The Orlando Magic Summer League featured a bevy of players for the Magic to examine. Some stood out and others fell flat in this weeklong audition.
The Orlando Magic were in a unique position once again as hey hosted the Orlando Summer League once again.
For the second straight year, the Magic had two Summer League teams and, for the second straight year, the team full of D-League prospects and fringe NBA prospects performed better record-wise. This year they won the whole thing with a game-winning 3-pointer in overtime.
The Magic were watching a few things in this Summer League that could pay immediate dividends, but there was a lot less intrigue in this year’s Summer League. Mario Hezonja did not participate, playing for Croatia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (his team earned their berth in the Olympics with an overtime win Saturday), and the Magic did not have a first round draft pick after sending 11th overall pick Domantas Sabonis to the Oklahoma City Thunder as part of the Victor Oladipo trade for Serge Ibaka.
The team currently stands at 12 players. This week that could grow to 13 when Devyn Marble’s contract becomes fully guaranteed.
It is unclear whether the Magic consider any of the players they brought to Summer League as worthy of bringing into training camp. Last year, they invited Nnanna Egwu, Jordan Sibert, Melvin Ejim and Keith Appling to training camp. All four ended up playing for the Erie BayHawks with Appling getting a midseason call up.
More likely than not, the players who stood out in Summer League are going to be end of the bench players or heading to the D-League for development in Erie.
That means it is highly unlikely the Magic keep Summer League stand outs Justin Dentmon or Arinze Onuaku around.
There were a few players though that stood out and a few players that disappointed in their week in Orlando last week.
Next: Devyn Marble
Dud: Devyn Marble
The important place to start though is with the two players who had the best shot at making the Magic roster and likely did enough to stick around for a little while, but perhaps not much more to stand out.
Devyn Marble got “Alpha Dog” status on the Orlando Magic Blue team. That was not the best fit for him and he struggled to show much more than he already has on offense.
He averaged 10.6 points per game and shot a 43.8 percent effective field goal percentage. This was obviously taking more shots than he normally would, but it would have been nice to see him shoot better form the floor and get to the line more.
There were still some good signs from him and it should not threaten his chance of making the roster. HIs contract becomes fully guaranteed if he is not cut before July 15 (Friday).
Marble was solid defensively and one of the best defensive players in the entire Summer League. The Magic should be able to rely on Marble for some defense and that should help him make the roster, especially considering what Frank Vogel wants to bring to the team.
Still, it is getting to be time to see more out of Marble. The Magic have given him some opportunities and he clearly has some NBA skill. But it does not look like much more than at the end of the bench.
Next: Treveon Graham
Stud: Treveon Graham
One of the shining stars on the Orlando Magic White team’s championship run was forward Treveon Graham.
Graham averaged 16.0 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game and shot 55.8 percent from the floor and 38.5 percent from beyond the arc. He was solid in so many areas of the floor and showed a good bit of defensive potential and length throughout the week.
This was somewhat unexpected, but Graham consistently established himself in each game.
Nothing he did was very flashy. He was not a fantastic 3-point shooter or jump shooter. He was great as a slasher and was good at filling in gaps.
Last year, Graham averaged 15.7 points per game and 6.1 rebounds per game. So his numbers this week were in line with what he did last year for the Idaho Stampede in the D-League.
Graham may very well get his shot on a NBA roster or in a training camp. And it may well be with the Magic. He did his work and his job well for the Magic last week.
Graham though remains a bit of a tweener. Without a consistent 3-point shot or a ton of size to play power forward, it is hard to find his fit in the NBA.
In any case, Graham certainly earned a job somewhere in the world with how he played in Orlando.
Next: Nick Johnson
Dud: Nick Johnson
Nick Johnson has become a regular at Summer League in Orlando in his three summers. He is a player of immense talent and ability, but not quite clear what his fit is.
Johnson from a statistical standpoint played well for the Magic Blue team throughout the week. He led the team in scoring with 14.4 points per game and 37 assists in five games. Johnson was the best option the Magic had and the most consistent offensive option.
