Magic see improvement through 2 preseason games
Throughout training camp, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley stressed the importance of avoiding turning over the ball, sharing it with teammates and taking it to the basket.
Orlando’s starting five and second unit did just that during Thursday’s 108-105 preseason win in Cleveland.
“Sometimes the shot doesn’t come from the paint but normally when we get there, good things happen for us,” said forward Franz Wagner, who led the team with 18 points.
Wagner was perfect (3-for-3) from 3-point range, got to the free-throw line (3-for-3) and scored the remaining 6 points within five feet of the rim.
“His pace of play, his understanding [of] spots on the floor and his willingness to make the easy and simple play has transferred over,” said Mosley when asked what Wagner has taken from his FIBA World Cup-winning experience during the summer.
The team as a whole outscored the Cavaliers 30-14 in points in the paint during the opening 24 minutes (when the starters and second unit were still in), which led to a 12-point lead at halftime.
By attacking the basket, opposing defenses are forced to collapse into the paint, which creates space for shooters — such as Jalen Suggs and Wendell Carter Jr. — waiting in the corners. Both made at least one corner 3 over the course of the two preseason games.
“We have to take advantage of what have,” Mosley said. “We have length and we have size. Being able to attack the basket is something we’ve talked about with our guys on a regular basis.
“Finding ways to get to the rim allows [for] knock-down feet-set 3s. Putting it all together, our guys are really understanding what we’re asking of them.”
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Orlando turned the ball over just 7 times in the first half and recorded 16 assists before the break. The Magic’s assist-to-turnover ratio on the evening was 1.92, which was well above the team’s 2022-23 season average of 1.54 that ranked third-to-last.
“That’s one of the big things from last year that we need to get better at, so it’s definitely a good start but that’s something we’ve got to continue to focus on without taking away how we want to play and get out in transition,” Wagner said about taking care of the basketball. “There’s always a balance with that.”
It wasn’t just Wagner’s scoring that stood out to Mosley. His defensive effort and energy on that side of the floor also caught the attention of his coach.
During one second-quarter possession, Wagner placed himself in the right spot when Orlando ran a box-and-1 zone defense to deter a driving Donovan Mitchell from kicking the ball out to the left corner to sharpshooter Max Strus. Mitchell instead forced a bad pass that Suggs poked away to Paolo Banchero, who went the other way for a transition layup.
Later in the quarter when Orlando sat in a two-three zone defense, Wagner shifted from the left to the right in the paint to steal a pass from Darius Garland intended for center Damian Jones.
“Knowing where to be positioned on the floor and being able to guard multiple positions is a huge area of growth for him,” Mosley said of Wagner.
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The messaging from the coaching staff has translated to the court, and although it’s only the preseason the Magic are noticing what’s working on offense and defense through two games.
“It feels really good that we’re making progress and applying the stuff that we talk about in film sessions and practices,” Wagner said. “There’s been an improvement visible from the first game, so that’s really good for us.”
Email Jason Beede at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com or follow him on X, known as Twitter, at @therealBeede.
