Preseason odds had the Orlando Magic projected to finish third in the Eastern Conference. However, through three games, the Magic have just one win, which came in the season opener against the Miami Heat.
Since then, they’ve dropped three straight games to the Atlanta Hawks, the Chicago Bulls, and the Philadelphia 76ers, with the last two losses by double digits. In a season with sky-high expectations, what has gone wrong so far in Orlando?
Will Paolo Banchero figure things out?
Though Banchero was better against the 76ers, it hasn’t been a great start to the season for him. Through four games, he is averaging 22.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 39.4% from the floor. He’s shot the ball terribly, but his shot diet is improving, which should provide Magic fans with some hope.
Last year, he averaged 5.3 shots per game in the restricted area and 8.6 short and long mid-range shots per game. Through four games this year, he’s averaging 7.3 shots in the restricted area and 6.5 short and long mid-range shots.
It’s a small improvement, but Banchero doesn’t need to completely eliminate the mid-range shot from his game. He’s also struggled to get those mid-range shots to fall, which won’t continue. The scoring will be just fine.
When will Desmond Bane step up?
Orlando took a swing this summer by dealing Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cole Anthony, four first-round picks, and a pick swap to bring Desmond Bane. Last season, Bane hit 2.4 3-pointers per game, and the year before that, he averaged 3.3 3-pointers per game. Bane had been a strong, reliable guard for the Memphis Grizzlies for the last four seasons, but his first four games in Orlando have been underwhelming.
He’s averaging 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.5 3-pointers through the first four games of the year. Bane is obviously a high-level player, but it is his floor-spacing ability that makes him seemingly such a great fit. Last season, the Magic were last in the league in both 3-point makes and 3-point percentage and 23rd in 3-point attempts.
So far this year, they are last in both 3-point makes and attempts and 29th in 3-point percentage. Bane isn’t going to turn the Magic into one of the best shooting teams in the league, but he’s going to need to be better. That will take time. As the Magic play more games together, they’ll figure out how to get Bane more looks.
How has Jalen Suggs’ health impacted the team?
In March, Jalen Suggs underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove a cartilage fragment in his left knee, which ended his season early. His status entering this season was uncertain, but he was available to play in the season opener, although head coach Jamahl Mosley has limited his minutes.
Through three games, Suggs is averaging 12.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.0 3-pointers in 18.7 minutes per game. He also didn’t play in the second leg of Orlando’s back-to-back.
It’s unclear how much longer Suggs’ workload will be managed, but he is integral to the Magic’s success, especially on the defensive end. Last season, only the Thunder had a better defensive rating than the Magic. So far this season, Orlando has the 16th-best defensive rating.
It’s a small sample size, and Suggs only played 35 games last season, so they’ve been successful on that end without him. However, they need to return to playing elite defense to shrug off this slow start, and having Suggs on the floor will help with that.
It’s only four games into the season. The Magic have plenty of time to figure things out and get ready to make some noise in the East. However, they need to start playing the elite defense that they’ve been capable of in the last few seasons to return to a contending status.
The offense will improve as this roster continues to gel. Orlando will look to right the ship in Detroit on Wednesday night.
