The Orlando Magic are only two days into training camp, and they’ve already had to manage a pair of minor injuries.
On Wednesday, the team announced that Anthony Black and Noah Penda are both dealing with issues as camp gets underway. According to Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel, coach Sean Sweeney said Black picked up a minor ankle sprain during the voluntary workouts before camp, while Penda is working through a tweaked hamstring.
Sweeney said Black is day-to-day, and the team is taking a careful approach with both players because Orlando is starting camp with two practices a day. In Beede’s video from the media viewing portion of practice, Black was visible standing under the basket and passing to teammates.
The cautious handling makes sense given what both players mean to the roster. Black broke out last season, averaging 15 points per game while carving out a sixth man role on a bench that struggled overall. Orlando is counting on him for scoring punch in the backcourt, particularly as a reserve, and this is also a big individual season for him as he works toward a contract extension.
Penda is heading into his second year and has already shown encouraging growth since his rookie season. In 59 games and two starts as a rookie, he averaged 3.8 points in 12.8 minutes per game. Over the summer, he slimmed down noticeably and made it clear he wanted to clean up the mistakes he made in his first NBA season.
At 6-foot-7, both Black and Penda bring the kind of size and versatility Orlando likes to lean on. Penda weighs 215 pounds, while Black is listed at 200. That combination could give the Magic another rangy look off the bench.
The problem, of course, is that Orlando has been hit hard by injuries in recent seasons. That makes getting both players back to full speed even more important before the preseason and regular season arrive.
At Media Day, Sweeney also spoke about Black’s mindset entering the year. For the Magic to reach their goals this season, they’re going to need better luck on the health front than they’ve had over the last two years.
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