Magic Struggling to Overcome Historic 3-Point Shooting Woes

More than halfway through the regular season, the Orlando Magic are getting enough open looks but are making three-pointers at a historically low percentage. "Just mathematically, it's really hard to win the game," says Paolo Banchero.
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half at TD Garden.
Orlando Magic guard Cole Anthony (50) shoots the ball over Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the first half at TD Garden. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
In this story:

BOSTON — Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley, asked Friday night about his team's historically poor three-point shooting, spent seven seconds searching for an answer.

"Gotta go back and look at them and see if we're getting the right ones," the fourth-year coach said. "I think that's a big portion of it."

This season, Mosley has maintained that his offense is executing the smart play: forcing defenses to collapse on the drive, then making the extra pass for an open three-point shot.

He's right. The numbers back him up. The Magic are attempting 20.2 wide-open threes a game — ninth-best in the NBA. The league defines these chances as attempts with the closest defender more than six feet away from the shooter. On top of that, the Magic are shooting 14.1 "open" threes a game, where the closest defender is between four and six feet away from the shooter.

"We gotta keep continuing to make the right play," Mosley said. "I'm never discouraged when we're getting the right looks."

The problem is, the Magic aren't capitalizing on those good looks — only 33 percent on wide-open attempts and 29.1 percent on the open ones. Those percentages check in last and next-to-last, respectively.

After missing 27 of 32 three-point shots Friday in a 27-point loss at Boston, the Magic's three-point percentage is 30.4% — almost three percentage points behind the next-worst team (Washington).

"I mean it's almost impossible [to overcome] when you hit five threes and they hit 17," third-year pro Paolo Banchero said Friday. "Just mathematically, it's really hard to win the game."

"It's going to be hard to win games as a team, especially when we're shooting 15 percent from the three-point line," Cole Anthony said.

The last team to shoot a lower percentage from three was the Charlotte Bobcats, who made 29.5% in the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season. Charlotte won just seven of 66 games that year.

Keep in mind that those Hornets took only 13.5 threes a game — before long-range shots became anywhere from one-third to one-half of NBA teams' field goal attempts.

In Orlando's 36 years of existence, only the first Magic team — in 1989-90 — has hit a smaller percentage of their threes (29.5%).

Back to the 2024-25 squad, nine Magic players are attempting at least two threes a game and making less than 32 percent for the year:

  • Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: 31.7% on 4.9 attempts/game
  • Jalen Suggs: 31.2% on 7.0 attempts/game
  • Tristan da Silva: 30.9% on 3.9 attempts/game
  • Jett Howard: 30.7% on 3.1 attempts/game
  • Caleb Houstan: 30.7% on 2.5 attempts/game
  • Cole Anthony: 30.3% on 3.0 attempts/game
  • Jonathan Isaac: 24.7% on 2.6 attempts/game
  • Anthony Black: 23.9% on 2.4 attempts/game
  • Wendell Carter Jr.: 20.3% on 2.3 attempts/game

There's further context regarding players not in that list that's worth mentioning, too. Cory Joseph, a 35.1% shooter this season, is only averaging 7.4 minutes a game. After filtering out Gary Harris' 6-for-8 three-point shooting performance on opening night in Miami, he's shot just 28.9% from three.

Moe Wagner was shooting 36.0% from three before tearing his left ACL. His brother Franz just cleared the threshold at 32.1%. Paolo Banchero is at 37.3% but has played only nine games.

Due to injury or illness, Magic players have missed 130 total games. Orlando has had its full arsenal of players available one time: opening night in Miami.

"I think we're just still figuring it out," Jonathan Isaac told reporters Friday night. "With things moving and guys dropping, it's kind of the same thing like when a guy goes down and we have to go through a period of figuring out how to play. When people come back and another guy drops. It's still not as simple as just, 'Oh, we got somebody back and now everything is running perfectly smooth.' It's like, 'Okay, now we're playing a different way.'"

As Banchero continues getting his legs back and players such as Franz Wagner and Suggs are re-incorporated from their forced absences, the Magic believe their offense will improve.

"That goes without saying," Isaac said. "We'll adjust, we'll figure it out."

Until then, Mosley says the Magic must continue to trust the process and their body of work and step into open looks with confidence. They'll continue to get three-point opportunities if for no other reason than defenses will dare Orlando to shoot from distance.

"We've got to stay confident as a unit," Anthony said. "I felt it out there. A few of us miss a few shots, and we're like, 'Ah, the world's over,' and I'm guilty of that a lot. But I think we just have to stay consistent, trust our work, and shots are going to fall. We all put a lot of work in, so I'm confident that it'll change for us [and] we'll start to hit shots."

"Keep getting 'em up. Keep shooting the basketball," Isaac said. "They're gonna fall, and it will be at the right time. If I could pick a part in the season to shoot the ball really well, I'd pick the end of the season."

A season ago, the Magic shot 34.8% from three before the All-Star break — second-worst in the league. Their 35.8% after the All-Star break ranked 19th.

In their remaining 39 games this year, the Magic would need to shoot a similar percentage just to rise to the Wizards' second-worst clip of 33.3%.

The modern NBA can often force teams to try and keep up. Mosley reaffirms constantly the Magic have the green light to keep shooting.

Sooner or later, the Magic must shoot better. Their season — and postseason — may rely on it.

Related Stories on the Orlando Magic

  • PAOLO, WENDELL, AND DUKE CONNECTION: The Brotherhood runs deep for a couple of Orlando Magic players. CLICK HERE
  • MAGIC-CELTICS RECAP: The Boston Celtics drained 17 threes in a 27-point beatdown of the Orlando Magic, who lost both games on their road trip by a combined 56 points. CLICK HERE
  • BANCHERO, WAGNER IN TOP 10 OF THIRD ALL-STAR FAN RETURNS: The final returns before All-Star starters are revealed next week maintains the Magic stars' standing in the East. CLICK HERE
  • FRANZ ENTERS RETURN TO COMP. CONDITIONING PHASE: Fourth-year Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner has been sidelined since Dec. 6, 2024 with a torn right oblique. CLICK HERE
  • ISAAC HAS BELIEF SEASON CAN TURN AROUND: Jonathan Isaac says the first half of the 2024-25 season has been "rough" on him. But Sunday's breakout against the Philadelphia 76ers was a good sign. CLICK HERE
  • BANCHERO'S RETURN, MINUTE-BY-MINUTE: The key moments that bulleted Paolo Banchero's return back to the floor. CLICK HERE
  • MAGIC'S 2024-25 SCHEDULE: See the complete slate for the Orlando Magic in 2024-25 and all the details – dates, locations, TV, tip times, and more – that you need to know. CLICK HERE

Want more Orlando Magic coverage on Sports Illustrated?

Follow 'Orlando Magic on SI' on Facebook and like our page. Follow Magic beat reporter Mason Williams on Twitter/X @mvsonwilliams. Also, bookmark our homepage so you never miss a story.


Published