Which players on the Magic roster will be a part of their regular rotation, and what will their roles be?
STARTERS
PG Cole Anthony
SG Jalen Suggs
SF Franz Wagner
PF Paolo Banchero
C Wendell Carter
BENCH ROTATION
Mo Bamba
Markelle Fultz
Jonathan Isaac
Terence Ross
DEEP BENCH – VETERANS
Bol Bol
Gary Harris (injured)
Kevon Harris
Chuma Okeke
Admiral Schofield
Moritz Wagner
DEEP BENCH – DEVELOPING YOUTH
RJ Hampton
Caleb Houston
LIKELY TO BE WAIVED
Devin Cannady
Aleem Ford
Zavier Simpson
POSITION BATTLES
The Magic have some interesting choices to make. With Markelle Fultz injured, Cole Anthony will open up as the starting point guard. While it’s expected that Fultz will become the starter upon his return, Anthony could make it a difficult decision if he plays well and the team is winning. Fultz’s injury will also mean more minutes for RJ Hampton, a tenacious defender who is still only 21 years old and has shown real flashes.
Mo Bamba made huge strides last year. While Wendell Carter is still expected to start at center, Bamba could make a case for the job based on how consistently he produces and how well he complements frontcourt building blocks Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. In addition to Bamba and Carter, there are two wildcards in the picture with long injuries histories: Jonathan Isaac and Bol Bol. Isaac is probably best suited for power forward, but if he can return to form after missing the past two seasons it’s not difficult to imagine him and Banchero wreaking havoc together against some of the smaller teams in the league. Bol has yet to get much of a shot to do anything; so far he’s been an efficient scorer but surprisingly has been a defensive liability. At his size, he should be able to have more of an impact at that end of the court.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Terence Ross is a bit of a misfit, being 6 years older than any healthy player on the roster. It’s surprising that Ross wasn’t traded last year, as he’s the kind of player who could help a contender but doesn’t really make sense on a rebuilding team. It may make sense for the Magic to showcase Ross at the beginning of the year while Fultz is out and Isaac is still finding his way back, and then dealing him once his value has peaked and those other resources are back in the fold.
This is a make-or-break year for Fultz, now in year 6. In his first year as a starter with the Magic he began to show real promise. But he’s only played 26 games in the past 2 seasons and he’s never shot above 30% from three point range. With both Anthony and Hampton chomping at the bit to play and Jalen Suggs able to pull some duty at point guard as well, Fultz may find himself on a short leash once he returns from his broken toe.