ORLANDO - Jase Richardson is approaching his second Summer League run with a different kind of responsibility.
The Orlando Magic will open their Summer League schedule against the Charlotte Hornets on July 9 in Las Vegas, and the group has spent the days before tipoff getting organized under a new coaching staff. That mix includes newcomers like rookie forward Izaiyah Nelson, but it also features returnees such as Richardson and Noah Penda, who now bring a year of NBA experience into a setting that often leans on fresh faces.
Richardson said Monday that the emphasis around him has been clear: speak up, set the tone and handle more of the point guard duties. He described that as a leadership test as much as a basketball assignment.
"I think the main thing that they're just emphasizing is being a leader, being the most vocal guy in here," Richardson said. "Especially at the point guard position, just being as vocal as I can, you know, help the other guys out and, you know, just make sure my voice is being heard offensively and defensively.
"Pushing the pace offensively," he added. "I think is one of the biggest things that we're kind of doing offensively right now is just pushing the pace, seeing how fast we can get down the floor, see if we can get open looks. And then defensively, just being a pest on the ball, off the ball, 94 feet, just being a pest."
That growth hasn’t been limited to his voice. Richardson said the biggest change in his game starts with his body, and he believes the work he put in this summer has left him stronger and more prepared for the grind ahead.
"I think just my body," Richardson said when asked about the difference in how he felt coming into his second season. "I feel like I've worked on my body a lot this summer.
I feel a lot stronger, feel a lot more quicker, more agile, more in shape, more conditioned. So I definitely feel a lot better in both shapes."
Defensively, he’s focused on the details that can make him more disruptive.
"I think just positioning defensively and, you know, just being a defensive guy," he said. "You know, different plays, different reads I've got to make defensively. So, just being a pest."
Richardson’s rookie season gave him a real foundation to build on. He played in 54 games and averaged 4.4 points on 47.3% shooting from the field in 10.9 minutes per game, and he said those minutes mattered because they forced him to learn on the fly.
"Super important," Richardson said. "I think there's no better way to learn than to get thrown in the fire early.So, you know, just having those moments and looking back on them, I feel like there's a lot to learn from, but also a lot of good things to take away from.
"So, just trying to bring those positive things and those negative things and just work on them during the Summer League."
Before turning fully to Orlando’s work in Las Vegas, Richardson also opened his media session with a confident take on the United States men’s national team and its World Cup chances.
"I think it's possible," Richardson said. "We have a squad.
I don't think we've looked this good since, I mean, the last World Cup I remember us looking really, really great was 2010. So I think this is the best team since then.
And we've been looking good. So hopefully we get it done today.
It's going to be a tough one, but I hope we get it done."
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Magic Coach Is Already Raving About One Newcomer Before Summer League
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For a roster trying to establish its identity before the games even begin, those traits matter as much as any box score line. Bakkers comments suggest Orlando sees more than just a fresh face in camp, with the rookie already giving the coaches reasons to believe he can fit the tone they want to play with once Summer League tips off. [Read more 🡒]
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Penda said the challenge now is making sure his game looks the same in this setting as it did during the season, which is no small ask for a young player trying to establish himself. The Magic are also trying to make sure their summer approach matches the urgency of camp, because for Penda and the rest of the roster, the margin for easing up is thin when jobs are on the line. [Read more 🡒]
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For the Magic, the move also carries a little extra resonance because Vucevics first run in Orlando was part of a much larger roster reset that eventually helped shape the current core. He returns at a time when the franchise has more structure around him, and his presence should matter even if he is no longer asked to carry the scoring burden. The bigger question is how much this version of Vucevic can still influence a team that is trying to keep climbing. [Read more 🡒]