BOSTON — Regardless of where the Magic end up for the postseason, Jamal Cain has worked his way into Orlando‘s rotation and proven he’s capable of fitting into a variety of lineups.
The fourth-year pro, who signed a standard contract with the Magic on March 20 after he started the season on a two-way deal, had already appeared in a career-high 39 NBA games entering Sunday’s regular-season finale at Boston.
He has averaged 5.5 points and 1.9 rebounds in 12.1 minutes per night across his first 39 appearances. Cain’s recent production, however, shows the kind of impact he’s made for Orlando.
Playing in all 16 games from March 14 at Miami through Friday at Chicago, the 27-year-old forward out of Oakland University averaged 9.4 points on 38.8% shooting 3-point range alongside 3.8 rebounds and 1.3 assists during 19.8 minutes per night across that stretch.
“All the work that me and my trainer put in is actually coming to fruition,” Cain said after notching 20 points and eight rebounds against the Bulls. “Also, my teammates believe in me and give me confidence.”
Those teammates include Jalen Suggs, Paolo Banchero, Wendell Carter Jr. and Tristan da Silva. The quintet of Cain and those four represent the five-man lineup that he’s played the most minutes with (30 across nine games) among the 116 different five-man lineup combinations that he’s been a part of this season, according to NBA.com.
While that five-man group has a plus-17 net rating on the floor together, there’s another lineup that’s performed even better together with Cain in it.
The five-man lineup of Cain, Banchero, Carter Jr., da Silva and Desmond Bane has played 26 minutes together across three games and has a net rating of plus-28.3, per league-tracking data.
More recently, Cain and da Silva have either entered first off the bench together or shortly one after another.
“My teammates, they just bring so much attention (to themselves) that I’m just wide-open every time,” Cain said. “(I’m) just playing hard, just spreading the floor, trying to make my teammates’ life easier and trying to make the extra hustle plays.”
Those hustle plays earned him the standard contract he signed last month. The two-year deal includes a second-year team option for the 2026-27 season, meaning the Magic can bring Cain back next year without him becoming an unrestricted free agent. If the team declines the club option, he could leave in free agency.
Cain has shown he’s improved a part of his game that Orlando has needed help in the most, and that’s 3-point shooting.
After shooting a career-low 32.5% from distance during 37 NBA games last season on a two-way contract with the Pelicans, Cain has bounced back to 38.9% from beyond the arc with the Magic this season. He previously shot 35% from 3-point range during his first two seasons in the league on a two-way with the Heat.
One of his favorite spots on the floor this season has been the left corner. It’s where he’s shot 45% from 3-point range, according to NBA.com.
“That was one of the areas I wanted to focus on the most,” Cain said.
It’s part of the reason why his Magic teammates have supported him on and off the court as he’s progressed throughout his fourth year in the league and first in Orlando.
“They’re telling me to be aggressive and confident in my spots, and just try to make the easy play,” Cain said.
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com