4 Magic Breakout Candidates Ready for a Giant Leap Under Sean Sweeney

The Orlando Magic are a young team on the rise in the Eastern Conference as they look to build a core that can win a championship together.

The Magic are equipped with new head coach Sean Sweeney and a core that has made the playoffs in each of the last three seasons, but failed to reach the second round. Here's a look at four players that can take the biggest leap for Orlando in the upcoming season.

Anthony Black

"Anthony Black is my pick to make the biggest leap next season for the Magic. He’s just 22 years old and entering his fourth NBA season. He has had exponential growth since his rookie season and he has earned more opportunities and responsibilities within the Magic's rotation. Last season, he showed consistency and excelled at shot creating and shot-making.

"He is 6’7 and is a versatile player and his confidence and skill are both improving. He has one of the higher ceilings on the roster and it seems like he has nowhere to go but up. If he can improve his 3-point percentage and continue to play aggressively, he could emerge as the most improved player next season." — Amir Motameni

Franz Wagner

"My first inclination was to respond Anthony Black since he's still so young and his trajectory calls for another leap in confidence and consistency, but Franz Wagner is my choice. He's in a natural bounce-back spot, coming off a cursed season where he never got right after rushing back from an awful-looking injury to play in his native Berlin.

"While understandable, he was only able to provide glimpses of how effective he can be the rest of the way, which was almost enough to upset the Pistons. If he's back to 100 percent and continues his emergence, he's likely to be a first-time All-Star." — Tony Mejia

Noah Penda

"I tossed and turned between Penda and Richardson. I can be talked into either, but I’m going with the second-year French forward here. He’s already looked infinitely more comfortable on-ball in Summer League — which isn’t nothing. And given his size, versatility and disruption defensively, my hunch is that he will become a favorite of Sean Sweeney in the long run. So I think he receives the biggest bump," — Matt Hanifan

Paolo Banchero

"Going from Jamahl Mosley to Sean Sweeney as head coach will probably benefit Paolo Banchero the most. Sweeney has experience playing with some of the league's best players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo. I think Sweeney can try to implement some of Giannis's development into Banchero's, which would make him a better player.

"Banchero has proven that he can really carry a team during a playoff series, but he isn't as consistent over the course of the regular season. If Sweeney can bridge that gap, Banchero can become one of the truly elite players in the league. Many look at Banchero as someone who can become that guy for the Magic. He's going into his age-24 season, and the hope is that he can truly start his prime now that Sweeney is in position as head coach." — Jeremy Brener

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