The Orlando Magic's preseason slate got off to the right start on Wednesday when they beat the Memphis Grizzlies on the road, 122-118. 

The Magic had several contributors to the win, including Tristan da Silva, Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane. Orlando's two best players, Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, also looked good.

Carter's performance was especially impressive, as he went 5-for-7 from the field and 3-for-4 from 3-point range for 13 points and a team-high +17. While it is only preseason, this is the type of performance the Magic need to receive from Carter on a consistent basis.

At his best, Carter is a very solid center who can stretch the floor and put pressure on opposing defenses. It seemed that we got a glimpse of the peak of his powers when he scored 14 points and grabbed 17 rebounds in a Game 3 win over the Detroit Pistons in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Orlando needs more of that version of Carter to be successful. There is a clear vision and a level of expectation for what is required of players such as Banchero and Wagner, but Carter needs to be a player who always stars in his role.

On the latest episode of the Full Court Magic podcast, I talked about the type of impact that Carter needs to have this season:

"You look at some other guys like Wendell Carter Jr., right? It's interesting because Carter came to Orlando in the trade for Nikola Vucevic, and now both of them are back in Orlando together. So, kind of a full-circle moment there, but will Carter be the best version of himself, and then some, for this team? 

"Because, you know, we've seen what Wendell Carter Jr. can do. We're talking 14 points and 17 rebounds in a playoff win; just absolutely showing up Jalen Duren and being a factor in the latter's trade talks and negotiations hitting an impasse this summer being the reason that Duren lost money in some fashion because of how well he played against him. What will that look like? What will he be able to do on a consistent basis? Because Vucevic, as a starter in Chicago, was more productive than Carter was in Orlando, and even as an older player, I don't expect that same production from Vucevic in the new role that he's going to have, but you cannot be getting outplayed by your reserve, your soon-to-be 36-year-old backup center. 

Wendell has to be the best version of himself and more and the good thing about it is Wendell is cerebral. Like, he has the mental fortitude to play the game the right way, and that is something that Sweeney praised about him. You know, talked about him getting his pilot's license and how Carter likened flying a plane to, you know, basketball in terms of like, you have to be in front of the plan, right? And so, for Carter, as a center, he has to understand all facets of the defense, and Sweeney said he's been asking great questions during camp, trying to figure out how to get better and how to be in the right spots to maximize himself and the defensive integrity of the team. 

And so, if they could get Carter to boost his numbers just a little more and to be more of a presence, I mean, you know, I've talked about this before, where asking a player to take a developmental step in year nine is like asking an old dog to learn a new trick, perhaps? But I feel like Carter has it in him; he's still a young enough player. I think that, given the right coaching scheme, given the right setup, and the level of buy-in he has, he can make it work."