How to fix the Magic in 3 easy steps

Orlando is going through a rut. Here are ways to get them out of it.

Mike Watters-Imagn Images

I'm not going to pretend to know something the Orlando Magic don''t already know.

They're the professional basketball team; I'm just the graph guy.

Looking at the Magic's issues on the court and in that stat sheet, a few things stand out beyond just injuries that could help smooth out both sides of the floor for this team.

These ideas revolve around three premises: play your best players, hunt more threes for you best shooters, and run the offense through your primary ball-handlers.

Anthony Black has put the NBA on notice

"You could argue he's maybe the best transition guard right now in the league...

2nd among guards in Dunks

Explosive going to the rim on the move."

- @Josh_Cohen_NBA on Today's 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 @SwishTheory Podcast pic.twitter.com/xNBOyYSjlr

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) January 8, 2026

Play your best players

Orlando Magic 3-man Lineup Combos | MANDATORY CREDIT: RYAN KAMINSKI/@BeyondTheRK

These are Orlando's most-used 3-Man Combos:

Net Rating / Lineup

+0.8 Bane - Wendell - Paolo
+6.8 Bane - Wendell - Black
-1.5 Bane - Paolo - Black
-3.1 Black - Paolo - Wendell
+5.1 Bane - Franz - Wendell

Orlando Magic 3-Man Lineup Combos | MANDATORY CREDIT: Ryan Kaminski

These are the Best Orlando Magic 3-Man Lineup Combos by Net Rating:
(60+ MIN)

Net Rating / Lineup

+30 Suggs - Goga - AB
+29 Suggs - Franz - AB
+26 Jase - Isaac - Penda
+22 Jase - Wendell - Paolo
+19 Penda - Goga - AB
+18 Isaac - Bane - AB
+17 Jase - Jett - Penda
+17 Suggs - Bane - AB
+17 Suggs - Franz - Paolo

There are thirteen Orlando Magic 3-Man Lineup Combos with at least 100+ MIN together that have a +10 Net Rating.

The Magic could look build its rotation out of players who appear most often in Orlando's POSITIVE NET RATING 3-Man Lineup Combos:

Bane (26x)
Black (22x)
Wendell (20x)
Franz (18x)
Suggs (14x)
Paolo (13x)
Goga (13x)
da Silva (11x)
Isaac (8x)
Jase (7x)
Penda (6x)
Tyus (5x)
Jett (2x)

Orlando Magic 3-Man Lineup Combos | MANDATORY CREDIT: Ryan Kaminski

Clearly, The Magic would be at its best with a healthy starting five that demolishes opponents, plus now Anthony Black blossoming as another potential two-way star on the rise.

Goga Bitadze provides great impact when available alongside the starters, though that might lead to him being dealt at the trade deadline; if he's in Orlando's longterm plans, he should probably be prioritized more often, not just for his clear winning impact by the net rating numbers with him on the court, but for his own morale, which seems to swing his level of play as much than anything else.

Rounding out the Top-9 with Tristan da Silva as a floor-spacing off-ball moving cutter and Jonathan Isaac the do-it-all defender, that leaves the Magic with its two rookies, two offensive-minded guards, and returning pick-and-pop big man Mo Wagner as its next best choices for the rotation on any given night, with the rookies looking more ready by the day.

Building lineups out of your best 5-6 players is what it takes for some playoff teams to grind out their best selves; buckling down to a solid 9-11 man rotation to build continuity through the regular season could help win games in the short term and build continuity for a new team identity, even if it goes against notions to involve all hands on deck, which can also build experience and trust.

Suggs, Bane, Black, Franz, Wendell, Paolo, Goga, da Silva, Isaac, Jase, Penda round out the Top-11 most frequent names appearing in Orlando's top-rated 3-man combos even without including Moritz Wagner and other depth; a consolidation trade wouldn't hurt this team if they could find more halfcourt playmaking 3pt connecting to steady the ship anytime a key player goes down.

Target more threes for your best shooters

Jan 22, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) shoots the ball over Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams (2) in the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Desmond Bane has been one of the NBA's best 3pt shooters, if not the best not named Steph Curry over the last 4 seasons, whether that measure be on pull-up or catch-and-shoots, by volume or efficiency.

Bane was hitting 43% of his 3 Pull-Up threes per game in 2022 and practically sleepwalks to over 40% of his roughly 3-4 Catch-and-Shoot threes per game every season.

Why is Desmond suddenly dropping off as a shooter? Is it the Magic curse, or something more?

How can Orlando help Desmond Bane find better looks from deep?

Desmond Bane's 3PT Shooting Splits By Season

This is Bane's career-worst 3pt shooting year on and off the ball

How can Orlando help Desmond Bane find better looks from deep? pic.twitter.com/XvRM4w6teK

— Ryan Kaminski NBA (@beyondtheRK) January 28, 2026

Orlando has prioritized getting the ball to Bane in handoff situations to take advantage of his driving powers, his downhill ability to score, draw fouls, and create for the team.

