Orlando Magic's Tristan da Silva Was Forced To Grow Up Quickly

Orlando Magic rookie Tristan da Silva was quickly exposed to the highs and lows of the NBA.

The 23-year-old was selected 18th by Orlando last year. Unlike many rookies, da Silva was thrust into game action almost immediately.

"It's a lot of ups and downs, a lot of unexpected turns," da Silva said. "You never know what can happen, and that happened right off the jump with two injuries.

Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner sustained the same rare oblique injury, so da Silva was relied upon to provide quality minutes in their absence.

"All of a sudden, I was playing a lot," da Silva said. "A lot of ups in that, downs in that as well."

The Munich, Germany native answered the call, averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds in 74 games, including 38 starts. He notched three games with 20 or more points, including a career-high 25-point performance in a win over Toronto on Jan. 3.

For da Silva, his rapidly changing roles were challenging, He credited his support system/

"It was tough, for sure," da Silva said. "But I feel like I've always had a good supporting system around me."

"That helped me a lot, especially in the times where I was kind of struggling with it," da Silva added.

With year one in the books, da Silva is preparing for an offseason of hard work and preparation for next season.

"Obviously coming back a way better player, making sure that I stay on the court for the majority of the season," da Silva said. "I'll do whatever it takes to do that."

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Don Strouble is a contributor to the Magic Insider. He can be reached at dondrums727455@gmail.com

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