The Orlando Magic decided to reverse course by signing most of last season’s players. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Cory Joseph and Tristan da Silva were the only newcomers to the team.
Da Silva is a rookie, but he’s still expected to be in the rotation and make an impact. After all, the Magic drafted him for his needs and ability rather than his future potential. showed up in Summer Leaguebut the NBA is a whole other level.
Da Silva will need to make the transition quickly if he wants to help the Magic win in 2024-25. So let’s look at three questions he needs to answer immediately.
Last season, the Magic didn’t feel like first-round picks Anthony Black and Jett Howard were NBA-ready. Black only made it into the rotation because of injuries, and Howard spent most of the season with the Magic’s G League team. Tristan da Silva, however, is in a much different situation.
He’s an older rookie – older than Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner in fact – and has played four full seasons of college basketball. Therefore, he has more experience and already knows better what he needs to do consistently for his team to win. He already knows better who he is as a basketball player.
All of this will work in his favor, but the transition to the NBA isn’t always easy. Most rookies struggle early on. Da Silva should be a big part of the Magic’s offensive rotation early on. The Magic need him to be ready sooner rather than later. If he’s not, that could be a serious problem. So far, everything he’s shown indicates he’ll be ready.
