In Orlando, on the night of November 10th, the fate of the game hung by a thread. With the score tight and time running out, Franz Wagner had the ball in his hands, his eyes fixed on Paolo Banchero. However, the rival defense forced Wagner to look for a second option. It was then that Desmond Bane, coming from a screen, rose up and scored a winning three-pointer over the outstretched hand of Toumani Camara, leaving the Portland Trail Blazers stunned.
Bane’s shot not only secured the victory, but could have been the turning point the team needed.
“This can fire us up,” Banchero declared.
This play was the reason why the Orlando Magic made a bold move in the summer, acquiring Bane in exchange for several first-round picks and other key players. After several first-round eliminations and a season marked by injuries, the Magic’s management bet heavily on the present, hoping to advance beyond the first round for the first time since 2011.
The start of the season, with a 1-4 record, generated some pressure on coach Jamahl Mosley and his players. Frustration was palpable after a loss to the Boston Celtics, but Bane, calmly, predicted a difficult start. He acknowledged that the team was still in the process of adapting, but that there was no reason to panic.
The arrival of Bane, a high-caliber shooter and scorer, has been a significant change for the Magic. In the previous season, Bane averaged 19 points and 39% three-point shooting with the Memphis Grizzlies, numbers that no player on the roster had matched recently. With Bane, the Magic seeks more playmaking, experience, and a third offensive option to complement their defensive identity. The team is confident that Bane will elevate the level of Banchero and Wagner, forming a trio that can compete in the Eastern Conference for years.
“We paid a high price,” commented President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman. “But we are betting on ourselves.”
Despite a slow start in terms of long-distance shots, Bane’s triple winner against Portland gave him a boost. Since then, he has made 8 of 20 three-point shots. Meanwhile, Orlando has won six of their last nine games.
The team is finding its rhythm, driven by the component that the Magic believes will help Banchero and Wagner reach the championship.
“He’s unlocked things,” Banchero said of Bane’s impact on him and Wagner. “When we put him in positions to make the defense make decisions, obviously the spacing, that’s something we’ve struggled with in the past. Defenders don’t want to leave him. His playmaking too… And then he’s a dog. He’s not scared, he doesn’t back down from anybody.”Los compañeros de equipo del Magic rodearon a Desmond Bane después de que anotó su primer tiro ganador de su carrera contra los Trail Blazers.Inside the Magic’s AdventHealth training center, the intensity was palpable. The players were arguing and emotions were running high during a competitive and physical training session. Bane and Tyus Jones, teammates in Memphis, gathered the team. It was one of the first moments of the season in which Bane’s leadership voice was noticed.
“This is going to be us,” Jalen Suggs said about what Bane conveyed. “This is what we’re doing now. It has to be us all year. You can’t pick and choose the days you’re dogs. You’re a dog every day or you’re not. And knowing that when we get off the court, all that is over, especially between us. That fierce competitiveness is good.”
Jalen SuggsIn 2021-22, the Grizzlies won 56 games and reached the Western Conference semifinals before losing. Memphis never made it out of the first round again, derailed by injuries and off-court issues.
Bane wants to transfer the lessons learned in Memphis to his new team, including “unity” and “commitment.” He has tried to set an example even with his frustration. When the Atlanta Hawks were surpassing the Magic in the third quarter on November 4, Bane committed a flagrant foul against Onyeka Okongwu. Bane was ejected after a review.
“It was frustration,” Bane said. “But we say, no trays. Let them see the [ceiling] lights. I can’t put myself in that position where I get ejected. But I definitely hoped that would wake me up. And wake up the rest of the group.”¿La inversión del Magic en la adquisición de Desmond Bane dará sus frutos en la temporada 2025-26?In the middle of the first quarter in Orlando’s first game against the Celtics on November 7, Bane set the tone for his teammates. The guard dove to the floor to secure a steal before passing to Anthony Black for a three-pointer.
Bane had a significant impact on the Magic’s 123-110 victory. The veteran disrupted Boston and made important plays in the final quarter, including a timely 28-foot three-pointer and, later, using his strength in the post to stop Jaylen Brown.
“We appreciate him setting the tone for us every day in practice, in games,” Black said. “He’s super physical. He’s like a street dog. Street dog with a sack.”
Anthony Black
The Magic has needed more bite in the last two postseasons, especially from the three-point line. The team shot 31.8% from the 3-point line last season, the worst in the league. The Magic faced the Boston Celtics in the playoffs, shooting 26.3% from the three-point range.
“The obvious answer is shooting,” Weltman said about what was missing. “We’ve been one of the worst teams in the league in terms of shooting in recent years. And I think with that we’ve also relied a lot on a small group of players for shot creation.”
Jeff Weltman
Banchero faced double-teams in 8% of his isolations. The Magic’s offense became too stagnant in the playoffs. The Magic went from the second-best defensive rating (109.1) last season to 10th (112.9) in the league, while averaging 15.9 turnovers.
The loss against Boston left their coach furious and the team’s star hesitant about what to say.
“Seventeen turnovers for 29 points,” a bothered Mosley repeated seven times about his team’s turnovers during his postgame press conference.
Mosley clarified that it was not a new offensive. Instead, he has emphasized running after stops to take advantage of the Magic’s elite defense, quick decisions, and ball movement to create easier scoring opportunities and prevent defenses from focusing on Banchero and Wagner. Bane played similarly in Memphis, which has influenced the team to try to bring the ball up faster, Mosley said.
Orlando’s 3-point shooting is still a work in progress. The Magic are currently 23rd in the league, with a 33.9% success rate from beyond the arc. Banchero is shooting 25% (11 of 44) and Wagner is scoring 35.7% from the three-point line, up from 29.5% last season. Tristan da Silva has emerged as a 3-point option, with 40.6% so far.
Playing faster, integrating an important player like Bane and still trying to develop cohesion between Banchero, Wagner and Suggs requires patience: the three played a total of only 97 minutes in six games together last season due to injuries.
Bane has played as a point guard, initiating offensive plays, while Suggs recovers from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee. Bane averaged seven assists during a recent four-game stretch against Boston twice, Portland, and New York.
A Western Conference executive says Bane and the Magic can use a passing point guard to create easier shots, explaining that Suggs is more of a 3-and-D star guard. Only 61.9% of Bane’s 3-point baskets this season have come from assists, which is on pace to be the second-lowest mark in his six-year career.
After Bane scored the winning shot against Portland, the executive sent a text message: “Wow”.
Banchero knew it was only a matter of time.
“It’s the perfect fit for the team,” Banchero said. “[The shot] is just a small part of what he can do… He’s a really underrated passer and an underrated leader as well. It’s his voice. I know when he and I are in action together, I definitely get a lot cleaner shots, teams have to make a decision. It hasn’t been like that much in the past. I’ve noticed it. It just fits… it’s only going to get better.”
