Orlando Magic: 3 keys to their solid start to season

1. Markelle Fultz

Of all of the players currently contributing to the nice start for the Magic, point guard Fultz deserves to be singled out for special praise. His 18.0 points per game are way up on his average from last year (12.1), although the small sample size again has to be mentioned. Nevertheless, he has clearly taken another step forward over the offseason.

This is all the Magic front office and their fans could have ever wanted from Fultz, who is fresh off signing an extension with the organization. He came in with minimal expectations but has so far defied all of them without much trouble. Last year it was clear he could dictate the tempo of a game and get into the paint almost at will.

Through two games he has done exactly that, with his decision making and passing ability, which were not bad at all, to begin with, appearing to have improved as well. Losing Jonathan Isaac for another season hurt, but Fultz is really taking this opportunity to show fans that the future can be bright even without Isaac for the time being.

It is also worth mentioning at this point the role that Anthony may have had in this. It is unclear how he fell to the Magic with the 15th pick on draft night, but already he looks like the kind of player who will be starting before long. Or at the very least, doing all that he can to ensure he gets more minutes.

This could be pushing Fultz on to ensure he doesn’t lose his starting role, which after a stellar start to the campaign, does not look to be in jeopardy. But already moving on from the veteran D.J. Augustin, the steady hand who departed a cult hero, looks to have been a great move by the front office.

It has Fultz and Anthony pushing one another as only two young guys who both believe they should be starters can. It is of great benefit to the organization, and it may be that they become the starting backcourt of the future together at some point. For now, though, Fultz is running the show on a 2-0 team, and he looks like he is only improving as well.