Cole Anthony #50 of the Orlando Magic handles the ball against the New York Knicks (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)
The Orlando Magic are not off to a particularly good start this season. They are 3-9 through 12 games, already giving themselves a hill to climb over to try and get back to the postseason.
The struggles of the Magic aren’t particularly surprising. Orlando is a very young team with a new head coach, and the team’s development trajectory appears to trail behind some other teams in the midst of rebuilds in the conference (like the Cleveland Cavaliers, for example).
It’s early in the season, so the dreams of making the playoffs haven’t been wiped away yet. However, where Magic fans should really focus their energy is the positive developments from some of the team’s young players, some of whom are off to surprisingly hot starts, despite the larger struggles of the team.
Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season
The team has been getting contributions across the board from several players who are still in the first few seasons of their careers. If the hot starts keep up, the Magic may be looking at some core players for its next big run.
One player who didn’t crack this list is rookie Jalen Suggs, which is not to say he’s off to a bad start. The Gonzaga hero is averaging a solid 11.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. All things considered, he looks like a worthy lottery selection in the draft. However, he has struggled to shoot efficiently (30.6 percent overall, 20.6 percent from three) and has turned the ball over 3.5 times per game. He’ll need to work on that throughout the season.
Here are four players off to a hot start for the Magic.
Magic aren’t particularly surprising. Orlando is a very young team with a new head coach, and the team’s development trajectory appears to trail behind some other teams in the midst of rebuilds in the conference (like the Cleveland Cavaliers, for example).</p>
<p>It’s early in the season, so the dreams of making the playoffs haven’t been wiped away yet. However, where Magic fans should really focus their energy is the positive developments from some of the team’s young players, some of whom are off to surprisingly hot starts, despite the larger struggles of the team.</p>
<h2>Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season</h2>
<p>The team has been getting contributions across the board from several players who are still in the first few seasons of their careers. If the hot starts keep up, the Magic may be looking at some core players for its next big run.</p>
<p>One player who didn’t crack this list is rookie Jalen Suggs, which is not to say he’s off to a bad start. The Gonzaga hero is averaging a solid 11.6 points and 3.6 assists per game. All things considered, he looks like a worthy lottery selection in the draft. However, he has struggled to shoot efficiently (30.6 percent overall, 20.6 percent from three) and has turned the ball over 3.5 times per game. He’ll need to work on that throughout the season.</p>
<p>Here are four players off to a hot start for the Magic.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Mo Bamba #5 of the Orlando Magic reacts to a three-point shot during the game against the New York Knicks (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season: 4. Mo Bamba</h2>
<p>The Mo Bamba breakout has been years in the making. The fourth-year center appears ready to finally make good on his 2018 lottery selection.</p>
<p>Bamba is already being entrusted with a bigger role than ever before, starting the first 12 games of the season, six more than he had cumulatively started in his first three years. What’s more, Bamba is averaging a career-high 11.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.</p>
<p>He has also been one of the top swatters in the league. He’s averaging 2.2 blocks per game, good for fourth in the NBA. He’s on pace for almost 200 blocks this season, despite never recording even 100 for a full season yet.</p>
<p>One of the biggest improvements Bamba has made is shooting from 3-to-10 feet. While he only attempts 17.1 percent of his shots from that distance, he’s hitting 55.8 percent of them. He’s never hit more than 46 percent for a season and made less than 30 percent in each of his first two seasons.</p>
<p>The big man needs to be in better control of the ball, though. His 1.7 turnovers per game are the most of his career, and he’s already committed 12 bad passes, matching a season-high for him.</p>
<p>Despite this, Bamba is having the best year of his career so far, and the Magic hope he can keep it up and be a long-term part of their future.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<img class="size-full wp-image-437479" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1349581340.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1349581340.jpeg 3200w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1349581340-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Franz Wagner #22 of the Orlando Magic reacts the New York Knicks (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season: 3. Franz Wagner</h2>
<p>It’s been a rookie season to remember for Franz Wagner so far. Not only does he get to play alongside his brother, but he’s already popping off and proving to be a real long-term factor for this franchise.</p>
