To no one’s surprise, the current Orlando Magic roster has been struggling. A historically young team led by a rookie coach — albeit an exciting squad to watch — lacks the proper veteran leadership around them, leading to an inability to translate production into wins. Sitting at the bottom of the East, the Magic current record is definitely not a sight for sore eyes, coming off a 21 win season in 2020. A mix of blown leads in the third quarter, a very difficult schedule and a nasty case of the injury bug can be credited for some of these losses.
But there is an elephant in the room that needs to be addressed and the sooner it is addressed, the sooner Magic fans can have clarity on the plan for this season.
How does the return of Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac change this team’s trajectory? More importantly, how does it impact the development of young players like Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner?
Considering common injury return practice, both Fultz and Isaac should see their first on-court action coming off the bench and under a minutes restriction. This goes without saying, it likely will not impact winning ability all that much — it simply would be an opportunity for them to get their feet wet and ease their way into game speed action. The question is, where does their insertion into this lineup take place when fully healthy and cleared for heavy minutes?
Let’s take a look at possible lineups Coach Mosley might construct for this young team when the injury report is finally clear.
LINEUP 1 – Realistic Option
- PG- Markelle Fultz
- SG- Cole Anthony
- SF- Franz Wagner
- PF- Jonathan Isaac
- C- Wendell Carter Jr.
Notable Bench Unit Contributors: Jalen Suggs, RJ Hampton, Terrence Ross, Chuma Okeke, Mo Bamba
It’s no question Cole Anthony has earned a starting spot on this team. Beginning this season, Cole has averaged around 20 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists per game proving to be Orlando’s most polished and talented offensive player in every aspect. His combo-guard skill set would fit like a glove in a role alongside Fultz, as both have proven to be go-to scorers (Fultz being an elite slasher, Cole being an elite shooter/creator) and the facilitator role can be equally shared by both players. I am certain no Magic fans would be upset at this backcourt combination, as it seems to check every box at both guard positions. Fultz’ defensive prowess combined with Cole’s improved perimeter defense should be sufficient to crowd the arc. Anthony’s shooting, ability to create off the dribble and increased attention received at the half-court works wonders for Fultz, who excels at finding the open lane and finishing aggressively at the cup. A match made in heaven? I sure think so.
The concern at hand would be the benching of Jalen Suggs, the 5th overall pick in the 2021 Draft. Suggs’ full display of abilities have just recently begun to be showcased, as he recently notched 17 points in the first quarter on near perfect shooting against Brooklyn. His elite defense and winning attitude are only a few of Suggs’ extremely valued traits on this Magic team. We are also taking into account his noticeable jump shot inefficiency, as that was an area he struggled with early on in the season. Many believe Suggs is just beginning to hit his stride, so what effect might benching him while he’s gaining momentum have? To be truthful, it may just be the best thing for his young career.
Adding Suggs to the bench unit puts Orlando in such an amazing spot in terms of depth. Surrounding Jalen with shooters such as Bamba, Ross, Hampton and Okeke would give Suggs a bountiful opportunity to be a prime facilitator and find reliable shooters off of his drives. It also creates such a scary sighting for opposing bench units on the defensive end. Can you imagine giving your starters some time to rest and all the while your bench unit has to get past the defensive beast of Suggs, Okeke, and Bamba? Yikes. With all that being said, I have yet to reach the most important aspect of adding the young man to our bench: confidence. Some of the avoidable mistakes made by Suggs early on in his career have been likely due to a series of overthinking and demoralization. Having to go up against elite defenders such as Marcus Smart and Jrue Holiday can certainly be a lot to take in. While Cole and Markelle have already made that mental leap, Suggs has yet to find that comfortable groove (although he is undoubtedly been trending upward as of late). Giving Suggs the opportunity to play against inferior lineups will allow him to be a more aggressive scorer with less worry for risk. It is very rare a team keeps its elite perimeter defenders off the bench, yet it does occur occasionally (e.g. TJ McConnell, IND). It is certainly no easy road for Jalen Suggs, yet I do believe it can cause his comfort levels on an NBA court to skyrocket.
LINEUP 2 – Big Ball
- PG- Markelle Fultz
- SG- Jalen Suggs
- SF- Jonathan Isaac
- PF- Wendell Carter Jr.
- C- Mo Bamba
I know, I know. No Cole Anthony? Seriously?! Before I get into the logistics of how this lineup will function, allow me to address why Cole would come off the bench. First, the main idea of this lineup is embracing an in-your-face defensive identity and Jalen Suggs simply provides more in that arena. Second, having an uber talented, all-star scorer get his value coming off the bench is definitely not a new concept; in fact, multiple teams are succeeding from this being put in practice. Should Orlando give Cole Anthony the Tyler Herro treatment, we are looking at an elite bench mob, a starter-worthy player feasting on second units, and a 6’2.5” candidate for both Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards. While this move does not make any sense whatsoever at this specific moment—seeing as Cole is our undisputed best player available —it is certainly an option Coach Mosley should consider later on.
