This Magic Player Will Benefit The Most In Sean Sweeney's First Season

A young forward's production and potential role make him a prime candidate for a bigger year

Oct 7, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward (23) knock the ball loose from Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva (23) during the third quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When thinking about who Sean Sweeney will impact the most this season, there are the obvious answers: Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Anthony Black, Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr.

But a player who Sweeney can have a big impact on in year one - if not the biggest - isn't one of them.

It's Tristan da Silva, who is in a position to thrive this season with a key role.

He has shown his ability to grow, along with his upside. If Sweeney can further develop da Silva's game and get consistent production from the 25-year-old, it will be big for the Magic's rotation.

He is already off to a strong start in preseason

In Orlando's first preseason game, a 122-118 victory over Memphis, da Silva scored 19 points on 4-for-10 shooting from beyond the arc. He shot 37.5% (6-for-16) from the field.

His scoring and 3-point shooting need to be focused on. It's good to see da Silva score nearly 20 points in the first matchup and lead the Magic in scoring.

Getting his offense going in preseason will help get him prepared to hit the ground running in the regular season.

Being reliable from deep will help this Magic team, especially on nights when Banchero or Wagner struggle from 3-point range. The Magic can put da Silva in to get a dependable 3-point shooter at the forward position. Sweeney and the staff can trust him to score as well.

With this strong preseason start and what he can bring, it's hard to imagine da Silva not being a focus for Sweeney. This makes it likely that he will receive a ton, if not the most, benefit from Sweeney at the helm.

2025-26 regular season is more proof that da Silva will benefit

Last season, da Silva showed an ability to grow. He increased his scoring average from 7.2 points to 9.9 points. He shot 45% from the field, compared to 41.2% in the 2024-25 regular season. As for 3-point shooting, he made 37.4% of his attempts, compared to 33.5% in 2024-25

He did not receive a major change in games played, games started or minutes per game in the regular season.

Sweeney can push da Silva to increase his production even further this season. It seems that Sweeney is building connections with players, has expectations for them and will hold them accountable.

This, plus da Silva's preseason start and proven ability to grow, points to Sweeney being able to have a major impact on him in year one.