When the 2022/23 season tips off next month, the Magic may be looking for instant contributions from first-year starting power forward Paolo Banchero, the top pick in the 2022 draft out of Duke, while his fellow rookie small forward Caleb Houstan, the No. 32 pick this season out of Michigan, will have more modest expectations as a rookie, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel.
Price notes that Banchero thrived in Summer League play, and, thanks to his well-rounded offensive game, is currently the preseason Rookie of the Year favorite. Houstan, meanwhile, could become a 3-and-D swingman eventually. The 6’8″ swingman could see some minutes for Orlando in the early going, especially with veteran shooting guard Gary Harris sidelined for the start of the year, but Price expects Houstan to also log some time with the Lakeland Magic, the club’s NBAGL affiliate.
There’s more out of Orlando:
- With the Magic’s training camp around the corner, Khobi Price and Rich Pope of The Orlando Sentinel (video link) break down which players have the most to gain from the preseason. Price thinks that the team’s backcourt, including key players R.J. Hampton, Cole Anthony and Jalen Suggs, could benefit from a competitive camp experience.
- Magic second-year small forward Franz Wagner enjoyed a memorable EuroBasket 2022 adventure playing for his native Germany this summer, writes Khobi Price of The Orlando Sentinel. The team fell to Spain in the semifinals, but ultimately managed to secure a bronze medal by beating Poland. Wagner averaged 15.2 PPG, 4 RPG and 1.7 APG, while connecting on 46.3% of his triples. “We played a lot of tight games,” Wagner said. “A lot of important games and games where every possession matters. That mindset should help me this next year and hopefully, I can help the team with that.. I want to continue to improve as a player. Playmaking, shooting — honestly, whatever the team needs. I just to be an impactful player on the team.”
Banchero, Wagner, Bamba is a nice young front line. Wondering what will happen to Isaac. I thought he was looking good before he got hurt. Would not mind Knicks making a play for him. First must get rid Randle of course.
Isaac and Fultz seems like two players. Magic can afford to trade.
Why y’all trying to dump Randle? He helped put the knix back on the map. One bad season cancels out the great one he had. He deserves the backing of the organization AND its fans.
Besides, the Magic ain’t trying to entertain trading away Jonathan Isaac. Wishful thinking, however, the knix should be good with who they currently have
WTF is y’all. We don’t need Randle, first off. Obi should be starting at PF, second. He’s a better fit with Jalen. We don’t need a drama Queen. Keep all that noise in Bklyn. We are in a rebuild.
And Isaac is not going to come off the bench. Magic are loaded at the 4. Plus Banchero is their star in the making. Isaac and Fultz can bring back good value. Like a SG they could really use. I do t see these two lasting the yr there.
@ knickerbockerAl You’re in a rebuild, yet you have three players on contracts over $100M… I question your basketball acumen.
Something is wrong with your brain – stop focusing solely on the knix and explore the basketball world
Buddy if you’re trying to say that the Knicks ARENT in a rebuild because they have Frenchy Fournier on a big deal than you need to reassess your own “acumen”
If you can honestly say to me that NYs ceiling this year is an 8 seed or higher than you aren’t watching the NBA. And news flash for ya, any team whos not contending… IS REBUILDING.
@waahington_bonercats Is this knickerbockerAl’s burner account? Can’t you read what I wrote?! How old are you? Eight? Stop wasting people’s time posting on this website
Y’all is southern version of You’z.
Isaac will be coming off the bench for the Magic for the foreseeable future.
Unless there is an injury to Franz/Paolo or WCJr, expect that to be his role moving forward…that has to do with health management + that Franz/Paolo are the Magic’s future with WCJr just slightly behind them.
The Magic are also not selling low on JI, there is no need for it or desire from anyone to do it.
Mo Wagner is as good of a player as Bamba is, You didn’t even mention Wendell Carter Jr., who is the best player of the entire group, outside of maybe Banchero.
Magic front court depth is nice, they have Bol Bol too.
Sucks to be stuck on the depth chart like Mo Wagner is, the Mavs should trade for the Wagner Bros. and Markelle Fultz.
Big Mo is the second coming of Dirk.
No way are they trading away Franz. He’s easily a $100M player in a few years.
Fultz and MO Wagner to the Mavs seems plausible. Tell me who they would relinquish for those two
That’s just it, Mavs have no players that really fit into the Magic’s rotations, or improve the Magic’s roster.
the Magic are really as well rounded and deep as any team in the league.