Maybe there's a way for the Magic to utilize that skillet while still prioritizing more 3pt looks for one of the best outside shooters in the game.

Orlando could build its offense outside-in, with an offensive scheme that targets open 3pt looks for its most nuclear perimeter shooters – Bane, Suggs, Black (Franz, da Silva, Carter, Jase)

The Magic's offense and depth has a by-committee approach, which works well for a lot of areas, but the only thing its lacking is that primary scare tactic that everything else ripples off.

What if instead of driving and kicking for open threes from role players, Orlando first hunted open 3pt looks for its best shooters; what if Bane, Suggs, and Black were taking 8-10 threes per game instead of 5-6? What if Franz, da Silva, Paolo, Wendell, Jase, Penda, Jett upped their averages, while everyone else who isn't shooting as well take a few less?

The defense needs to respect everyone as a shooter; the problem at the moment is the defense isn't really respecting anyone as a shooter.

By creating an offense that bends the defense to the perimeter by making it scared of the many 3pt shooters Orlando's roster has to offer, everything else on the floor should open up.

Driving lanes for Paolo and Franz, cutting lanes for Tristan da Silva, the Wagners, dunker spot looks for Goga Bitadze and Wendell Carter Jr., all should open up even more if the defense is suddenly scared of the perimeter.

Without the 3pt shot threating the defense with real shooting gravity that scares it enough to bend, the paint will continue to feel clogged for Orlando's big wing downhill drivers no matter what play they run.

A lot of problems could fix themselves with the return of a healthy rotation that features a heavy dose of your top six high impact players Jalen Suggs - Desmond Bane - Franz Wagner - Paolo Banchero - Wendell Carter Jr. - Anthony Black plus your best 3-4 available role guys any given night.

Play through your primary ball-handlers

Dec 5, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives to the basket past Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo (13) in the third quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

This offense scores efficiently using Paolo Banchero in any playtype, and has relied on the Franz Wagner - Wendell Carter Jr. two-man game for reliable halfcourt shot creation for years.

Jalen Suggs in handoff actions has always been an efficient staple of his game; Anthony Black has picked up driving to the rack for jams and shooting daggers from deep as nightly hobbies.

This season, Desmond Bane and Wendell have rounded out chemistry in that pick-and-roll department, while also providing sound pick-and-roll defense as a duo, via the All NBA Podcast, rating 6th on defense in point per direct pick-and-roll.

Bane-Banchero P&Rs and P&Ps are instant offense anytime the team needs it, but doesn't rely on it nearly enough, a play that could become a staple set for this Magic offense overnight

Offenses haven't had much success running P&R against these defensive duos this season pic.twitter.com/TgYBud8LeP

— ALL NBA Podcast (@ALLCITY_NBA) January 27, 2026

Orlando must reach a point where its best shooters are drawing two defenders to the ball and eye balls off the ball even when relocating around the perimeter; the Magic have too many good shooters for the defense to still pack the paint.

Make the defense scared by threatening a deep shot from one of Orlando's many 3pt snipers every time down the floor and ideally multiple times in the same possession.

What does the best version of this Magic offense look like in its final form?

That remains to be seen; ideally, the ball is moving to the open man off the scoring gravity of Orlando's most impactful scorers and lethal shooters, building lineups that value two-way team-first feel, quick processing ball movement, drive kick relocate 3pt shooting commitment, and does so in a way that complements all involved, in a way that builds off the strengths of the whole.

When the team is whole, the natural hierarchy of roles is much more clear, as Franz and Paolo split the downhill on-ball load while Bane, Suggs, Black, Wendell, da Silva, Jase, Penda space the floor from three, threaten the shot and the drive to attack the closeout, where they drive, kick, relocate, and do it all again until the shot goes from 'good to great'.

Run as much offense through your best scoring creators on the ball and your best shooters on and off the ball; your offense should prioritize your best shooters and scorers taking the most shots.

Five Guidelines Going Forward

Jan 11, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero (5) brings the ball up court during the second half against the New Orleans Pelicans at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

1) Stagger Bane and/or Franz with Wendell for reliable two-way play running and guarding pick-and-roll.

2) Play Black and/or da Silva with those Bane/Franz/Wendell lineups to optimize their off-ball cutting, movement, 3pt spacing, and off the dribble spontaneity.

3) Stagger Paolo with his own lineups, ideally with Suggs, so both can play their bully ball Handoff, Postup, and ISO downhill game while spraying out to open shooters for threes and playfinishers at the rim

4) Less experimenting with bench guards running the offense, shorten the rotation, tighten the point guard duties and maybe just run every action through or for a star player or knockdown shooter

5) Run as many sets to create as many open threes for your best shooters as possible; or better yet, create a system closer to the Warriors that completely lives and dies by the off-ball relocation 3pt shooting of its best shooters – take the ball out of your best players' hands so it finds its way back to them with an advantage already created, sometimes by the mere threat of them existing off the ball