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Orlando Magic: 3 most promising young players right now

By Luke Duffy

TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 16: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic reacts during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Amalie Arena on April 16, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
TAMPA, FLORIDA - APRIL 16: Wendell Carter Jr. #34 of the Orlando Magic reacts during the first quarter against the Toronto Raptors at Amalie Arena on April 16, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images) /
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Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic (Photo by Alex Menendez/Getty Images) /

Shining star No. 3 for the Orlando Magic: Chuma Okeke

It speaks volumes of where the Magic are at since the deadline that Chuma Okeke finds himself third on this list. It wasn’t that long ago that this writer claimed that Okeke had saved the whole season with his emergence, and that is still the case. It has been fantastic to see the youngster blossom after missing his entire rookie season with an ACL tear.

It is not even that Okeke has regressed massively either, he’s just cooled off compared to where he was at just as the roster was experiencing some real upheaval. The other part of this is that unfortunately for Okeke, fans are just becoming more used to what he is capable of doing on a nightly basis as well.

It is hard being a victim of his own success, but the smooth offensive game is something which we have seen quite a bit this season at this point, and which is really nice to watch. In the month of May, it also feels like Okeke has become a more well-rounded player, as opposed to the unexpected scoring bursts we saw around the deadline.

He’s chipping in with more assists and rebounds these days, while the scoring is more consistent. The highs aren’t as high (season-high was 22 versus the Portland Trail Blazers in March), but the lows aren’t as low either. To date, Okeke’s monthly scoring averages are really encouraging.

  • December – 3.0 points per game.
  • January – injured.
  • February – 5.0 points per game.
  • March – 8.5 points per game.
  • April (so far) – 10.7 points per game.

It feels like that kind of output may take another small leap forward by season’s end, and by next year who knows how crucial Okeke will be to the Magic’s offensive sets. Fans always spoke about how the team had a clear ceiling with the previous core in place. Already Okeke alone has shown that the ceiling for this version of the Magic can be so much higher.

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