The 2 most valuable Magic players in Banchero’s absence aren’t named Franz Wagner

When Paolo Banchero suffered an injury in the Magic’s loss to the Chicago Bulls, things quickly began to look bleak for Orlando. The team went on a tough road trip and lost five games in a row. Now the Magic have found their footing and are back in third place in the Eastern Conference after winning six straight games.

The team’s engine throughout that turnaround has been Franz Wagner. When Banchero went down, everyone knew Wagner would have to step up. After all, he is the team’s second best player and has already signed a max extension. This is his chance to live up to the contract.

Currently, it even looks like Wagner may be headed to the All-Star Game in San Francisco. He’s put up great numbers, averaging 25.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists over the last ten games.

Wagner does most of the heavy lifting, but he’s not the only player helping the Magic survive the absence of two of their starters.

Losing one starter is already a tough blow. Losing two is even worse. Wendell Carter Jr. hasn’t played since the Magic’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks, meaning Orlando was not only without its starting power, but also without its starting center.

Fortunately, Goga Bitadze is no stranger to having to step into the starting line-up. Bitadze is a different player than Carter Jr. and does not contain the floor, but has been valuable in its very own way. So far, Bitadze has scored in double figures in all but two games in November. Most recently, he scored 17 points against the Phoenix Suns on 7-8 shooting from the field.

The big man is also averaging 1.7 blocks and 8.6 rebounds per game in November. He has provided the Magic with consistent defense, interior scoring and strong rebounding. Bitadze may not be the flashiest player, but he knows how to play his role and does it well.

His consistency is a big reason why the Magic have been able to recover and survive the absence of two starters.

Going into the season, it was clear that the Magic desperately needed at least one of Anthony Black, Tristan da Silva and Jett Howard to play well in a significant role. Black has just done that. He went from being in and out of the rotation depending on who was available as a rookie to being one of the Magic’s key players off the bench.

Black has grown, especially as a playmaker, averaging 4.3 assists over the last ten games. It is second best in the team after only Franz Wagner and incredibly important with Banchero out. Banchero is the team’s best playmaker, so someone had to step up in his absence. Black has done that while also averaging 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the past ten games.

The youngster’s game has been a success story in its own right, although Black clearly still has room to grow. He still struggles with turnovers in some games and isn’t shooting the three very consistently yet, but that will come eventually. At 20, Black is still the youngest player on the Magic’s roster and early in his development.

Nevertheless, his visible growth has been incredibly valuable to the Magic, and not just when it comes to keeping the team afloat during Banchero’s absence. If Black continues on the same trajectory, he could become one of the Magic’s key players in the future.