The Magic have played 3 preseason games so far. Here are a few quick thoughts on some of the young guns by some of our writers.
Cole Anthony
Outside of Mo Bamba, Cole has the biggest leap potential with much of his game right around the corner of leveling up. His driving will pop as his good handle adjusts to the NBA length and he continues to improve his take off point, creating better contact at the rim. He’s historically been a good shooter which should start to shine. Both those things will create easier passing lanes/reads for him. He’s being allowed to play his brand of aggressive position of attack defense while being a vocal defensive leader. Unfairly given the 6th man/chucker label by many, Cole should start to show well rounded and higher end point guard play throughout the season. Hot Take: Multiple all-star appearances
Other then injured players Jonathon Issac and Markelle Fultz, I think Mo Bamba has one of the biggest question marks on the team and I think he is poised to have a HUGE year. Most of his time with Steve Clifford, I felt like he was in the dog house and of course playing behind Vucevic and even Khem. But that’s gone now, it’s him against himself. Yes, there is WCJ but Mo is our #6 pick and our front office wanted him. He states he has worked on his motor, defensive awareness and strength, which have all been huge criticisms of his and if you mix that in with the flashes we have seen in the preseason, it’s now or never for him.
Boogie (Franz) Wagner has shown tremendous progress from summer league til now. He’s super versatile at 6’10 and living up to the strengths that made him a top 10 pick. I’m excited to see him continue to grow offensively and become more assertive now that his 3pt shot is falling. With his ability to blend in and fit perfectly with just about any line up I can see Franz taking over the SF spot and averaging 10-12pts, 5-7rebs, and shot close to 40% from 3 by seasons end.
Hamption is a player I cannot wait to see by the end of the season. Right now he is still pretty raw, with loads of development still needed. He often moves quicker than he can react, with the game still moving extremely fast for him. You can see this in the last preseason game vs the Spurs. The first half he was wild and not under much control, while the second half, he was playing much better on and off ball. It’s like it all slowed down for him just a bit. By the end of this season we should know a lot more about who he is as a player. Hot take: He will be the starting small forward by years end.
