Magic's Tristan da Silva Boldly Projected To Underachieve For One Reason

Although the Orlando Magic are aiming for championship contention after their offseason additions, several question marks remain heading into the season. One of them is the growth and development of forward Tristan da Silva. Last year, the rookie stepped up when Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner went down with injuries, starting 38 games and quickly taking on an impact role. Part of the reason Orlando drafted him was his experience. He played through his senior year in college, making him one of the most NBA-ready players in the draft class. But now could his age factor into the Magic’s long-term plans for the forward?

Bleacher Report recently projected da Silva as the Magic’s biggest “faller” for the upcoming season, citing his age and growing competition from the team’s newest rookies.

"Injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner contributed to Da Silva's 38 starts and 22.0 minutes per game last year," the article wrote. "It was a substantial role that, until the stars got healthy and Da Silva's scoring efficiency cratered, might have earned him an All-Rookie nod. With better health for Banchero and Wagner, and assuming Desmond Bane sees at least the 32.0 minutes per game he logged in Memphis last year, it'll be much harder for Da Silva to see regular action."

"Orlando is also probably more invested in Jett Howard, Anthony Black and Jase Richardson, whose collective youth gives them much more upside than the 24-year-old Da Silva," the article added.

It’s hard to believe the Magic would be more invested in Howard, but there’s a case to be made for their newest second-round pick, Noah Penda.

Still, during Summer League, da Silva emerged as the clear leader, showing noticeable strides in his shooting, playmaking and overall comfort on the court.

Unless the Magic face another injury, it’s unlikely da Silva will start another 38 games after averaging 7.2 points and 3.3 rebounds as a rookie. Still, he’s expected to have a defined role with the second unit and has room to grow despite being an older prospect.

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