The Magic Insider

This Orlando Magic lineup is running opponents off the floor

This Magic lineup has 3rd-best Net Rating of any with 40+ minutes
Ryan Kaminski|
Nov 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley smiles against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Nov 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley smiles against the Charlotte Hornets during the first quarter at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic may have ninety nine problems, but the starting unit ain't one.

Jalen Suggs - Desmond Bane - Franz Wagner - Paolo Banchero - Wendell Carter Jr.

The Magic's starting lineup promised two-way versatility and winning impact this summer, and so far have delivered every time those five have taken the floor.

Orlando's starting unit ranks highly among all 5-man lineups with any sizeable amount of playing time this season.

This Magic lineup ranks:

2nd among 16 lineups with 50+ MIN played
3rd among 21 lineups with 40+ MIN played
5th among 31 lineups with 30+ MIN played
16th among 65 lineups with 20+ MIN played

It should be noted, these Net Rating can take big swings on a night-to-night basis; but, the longer this Magic lineup plays well against opposing starters, the more meaningful the metric becomes.

The starting squad's 56 minutes on the court together is the 8th-most of any lineup this year.

Orlando's first five has done what they've needed to: win the possessions they are on the floor, doing so by a sizable margin: +22 Net Rating over five games played together.

This shows that while Orlando has other issues with the offense, it can at least rely on its strongest lineup to work; so the question becomes, what other lineups work together, who should be creating offense, and how should they be doing it?

Should Orlando run all their offensive sets through Banchero and Wagner, using the threat of Bane and Suggs off the ball?

How often will the Magic mix in the on-ball scoring gravity of those two backcourt shooters by running the offense through the guards?

Will Bane and Suggs start launching a higher volume of threes given their high efficiency?

The answer to all these questions is whatever helps this team create good looks consistently.

Orlando knows it creates good offense through Franz Wagner pick-and-rolls and handoffs off strong screens and rolls from big men Wendell Carter Jr. and Goga Bitadze, unleashing Wagner as a eurostepping decelerating downhill finesse finisher and savvy halfcourt creator.

The Banchero - Bane combination is b - e - a - utiful

Bane dribbles
Oct 25, 2025; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane (3) dribbles up the court on a fast break in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Russell Lansford-Imagn Images | Russell Lansford-Imagn Images

While Orlando's defense is their calling card, the offense is under construction as the team works in a game-changing creator in Desmond Bane.

Banchero and Bane are beginning to show glimpses of what their two-man game can look like between pick-and-rolls, handoffs, and inverted pick-and-pops, all sets that can be used when the opportunity presents itself against the majority of defensive matchups.

What's important to note here is Orlando is involving their primary scorers in different sets that capitalize on those players' strengths

Building out of Banchero's short-rolling and Bane's on-ball shooting gravity and double scoring threat is a great way to draw extra attention from the defense to create good looks for the team:

Countering that combination with Paolo Banchero on the ball and Desmond Bane setting the pick before sneakily slipping or popping out for three stretches the defense with Bane's off-ball gravity, opening the lane and creating mismatch switches for Banchero to beat up on drives and in the post.



What other 2-man or 3-man combos might work for this team?

Could we see a higher volume of handoffs involving Suggs, a playtype he's thrived in his entire career?

Could lineups also be effective swapping out starters with surging young prospects Anthony Black and Tristan da Silva maximizing their roles off the bench?

How often can Goga get playing time alongside the starters with Wendell playing well next to them?

These are good problems for Orlando to have; tinkering with lineups until the right combinations and playstyles are found is a worthy experiment as long as this team stays competitive while doing so.

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Ryan Kaminski
RYAN KAMINSKI

Ryan is a basketball scout data analyst who has been covering the Orlando Magic, NBA, and NBA Draft with a focus on roster building strategy, data analytics, film breakdowns, and player development since 2017. He is credentialed media for the Orlando Magic along with top high schools in Central Florida where he scouts talent in marquee matchups at Montverde Academy, IMG Academy, Oak Ridge, and the NBPA Top-100 Camp. He generates basketball data visualizations, formerly with The BBall Index. He has two B.A.s from Florida State University in Business Management and Business Marketing. Twitter/YouTube/Substack: @BeyondTheRK

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