<p>Through the first 12 games of his career, Wagner is averaging 13.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game. As expected, he’s quickly shown to be adept from three-point range, hitting 36.2 percent of his attempts.</p>
<p>A hidden asset of Wagner’s game is his ability to protect the ball, not always an easy thing for a rookie. Wagner was averaging 0.8 turnovers per game prior to Wednesday, which results in a 6.3 turnover percentage that ranked 15th in the NBA.</p>
<p>Wagner also appears to be a big believer in the idea that a long-range two-pointer is a bad shot. Through 12 games, Wagner hasn’t hit a single field goal from 16-to-30 feet. He probably could, but he hasn’t even attempted one.</p>
<p>For what it’s worth, Moritz Wagner – Franz’s brother – is averaging 4.7 points in 11.0 minutes per contest off the bench. Bragging rights currently reside with the younger brother.</p>
<p>Soon, Franz Wagner may provide the Orlando Magic with bragging rights about the best young roster in the Eastern Conference, so long as a rookie wall doesn’t hit him.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<img class="wp-image-436498 size-full" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1067,w_1600/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1345395929.jpeg" alt="Orlando Magic" width="1600" height="1067" srcset="https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1345395929.jpeg 1600w, https://hoopshabit.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/1345395929-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic drives against Josh Hart #3 of the New Orleans Pelicans (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season: 2. Wendell Carter Jr.</h2>
<p>With Mo Bamba in the midst of a breakout, Wendell Carter Jr. is playing power forward as his primary position for the first time. So far, things seem to be working out well for the young big man.</p>
<p>In his first full season in Orlando, Carter is averaging 13.3 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, both signifying the best averages of his young career. He’s also slowly showing a better ability to pass, averaging 2.4 assists per contest.</p>
<p>Importantly, this is the first year Carter has shown an ability to step back and stroke it from three. His 3.8 attempts from three per game are easily a career-high, while his 6.7 attempts from two are a career-low. He’s hitting those threes at a 40 percent rate, too.</p>
<p>Carter is also dominating the offensive boards. He has 29 offensive rebounds so far this season, ranking 16th in the NBA. His offensive rebound percentage is 9.3 percent, which also ranks in the top 20. Even is defensive rebounding percentage and total rebound percentage rank top-20 in the NBA.</p>
<p>The Magic look brilliant for signing the 22-year-old to a <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/10/18/orlando-magic-nailed-wendell-carter-jr/">four-year, $50 million extension</a> despite him having never played a full season for the franchise. The early returns this season show the front office made a shrewd move in locking up the big man.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Cole Anthony #50 of the Orlando Magic reacts in the first half against the New York Knicks (Photo by Steven Ryan/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Key players off to a hot start for the Orlando Magic this season: 1. Cole Anthony</h2>
<p>Who else? Cole Anthony, a second-year point guard, is not only off to a hot start, but he’s separating himself as a contender for Most Improved Player.</p>
<p>Anthony has been on fire to start the season, averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game. He’s hitting 44 percent of his shots, including 39.1 percent of his attempts from three.</p>
<p>The Magic have been pushing Anthony hard, putting him on the court for 33.9 minutes per game. The point guard is running with that trust straight towards success.</p>
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<p>Despite the bigger role he’s playing, Anthony hasn’t seen a significant uptick in turnovers, which sometimes goes hand-in-hand with a major role for a developing guard. His 2.8 turnovers per game aren’t terrible, especially when compared to his 2.3 turnovers per game as a rookie.</p>
<p>One area that isn’t looked at often is Anthony’s ability to disrupt opponents by drawing fouls on the offensive end. The point guard has drawn seven offensive fouls this season, which leads the team.</p>
<p>Will Anthony be able to keep it up? He had one of his worst games of the season in Wednesday night’s blowout loss to the Brooklyn Nets, scoring just 10 points and having a season-low -23 plus/minus.</p>
<p>Bad games are to be expected occasionally, though. For the Orlando Magic, the hot start of Cole Anthony being a sign of things to come is all they can dream about.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Jalen Suggs was always going to struggle" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/09/orlando-magic-suggs-struggle/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#222423" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/12/orlando-magic-key-players-hot/"https://hoopshabit.com/2021/11/09/orlando-magic-suggs-struggle/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Jalen Suggs was always going to struggle </a> </div>
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