Tristan da Silva #23 of the Orlando Magic dunks the ball against Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
Orlando Magic rookie small forward Tristan Da Silva wants to win a playoff series this season.
The Magic haven't won a playoff series since Dwight Howard days back in 2010. Orlando has the fourth-longest playoff series win drought in the NBA. However, that could end this season as the Magic look to make it back to the playoffs after losing in Game 7 of their first round series last year.
“From a team perspective, you're always trying to top the previous season,” Da Silva said in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of his partnership with Panini. “So you feel you're getting better and better by the year. There are definitely some expectations to get past the first round. I feel like that's the elephant in the room.”
Orlando hasn't been off to a hot start this season, at just 27-29, the seventh-best record in the East. However, they've dealt with a myriad of injuries, including to their two top players in Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. However, they're still currently leading the Southeast division despite being under .500.
Although the Magic have Banchero and Wagner back in the lineup — they're 20-16 when the latter is in — they've been unable to show their full potential due to their injuries. That's not even mentioning how starting guard Jalen Suggs has been sidelined due to injury, with the Magic's “Big Three” only being together for six games and 96 minutes this season.
Those injuries to their top two players led to Da Silva starting 35 of the first 52 games, which led to a spot in the Rising Stars Challenge during NBA All-Star weekend. The 23-year-old German import has averaged 8.3 points and 3.8 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game this season.
Da Silva says he “definitely” gained a lot of confidence while playing with the starters.
“That was really fun,” said Da Silva of starting games in December and January.
“I feel like that was a good stretch for me to gain a lot of experience in a different position that I had not been in before at this level. I feel like I've learned from it. It also gave me a chance to show people what I can do. It's also probably a huge reason why I was selected to the Rising Stars Game because of that stretch and the way I played.”
Although Da Silva isn't new to the American basketball game — he played four years at the University of Colorado — his background is in the European game, having been born and grown up in Germany. Furthermore, he played in competitive under-19 leagues such as the NBBL and IBA Munchen.
The 6-foot-8 small forward acknowledges there is a difference in the European and American games, saying the Euro game is more “tactical.”
A Faster Game
Da Silva also makes sure to point out how the American game is “faster.”
“Obviously, it's faster,” added Da Silva. “Everybody's highly skilled or highly athletic. There's no way to hide.”
It's also helped that Da Silva is playing with two fellow Germans on the Magic in the two Wagner brothers, Franz and Mo Wagner. Franz is averaging a team-leading 25.1 points per game while Mo ranks fourth on the team with 12.9 points per game.
“I'm just grateful to have them on my team, and to learn from them,” continued Da Silva. “They're kind of the ones in my ear trying to push me to do more and give me the ins and outs.”
Da Silva — who says that the biggest adjustment in his rookie season has been all the free time that you have as a pro player — says the Wagner brothers have been big in helping him with the routine and the mental aspect of being a pro basketball player.
“Obviously the routine aspect of it, I think that's a big thing that they emphasized in the beginning of the season,” said Da Silva. “It's also tactical stuff on the court such as certain movements, certain tendencies, certain plays that they like or that they know would be good for me. Then most of it is mental stuff from a mindset perspective and just making sure that I adjust to the play of the NBA.”
As far as his individual objectives for his rookie season, Da Silva says he wants to “adjust” to the game and make sure he's as “comfortable” as possible.
“For me personally, I feel like I just want to adjust to the game,” said Da Silva. “I want to make sure that I'm as comfortable as possible and feel like just being around a lot of rookies on this team.”
Da Silva is speaking on behalf of his partnership with Panini and says he was a “big fan” of the trading card company while growing up in Germany, saying that he collected the stickers of his favorite soccer players.
Tristan Da Silva Partners With Panini During NBA All-Star Weekend
The Magic rookie spent All-Star weekend meeting and signing autographs of Panini cards and stickers for fans at the Prizm VIP Lounge in San Francisco at Chase Center. He's been partnered with Panini since before the NBA Draft.
“Always fun to come out and sign those stickers,” said Da Silva. “We got some good people working here. Always fun to come up here and chop it up with them. They got a good set up over here, they have a lounge vibe going. We're doing interviews and talking about Panini. Talking about collecting stickers when I was a kid and just trying to open some packs.”
DJ Siddiqi is a sports reporter who focuses on football, basketball and pro wrestling. He has covered some of the biggest sporting events, including the NBA Finals and Wrestlemania and often interviews high-profile athletes on a weekly basis. Siddiqi has interviewed the likes of Dan Marino, Emmitt Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, Tony Hawk and Giannis Antetokounmpo. His previous experience includes working as a lead NBA writer at CBS Sports and 247 Sports in addition to working as a beat reporter covering the NFL and the Denver Broncos at Bleacher Report. Follow Siddiqi for exclusive one-on-one interviews and analysis on key topics in sports
