Orlando Magic: 3 reasons they’re not tanking properly

Reason No. 3 the Orlando Magic tank isn’t working: Young guys care

This might be seen as a negative at this moment in time, but it certainly won’t always be this way. The reality is though, that players like Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton already look like they really care. Anthony has a chip on his shoulder that we haven’t seen in Orlando for a while, and he should have been the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month for April.

Hampton wasn’t given many opportunities with the Denver Nuggets before being traded as part of the deal that sent Aaron Gordon the other way. Both also realize that Markelle Fultz was the starting point guard before his ACL, and he is going to return sooner rather than later. He also appears to be in great spirits about his recovery too, which is excellent to see.

Both Anthony and Hampton, as well as appearing to genuinely like one another, also seem to accept and enjoy the fact they’ll be with the Magic for the long haul. They’re also proud young players, who don’t look like they enjoy the prospect of losing all the time. How did that work out with guys like Elfrid Payton and Victor Oladipo in the past again?

As mentioned already, Bamba is getting a real opportunity to play at this stage, and if you think he is going to sit back and watch the front office draft more competition for the position, as well as Wendell Carter Jr. already being in place and looking like the real deal, then you are mistaken. Ditto Anthony and Hampton.

The prospect of a young stud joining them is a great thought for Orlando Magic fans and the long-term future of the organization. It is also undoubtedly the goal right now. But that doesn’t mean young players who have shown real promise at this point like the idea of more competition, or how it could create an imbalance on the roster. This is the main reason they are not as bad as most fans want them to be at this stage. Too many young players, who are legitimately good, who care.