Orlando Magic: 4 role players most likely to step up next year

4. Terrence Ross

Swingman Terrence Ross may seem like a odd choice to begin this list. After all, he is an established player in the league, with a known skill-set and who was a valuable part of the Toronto Raptors’ bench during his four and a half years there.

But Ross has yet to show much of that ability in a Magic jersey, which makes him a prime candidate here. We’ve seen through a small sample size already what he can do when given the chance.

Upon his arrival to Orlando before the trade deadline in 2017, Ross gave the Magic an immediate boost. His offensive play was a shot in the arm for a team that needed it, as was his ability to stretch the floor as a career 37.1 percent 3-point shooter.

By the time he had joined the Magic, however, the games didn’t really matter as they were lottery bound. In all, Ross only played 24 games in 2016-17, and unfortunately, injury limited him to the same number of games last year, so the Magic have only gotten 48 games and 508 total points out of Ross so far.

That’s why this season could be the year he takes his shooting abilities and adds them to the bustling wing rotation, diversifying what the Magic can do to opponents. This may be as a starter, but a sixth man role now looks to have a better ring to it right now.

At worst we’ll see more of the same from Ross, but if he can stay healthy and is allowed to see more of the ball, there’s no question the offense can flow through him on many trips down the court. Combined with the defensive skills of Isaac and Bamba, that is an exciting prospect.