Orlando Magic White put together solid overall performance in debut
The Orlando Magic’s White Team put together a solid performance on both ends as they picked up a win in their first Summer League game.
64. Final. 87. 38. 76
The Orlando Magic’s secondary Summer League team opened up play with a solid 87-76 win over Stanley Johnson and the Detroit Pistons.
The Magic’s White Team, comprised mostly of D-League recruits and prospects played strong defense and took control of the game in the third quarter thanks to solid play from point guard Keith Appling and an inside presence from forward Keith Benson.
Overall, the Magic could be nothing but happy with the way the team played energy wise and particularly on the defensive end. It really helped set up Orlando’s offense in many ways.
The Pistons shot just 37.0 percent from the floor and committed 14 turnovers. By my count, the Magic gave up a 87.9 defensive rating. That is solid defense, even for a sloppy Summer League game.
| Score | Off. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit | 76 | 87.9 | 43.8 | 21.6 | 14.8 | 23.3 |
| Orlando (White) | 87 | 105.6 | 52.2 | 20.7 | 13.6 | 27.9 |
Keith Appling led Orlando with 17 points, four assists and four steals (ignore the eight personal fouls). Keith Benson had 19 points off the bench on 9-for-15 shooting.
Individually, several player played well, but no one may have stood out enough to turn a lot of eyes. But the team played very well together. That is probably more what the Magic want to see from both teams in some ways as they implement new terminology and new plays with the new coaching staff.
Orlando also lost only one quarter, so they picked up seven of the possible eight points, really dominating the game. It looked like for a while the Pistons might be able to put something together in the second quarter as they spread the floor in Stan Van Gundy fashion and took advantage of the Magic’s over-aggressive nature.
Orlando re-committed on defense and did a good job knocking the Pistons off rhythm and taking them out of rhythm.
For Detroit, former Magic player Adonis Thomas had 17 points and first round pick Stanley Johnson scored 13 points off the bench.
B. <p>Keith Appling really set the tone especially on the defensive end for the Magic. He was active in denying the ball and was opportunistic going for steals. You want a point guard to do all those things.</p><p>Offensively, he attacked when necessary and put up a solid scoring day getting to the foul line.</p><p>The way Summer League is, it is sometimes hard to tell if someone is just playing over aggressive because that is how the coaching staff wants him to play or if it is a product of poor defense. Appling committed eight fouls, which is never a good sign, but he was also likely told to play that way too.</p><p>Cannot fault him too much. He was aggressive and set the tone for a team that has gone through a defensive makeover top to bottom.</p>. PG. Orlando Magic. KEITH APPLING
A. <p>It is hard exactly to pin down what kind of player Keith Benson would ideally fit as. He is not quite a power forward, but that might be where his best at.</p><p>In Saturday’s game, Benson scored 19 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He was comfortable stepping out on the perimeter and equally comfortable on the interior. He was solid defensively and did all that was asked of him. He stood out for that reason more than his statistics.</p><p>The opportunity was there for him and he took advantage.</p>. PF. Orlando Magic. KEITH BENSON
SCOTTIE WILBEKIN. C+. <p>Former Gator Scottie Wilbekin had a fairly uneven game.</p><p>In one sense, he did exactly what he has always done throughout his career. He controlled the game with his dribble and weaved in and out of the paint waiting for teammates to get open. He rarely looked for his shot (although he shot 3 for 10) and was generally looking to pass.</p><p>Wilbekin might work better in an offense where he is more comfortable with those around him and the system is drilled into the team a little bit more.</p><p>Wilbekin often dribbled into traps and got stuck, having to force up a shot or a pass back to the top when he could not get free. He had just one assist (somewhat surprisingly). He still looked generally pretty solid and like he belonged in a D-League camp (or someplace better than New Zealand). But this was not his best game.</p>. PG. Orlando Magic
0-1. 1 point. DETROIT PISTONS. C. <p>The Pistons did a good job running Stan Van Gundy’s system and getting 3-point shots. The execution was decent and they built a healthy lead in the second quarter.</p><p>Still, this was a Magic team with little int he way of NBA talent and they got outplayed and outworked pretty consistently. Orlando dictated the tempo for all about maybe five minutes of the game. This was a team win for Orlando.</p><p>Detroit though should come away pretty pleased with what Stanley Johnson showed in his first effort in a Pistons uniform. He was solid defensively and was confident offensively as he eased his way in to this level.</p>