Photo: Orlando Magic/X

The Orlando Magic’s decision to trade for Desmond Bane was a clear signal of intent: they wanted to address one of their biggest weaknesses – consistent perimeter shooting.

For a team that has often struggled with offensive efficiency, particularly from long range, Bane’s reputation as one of the league’s elite sharpshooters made him an obvious fit.

But in his first outing with Orlando, Bane showed he can bring much more than just spacing the floor.

As Jason Beede observed, the new Magic guard injected pace into the team’s transition game, using his quick decision-making to keep defenses on their heels.

Beyond simply spotting up, he put pressure on defenders by catching and immediately attacking with the ball, which in turn created open looks for teammates.

One encouraging sign was the instant chemistry between Bane and Tyus Jones, his former teammate in Memphis.

Their familiarity was evident as they seamlessly connected in the backcourt, giving Orlando a reliable offensive pairing.

Perhaps most importantly, Bane’s presence changes how defenses approach the Magic.

His shooting gravity alone forces opponents to stretch out and cover him at all times, which opens up more opportunities inside and helps prevent the kind of stagnant, mid-range-heavy isolation possessions that bogged Orlando’s offense down last season.

Bane played 5 seasons for the Grizzlies. He has averaged 17.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 3.8 assists in 313 regular-season games.

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