15.5 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 2.3 APG, 0.5 SPG, and 0.6 BPG while shooting 52.8% from the field, 36.0% from three-point range, and 73.8% from the free-throw line. In reference to this, Carter Jr. has continued to make a positive impact on both ends of the floor, as Carter Jr. finished this season with 2.6 OWS (2nd in ORL), 2.0 DWS (5th in ORL) and 4.6 WS (2nd in ORL), along with a PER of 17.5 (3rd in ORL) and VORP of 1.3 (T-1st in ORL). With Carter Jr. set to enter the second year of his four-year, $50 million contract signed on October 16th, 2021, the former No. 7 pick in the 2018 draft will remain a key player in the Magic’s rotation for the coming seasons.
Biggest Inspiration: SF/PF Jonathan Isaac
Similar to the Fultz, Isaac has dealt with a myriad of injuries during his time in Orlando. Most notably, Isaac tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during Orlando’s matchup versus Sacramento in the NBA Bubble on August 2nd, 2020. As a result, Isaac was sidelined for the entirety of the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 NBA seasons, and endured multiple surgical procedures on his lower body, including a surgical procedure on his right hamstring just ten months ago. For the next two and a half years, or 891 days, Isaac underwent several rehabilitation programs in preparation for a long-awaited return to the basketball court. On January 11th, Isaac made that goal become a reality, playing three games with Lakeland, Orlando’s G-league affiliate team. Just 12 days later, Isaac played in his first NBA game in over 900 days, recording ten points, three rebounds, one steal, and two blocks on 4-7 (57.1%) shooting in nine minutes to help the Magic notch a 113-98 win over the Celtics.
“There were days where I was like I don’t know if I want to keep going,” Isaac said following his 2022-2023 NBA season debut versus Boston. “But then again, I have to thank Christ. Being able to go back to my faith and say God has me on this journey for a purpose. I know that I was made to play basketball. I was made to give glory to God on this stage.”
Good Problem to Have: SF/PF Bol Bol
Succeding a rough three-year tenure in Denver, Bol was traded to Boston on January 19th, and was later sent to Orlando ahead of the 2022 NBA trade deadline on February 10th. During the 2022 offseason, the Magic signed Bol to a two-year, $4.4 million contract in hopes of furthering the 7’2″, 220-pound forward’s development. In hindsight, Orlando did just that, as Bol produced a career year and even a case as the NBA’s most-improved player in his first season with the Magic. In 69 games (33 starts) this season, Bol averaged 21.4 MPG, 9.1 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 1.2 BPG on 55.2% shooting from the field, all career-highs. Likewise, this was the first season where Bol played in more than 32 games, an encouraging sign considering his past injury history at the University of Oregon and with the Denver Nuggets (2019-2022).
Regardless of Bol’s aforementioned career resurgence, Orlando doesn’t have a glaring need in the frontcourt. Between Banchero, Wagner, Carter Jr., Isaac, and Moritz Wagner, Bol has slid down the Magic’s depth chart after seeing his play drop off from a hot start to the season. With this said, Bol is under contract with Orlando for one more year at $2.2 million, which is currently non-guaranteed until June 30th. Similar to Anthony, Bol doesn’t hold as vital of a role as Banchero, Wagner, Carter Jr., or Fultz, but would still be a solid player to have in their rotation and a below-market price tag.
Breakout of the Year: PF/C Moritz Wagner
Upon being signed by the Magic in April of 2021, Wagner wasn’t expected to play a major role in Orlando, as he joined a crowded frontcourt even before the addition of Banchero and the emergence of Carter Jr. and Bol. Once Carter Jr. and Bol struggled with their respective injuries early in the 2022-2023 season, however, Wagner received an increased role in the Magic’s lineup, as shown by his career-best statline. In 57 games (18 starts), Wagner averaged 19.5 MPG, 10.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 APG, and 0.6 SPG on 50.6% shooting from the field and 84.1% from the charity stripe. Even though Wagner averaged similar stats last season (9.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.3 SPG), Wagner has made 14 more starts than he did in 2021-2022 while playing 150+ more minutes (960 min to 1109 min). Although Wagner has still served as Orlando’s No. 4 or No. 5 option in the frontcourt, it didn’t appear that Wagner would still be rostered by an NBA team just three years ago after being cut by Washington and Boston in the same season. As a pending unrestricted free agent, it will be key for the Magic to retain Wagner this offseason, who is just 25 years old.
Veteran of the Year: PG/SG Gary Harris
As one of the youngest rosters in the NBA, Orlando has very few veterans on their roster. Coupled with an average player age of 23.1 years old (3rd lowest in NBA) and buying out swingman Terrence Ross (31) at the trade deadline, their only player over the age of 30, the Magic are nearly devoid of a veteran presence. Fortunately, the Magic still have Harris, a reliable two-way 28-year-old guard who has provided a much-needed veteran presence in Orlando for the last three seasons. Since being traded from Denver to Orlando at the 2021 trade deadline, Harris averaged 26.5 MPG, 9.9 PPG, 2.0 RPG, and 1.9 APG on 42.6% shooting from the field and 39.9% from downtown in 129 games (91 starts). Due to the emerging play of Fultz and Anthony, Harris served as an efficient secondary scorer in the backcourt, averaging 24.7 MPG and 8.3 PPG on 45.0%/43.1%/90.0% splits, all career-highs. While doing so, Harris has continued to serve as a solid mentor to Fultz, Anthony, and Suggs, all of whom are 24 years old or younger. Simply put, Harris has continued to provide efficient offense and leadership for the Magic, as shown by his two straight Veteran of the Year awards.