When the Magic kicked off the 2025-26 season, expectations were extremely high. The offense looked electric in the preseason. The Magic finally added key pieces that were expected to help with the shooting woes that have affected the Magic for years.  The belief for all Magic fans was for the team to hit the ground running, especially with three home games to start the new season. 

But here we are: 1–2 through three games. That kind of start stings, especially for a team with deep playoff aspirations.  Let’s also remember opening night: a narrow win over the Miami Heat — if they had lost that, the Magic would be 0-3 instead of 1-2. That’s a sobering thought and underlines how thin the margin has been.

Current Issues: Turnovers, Free Throws & 3-Point Shooting Woes

The numbers are telling:

  • Over the first three games, the Magic have turned the ball over 19 times per game.  They are averaging more turnovers the assists so far.
  • 3-point shooting: The team is shooting 28.2% from behind the arc.  
  • Free-throw percentage: 76.2% (80 of 105 attempts).  They missed 13 free throws on a four-point loss against the Hawks on Friday night.

Coach Mosley acknowledged the turnover issue directly: “When you turn the ball over, it just gives teams a chance to get layups, open threes, dunks, and just things that take energy away from you…”  Mosley also took aim at the 3-point shooting:  “Gotta go back and look at them and see if we’re getting the right ones. I think that’s a big portion of it.” 

These stats tell a story: The Magic are giving up too many extra opportunities (via turnovers) and failing to convert the big ones themselves (3-point makes and free throws).

Offense: Incredible Preseason  to  Regular-Season Reality

In the preseason, the Magic’s offense looked fluid: incredible balll movement, great spacing, and lots of good open looks. But at the moment, something feels off: The team seems way more iso-heavy, we are seeing fewer kick-outs, and less rhythm overall. Whether that’s chemistry, scheme, or confidence, it’s a concern.

Personnel Questions: Jones, Bane, Isaac, Carter Jr.

Tyus Jones and Desmond Bane were roster additions expected to help with three-point shooting and spacing. However, Jones is off to a really poor start to the season, averaging just 1.3 points per game, shooting 15.4% from the field (0 of 7 from three) in 19 minutes per game.  

Bane is averaging 17.3 points per game, shooting 43.2% from the field but a surprisingly low 26.7% from three (4 of 15).  He has not been playing poorly by any means, but the three-point efficiency is underwhelming given that he is a career 40.9% shooter. The spacing and shooting that we expected these guys to provide are simply not there just yet.

Jonathan Isaac was supposed to have a key role off the bench — his defensive versatility and length seemed like an important piece. But so far, he has barely played at all: he’s averaged 4.3 minutes per game across 3 contests, scoring 0.7 points per game.   Why is that? Likely a combination of fit, offensive limitations, and the staff opting for other bench rotations. As fans, we hoped for more early contributions.

Wendell Carter Jr.: He looked extremely impressive in preseason on the offensive end, but so far, his offensive role has reverted to last season. Wendell is averaging 9.0 points per game on 31.3% shooting from the field (1.7 of 5.3 per game) and only shooting 25% from behind the arc.   That’s well below expectations.

Paolo Banchero: Through three games, he is averaging 19.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, but he is only shooting 34.0% from the field and 16.7% from behind the arc.   We all know the ability is there, so the question becomes: how quickly can he regain pre-season rhythm?

Why There’s Reason to Believe

Let’s not throw in the towel. There are some reasons for optimism.

The Magic have the talent, and there is no doubt that they will figure it out.  Preseason gave us a preview of what the offense can look like when it is clicking, and that gives a blueprint, not just hope.  

These early games are often where chemistry and roles are still being defined. There’s also optimism about the way that Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva have been playing off the bench.  In a long season, those two guys will be relied upon to help the starters. 

The front office and coaching staff clearly believe this is a team that is built not just for the regular season but for a deep playoff run. We have time to figure it out.

The keys now: integrate Jones & Bane more, restore the ball movement and spacing that made the offense look so good in preseason, reduce turnovers (and thus extra opportunities for opponents), and start converting more of the open looks from three and better free-throw performance.

Final Word

Magic fans — yes, this 1-2 start stings. Especially when you remember how close that opener was to being a loss, add in the turnover and three-point issues, and the uneasy feeling that the offense isn’t quite clicking. But the flip side: this team is still loaded with talent, the blueprint is there for what they can be, and they have runway.

If they can clean up the self-inflicted issues (turnovers, bad 3-point shooting, free-throw misses), if the offense can regain its preseason flow, and if the new/returning pieces find their rhythm, this start won’t matter come April or May.

Let’s stay patient, stay invested, and enjoy the ride. The next handful of games will tell a lot. As fans, we need to understand the regular season is a long journey  — now let’s watch these guys figure it out.