The Orlando Magic have struggled with injuries this season, and point guard Jalen Suggs had to leave Sunday’s game against the Brooklyn Nets in the second quarter due to a wrist sprain.
The team had difficulty scoring for the first three quarters of the game but made a strong comeback in the fourth, scoring 34 points to overcome a 17-point deficit with seven minutes left.
Magic rookie Tristan da Silva has been a positive factor for the team, and his performance against the Nets was his best of the season. He scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, making key plays when it mattered most.
With the team dealing with injuries, da Silva stepped up, hitting timely shots in the final moments of the game. His decision-making has been sharp, and he was trusted as the primary ball handler toward the end of the game.
The 6-foot-8 forward has shown great versatility on both ends of the floor, which was one of his strengths when he came out of Colorado. With a bigger role due to injuries, da Silva has proven to be more than just a 3-and-D player at the NBA level.
His on-ball skills are impressive for someone of his size, and his basketball IQ is evident in every game.
He’s also become more comfortable in the pick-and-roll, recording seven assists against the Nets with added playmaking duties. Da Silva has a natural feel for the game, something that is hard to teach, and this will help him develop quickly as he gains more experience.
At 23, da Silva is an older rookie, but he has used his age to his advantage, showing more maturity than many rookies. This is especially clear on the defensive end, where he has been consistently solid.
While he doesn’t make flashy plays or rack up big defensive numbers, da Silva uses his length to contest shots and play vertically. On the final play of the game, he was switched onto Brooklyn’s top scorer, Cam Thomas, and forced him to miss a shot as the buzzer sounded.
After a tough game against the Knicks, where he went scoreless in 28 minutes, da Silva bounced back strongly. He has scored over 15 points in five of his last seven games and set a career-high against the Nets. The rookie has continued to show that he’s one of the more polished players from his draft class and still has room to grow as a playmaker.
