While wins have been hard to come by for the Orlando Magic so far this season, there are plenty of reasons for optimism surrounding one of the youngest teams in the league. One of the players responsible for this is Bol Bol, who has carved out quite the role in Orlando as part of his career reset after things didn’t quite work out for him in Denver.
On the season, Bol is averaging 13.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and two blocks in 27.1 minutes per game while connecting on 41.9 percent of his attempts from behind the three-point line. His play has encouraged his teammates, with Paolo Banchero talking to HoopsHype and coming close to comparing the uniqueness of Bol’s game to Victor Wembanyama, the presumed No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
“Everyone talks about the Victor dude from France,” Banchero said. “I’m not trying to compare them, but Bol’s 7-foot-2, shoots threes, brings it up the court, makes passes, and blocks shots. I feel like people kind of forget about him, but Bol’s a freak of nature.”
Banchero went on to say that Bol’s play this season has not caught the Magic by surprise, citing the times they played together over the offseason and Bol’s track record as a blue-chip recruit in high school.
“He’s ultra-talented at 7-foot-2, can shoot pull-up threes, and block shots all around the court,” Banchero said. “He moves like a 6-foot-5 shooting guard. It’s crazy.”
The Magic are 5-16 on the season. Of their seven top leading scorers, only Gary Harris is older than 23.