But what he was there to prove is that he could lead a team and be a point guard. And that is still very much an issue with his career.
Johnson shot 36.9 percent form the floor and 39.1 percent from beyond the arc. He had a 43.8 percent effective field goal percentage. And he still seemed like the best shooter on the team.
Perhaps it was a problem of roster construction. Perhaps the team needed a more natural point guard to perform at any respectable level. This may not have been the right lab for Johnson.
Still, it was hard to ignore the record and hard to ignore the team’s struggles offensively. That falls on the point guard to some extent.
And Johnson is not a natural point guard. It felt like an unnatural fit throughout the week. That ultimately made his week somewhat disappointing.
Next: Patricio Garino
Stud: Patricio Garino
Patricio Garino was one of two rookie players on the Orlando Magic White team. He was an interesting selection. His play at George Washington was encouraging and intriguing.
He was not much of a scorer, but cut his teeth on the defensive end as an All-Atlantic 10 Defensive Team member. That was a reputation to bring with him and something to keep an eye on.
Garino proved last week — in three games as he left to join camp for the Argentina national team — that his defensive acumen can translate.
He showed some great length and good instincts to be in help-side position. He did not look like a rookie out on the floor. He looked comfortable and precise.
Garino still made some youthful mistakes. He dug down on the ball too much and lost track of his man a few times. But he always recovered well.
His defense stood out, but he was clearly a capable spot-up shooter and someone who could score in transition and create his own shot too. Garino averaged 12.0 points per game and shot a 51.9 percent effective field goal percentage. He could develop into a solid role player.
This is exactly what the Magic likely wanted to see from Garino.
Next: Tyler Harvey
Dud: Tyler Harvey
There was still a lot of curiosity and focus on Tyler Harvey entering his second year at Summer League. That is what any player gets for leading the nation in scoring in college. And he did it relatively efficiently at Eastern Washington.
He did not really impress last year at Summer League, but the Magic planned to leave him in Erie for the entire year and chart his progress.
His week in Erie though did not show a ton of progress though. It is hard to see a roster spot for him on this year’s team based on how he played. He was better on defense, but not great. And his shooting was very poor. This was supposed to be his NBA skill.
Harvey averaged 7.0 points per game but shot just 28.6 percent form the floor including 7 for 27 from beyond the arc. Five games is a small sample, but it is hard to be encouraged by those numbers at all.
It seemed from what the new coaching staff was observing about him, they needed him to make shots. And that was the one thing he definitely did not do. Not at a NBA level.
Harvey’s future in the league is more in doubt than ever. That had to be his constant and it was not this week.
Next: Other Notables
Other Notables
Stephen Zimmerman
Stephen Zimmerman was overall good. He averaged 9.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He showed some good shot-blocking instincts and superb footwork. He obviously has to continue putting on muscle. The Magic signed him to a contract and will keep him around the main roster this season to develop.
Justin Dentmon
Arguably the MVP of the Summer League. He had to show he was a good point guard and not just a scorer. He largely did that. He was a stabilizer for the Magic’s White team and won the Summer League because of it. And he scored. At 30 years old, he is not likely a good option for the Magic. But Dentmon could get a look elsewhere or at least go back to China and be successful.
Brandon Fields
Brandon Fields was impressive in some respects, but not impressive in others. He showed a great ability to get to the basket and put himself in good scoring positions. But Fields struggled to finish. A lot. And eventually Dentmon just took over point guard duties for the entire game. Fields averaged 7.0 points per game and shot 20.0 percent from the floor in three games before leaving for Las Vegas. He is intriguing as a player, but had to finish better.
Next: Orlando Magic help key defensive metrics with summer acquisitions
Arinze Onuaku
Arinze Onuaku was the biggest bull in the summer league. Teams just did not know how to deal with his size. And he used it to his advantage. He averaged 14.8 points per game and 9.8 rebounds per game. He was the most consistent player for the Magic White team. Onuaku has a decent post game, but he uses his size to overpower players a lot. That may not be his formula for success in the NBA. And his time is running out.