Is The Orlando Magic Center Rotation Enough to Compete in the East?

Originally posted on Orlando Magic on SI | By Marco Romo | Last updated Sep 26, 2025 9:28 AM ET

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The Orlando Magic are known for their size at every position. But at the position all about size, do they come up short?

The Magic have garnered a reputation as an elite defensive group known for making you feel suffocated. They play as a well-oiled machine that never allows you to let your guard down. What many seem to forget is that even with the aforementioned size, they still play bigger than their listed measurables.

The Center position is however an interesting case. The team has plenty of guys manning the paint who many would consider solid to pretty good. Nothing too flashy but never someone who is too much of a detriment to the overall team. But is that enough for this young squad looking to take another step in the East?

Last season Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze, and Mo Wagner [prior to his injury] did an admirable job being the men in the middle. This upcoming season will look to feature them again, in addition to spot minutes for newcomers like Orlando Robinson. But is just okay enough? Carter Jr. has long been someone Magic fans and NBA fans in general are waiting on to take that next leap. If he finally does, then Orlando might jump above and beyond expectations. Having said that, he is approaching 27 and it's highly unlikely a leap that big is coming.

Goga in the building pic.twitter.com/7pEcLqxA9N
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) September 25, 2025

They don't necessarily need this elite two-way Center for them to compete among the best in the Eastern Conference. What they need is for their big men to allow the rest of their roster to be fully optimized while contributing wherever they can. Take a look at teams like the Pacers or Rockets (Sengun notwithstanding), who didn't have the flashiest big men. What they did have were bigs who starred in their roles. They had coaches who put them in the right spots and lineups that allowed the rest of the team to flourish

Today's modern NBA is as depth-oriented as we've ever seen. It's about optimizing your star players and allowing them to lead. Now, if the opportunity presents itself to Orlando where they can grab a great stretch big that plays hard-nosed defense, they should take it. However, that kind of player is one that organizations very rarely let go.

What the Magic have on their side is the ability to mix and match their frontcourt in ways most teams can't. Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero, are players who the coaching staff loves to move around all over the floor. This type of versatility allows the team to deploy their bigs in creative ways.

I won't sit here and say the Magic have the perfect Center rotation, but they aren't in dire need. The team will live and die by their young stars and the ability of newcomer Desmond Bane to elevate the struggling offense. Is the rotation good enough? If the backcourt improves as much as the fans hope it does; I believe so. If it doesn't, then we might hear rumblings of consolidating some of that frontcourt depth.

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This article first appeared on Orlando Magic on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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