Another reason why this might come as a shock to some is the absence of Franz Wagner. Wagner is undoubtedly one of Orlando core pieces for this rebuild, as he’s stolen the hearts of many fans almost instantly this season. While Wagner has certainly been one of the top rookies of his class, showing flashes of potential greatness and having one of the most polished games of any rookie I have ever seen, having three big men who can cover multiple spots of the floor fits the memo of this defensive identity that’s been adopted. The Fultz-Suggs perimeter combo mixed with Isaac’s ability to cover every spot on the floor makes the task of paint protection much easier on our two young centers. It also ensures Wendell Carter Jr. continues to play in that stretch four role he’s excelled at as of recent.
At first, this lineup might turn some heads regarding its mobility, its shooting, and its spacing. However, these are quick fixes for a team as talented as the Orlando Magic at full power. Even when considering possible offensive holes, this lineup likely makes up for it on the defensive end. The extra lineup spot from the benching of Franz Wagner also allows for Mo Bamba to return to the starting five. Bamba has carried his weight on the defensive end by averaging two blocks per game and ranks top-four in the league amongst the likes of Myles Turner, Anthony Davis, and Rudy Gobert. For those who are a fan of old school run-and-gun basketball, you’d likely be very bittersweet if you get to see this lineup in action.
While shooting is not the strong suit of Suggs and Fultz, their complimentary big men stretching the floor allow for less paint presence and more opportunities to showcase their aggression and finishing ability. A large part of constructing this lineup was Fultz’ outstanding aggression. His finishing ability and playmaking in traffic are top of his class and personally I see Suggs being cut from the same cloth. Combine these ultra valuable instincts from both your guards with a cutting Jonathan Isaac and it will be beautiful basketball to watch. Seeing such a complimentary play-style between the frontcourt and backcourt would leave opposing teams mesmerized when drawing up defensive schemes. How often do you have to worry about 3 big fellas raining triples, all the while dealing with 2 extremely explosive young guards who can finish through contact and make pinpoint passes on the fly? Add in the fact that you have Cole Anthony to worry about on the bench unit? Once again, a truly scary sighting that must be.
LINEUP 3 – Small Ball
- PG- Markelle Fultz
- SG- Cole Anthony
- SF- Jalen Suggs
- PF- Franz Wagner
- C- Jonathan Isaac
At the league’s current state, this lineup does not stand out as much as you think it would. If 6’5” PJ Tucker and guard Talen Horton-Tucker can log heavy minutes at the Power Forward position, there’s no doubt in my mind this is a viable option. We would likely see a zone defense from this squad, as it’s quick close outs and constant switching minimize mismatches at the 3 and 5. Offensively, we could see a much quicker pace that’s on brand with Mosley’s coaching style of pace-space-pass. The most ideal situation would be to either run effective high pick and rolls between Markelle and Isaac or to utilize this small ball to get a mismatch on Cole Anthony and allow him to take advantage of a slower defender.
At full power, do not be surprised if you see a mix of these lineups ran multiple times this year. With a team so talented and so versatile, there simply are so many options Coach Mosley can roll with. I cannot imagine he sticks with one singular starting group once the injured are fully recovered. It’ll likely take some experimenting, however there’s simply too much talent all across the board to just settle.
For the team, how would the returns truly affect our season outcome? There’s no doubt in mind that a fully healthy Isaac and Fultz would result in more wins for this team. The question is, do these wins change the team’s plan? We’re now a quarter of the way into the regular season and signs are all pointing to another year in the lottery. However, if Fultz and Isaac make a return near Christmas/New Years, do we aim higher? While remaining certain the front office has a timetable and plan set for Isaac and Fultz’ return, the lack of information the fans are provided with leaves us only speculation. Perhaps by the trade deadline, we’ll have made some ideal moves to rid ourselves of large contracts and bring in contributing veterans, which can be tidal-turning to our team’s direction.
For now, our only option is to wait.
While trying not to be too overly optimistic, I truly believe a team with a breakout star in Markelle Fultz, a potential All-Star in Cole Anthony, a Defensive Player of the Year candidate in Jonathan Isaac, one of the best rim protectors in the league in Mo Bamba and two of the best rookies in this class in Suggs and Wagner this Magic team is going to shake this league up in the near future. The best is yet to come, Magic fans and the O-Zone is the limit for this talented young team.
