- The Orlando Magic won 34 games last season, missing the playoffs for the third consecutive season
- Paolo Banchero won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2022-23, becoming the first Magic player since Mike Miller in 2001 to win the award
- The Magic project to have a talented, young starting lineup in 2023-24
The Orlando Magic went 34-48 last season, finishing in 13th place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Magic haven’t made the postseason since 2020 when Nikola Vucevic, Evan Fournier, Terrence Ross, and Aaron Gordon were still on the team.
Despite missing the playoffs last season, the Magic finally have a franchise player in the post-Dwight Howard era. Paolo Banchero had a terrific rookie season and Orlando’s front office has surrounded the budding star with a solid supporting cast.
The Magic project to have a talented, young starting lineup in 2023-24. Let’s take a look at who head coach Jamahl Mosley will be starting games with next season.
Point Guards
Starter: Anthony Black
Reserves: Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony
The Magic drafted Anthony Black with the sixth overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft out of Arkansas. The youngster averaged 12.8 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.9 assists in 36 college games while shooting 45.3% from the field, 30.1% from beyond the arc, and 70.5% from the free-throw line.
Black is a strong on-ball defender and a willing passer. The 19-year-old is a point guard with the body of a forward, enabling him to work over and around defenders with ease. In college, Black was a good finisher at the rim and he shined operating as a playmaker in pick-and-roll sets.
The Magic believe they have a franchise point guard in Black. Only time will tell if that is the case.
Shooting Guards
Starter: Gary Harris
Reserve: Jalen Suggs
Gary Harris appeared in 48 games for the Magic last season. He averaged 8.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 45.0% from the field, 43.1% from 3, and 90.0% from the foul line. Despite playing in only 48 games, Harris was second on the team in 3-point field goals (94).
The Magic acquired Harris from the Denver Nuggets in March 2021. The Michigan State product is averaging 9.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 129 games with Orlando.
Harris signed a two-year, $26 million extension with the Magic in June 2022. He holds career averages of 11.5 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 516 games with the Nuggets and Magic.
Small Forwards
Starter: Franz Wagner
Reserves: Joe Ingles, Jett Howard
Franz Wagner averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.5 assists for the Magic last season while shooting 48.5% from the field, 36.1% from beyond the arc, and 84.2% from the free-throw line. He is a rising star in the NBA who scored 34 points versus the Toronto Raptors last season in December while shooting 12-of-15 overall.
The 22-year-old Wagner has career averages of 16.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists. The Magic believe the Berlin native has All-Star potential written all over him.
Wagner is believed to be a young player the Memphis Grizzlies targeted in recent months, according to NBA insider Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. However, the Magic have never made Wagner available in trade talks, which is clearly the smart move.
Power Forwards
Starter: Paolo Banchero
Reserve: Jonathan Isaac
Paolo Banchero had a special rookie season for the Magic. He averaged 20.0 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 72 games while shooting 42.7% from the floor, 29.8% from beyond the arc, and 73.8% from the free-throw line.
The 20-year-old Banchero had 14 double-doubles as a rookie. His best game of the 2022-23 season came on November 5 versus the Sacramento Kings. Banchero finished with 33 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 14-of-26 from the field.
Only three players in Magic franchise history have won the Rookie of the Year Award: Shaquille O’Neal, Mike Miller, and Banchero. Orlando has found its next franchise player in the post-Dwight Howard era. It will be interesting to see if Banchero can win a championship with the Magic, something Howard and O’Neal weren’t able to accomplish.
Centers
Starter: Wendell Carter Jr.
Reserve: Moritz Wagner
Wendell Carter Jr. played in 57 games for the Magic last season. The former Chicago Bulls center averaged a career-high 15.2 points. Carter Jr. also averaged 8.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 52.5% from the field, 35.6% from beyond the arc and 73.8% from the free-throw line. The 24-year-old recorded 21 double-doubles.
The Magic acquired Carter Jr. from the Bulls in the blockbuster Nikola Vucevic trade in March 2021. Carter Jr. is averaging 14.6 points, 9.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 141 games with Orlando.
The Magic signed Carter Jr. to a four-year, $50 million extension in October 2021. The Duke product has career averages of 12.9 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 260 games with the Bulls and Magic.
