The 2021-22 Orlando Magic in Review
June 7th, 2022
By Alan Lu
After they had fired their previous coach last year, the Orlando Magic hired new head coach Jamahl Mosley, selected rookies Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner in the draft, and there was some mild optimism heading into the year. Still, they were poised for another rebuilding season, and they were slated to be one of the worst teams in the league this year.
This year, the Orlando Magic pretty much met expectations, as they didn’t win many games, but they were actually quite competitive in a handful of games this season. In terms of development, they saw some mixed results out of the young players that they were aiming to develop this year. Franz Wagner turned in a really strong rookie season, and he finished 5th in the Rookie of the Year voting, and made the All-Rookie 1st Team. They also received solid seasons out of Wendell Carter Jr., Mo Bamba, and Cole Anthony.
On the downside, Jonathan Isaac missed another full season due to an ACL injury, and their fifth overall pick, Jalen Suggs really struggled to make shots this year, despite showing promise as a defender on the court. Markelle Fultz was able to get some playing time late in the season, but he’s continued to be injury prone and hasn’t shown much improvement on his jump shot. In all, the Orlando Magic did pretty much what they were expected to do, but at least they’ll get the first overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
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(Photo: Steven Ryan/Getty Images, via SB Nation’s Orlando Pinstriped Post)
Key Players:
Franz Wagner
2021-22 (ORL): 15.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.9 APG, 47 FG%, 35 3PT%, 86 FT%, 56 TS%, 14.7 PER, 4.0 WS
He is an athletic, versatile combo forward that had a terrific rookie season with the Orlando Magic. He did virtually everything well, and he impressed with his strong all-around play this year. He made the All-Rookie 1st Team, and he has a bright future ahead of him.
2022 Season Grade: A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars (3.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starting small forward on the Orlando Magic
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(Photo: Kelley L Cox/USA Today Sports, via SB Nation’s Orlando Pinstriped Post)
2021-22 (ORL): 15.0 PPG, 10.5 RPG, 2.8 APG, 52.5 FG%, 33 3PT%, 69 FT%, 60 TS%, 18.4 PER, 5 WS
Wendell Carter Jr. had a solid season with the Orlando Magic, and he is a low post scorer that showed off an emerging three-point shot as well as improved playmaking skills. He will need to continue to improve defensively, but Carter could be a good player for the Magic to have for years to come.
2022 Season Grade: B+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 Stars (3 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starting power forward on the Orlando Magic
(Photo: Nic Antaya/Getty Images, via Fansided’s Orlando Magic Daily)
Mo Bamba
2021-22 (ORL): 10.6 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 1.7 BPG, 48 FG%, 38 3PT%, 78 FT%, 58 TS%, 16.5 PER, 4.5 WS
He is a very athletic center that showed a very good outside shot this year, and he really improved on offense this year. He’s shown that he can be a starting center in the NBA, and he is a rim protector that does a good job of blocking shots. After three nondescript years in the NBA, Bamba looks to be turning the corner as one of the better centers in this league.
2022 Season Grade: B+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2.5 stars (3 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Mo Bamba will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Other Notable Players:
He is a very athletic, slashing point guard that put up solid counting numbers, but he will still need to improve his shooting, shot selection, and defense.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (3 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Starting point guard on the Orlando Magic
He is a very athletic combo guard that was the fifth overall pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, and played his rookie season for the Orlando Magic this year. He really struggled to shoot and score the basketball, and he had a relatively disappointing, injury-plagued rookie season overall, but the silver lining is that he played solid defense, and he showed that he can guard some of the toughest players in the NBA. He is a talented prospect that could still develop into a solid starter in the NBA. But the major thing is that he definitely needs to improve his shooting and shot selection in the offseason in order to make major progress as an overall player.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (3 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Orlando Magic
The very athletic, versatile combo forward missed his second consecutive NBA season in a row due to a knee injury, and the Magic are probably wondering what his timetable will be for him to come back and make a full recovery.
2022 Season Grade: N/A
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Orlando Magic
He had a fairly solid season this year, as he excelled defensively, but he will still need to improve his jump shot and playmaking skills.
2022 Season Grade: C+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Orlando Magic
He is an athletic, slashing combo guard that was able to get ample playing time, and he can play either backcourt position, but he will need to improve his shot selection and defense moving forward.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Orlando Magic
He had another injury plagued season, and it’s looking to be clear that his jump shot will never be quite what it was when he played for the Washington Huskies, but Fultz was able to come back to play late in the year, and he is a tall, athletic combo guard that can provide some scoring and defense off the bench.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on the Orlando Magic
He is a veteran role player that has been a 3 and D guy in the NBA, and he is perhaps on the Orlando Magic to provide stability and to mentor some of the younger teammates. However, as a relatively low usage, defensive specialist that can shoot some threes, it seems as if Ross has sort of been wasting away on a rebuilding team, and he would be better served using his talents on a contending playoff team next year.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
He is a veteran role player that has been a 3 and D guy in the NBA, and he is perhaps on the Orlando Magic to provide stability and to mentor some of the younger teammates. He will be a free agent next year, and he would probably be better served playing for a contending playoff team next year.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Gary Harris will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
He is an energetic big man that hustles, competes, and provides relentless motor, and he is perhaps on the Orlando Magic to provide stability and to mentor some of the younger teammates. He will be a free agent next year, and he would probably be better served playing for a contending playoff team next year.
