Paolo Banchero and the surprising Orlando Magic are way ahead of schedule

The Magic have the talent to compete

Despite ranking 26th in the league in three-point attempts and boasting only two players who shoot above 34% with a minimum of 3.5 three-point attempts per game, the Magic have done an adequate job of producing offense, generating a 113 offensive rating, right near league average.

While "outside shooting" and "space" are largely synonymous these days, Orlando has harnessed their off-ball movement to offset their shooting woes, cutting on nearly 9% of their baskets scored and generating over 1.3 points per possession, according to Synergy Sports; numbers which not only top the league but are historically good.

Still, what makes the Magic so dangerous is not that they are only outstrategizing opponents but that they now employ top-end talent that can beat opponents straight up. Let's go back to the third quarter of the Magic's victory against the Cavs.

Receiving the rock in the backcourt off an errant Cleveland shot attempt, Banchero runs the floor to the elbow. With the forward pulling the tempo on his dribble at his preferred spot for a moment, the Cavaliers again show help in preparation for a double-team.

Yet, rather than wait for a passing lane to develop towards a cutting teammate, the former top draft pick takes care of business himself, forcing Georges Niang to bite on a stutter step toward the inside lane before spinning away and converting a tough layup.

While much of the league, and the voices that surround it are too often caught up over questions of roster construction, Weltman's decision to draft Banchero, regardless of the "fit," is a reminder that a squad's ability to out-talent opponents will usually pay off. That Banchero has transformed into the offensive version of a Swiss Army knife only strengthens that argument.