Magic Draft 'Only Brought More Options' & Questions in Orlando
ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic have a chance to go to the next level next season.
But if the young ascending roster is going to take that step, it won't come without answering some tough questions, the biggest of which being what they'll do with their crowded backcourt. Bleacher Report picked one tough question for each team, with Orlando's being who will start in its backcourt.
"The 2023 draft only brought more options, as Orlando selected Anthony Black No. 6 overall and then nabbed Jett Howard at No. 11. While Markelle Fultz started all 60 of his games at point guard last season, Black could push him for the job this year," Bleacher Report writes. "Jalen Suggs and Cole Anthony have previously bounced in and out of the starting lineup and are still both 23 or younger. Veteran Gary Harris was a starter in 42 of his 48 games as well."
Markelle Fultz not being one of the Magic's two starting guards would be a surprise. The seventh-year guard averaged a career-best 14 points and 5.7 assists per game last season.
That leaves one more spot for someone to start alongside Fultz.
Gary Harris, Jalen Suggs, Cole Anthony and Orlando's rookie guards, Anthony Black and Jett Howard, each present different skill sets.
Harris and Howard are the best 3-point shooters among Orlando's guards. Anthony can also from beyond the arc after shooting a career-best 36.4 percent from three and 45.4 percent from the field in 2023.
Suggs and Black aren't as good of shooters as the aforementioned guards, but they would bring more playmaking and defensive versatility to Orlando's starting lineup.
The Magic's depth in the backcourt is a good problem to have, and head coach Jamahl Mosley can go in many directions with the different skill sets at his disposal. Between six guards competing for two spots, it wouldn't be surprising to see the competition go early into the season, and Mosley tries different lineups until he finds the right fit.
But if Orlando is going improve from a fringe playoff team to a contender next season, they'll need more than its two starters in the backcourt to step up.
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