Magic will meet higher expectations; 5 predictions

5. Markelle Fultz will start some games

This could have been put down as an extremely bold prediction as recently as one month ago, but a lot has changed for Markelle Fultz in that time. First came the unexpected push from the Orelando Magic’s social media team, as they released footage of Fultz shooting and generally looking more comfortable on the court.

Those videos were dissected in great detail online, but were backed up with Fultz playing in every preseason game to date so far. He’s looked OK, with his shooting touch inspiring some hope and a successful dunk against the Pistons highlighting that his injury woes now appear to be behind him.

But Fultz has also been careless with the basketball, making some silly turnovers that coach Steve Clifford can’t have been happy about. The results of these games don’t matter though, it is simply about getting some run, and Fultz has done exactly that while also showing he is capable of setting up his teammates well with a number of nifty passes.

https://twitter.com/OrlandoMagic/status/1183756211348484097

So to say he will start some games this season no longer seems crazy. There’s no doubt he will as well and this is as much down to the other point guards on the roster than anything else. Presumed starter D.J. Augustin will be 32 next month and despite having a career year last season in which he only missed one game, it is unlikely that kind of injury-free streak will happen again.

Michael Carter-Williams is the other backup, but his long frame and defensive prowess make him a better fit with what could turn out to be a wicked second unit on that end of the court. That leaves Fultz, who no longer looks like he needs to be protected nearly as much, to fill in as a starter when needed.

Given that his trajectory is more in line with that of Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba, or so the Magic hope, pairing them together when they can while not sacrificing too many wins as they grow and learn together should be the goal here. It is a matter of if and not when, although he will surely come off the bench for the first six weeks or so of the season.