2022 Season Grade: D+
Projected 2023 Rating: 2 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Rotation player on an NBA team
Side Note: Robin Lopez will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Other Players on the Roster:
He is a floor spacing big man that can shoot the basketball, but he’s struggled to get consistent minutes over the years due to his inconsistent shooting, and defensive struggles. Last year, the Boston Celtics traded for him midseason in a derided move that didn’t work out him or them.
All that did was get Celtics’ fans to pine for Daniel Theis and eventually get him back this year, and Mo Wagner ended up being released before having an opportunity to show up on an NBA post-season roster. He’s been able to get more playing time with the Magic, but it’s unlikely that he’ll be more than a fringe rotation player for them next season.
2022 Season Grade: D+
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Back end roster player on the Orlando Magic
He is a very talented, but fairly raw big man who has struggled to get consistent playing time in the NBA. He is seen as a unicorn type of big man that can space the floor, handle the ball, and block shots, but he rode the bench for most of his three seasons due to his inconsistent play, and Michael Malone seemed extremely reluctant to even give him spot minutes off the bench.
Bol Bol seems to have a very flashy style of play, as he’ll quickly dribble the ball up the court, and he can make impressive threes and passes, and then he’ll also turn the ball over. Time is running out for Bol Bol to make an impact though, and he ended up receiving even less minutes this year than he did during the Orlando bubble when he was a rookie during the 2019-20 NBA season. He played in just 10 games before getting traded midseason and missing the rest of the year due to injury. Maybe he still has upside that can be realized, and he looked to be a one-time can’t miss prospect, but now I’m no longer sure that he will be able to carve out a consistent role in the NBA.
2022 Season Grade: D
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Back end roster player on the Orlando Magic
Side Note: Bol Bol will be a restricted free agent (RFA) at the end of the 2021-22 NBA season.
Ignas Brazdeikis (Two-Way Player)
He is an offensively skilled forward that can shoot and score the basketball. He’s been fairly inconsistent in the NBA. He’s shown flashes that he could be a rotation player, but he will need to be a more consistent shooter and defender in games.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Back end roster player on the Orlando Magic
Admiral Schofield (Two-Way Player)
He is an athletic, physical forward that projects into a 3 and D role in the NBA. He hasn’t played much in the NBA. He was able to play fairly well in limited minutes for the Orlando Magic at the end of the season, but he will need to improve his three-point shot in order to get consistent playing time next season.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe roster player on an NBA team
He’s a shoot-first combo guard that has played well in the G-League, and he’s been able to get minutes as an end of the bench player in the NBA for the Orlando Magic. His role is probably going to be relatively unchanged, as he will probably shuttle back and forth from the end of the bench in the NBA back to the G-League next year.
2022 Season Grade: C-
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars
Projected 2023 Role: Fringe roster player on an NBA team
Head Coach:
Jamahl Mosley
2021-22 (ORL): 22-60, 15th in the Eastern Conference, Missed the Playoffs
Mosley had an eventful rookie season as the head coach of the Orlando Magic this year. It’s uncertain if the Orlando Magic has a true cornerstone player that is presently on the roster, but they do have the first overall pick for the 2022 NBA Draft. He had a very young, inexperienced roster, and they may have been at a significant talent disadvantage compared to most of the other teams in the NBA.
While the Orlando Magic struggled on both sides of the ball, they were competent on the boards, and they were competitive enough to at least win more than 20 games this year. Therefore, I think Mosley did a decent job overall, given what he had to work with this year, and he also did an excellent job of developing Mo Bamba and Franz Wagner to help them turn out strong, impressive seasons this year.
2022 Season Grade: C
Projected 2023 Rating: 1.5 stars (2.5 stars potential)
Projected 2023 Role: Head Coach of the Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic’s Projected 2022-23 Rotation:
C Wendell Carter Jr.
1st Overall Pick
F Franz Wagner
G Jalen Suggs
G Cole Anthony
________
F Jonathan Isaac
F Chuma Okeke
G Terrence Ross
G R.J. Hampton
G Markelle Fultz
The Orlando Magic’s Picks in the 2022 NBA Draft:
#1, #32, #35
The Orlando Magic’s Projected 2023 Win-Loss Record:
23-59, 15th in the Eastern Conference
Their Projected Offseason Plan:
They will have the top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, and they are expected to take either Jabari Smith or Chet Holmgren, with Paolo Banchero also being in the running. The Orlando Magic needs someone that he can score the basketball and provide consistent offense, but they also need a player that also will play good defense for them. Either player would make sense for them. Jabari Smith would give them the go-to scorer they need, while having the upside to project into a plus-level playmaker and defender, and Chet Holmgren could be a versatile, very skilled rim protector that could provide some intriguing floor spacing and playmaking skills.
Also, the Orlando Magic will have some cap space to work with, as their projected cap space is a little over $20 million, so they could splurge on a very good free agent, they could use that money to split it up amongst a group of solid role players, or they could roll it over. The key for them will be to continue to develop their players while adding to their talent base, and to be patient. If they coach them well, over time they could become a good team in a few years down the road. That they have the first overall pick is very exciting for them, and that could bring them the star player they need to turn their franchise around for the better. The Orlando Magic will need to focus on developing their players, and that could be the key to their success in the future.
The team analysis of the Orlando Magic was done before the 2022 NBA Draft and the start of free agency. I went to No Trade Clause and Basketball-Reference for research purposes. Thanks for reading.
