In-depth data analysis: Magic 7 trades for 1 to get Bain, how strong is he?

On June 16, Orlando Magic officially announced that the team won Grizzlies player Bain through a 7-for-1 deal. For Bain, the Magic gave Pope, Cole Anthony, 4 unprotected first rounds and 1 first round exchange right, which is a real big deal. So, how strong is Bain, who only got Magic 7 and 1?

Elite level shooter

First, Bain's "sweet spot" is in the top of the arc and its surrounding areas. He is an elite shooter in the straight area. Since entering the league in 2020, he has made 610 shots from this area in the regular season, with a shooting percentage of 44.3%. Among the 186 players who took at least 200 shots during this period, this number ranks first.

What is even more impressive is that he shoots in this area whether he catches the ball or takes a dribble. During his career, Bain's shooting percentage in the top area was 41.5%. This is the third best result of 64 players who have made at least 200 shots since 2020.

Speaking of long shots, Bain performed very well in three-pointers in the conversion offense. In the 2024-25 season, he shot an astonishing 48.5% of his three-point shooting percentage in the conversion offense. This is the third best result of 63 players who have made at least 50 shots. Among the 42 players who made at least 60 shots, this number ranks first. Last year, the Magic shot 3-point shooting percentage in the conversion offense was 31.2% the league's second-worst 31.2%, with only the Trail Blazers worse than them. Another shooting category in which Bain performed well was scoring after a no-ball screen. Last year, he shot 140 times in this case, with an effective shooting percentage of 60.9% (this is a statistic adjustment, considering that 3-pointers are more valuable than two-pointers). Of the 62 players who have made at least 100 shots, Bain ranks third in the league. Only Prichard and White of the Celtics ranked higher, while Curry of the Warriors ranked fourth.

Breakthrough ability is quite excellent

Although Bain has always been famous for his shooting, he is also an excellent breakthrough. Early in his career, he earned the nickname "King of Breakthrough" because he was very good at using fake moves to overreact the defender, which often allowed him to accelerate to the rim when the main defender was misplaced. In the 2024-25 season, he ranked eighth in the number of breakthroughs after defenders made up for defense.

He also has a good finishing ability after the breakthrough, with a shooting percentage of 53.6%.

Perhaps the most underrated in his game is his cutting. This season, he shot 78% from the field when cutting, which ranked 16th out of 104 players who tried at least 50 times. This is a very important offensive category. We can see every year that many of the best teams shoot very well when cutting. For example, in this year's regular season, the Pacers ranked second in cutting-to-shoot percentage for non-converting offenses and the Knicks ranked fourth. The Magic ranked 12th, and Wagner Jr. ranked 6th in shooting percentage.

The Grizzlies have used Bain as a de facto point guard over the past few seasons, especially when Morant is out. Last year, Bain averaged 22.9 dribbling per half. When Morant is not on the court, that number is 15 times. This will provide the Magic with another ball holder who can initiate and organize the offense, reducing the pressure on Bankairo, Wagner Jr. and Sargers.

That is to say, Bain is a very smart player with excellent ability to read games. He averaged 5.3 assists per game this season. He is particularly good at passing balls from the inside to shooters. Of course, in today's NBA, this is the best way to create high-quality three-point shooting opportunities.

It is worth noting that the Magic's three-point shooting percentage this season after being passed by the inside was the lowest in the league.

Defensive performance and main weaknesses

Best, Bain is also a very good defender with his strong body. Interestingly, in the two games this season against the Grizzlies, Bain made a total of 4 of 13 shots when he defended Ban Keiro and Wagner Jr.

It is also interesting that throughout the regular season, when Bain interfered heavily with the shot, his opponent hit 37.9%. This ranks 21st in the 210 players who have severely interfered with at least 300 shots.

His main weakness is that he doesn't make many fouls and almost always plays under the basket. He only had 22 "2+1" and 5 dunks this season, which is obviously at a low level.

To emphasize his efficiency: in the past 69 regular season games, Bain averaged 19.2 points per game, shooting 48.4% from the field, 39.2% from three-pointers, and 89.4% from free throws. Of all players who meet the league's stats rankings, he is the only player to hit at least three hits at the same time.