The Orlando Magic’s biggest offensive headache is still staring them in the face: 3-point shooting.
That’s been the story for years, and it didn’t change much last season. Orlando climbed out of the bottom third in offensive efficiency, but the long ball was still a drag, with the team finishing 27th in 3-point percentage.
For a group trying to take the next step in the East, that’s not a small issue. It’s the issue.
The offseason brought one major change, with Sean Sweeney taking over as head coach, but that alone doesn’t erase the spacing concerns. Desmond Bane was the only player on the roster to shoot better than 35 percent from deep on more than five attempts, and Orlando didn’t add anyone else who hit that mark over the course of the full season.
There is at least some hope built into the roster. A healthy season could help, and the Magic do have shooters who can matter if the offense puts them in better positions.
Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero aren’t close to elite from 3-point range, but they can still bend defenses with their drives. Jalen Suggs, meanwhile, is taking plenty of threes - 6.3 attempts per game - even though he’s under 34 percent from there.
That’s part of the problem Orlando has lived with for a while. The team keeps trying to patch the issue by adding shooting help, but those pieces haven’t always translated once they arrive.
Last season, the Magic shot 46.4 percent from the field as a team, which ranked in the bottom half of the league. One panelist pointed out that if Orlando can bump that number by 2-3 points, it could become one of the best teams in the league.
The new coaching staff may matter more than another roster tweak. One view from the panel was that Sweeney’s system could be the key to creating higher-percentage looks, which might be more important than simply swapping players in and out. Another note was that Orlando’s shot profile was part of the issue last season, with its most inefficient shooters - Suggs, Anthony Black and Wendell Carter - taking a heavy share of the 3-point attempts.
There’s also a belief that the roster has more shooting in it than the numbers showed. Desmond Bane and Tristan da Silva were cited as proven shooters, while Jett Howard, Anthony Black and Noah Penda were mentioned as players who could improve. One projection had Orlando moving into the top 20 in 3-point percentage after finishing 27th last season.
The healthy version of this team is what keeps the conversation interesting. With Paolo and Franz expected to be the main drivers in the paint, the spacing picture depends on the rest of the group doing its job: Bane, Suggs, Black, Wendell, da Silva, Penda, Jase, Jevon and the return of Vooch. If Sweeney can sort out who is creating the shots, who is taking them, how they’re being taken and where they’re coming from, the ceiling changes.
That’s the swing factor here. Orlando has been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league for most of the last 10 seasons, and the summer didn’t directly solve that. But with a healthy roster, a new coach and a few shooters who might benefit from better structure, there’s at least a path to something better.
Still, the bottom line hasn’t moved much. The Magic can be competitive. They just won’t break through until this problem gets fixed, and fixed in a big way.
In Other News...
One Magic Offseason Move Changes Everything About This Team
The Magics offseason has already taken on a very different look, with the front office re-signing Jevon Carter, trimming salary by cutting Jonathan Isaac and bringing Nikola Vucevic back on a one-year deal. Those moves alone would have been enough to signal a reset of sorts, but the biggest shift in Orlando has come on the sideline, where a new head coach is now tasked with steering a roster that has spent the last few seasons trying to turn regular-season progress into something more lasting.
Orlando has reached the playoffs in each of the last three years, yet the next step has remained elusive, and that is what makes this summer feel so consequential. Sean Sweeney arrives with a long assistant background and a fresh opportunity to shape the teams identity, and the pressure is clear: the Magic are not just looking for another postseason appearance, they are looking for the kind of breakthrough that changes how this group is viewed. [Read more 🡒]
Former NBA Guard Just Put Real Faith In The Magic
Jason Williams is making an eyebrow-raising call on the upcoming Eastern Conference race, and he is backing the Magic over a Philadelphia team that suddenly looks loaded on paper. On his podcast, the former Miami Heat guard said he believes Orlando will finish higher than the 76ers, a stance that stands out even more given the way Philadelphia has reshaped its roster and entered the season as a title-level threat.
Williams did not leave much room for hedging, either. He attached a personal wager to the prediction, saying he would shave off his left eyebrow if the 76ers end up finishing ahead of Orlando, turning a regular standings debate into a very public test of confidence in the Magic. [Read more 🡒]
Magic-Owned Squeeze Face Huge Disney Test After Risky Roster Reset
A promotional doubles match at Walt Disney World Resort put Anna Leigh Waters in the spotlight alongside Minnie Mouse, with Jack Sock and Goofy on the other side at the State Farm Field House. The exhibition was a fun lead-in to the final week of the Major League Pickleball regular season, where 20 teams are fighting for 12 playoff spots and Waters New Jersey 5s have already secured their place.
For the Orlando Squeeze, the timing makes the Disney backdrop feel a little sharper. Socks team enters the last week just outside the cut line after a strong start gave way to a rougher stretch, and the margin is tight enough that every event point now matters. Orlando still has a path, but with the postseason picture closing fast, the pressure around its final push is very real. [Read more 🡒]