Magic Rookie Caleb Houstan 'Most Promising G League Prospect' in Lakeland

Caleb Houstan is averaging four points per game as a rookie for the Orlando Magic this season. But his impact goes beyond the box score.

Jeremy Brener | Feb 4, 2023

Magic Rookie Caleb Houstan 'Most Promising G League Prospect' in Lakeland /

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Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - While the Orlando Magic rookie class has been headlined by No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, the other half of the draft picks has been carving out a lane of his own.

Caleb Houstan, the No. 32 pick from this year's draft, has played 30 games for the Magic this season, but hasn't played for Orlando since Jan. 10.

Houstan was named the Magic's top G League prospect, according to Bleacher Report.

"The obvious appeal to Houstan will always stem from his 6'8" size and shot-making," Bleacher Report writes. "He's already made 28 NBA threes at a respectable 36.4 percent clip. But with Jonathan Isaac back following a lengthy recovery from a torn ACL, the rookie can focus on improving his spot-up drives and finishes and experimenting more off the dribble in the G League."

In seven games with Lakeland, Houstan is averaging 16.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 28.4 minutes while shooting 41.1 percent from the floor and 31.1 percent at a high clip.

It's been a challenging year for Houstan as a rookie, but head coach Jamahl Mosley sees the work he has been putting in.

"He is so professional, he is about all of the right things," Mosley said earlier in the season. "He's the first one in, last one out. He works on our days off. He's taking all of this in stride and he understands what it's like to be a rookie in this league."

With the trade deadline fast approaching, it's possible some minutes could open up for Houstan to return to the league and begin contributing for the big ball club again.

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Published Feb 4, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.