The Orlando Magic traveled to Brazil for their latest preseason contest against Flamengo and put in a routine effort to win easily.
Scott Skiles has been harping on consistency and building correct habits as the team works to learn to win for the first time. A lot of that groundwork is laid in the preseason in the way the team prepares and implements what it practice. And most importantly in their effort.
The Magic are still working to get a bit more consistency, focus and sharpness. It was probably not going to come against an opponent so easily disposed of in the end.
The Orlando Magic defeated Brazilian league champion Flamengo on Saturday in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil 90-73 in a preseason game.
| Score | Off. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 90 | 98.5 | 52.7 | 22.5 | 19.7 | 25.7 |
| Flamengo | 73 | 75.4 | 37.2 | 17.8 | 18.6 | 25.6 |
Nikola Vucevic (ORL) — 18 pts.; Victor Oladipo (ORL) — 13 pts., 9 rebs.
Marcelo Machado (FLA) — 17 pts.; Jerome Meyinsse (FLA) — 12 pts. ,7 rebs.
The Magic went with Shabazz Napier and Evan Fournier in the starting lineup tonight, in addition to usual suspects in Tobias Harris, Nikola Vucevic, and Victor Oladipo. The team held out Elfrid Payton, Aaron Gordon and C.J. Watson as a precaution (Watson suffered food poisoning on the trip).
Vucevic led the team in scoring with 18 points to go with seven rebounds. Oladipo looked sharp as well, finishing with 13 points, nine rebounds and three assists. A surprise performance from Napier, who finished with 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting, four rebounds and three assists was a pleasant sight for Magic fans, even if it came in a contest that should not and will not be weighed almost at all by the coaching staff, except perhaps as a measure against the team’s own standards.
Orlando controlled this game right from tip-off all the way through the final buzzer as they should have. Among participants coming off the bench, rookie Mario Hezonja led in the scoring column with nine points on 4-for-7 shooting. His preseason 3-point woes continued however as Hezonja failed to connect on either of his 3-pointers.
As Andrew Nicholson, who has impressed this preseason, entered the game in the dwindling minutes it was obvious he was anxious to make something happen offensively. Though he only managed a single baseline hook-shot in garbage time, Nicholson’s supporters should not be discouraged with his offensive aggression.
A player of that caliber and note can sometimes overdo things when given the chance but it seems Nicholson may yet have a brighter 2016 season than most expected.
As far as overall team effort and intensity goes, it could have been better. Not to say it was bad, but careless passes and shoddy off-ball cutting were both themes throughout large spells of playing time.
NBA players do not need to go all-out in contests of this nature all the time, however, it would have been nice for us spectators to be able to see something closer to full intensity basketball to get a better grasp on this team’s ins and outs. Certainly the coaching would want to see a sharper, more focused effort.
Sloppy play aside, many of this game’s plays, passes and cuts that appeared solid tonight will not translate come regular season time — that is perfectly fine. No team is in tune yet and will not be for a while.
Even though this game can be largely checked into the “valid excuse” category, Scott Skiles would still do well to harp on the inconsistent intensity. As a head coach it is part of his job to make sure his players come ready to put their best foot forward, no matter the importance, or lack thereof, of the opponent or contest.
In this game, the Magic put on a good shot for the Brazilian fans, took care of business and got out of the game with any significant injuries. That is enough for this one.
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