At the peak of the injury plague striking the Magic in January, third-year pro Caleb Houstan served as a spot-starter and joined Orlando‘s rotation as part of the second unit.
It’s what he’s done in the past and what’s to be expected of a second-round pick.
But Houstan’s recent action on the court is different.
As of late, he’s the first off the bench, plays significant minutes and helps contribute on both ends of the court in order to help the Magic win.
He’s been what Orlando — the worst 3-point shooting team in the league (31.3%) — has needed to space the floor and complement the playmaking and scoring of star forwards duo Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner.
Averaging 14.6 minutes the past 12 games, Houstan is shooting 56.1% on 3.4 attempts from beyond the arc.
It’s a 3-point percentage that trails only Utah’s Brice Sensabaugh (a Lake Highland Prep product) and Phoenix’s Kevin Durant (a two-time Finals MVP) among all NBA players who have played at least 14 minutes while appearing in 12 contests during that stretch, according to NBA.com.
“I really like his confidence,” Wagner said about Houstan at Monday morning shootaround before Orlando hosted the Clippers. “Everybody on the team feels that every time he touches and it goes to the 3, he should shoot it.
“He’s been really assertive, especially on defense,” Wagner added. “He’s one of those players who you don’t have to tell too many times what to do. He’s really easy to plug in with anybody out there, and we really need his shooting.”
For those who know Houstan the best, the results on the court don’t come as a surprise.
His recent stretch is a byproduct of the work he’s put in regularly in the AdventHealth Training Center.
Not boastful, he lets his work — and his teammates — speak for himself.
“I always wanted to say this: I’ve been around a lot of hard-working guys, but this guy’s inspirational,” Magic center Goga Bitadze said recently. “You see him every day in [the gym], no matter the circumstances.
“You land at 3 a.m.; this guy is in there at 8 a.m. It’s truly inspirational for this young man, and he pushes me personally,” Bitadze added. “He doesn’t even realize, but he pushes me to go in there and work.”
A 2022 second-round pick, Houstan entered the league at the same time as Banchero, Orlando’s No. 1 overall selection who won Rookie of the Year.
Banchero knew from his very first practice at Las Vegas Summer League with Houstan that his new teammate wasn’t going to take a break from the court.
“I’ve seen it since we both got drafted, just how consistent he is,” ...
