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Magic's Young Core Ranked Among NBA's Best
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The Orlando Magic has made it a concerted effort to build through the NBA Draft since undergoing a rebuild by trading former standouts including Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, and Evan Fournier.
So far, the Magic has already managed to add intriguing young players like Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, and Wendell Carter Jr., among plenty of others. How well off are they long-term compared to other NBA teams?
Sports Illustrated's Michael Shapiro recently ranked the NBA's best young cores. For a team to be included, it must have four players who meet the following qualifications:
- Under 27 on opening night (Oct. 19) with at least one previous All-Star appearance
- 25-and-younger with All-Star potential (up to discretion)
- 23-and-younger players with 20-plus career win shares, per Basketball Reference
- 2020, 2021 and 2022 lottery rookies
- Players given an exception to these semi-arbitrary rules (Grant Williams and Isaiah Stewart, among others)
The teams ineligible due to not meeting the criterion, include the 76ers, Blazers, Bucks, Bulls, Clippers, Heat, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nets, Nuggets, Pacers, Jazz and Wizards.
The Magic ranked ninth due to the frontcourt talent the organization has established between Banchero, Carter Jr., and Wagner. There is remains a need for a guard to take the next step before Orlando can emerge as a major threat.
When considering Suggs was selected fifth overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, progression is needed from him. He averaged 11.8 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists in 48 games during his rookie campaign. He struggled significantly with his efficiency.
Suggs ended up shooting just 36.1 percent from the floor and 21.4 percent from 3-point range while averaging 3.0 turnovers per game. Overall, he produced 0.738 points per possession, which ranked last among all 341 players who recorded at least 250 possessions last season.
There are jump shooting limitations that Markelle Fultz faces, which potentially limit his ultimate potential. As for Anthony, like Suggs, he'll need to strongly improve his scoring efficiency, too. If progress is achieved, it'll go a long way for the Magic.
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