Sean Sweeney didn’t need a long film session to find the bright spots from Orlando’s preseason opener. The Magic coach came away from Wednesday’s 122-118 win over the Grizzlies feeling encouraged by how the group looked in its first game action under his system.
After weeks of voluntary workouts and official training camp, Orlando finally had a chance to put its work on display. And Sweeney liked the way it translated.
“The way we played really stood out in a number of ways, but one of the things was how connected we were on both ends,” the Magic coach said after Friday’s practice at the AdventHealth Training Center. “Offensively, the ball moved.
And defensively, I thought we were doing a pretty good job of executing. We were a little slow in some spots, but I thought the connection was a big thing.”
The numbers backed up that feeling. Orlando finished with 35 assists, shot 44% from 3-point range and won the rebounding battle 52-40. Most of the starters played only in the first half.
It wasn’t perfect, though. Memphis still got to the line 28 times, piled up 48 points in the paint and grabbed 20 second-chance points.
Even so, the first exhibition left the Magic feeling good about the direction they’re heading. Wendell Carter Jr. said the team took what it had been building in practice and carried it into the game.
“We took what we’ve been working on and we applied it,” Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. said. “Offensively, the ball was moving.
It was beautiful basketball. Defensively, we were locked in.
We were communicating. For a first game after a month being together working on things together, for us to go out there and put on that type of showcase, I’m pretty pleased with it, honestly.”
Paolo Banchero echoed that sentiment, pointing to the carryover from camp to game action.
“Obviously, it’s preseason so I’m still waiting for the real thing, but the carryover is good to see us taking what we were doing in the practices and the training camp and applying it to a real game.”
Orlando gets its next look Sunday at Cleveland at 6:30 p.m. on ESPN, with opening night set for Oct. 21 against the Atlanta Hawks at Kia Center. For Sweeney, the challenge now is turning one encouraging preseason performance into something repeatable.
“Confidence just in general is based on evidence,” Sweeney said. “You can’t wave a magic wand and say, ‘Abracadabra,’ (and there’s) confidence.
You’ve got to show it. We showed things that we can be confident in, and now we’ve got to build on that.
“And the things that we need to improve upon, we’ve got to make those corrections and get those things right so we can build on that as well.”
Friday also brought some roster updates. Anthony Black, who had been sidelined by a right ankle sprain, and Noah Penda, out with a right hamstring strain, were full participants in practice and are doing well after missing the preseason opener.
“I thought both of those guys showed some flashes of things that we want to see and did a good job,” Sweeney said. “I’m sure they’ll keep building on what they did today.”
Jalen Suggs is still dealing with an illness, though Sweeney said he has been getting some shots up in practice. The team plans to handle his return carefully.
Jonathan Isaac, who missed Wednesday’s game in Memphis for personal reasons, was not present during the media-viewing portion of Friday’s practice.
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Magic Preseason Is Already Putting Sean Sweeney On The Spot
The Magic got their preseason off to a winning start with a 122-118 victory over Memphis, and the opener offered an early look at how the rotation could take shape under Sean Sweeney. Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Desmond Bane all saw the floor, giving Orlando some of its expected core pieces in action as the team begins sorting out roles before the games count.
What stood out just as much was who was missing from the mix. Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Noah Penda did not play, which leaves the preseason spotlight on how Orlando handles its point guard picture and where a young player like Penda might fit once the lineup starts tightening up. For a team trying to sharpen its identity, those absences make the coming games feel less like tune-ups and more like auditions. [Read more 🡒]
Franz Wagner Is Giving The Magic A New Offensive Dilemma
Franz Wagner has already started creating a new kind of problem for Orlandos offense in the preseason, and it is the kind a coaching staff usually welcomes. In the game against Memphis, he kept finding ways to put pressure on the defense as a ball-handler, and the look carried over from training camp into Sean Sweeneys broader confidence in how Wagner can help initiate things for the Magic.
Sweeney pointed to Wagners preseason work as part of the reason the staff feels good about giving him more responsibility with the ball, which adds another layer to Orlandos half-court options. The wrinkle is less about whether Wagner can handle it and more about how often the Magic want that job shared, especially with Sweeney also mentioning the teams broader communication process during games and Jon Harris role in reviewing challenge decisions. [Read more 🡒]
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Training camp has given the Magic plenty to sort through in the frontcourt, where Wendell Carter Jr., Goga Bitadze and Nikola Vucevic are all pushing for clearer roles. The competition is exactly the kind of problem Orlando wants, with each big man bringing a different look and coach Sean Sweeney weighing how that mix could shape the rotation once the games count.
For Carter, the daily work against Bitadze and Vucevic has become part of the value of camp, with the matchup variety helping sharpen his game. Bitadze, meanwhile, has viewed Carter as a tough interior presence to deal with, and that kind of back-and-forth only adds to the sense that Orlandos coaching staff may have some real decisions ahead as it tries to balance versatility, fit and minutes in the paint. [Read more 🡒]