The Orlando Magic are on their way to becoming an Eastern Conference contender. That is not an easy journey to make, even if the East is still considered the weaker conference in the league. The top should be incredibly strong if the major players are healthy and the Magic will have a small margin of error on their way to securing another playoff spot.
Orlando is entering the season with a talented roster and a bright future but there are still notable concerns about the team’s ability to produce offensively. One thing the team seemed to need most was someone to help with the playmaking load. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner are carrying most of the responsibilities in that department and need some help.
The Magic made the bold choice to not address this issue during the summer and rely on internal improvements from their guards. It is risky but could still end up working.
The Magic’s guards can still prove the concern about the Magic’s playmaking unfounded
Since letting go of Markelle Fultz in free agency, the Magic do not have a traditional point guard who will play a huge role in the rotation. If Cory Joseph plays significant minutes, it is a sign that the Magic’s plan is not working out.
Rather, they will have Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony, and probably Anthony Black filling the point guard spots. So far, none of them have established themselves as particularly impressive playmakers at the NBA level but there are reasons for that.
Black only played little in his first NBA season and was not put in a position to make many plays. Suggs just played his first healthy season and has not been asked to create much since Paolo Banchero joined the team. Anthony’s assist numbers have been dropping consistently but so has his playing time with the Magic, as he moved to a bench role in the 2022-23 season.
So, there is still a chance that the Magic’s guard can step up as playmakers and help improve the team’s offense without having to make a big trade halfway through the season.
Suggs already took a massive step forward last season, adding a 3-point shot to his arsenal and upping his scoring. The next logical step for him would be to become a better playmaker and he had an entire offseason to prepare for his new role. He may not turn into Chris Paul over just one summer but he should be better than he has been so far in his career.
Suggs is the most important one out of this group of guards. If he can take significant steps as a playmaker, it will go a long way for the Magic’s ability to be a two-way team. A lot hinges on his development.
But the Magic will also need better playmaking off the bench, especially since Joe Ingles signed with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Anthony Black is the biggest variable in that equation. At this point, we know pretty much who Cole Anthony is as an NBA player. He is capable of dishing out some assists but is a scoring guard more than anything. Black, on the other hand, is still somewhat of a mystery.
The Magic already know that he is a big, defensive-minded guard. If they can develop him into a good playmaker and passer, he will quickly grow into one of the franchise’s centerpieces.
He and Suggs have the biggest potential to grow as playmakers and can still prove the concern about the Magic’s offensive creation wrong. Nevertheless, we should keep in mind that this is not guaranteed and the Magic do not have forever to figure out how to address the playmaking issue.
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