Orlando Magic Preview - NBA Team Previews 2022-23

This article is part of our NBA Team Previews series.

2022-23 Orlando Magic Team Preview

The Magic selected Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, adding to an intriguing young core. Orlando also re-signed Mo Bamba and Gary Harris, though Harris tore his meniscus and a timetable is unclear. Markelle Fultz will return after missing all of last year due to a torn ACL.

2021-22 Record: 22-60; Last in Eastern Conference

2022-23 NBA Win Total Odds: 26.5 wins (DraftKings)

2022-23 NBA Title Odds: +100,000 (DraftKings)

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Check out our 2022-23 Fantasy Basketball Rankings, which includes fantasy basketball projections for every player.

Orlando Magic Fantasy Basketball Preview

Paolo Banchero

The No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 Draft was so good in Las Vegas that the Magic opted to shut him down after seeing what they needed to see in just two Summer League games. For the most part, Banchero arrived as advertised. He's a jumbo-sized forward who handles the ball like a guard and is more than happy to facilitate in the halfcourt. Banchero's field goal and three-point percentages will likely go through major swings throughout the season. Still, he projects to have a well-rounded stat profile buoyed by above-average passing for his size and position. Rebounding and scoring shouldn't be a concern, though it remains to be seen how much of an impact Banchero will make at the defensive end. He's also a below-average free throw shooter (72.9% FT as a freshman at Duke), which may be a concern if he can get to the line anywhere close to the rate he did in Vegas (20 FTA in 60 total minutes). There may also be some concern about where Banchero fits in on a Magic roster that includes Franz Wagner and 2021 No. 5 pick Jalen Suggs, as well as other recent first-rounders in Cole Anthony, Markelle Fultz, Jonathan Isaac and Chuma Okeke. Orlando indeed has more talent than most teams that historically pick No. 1 overall, but Banchero is easily the highest-upside piece of that group, so fantasy managers should not be overly concerned about the team failing to prioritize his development as a future No. 1 option.

Wendell Carter

Carter compiled the best year of his career in his first full season with the Magic. The No. 7 overall pick from 2018 reached per-game highs nearly across the board. In 29.8 minutes, he averaged 15.0 points, 10.5 rebounds and 2.8 assists. It was the most efficient year of Carter's career as well, as he registered 1.2 points per shot attempt - a nice boost from adding consistent three-point shooting (3.5 attempts at a 32.7 percent clip) to his repertoire. The three-pointers will likely keep coming, and an encouraging sign is that he also shot 50 percent on his 66 attempts from long-two range. His defense (0.7 blocks and 0.6 steals) leaves something to be desired, but his combined production in both categories is passable. Overall, Carter ranked 83rd in fantasy on a per-game basis - his first time inside the top 100. This season, not much should change for Carter. He'll remain Orlando's starting center. He may need to share more touches with No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero and a healthy Markelle Fultz, but Fultz, in particular, is a good playmaker and could get Carter better looks around the rim. All things considered, fantasy managers should be able to turn to the center once again for consistent 15-and-10 production, even if his defense is a bit lacking.

Mo Bamba

Bamba is coming off his best season, posting career-best marks nearly across the board. Jonathan Isaac missing the whole season opened up time in the frontcourt, and coach Jamahl Mosley was comfortable playing Bamba alongside other bigs like Wendell Carter, Moritz Wagner and Robin Lopez to relative success. In his 25.7 minutes per game, Bamba averaged 10.6 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 assists. The big man saw encouragingly saw his points per game and efficiency climb last season, though his usage rate dipped below that of 2020-21. Bamba shot 48/38/78 for a career-high 58.2 true-shooting percentage - his second year in a row above the 55 percent benchmark. As good as last season was for Bamba - rank of 77 in per-game fantasy production - he's in line for significantly fewer minutes in 2022-23. The Magic selected forward Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick over the summer, and Jonathan Isaac will be back in the mix. Both players are practically locks to see 20-plus minutes per game (especially Banchero), and Orlando even has forwards Franz Wagner and Chuma Okeke to also log healthy minutes. That may force Bamba into a true backup center role behind Carter. Assuming that's the case, it's hard to target Bamba outside of deep leagues. Even then, he's a bit of a flier for fantasy managers in need of blocks.

Franz Wagner

The eighth overall pick in 2021, Wagner had a successful season with the Magic that earned him All-Rookie First Team honors. He started all 79 appearances and averaged 15.2 points on 47/35/86 shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 30.7 minutes. He posted some big efforts along the way, most notably his performance against the Bucks on Dec. 28, when the forward posted a career-high 38 points (12-20 FG, 4-8 3Pt, 10-10 FT), seven rebounds, three assists, a steal and a block. He posted other highs of 11 rebounds, 10 assists, six steals, five three-point makes and two blocks - demonstrating a well-rounded skillset. He was also effective off the ball as a cutter and corner three-point shooter, hitting 44 percent of his 66 three-point attempts from that area. Wagner should start at forward again this season, though there will be more competition for touches. Markelle Fultz will be back in the fold, and the Magic selected Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 pick in the 2022 Draft. Banchero is also a forward, and he, like Wagner, is a capable playmaker with the ball in his hands. But the assumption should be that the organization will prioritize Banchero's development and touches over Wagner's. Wagner will still play a significant role in the offense, but fantasy managers shouldn't expect a huge leap out of him in his second year despite the promising rookie campaign. Last year, Wagner ranked 103rd in per-game fantasy production and he should be drafted earlier than that this season, but there are plenty of players with higher upside.

Markelle Fultz

Fultz missed nearly all of last season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered early in 2020-21. He made his debut in late February and appeared in 18 games (three starts). The team remained cautious, not alloting him more than 29 minutes in any contest. He averaged 10.8 points on 47/24/81 shooting, 5.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1.1 steals in 20.0 minutes. While those numbers don't jump off the page, they translate to an impressive 19.5 points, 9.9 assists, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 steals per 36 minutes. There's only so much stock you can put into a small sample at the end of the season when many opponents are tanking, but it's encouraging play from Fultz, whose career has been marred by injury and a bizarre change in his shooting form. While his three-point stroke may never recover, he's proving to be a good finisher around the basket and an adequate mid-range shooter. His passing ability and defense will keep him productive even if his shot fails. More importantly, he's hit 75.6 percent of his free throws over his past 98 games, so teams can't resort to hacking him when he gets in close. This season, Fultz should take over as the Magic's starting point guard while Jalen Suggs slides over to shooting guard and Cole Anthony comes off the bench. Fultz will have to share the ball with No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero, but the rookie shouldn't dominate the rock. All things considered, the pieces are in place for Fultz to potentially produce the best season of his career. In most standard fantasy drafts, he's worth taking a chance on in the late rounds.

Orlando Magic Depth Chart for 2022-23

Click here to view the full Orlando Magic depth chart.

• PG: Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony
• SG: Jalen Suggs, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross
• SF: Franz Wagner, Chuma Okeke
• PF: Paolo Banchero, Jonathan Isaac
• C: Wendell Carter, Mo Bamba

Orlando Magic Predictions for 2022-23

This team has enough intriguing and improving young talent to avoid being the basement of the East, but it would be shocking to see them make the play-in tournament. The main concern is shooting -- Fultz, Suggs, Banchero and Carter are unproven as marksmen. There's not a lot off the bench, either.

Record Prediction

• 29-53
• 13-seed
• Misses playoffs

Bold Call

Fultz is firmly in the Most Improved Player race.

NBA Award Contenders

• Paolo Banchero, Rookie of the Year (+190)
• Markelle Fultz, Most Improved Player (+6600, BetMGM)