Wendell Carter Jr. Praises Magic Teammate for Maturity

The Orlando Magic took a huge swing this summer. After their team had some success last season, the Magic organization decided to strike while the iron was hot and bring in another offensive weapon to help balance their defensively-focused squad. The Magic decided to trade four 1st-round picks for Desmond Bane, a trade that had many wondering if they had taken too big of a risk for a non-star player. 

To start the season, it wasn’t clear whether the Magic’s risky move was going to pay off. Bane was slow to fit in on his new squad, and the Magic were underperforming relative to expectations. Now, Bane is back to doing Bane-like things, and the Magic seem to be on a better path, despite dealing with injuries to some key players. 

Wendell Carter Jr., a veteran leader on the Magic, spoke about Bane and how important he is to the team. 

“Guys who have established themselves and have a mindset of, he’s going to play his game no matter what. His process is going to remain the same. Early on (in the season), he was struggling a little bit but one thing about it, he stuck to what he knows he’s good at. And now we’re seeing the benefits of what trading for a guy like that does…His continued elevation just shows he’s one of the best in this league in terms of his position, shooting the 3-ball, getting downhill, facilitating, playmaking … He’s exactly what we need.”

If the Magic are going to make some noise in the postseason, Bane is going to be a big part of it. With Franz Wagner out indefinitely, the Magic need to lean even more on their offseason pickup. WCJ doesn’t seem to think this will be a problem as Bane is finally hitting his stride.