Official Orlando Magic Preseason Thread - Next Game Wednesday at New Orleans

[JF5]

Nice to have basketball back but the pre-season and the first few weeks to a month of the season aren't a really good barometer of improvement. Like Pepe mentioned we've seen players have incredible streaks and just go back to the players they were 15-25 games into the regular season.

What I do like is the fact we started Suggs and Wagner. Shows this team is dedicated to development. Also, its a really good idea to put Hampton/Cole with Bamba coming off the bench. He'll feed of their energy/leadership and he'll be able to maximize his abilities more than Suggs could at this stage of his career.

This looks like its going to be a really rough when it comes to winning. But this team has a young and energetic style that will keep them entertaining for most of the season. I'm all in for it...

[Knightro]

I still can't believe we started Franz... I need to retrain my brain now that we've gotten rid of Cliff. Mosley is all in on development

It will be really interesting to see how the two forward spots shake out when Okeke and eventually Isaac return because both of those guys are seemingly big parts of the present/future.

[SOUL]

Good preseason games aren't indicators of great regular season play, it's just nice to see certain things happening. Same goes for bad summer league play with Cole, Hampton. It doesn't mean much, and at least preseason is against actual NBA players in most cases. I'm also looking beyond made baskets in the case of Suggs and Wagner. They did a lot of things that I think will translate when the games actually count. The ball rarely stuck around the arc and when it did, it was because we were exploiting iso plays with certain matchups (Cole vs Kanter mostly, but sometimes Suggs/Hampton versus slower guards).

Having guys that can iso is very important. It has a negative connotation a lot of times because we've seen a lot of bad iso play on our team, but having a guy that can be thrown the ball and can make something happen when a play falls through is important, and something most elite scorers have in their bag.

[tooler]

Considering we already know Fultz and Isaac aren’t going to be ready for the first game, feels like last night was pretty close to a preview of what the early season rotation is going to be.

My guess is that when Okeke is healthy, and his injury sounds relatively minor, he’ll slide into the starting lineup and Ross will go back to being a sub which will subsequently slide Moore out of the mix.

Starters: Suggs, Harris, Wagner, Okeke, Carter
Reserves: Anthony, Hampton, Ross, Wagner, Bamba

Something like that. I suppose they could keep Ross starting, but it doesn’t seem necessary.

Yeah, probably right.

J.I. would knock Mo Wagner out of the 1st 2 lines,
who does Fultz bump?? I think Harris would be the choice?

Harris feels like one of the key players at the start of the season (because they need to have at least one veteran out there for some semblance of stability) and also the first player that needs to be traded when (and if) the rest of the team comes back healthy. He makes no sense coming off the bench and he probably isn't ready to give up on his career, so hopefully they showcase him for a month or two and ship him out. Ross can fit in anywhere so there's less of a rush.

[Last Guardian]

I'm terrible had no idea there was a game last night. In any case I watched it today...I'm going to actually enjoy watching this team for the first time in a while. I enjoyed after the all-star break briefly because they were trying to win a couple games but once they threw in the tank it was unwatchable. But anyway, that was a good performance last night and easily could argue the C's were actually trying the first 3 quarters and they were simply outplayed on both ends.

[MagicFan101]

I really want to see good progress from Franz this year. I really am I believer in him as a very impactful NBA player. I just wonder if it will take time for his game to fall into place on a rebuilding team lacking elite talent. It’s hard to be a “glue guy” early in your career and that is especially true when a star hasn’t emerged yet to support.

Fans are likely going to be impatient with him and wish we had gone with a flashier player. Perhaps we should have? Still, I do believe he will turn out well for us as Suggs develops alongside him.

[JBSouthpaw]

I really want to see good progress from Franz this year. I really am I believer in him as a very impactful NBA player. I just wonder if it will take time for his game to fall into place on a rebuilding team lacking elite talent. It’s hard to be a “glue guy” early in your career and that is especially true when a star hasn’t emerged yet to support.

Fans are likely going to be impatient with him and wish we had gone with a flashier player. Perhaps we should have? Still, I do believe he will turn out well for us as Suggs develops alongside him.

agree. I thought Franz made adjustments from the 1st summer league game through his last. That is what I want to see, 1st 20-30 games should be getting comfortable in his role, then should steady out.

[tooler]

Better make it 30 games to be on the safe side. I know Chuma made at least one person here look silly on game 29.

[Horcy]

I still can't believe we started Franz... I need to retrain my brain now that we've gotten rid of Cliff. Mosley is all in on development

Thank god we got rid of Clifford. It was just impossible to develop any young player with him.
Everyone looks much more relaxed and confident. I can't be happier.
Bamba looked liked like the player many of us though he could develop in.

[pepe1991]

Man , after reading this comments, Skip Bayless ridicilous hot takes sound like pessimistic projections

[drsd]

Good first preseason game to keep spirits high.

I know these are like cuss words here but Ross should start. Gary is a solid role guy but he can’t create (or make) much at all. Hopefully he shoots a good % from 3 so people will want him at the deadline.

For me it was great to see that both Carter and Bamba were solid.

[MAGICian619]

Other than League Pass, what is the best way to watch tonight's game?

[Knightro]

Other than League Pass, what is the best way to watch tonight's game?

There is no other way.

League Pass or someone illegally streaming League Pass online.

[Knightro]

Read on Twitter

[RookieStar]

Are we still using thi or do we make an "official" GT?

[Knightro]

Read on Twitter

Happy 43rd birthday to Coach Mosley.

[Howard Mass]

Let's have a separate game thread for tonight's game.

[Statlanta]

T-Ross has professionalism I wish he played on a better Orlando Magic Roster

[Horcy]

Sweet start. Mo is on the mood baby