They’d have to trade picks, and that probably doesn’t interest the Magic.
So it’s a tough trade to pull off without a third team, because the Magic’s best option is to trade players and picks for a star, maybe Steph Curry, they could probably put together a package of interest for a player of Curry’s caliber.
Wagner is not a center. So we can stop this right now. You need a beginner class.
A knix fan with PLENTY of questionable statement all over this website suggests someone else needs a beginners class…
Magic aren’t trading Franz…lol
They won’t trade Moritz either as they like how he mentors Franz + they’re pretty tight and live together…he’d have to request to be moved + he’s an unrestricted free agent next summer
Jonathan Isaacs and RJ Hampton for Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jovic and a first round pick
1. Cole. Suggs. Fultz
2. Robinson. Harris. Houstan
3. Paolo. Ross. Okeke.
4. F Wagner. M Wagner. Jovic
5. Carter Jr. Bamba. Bol
Robinson replaces Harris and helps stretch the floor more plus you get a first. Then the rest of the deal is RJ for Jovic. RJ is now behind Suggs and Fultz, he needs a fresh start and Jovic has heaps of potential and adds depth.
Heat finally get a power forward and RJ is a solid addition for guard depth. Seems like he’s fit the hard working culture in Miami and if he can turn it around he’d make an awesome backcourt partner to Herro long term.
For the heat
1. Lowry. Strus. Vincent
2. Oladipo. Herro. Hampton
3. Butler. Martin
4. Isaacs. Melo. Highsmith. Haslem
5. Bam. Dedmon. Yurtseven
I’d even think about adding Melo for the bench. Zero defence but a go to scoring option off the bench. Adds depth in a key area. Would fit in the locker room and could teach the young guys a lot.
No thanks.
That Duncan Robinson contract is an abomination, even with the cap rising.
JI will play a key bench role moving forward for the Magic; 24-30 mpg spread out at the 3, 4 and 5.
Magic GM Jeff Weltman has same team building philosophy as Masai Ujiri in TOR. They are aiming for position-less bb with emphasis on defense…so there’s no way they want to pay Robinson $20m for next 3 seasons.
This year, everyone is expecting to see lineups of Franz/Paolo/JI/WCJr on the floor together.
Okeke is quietly ready Also
With Banchero and Isaac, who I expect the Magic to SLOWLY bring along, he’ll have his chances to show and prove he’s worthy of contributing
The Magic got some talent!
Let’s look at their best rotation:
(PG) Anthony/ Fultz/ Suggs
(SG) Ross/ Harris/ Hampton
(SF) Franz/ Houstan
(PF) Banchero/ Isaac/ Okeke
(C) Carter Jr/ Bamba/ Mo Wagner/ Bol
I’m convinced the Magic MUST begin to figure out which lead Guard or Point-Guard can compliment Banchero the best, along with Franz. Cole Anthony is the most natural PG on the roster, yet they may need scoring. And with all that talent in the front-court, a facilitator may work better than a score-first PG.
Also, the Magic will have options near the trade deadline. I hope they win more games than expected
Cole is a scorer. But his future is not better than Suggs. Suggs is the PG on this team. I doubt Cole would accept a backup role. I expect the Magic to make moves during season.
Cole Anthony scored more points and averaged more assists on a better FG%. Anthony also started every game he played last season. If you watch the Orlando Magic outside of the games when they play your sorry knix, you would see Anthony is the most natural PG on that team.
Get outside of your fragile knix bubble before offering up another basketball opinion. Your opinions are impossible to stomach
Fultz is the starter and best PG on the team, by a lot…Cole is a horrific defender and very inefficient and doesn’t have PG instincts. IMO he’s a 6th man type.
Suggs is also not really a PG, more in mold of a Marcus Smart type player. You can play him at PG if there’s another primary playmaker – which could eventually be Paolo or Franz, but that’s in the future…for now Fultz is by far the best starting PG option and there is no one on team even close.
Suggs is NOT the PG on this team, Fultz is the starting PG.
Suggs is a SG / secondary ball handler who can fill in at PG in same way that Marcus Smart can.
Why wouldn’t Cole accept back up role? He hasn’t done anything except put up very mediocre numbers at very poor efficiency and is a horrific defender.