Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva was thrown into the fire almost immediately as a rookie last season, and he made the most of his opportunity.
As the Magic dealt with several injuries to key players, da Silva was relied upon to fill a bigger role than many rookies endure in the NBA. As a result of his solid play, Bleacher Report listed him as Orlando’s most disrespected hidden gem.
“Positional overlap with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner will forever cap Tristan Da Silva's role on a fully healthy Orlando Magic team,” it wrote. “The thing is, they were far from fully healthy last season, and he filled in admirably for a huge chunk of the schedule, at times stepping into a starter's role and doing a lot of silent defensive dirty work.”
“Orlando still has room to give Da Silva regular reps as a reserve. It is not teeming with backup-wing options, and rolling out his 6'8" frame will be more appealing than having Anthony Black scale up to certain opponents. There might be slightly more offensive utility to plumb—the Magic had him initiate plenty of sets in Las Vegas—but Da Silva will shine brightest playing within himself. He, more than any other role player, may benefit from the arrival of two additional creators in Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones.”
The 2024 No. 18 pick averaged 7.4 points and 3.3 rebounds on 41.2 percent shooting in 22 minutes per game. He also posted three games with 20-plus points. For da Silva to bolster his impact, he will need to develop a better perimeter shot. He only shot 33.5 percent from the 3-point line while averaging 1.1 to 3.2 attempts.
In the Summer League, da Silva averaged 18.5 points while boosting his perimeter shooting to 38.5 percent through two games. In a reserve role, he will likely see several minutes with Jones, who owns one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the league. da Silva will have the opportunity to capitalize on off-ball opportunities with someone like Jones while displaying his maturation in year two.
If da Silva’s flashes of talent turn into consistent contributions, he will emerge as a key player for the Magic in their chase for control of the Eastern Conference next season.
Former Magic Player Passes Steph Curry in GOAT Debate
Orlando Magic Hall Of Famer Lands On Elite List
Ex-Orlando Magic Player Ahead Of Kevin Durant On Prestigious Top 25 List
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!