The Orlando Magic hosted the Miami Heat for the first of a back-to-back at the Kia Center on Thursday in an 89-88 loss. Regardless of that defeat and a difficult outing Friday against the New York Knicks looming, some roleplayers have stepped up huge for the Magic since they lost franchise forward Paolo Banchero, star forward Franz Wagner, center Mo Wagner as the sixth man off the bench to injury. These contributions have kept Orlando a threat. Whether through playing in the starting lineup or as an element to step in off the bench to maintain the Magic’s defensive prowess to topple opponents, their impact has been undeniable.

G Anthony Black

While he was seen as a rising star heading into the season with Joe Ingles and Markelle Fultz departing, Anthony Black has lived up to the hype. It’s a tough thing to replace point guard Jalen Suggs in a game let alone to start for him out with an ankle injury when your squad bounces back from a 27-point deficit like they did Saturday night against the Heat.

Black has scored as many as 23 off the bench in a single game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He’s also hit big shots in wins to show that at the ripe age of 21, he may be a force on the roster for years to come.

F Tristen da Silva

Heading into the Magic’s game Thursday, the rookie out of Colorado Tristan da Silva as the 18th round pick in the 2024 NBA draft has started 21 of Orlando’s 32 games. He’s averaged close to nine points a game with around four rebounds as the closest thing to a “Franz clone” the team can muster — and not just because he’s German. His versatility in size and shooting have helped him succeed.

While scoring as high as 20 in this stint of starts, his team-leading 18 points against the Boston Celtics on December 23rd might include his biggest moment of the year when he hit a three-pointer with just under 10 seconds left to put the nail in the coffin of the defending champs.

G Trevelin Queen

Trevelin Queen is a prominent player for the G-League’s Osceola Magic. As former G-League MVP in 2022, he’s currently veraging nearly 23 points a game this season. As a 4th-year man in the NBA’s minor league, he’s been with the Magic on a two-way contract since 2023.

While he’s been called up multiple times to sit in reserve for the Magic, Monday night he made his first NBA start against the league defending champion Celtics. He put up 17 points while guarding their star, Jaylen Brown. He also is credited with the assist that locked up the win that night.

In his two NBA starts this season after Thursday night with more to come in this current Magic home stretch, Queen averages 12.5 points, 2.5 steals, and 2.5 assists.