The Magic’s Sunday practice had a little more juice to it with two more players back on the floor and a preseason opener now just three days away.
Anthony Black and Noah Penda both took part in work at the AdventHealth Training Center after missing time with minor injuries. Black has been dealing with a sprained ankle, while Penda has been out with a hamstring issue. Orlando coach Sean Sweeney said both players were able to do more as they continue to ramp up.
“They look good,” Sweeney said after practice. “Hopefully they came out clean.
Looks like they did. They both said they felt great, so (they’re) working hard.
It’s good to see them out there.”
Orlando spent much of the session focused on half-court execution, part of the steady buildup toward Wednesday’s preseason game at Memphis. The next two practices will shift the emphasis again: Monday will be more full-court, and Tuesday will blend both half-court and full-court work. After that, Sweeney and his staff will sort through minutes and lineup combinations for the matchup with the Grizzlies.
That approach fits the way Sweeney says he wants to use the preseason. The games matter, but so does the larger picture.
“Well, I think the preseason is where you’re trying to continue to build on your identity,” he said. “So, competition is certainly important. (You’re) being mindful of the different parameters that you may give guys in terms of minutes and stuff like that, but we still want to compete at the highest level we can.”
“We want to make sure we’re working on being connected and then we want to develop our toughness throughout,” Sweeney added. “So, just really drilling down on those things that we’ve worked, and then not losing sight of the brand and the identity that we want to have.”
Jalen Suggs was not seen during the media portion of practice, though it was not injury-related. The Orlando Sentinel was told he was a little under the weather.
Sunday’s practice also included a group of NBA officials, among them veteran referee Ed Malloy. The league has already sent out its points of emphasis for the season ahead, with a focus on freedom of movement. That includes offensive players not pushing off with their non-dribbling arm or extending their arms with force while setting a screen.
The league also wants more space for offensive players away from the ball, both in the post and on the perimeter, and it wants contact from defenders on straight-line pathway plays to be called.
Sweeney said having officials around the team is useful because it gives players and coaches a clearer read on how the rules are being interpreted.
“The way that we talked about it with the team is (that) there are certain things that the league is going to be concentrating on going into the year and we want to understand what that is,” Sweeney said. “For us as coaches, that’s why we teach certain techniques that we teach to be within the confines of the rules.
“Having the officials here (Sunday), that helps reinforce those things and helps us understand maybe where we’re not as good as we want to be, or ‘Hey, you guys are doing this great, keep it up,'” Sweeney added. “Because we want to play right up to that line and then if we cross it, come on back.”
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