Magic have one major thing to fix before season begins

The Orlando Magic are coming into the season knowing they have to improve their 3-point shooting.

Despite finishing with a 41-41 record last season, the Magic were the league's worst 3-point shooting team, making just 31.8 percent of their shots. The Washington Wizards, who finished with the poorest record in the Eastern Conference, were 29th in the league at 33.5 percent, nearly two percentage points better than the Magic.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley listed the team's distance shooting woes as the biggest issue plaguing the team going into the season.

"The Magic were, objectively speaking, freakin' awful from range last season. They carried the dubious distinction of sitting dead last in both three-point volume (11.2 makes per outing) and efficiency (31.8)," Buckley wrote.

"That clearly played a big part in their willingness to pay such a premium for Desmond Bane, a really good player who hasn't quite crested the star level. It also probably steered them toward selecting Jase Richardson with the No. 25 pick.

"Those players—and free-agency signee Tyus Jones—will help, but situations as dire as this aren't typically taken care of with a couple of tweaks.

"For the Magic to be even a mediocre shooting team, they'll need the likes of Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner to get back on track. And, if we're being greedy, any signs of life from 2023 lottery pick Jett Howard would be welcome, too."

Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane poses for a picture during Magic Media Day at AdventHealth Training Center. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

The Magic have a real chance to be a better 3-point shooting team thanks to the additions of Bane and Jones, but they will need more than just the new players. It will take an internal growth, especially from Suggs, Wagner and Paolo Banchero, to get the Magic back on track.

If the Magic are able to improve greatly from beyond the 3-point line, it could be what the team needs to emerge into the top of the heap in the Eastern Conference.

The Magic are back in action for the preseason opener against the Miami Heat on Saturday in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Tipoff for the game is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

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