Jonathan Isaac and Mohamed Bamba dominated in their 2018 Summer League debuts as the Orlando Magic defeated the Brooklyn Nets to tip off their week in Las Vegas.
It took one game for Orlando Magic fans to get excited about Mohamed Bamba and Jonathan Isaac.
Playing nearly every minute together, the duo had strong performances in the Orlando Magic’s opening Summer League 86-80 win over the Brooklyn Nets.
All eyes were on Bamba in his first in-game action with the Magic. He may not have jumped out during the broadcast, but he seemed to gain traction as the game went on.
On offense, he was really successful on the pick-and-roll. Not because he was scoring, but because Brooklyn had to focus all of their energy on him due to their lack of size. It will be different in the regular season, but his sheer size caused problems.
Bamba hit a 3-point shot which was a nice sign and showed his overall offensive improvement. But the biggest takeaway was Bamba’s composure. More often than not, top draft picks press in their first summer league game.
Bamba looked calm on the floor. Playing within himself on offense while making his presence felt on the defensive end. He ended his night with 11 points, seven rebounds and a block.
Isaac has already started to dominate in his second stint at Summer League. Like Aaron Gordon and Victor Oladipo did in years past, Jonathan Isaac may take Summer League by storm.
The Nets had no answer for him on offense. Isaac rained in mid-range jumpers throughout the contest. He was a man among boys as he dropped 20 points on 41 percent shooting.
The only criticism of Isaac’s game could be his shooting in the fourth quarter. Isaac took a handful of deep jumpers and was unable to hit any. His jump shot was a question mark out of college, and it is clear it still needs some work.
It seems like a ton of positives, but every key Orlando prospect played relatively well.
Khem Birch stood out against Brooklyn. He was a menace on the defensive end. Nets guards had no chance of finishing with Birch meeting them at the rim.
At the moment, the Magic have four viable options at center. Khem Birch, Mohamed Bamba, Bismack Biyombo and Nikola Vucevic all belong on an NBA roster.
Lakeland Magic guard Troy Caupain had himself a night too. scored 20 points on 64 percent shooting. A candidate for a two-way contract, Caupain’s scoring ability could be an asset for Orlando.
Isaiah Briscoe had a nice debut for Orlando. He ran the offense well and dished some nifty passes. One day after signing his first NBA contract, Isaiah Briscoe immediately made the most of his opportunity.
It was not all great for the Magic though.
As is typical for Summer League the Magic were sloppy. Ugly turnovers and miscommunication were a problem, but it is commonplace with a team that has rarely played together.
The outside shot also was not there. The Magic hit just 15.8 percent of their threes and continued the trend they had last season struggling from beyond the arc. This team still needs shooting.
With Mohamed Bamba, Wesley Iwundu and Jonathan Isaac at the core of the Summer League team, 3-pointers are not going to be a big part of the game plan.
Hopefully, they can expand their range down the road. But it was an issue against Brooklyn. The lack of 3-point shooting kept the game much closer than it perhaps should have been.
Overall, the Magic’s first game in the summer league went well. Most of the big-name prospects stood out.
Next: Jonathan Isaac must gain his rhythm in Summer League
Hopefully, it can propel them the rest of the way and build momentum with the season on the horizon.