The Magic Are Assembling A Unique NBA Roster
The Orlando Magic are trying to take the ‘position-less basketball’ concept to a whole new level.
For years, this team has tried to stack as many big, long, versatile, and talented young players as possible.
And while it hasn’t exactly paid off thus far, their future seems quite bright if they manage to keep their core together and actually develop their strengths.
As of now, the Magic have seven players who are 6-foot-10 or taller: Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, Mo Wagner, Mo Bamba, and Bol Bol.
Franz Wagner is 6’10”
Paolo Banchero is 6’10”
Wendell Carter Jr. is 6’10”
Jonathan Isaac is 6’10”
Mo Wagner is 6’11”
Mo Bamba is 7’0”
Bol Bol is 7’2”The amount of length and versatility on a healthy Magic roster is otherworldly. pic.twitter.com/aUCJGWcJul
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) January 23, 2023
Not many teams are used to taking talent over fit in the NBA Draft, but the Magic haven’t been like most teams in the past few years.
They boast one of the youngest rosters in the Association at 23.5 years on average, with Terrence Ross as the only guy in his thirties.
Moreover, Banchero’s playmaking and shooting give the Magic a chance to feature five bigs on the court at the same time, as he could either work as a lead guard or play next to Jalen Suggs, who’s an elite on-ball defender and stronger than the average guard.
But as you may realize by now, this experiment is far from over.
The Magic currently have the fifth-worst record in the league, and they’re not likely to try to win that many games for the remainder of the season.
That gives them a small, albeit realistic, chance to land the first-overall pick in the upcoming NBA Draft again, meaning they could get 7-foot-2 specimen Victor Wembanyama as their next franchise player.
That thought should keep the rest of the league in shambles.