The 3 main reasons behind the Magic’s slow start to 2026-27 season

The Magic dropped their 3rd straight video game on Thursday night, a 117-104 defeat versus the Phoenix Suns in spite of a 27-point efficiency from Wendell Carter Jr. The loss dropped Orlando to 2-6 up until now this season.

For a group with playoff expectations, the Magic have actually dug themselves an early hole to climb up out of– the course to the playoffs will not be simple, especially if a couple of locations of issue aren’t attended to.

Here’s a take a look at the 3 primary factors for the Magic’s sluggish start in 2026-27.

news Factors behind the Magic’s sluggish start

Injuries

To put it clearly: the Magic are a better group when Paolo Banchero is on the flooring. That’s no knock on Orlando– most NBA groups battle without their finest gamer. After a 35-point night in the season-opener, Banchero has actually been out with a sprained ankle.

Without Banchero, the Magic have not had a go-to scorer, particularly with Franz Wagner (41.9% from the flooring) having a hard time to shoot the ball early this season. Orlando hasn’t had a 30-point scorer given that Banchero’s opener versus Atlanta, and it took 28 Desmond Bane indicates beat the Raptors recently.

Banchero was offered a four-to-six week timeline, suggesting the Magic still likely have a lot of time without him. Which’s all without pointing out Jalen Suggs’ lack, leaving a well-rounded effect on both ends of the flooring uninhabited.

Orlando requires Wagner to be more effective as a three-level scorer, and for Bane to take control of offensively more frequently. Without Banchero and Suggs, there are vital spaces not being filled.

Turnovers

Going into Thursday’s video game, the Magic were balancing the sixth-most turnovers per video game in the NBA, in the very same area as groups like the Nets, Bulls, Kings, Pelicans and Jazz. That isn’t a group of groups Orlando anticipated to be in discussions with this season.

That was before another 25 turnovers versus the Suns, who entered the video game with simply one win this season. Wagner turned the ball over 6 times– though he did have 15 helps– and Anthony Black had another 5 turnovers.

Especially with Banchero and Suggs missing, the margin for mistake is thinner. The Magic requirement Wagner to look after the ball as the lead star today, and Sweeney’s very first Orlando group requires to play a much cleaner brand name of basketball if it’s going to turn things around.

Book begins the break and Dillon ends it https://t.co/XDjF4oQJFx– Phoenix Suns(@Suns)November 6, 2026

3-point shooting

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Magic aren’t a sufficient 3-point shooting group to prosper. That has actually been a constant style of the last couple of seasons, something the Bane trade could not even mask.

Regardless of Bane linking on 3.6 shots from deep per video game, the remainder of the Magic are making 9.5 per video game. Going into Thursday’s video game versus Phoenix, Orlando 13.1 3s made per video game ranked in the middle of the pack in the NBA, however the Magic shot 13-of-38( 34% )versus the Suns.

In their 2 wins this season, the Magic shot over 40% from deep as a group. It’s one of their clear dishes for success without Banchero’s shot producing; getting Bane as numerous open appearances as possible must be a top priority, as must Wagner looking for more effective appearances.

With Wagner shooting 20% from 3-point variety, the Banchero-less Magic merely aren’t enough of a deep risk to opposing defenses. While Wagner’s death has actually been a property, his inadequacy has actually injured.

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