{"id":358396,"date":"2026-07-31T02:59:32","date_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:59:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/358396\/"},"modified":"2026-07-31T02:59:32","modified_gmt":"2026-07-31T02:59:32","slug":"the-orlando-magic-starter-who-is-most-vulnerable-to-losing-his-job","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/358396\/","title":{"rendered":"The Orlando Magic starter who is most vulnerable to losing his job"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Orlando Magic are flying under the radar <\/a>as most of the league\u2019s attention is on the upgraded Philadelphia 76ers and the Miami Heat with their new star, Giannis Antetokounmpo. It would be a good thing if this continues going into the season because outside pressure can weigh down players, and the team has known well enough since they blew a 3-1 lead to the Detroit Pistons that the stakes are as high as they\u2019ve ever been.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now that Sean Sweeney is the Magic\u2019s new coach, it\u2019s possible there is a different starting lineup.\u00a0 After all, how many coaches like doing things the way their predecessors did it? Considering how Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Desmond Bane are the team\u2019s most dependable players, and Wendell Carter Jr. is the top big man, only Jalen Suggs\u2019 starting job is vulnerable, and that doesn\u2019t necessarily mean he should lose it.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This might seem strange to consider because he\u2019s a defensive powerhouse when he\u2019s healthy enough, and Sweeney is known for being defensively oriented<\/a>. The issue is that Suggs wasn\u2019t a scoring threat and was terribly inefficient in the 2024 playoffs, too. That puts much more pressure on Banchero and Wagner if they aren\u2019t going to guard him. Additionally, being banged up was a factor for Suggs in the playoffs, and that seems to always be the case due to him going all out in his style of play.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Some might instantly think of Anthony Black to be the guy to move into the starting lineup, and given his offensive capabilities, might be the answer. But it\u2019s not so simple because he, along with Tristan da Silva, folded in the playoffs and they both could be in the running for the spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In Black\u2019s case, the defensive metrics next to the other four starters weren\u2019t good in 15 games (7-8 record), and the offense was in the mud as well. Part of this was that Bane was the only starter who shot above league average from deep last season, and Black is an inferior playmaker to Suggs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For da Silva, there\u2019s not much to go on with him next to the others since that was not even in the top-20 used lineups for the Magic in 2025-26. Yet, da Silva was featured in the team\u2019s most-used rotation, filling in for Wagner. When accounting for time used, this was their most efficient lineup.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Jalen<\/p>\n

May 1, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs (4) pumps the crowd up against the Detroit Pistons in the second quarter during game six of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Reper-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect<\/p>\n

Putting da Silva in for Suggs has its appeals because he can guard well, plus he\u2019s bigger with a decent 6\u2019 10 wingspan yet it could be risky \u2014 or maybe not. A possible way to get around the loss in playmaking is to put more trust in Banchero and Wagner to initiate offense. Banchero has logged two seasons with over five assists per game and Wagner\u2019s career high was 4.7 in 2024-25.<\/p>\n

Not the easiest call<\/p>\n

Organizing the starting lineup will be Sweeney\u2019s first tough decision. Of course, defense and rebounding are the two most important ingredients for winning championships, but what does a coach do if the fit doesn\u2019t maximize the best players? <\/p>\n

At points for the Magic, having a sub-optimal attack<\/a> bled into poor transition defense because they couldn\u2019t set up their coverages.\u00a0Then it also led to a tougher time trying to score when the opponent set up their schmes.<\/p>\n

When comparing talent, Suggs is more special than Black and da Silva, yet for now, all options that will get the most out of Banchero, Wagner and Bane should be on the table.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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