The Orlando Magic’s frustration was apparent long before the Boston Celtics opened up their lead in the second half, and the Magic’s key four players sat out because it is Summer League. Boston, perhaps sniffing the chance to win the whole Summer League or more likely going through their prescribed plan for Summer League, kept its starters in.
Things got ugly in the second half. Very ugly. And that is how the score ballooned from a frustrating 15-point deficit into an embarrassing-looking 30-point deficit in a 108-71 loss to the Celtics on Thursday in Las Vegas. The second half did not matter.
Still, it was a disappointing way for the Magic to continue playing. Their frustration and fatigue are evident. And it is affecting their play.
The Orlando Magic succumbed to frustration and fatigue as the team took a hard loss to the Boston Celtics in their third Summer League outing.
Perhaps most frustrating of all, the Magic are doing the right things and not getting the rewards. And overall, the team has seen regression in some key areas. They are not getting better as the week goes on. That frustration will be tough to reckon when the team backs out and looks at the bigger picture of this week.
There were positives still. Orlando is moving the ball well at times and just missing a lot of shots. The team is able to sit in defensively and be disruptive, but their rotations and transition defense were especially poor.
In this game, no one stood out. No one seemed able to get into a consistent rhythm.
Orlando still shot 37.0-percent from the floor but only 9 for 33 from deep. The team committed 15 turnovers, many of them unforced on bad passes. The team’s fatigue, which was clearly affecting its shots in the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday, became more evident. So much so that players were admitting it.
Coach Jamahl Mosley wanted his players to feel the fatigue of a back-to-back and to experience going through it. That is a fair ask from the rookie coach. But Orlando has practiced every day since arriving in Las Vegas last week. And the tired legs showed up in their shots and in their defense.
It was a matter of time for the Celtics to pull away. And not even Jalen Suggs‘ stabilizing play was enough to bring the deficit close. The Magic essentially conceded the game to create the final score.
Jalen Suggs is the best player on this Summer League team and it is not particularly close. He has a great poise about his game and seems to know the right time to chase his own scoring and attack or move the ball. Each game in this Summer League has only reinforced how good he can be for this team.
Suggs finished with six points on 2-for-6 shooting, playing only 11:23. He was willing to be aggressive to get to the rim, but more importantly, he was keeping the ball moving and continuing to trust his teammates. He made some incredible passes to the weak side to open shooters. Suggs is going to be very good.
Cole Anthony has really struggled to shoot throughout Summer League. And that is frustrating for sure considering the expectations for him. He said after the game that he has been disappointed with his play admitting this is his first spurt of 5-on-5 play in months. So Anthony is getting into a rhythm.
Anthony scored five points on 2-for-6 shooting. Hardly impressive. He had a nice pull-up jumper that showed he can shoot and stay in rhythm. This was his best game overall and so everyone should take that as a positive sign.
Anthony though continues to be this team’s leader and heartbeat. He is in everyone’s ears offering encouragement and guidance like he is a seasoned veteran. That is really what the team is missing is a veteran presence. And Anthony is doing all he can to hold the team together.
The Orlando Magic are still seeking one of their non-roster guys to emerge from the rest and get the second two-way contract. For now, Ignas Brazdeikis has already signed one of them. Janis Timma feels like he is in the mix for a regular roster spot — at 29, a two-way contract probably does not make sense. So who will step up?
Jeff Dowtin had the most impressive showing among the non-roster players. He scored six points on 3-for-6 shooting. Obviously, no one put up solid stats in this game. But Dowtin did a good job putting himself in positions to score and working around the basket. He was playing with good energy. So maybe he has earned himself a stay in Lakeland.
The Orlando Magic made one change to their starting lineup ahead of Thursday’s game, swapping in Asbjorn Midtgaard for Jon Teske. Midtgaard stands out not only for the name — he is from Denmark — but because he is 7-feet, 270 pounds. He had a solid showing in the loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers where his big body helped spring guys open on screens and he attacked the offensive glass well.
This was not a good follow up though. Midtgaard struggled to make the same impact and his lack of mobility was apparent. He was able to put himself in good help position but the Boston Celtics were able to work around him or kick back out easily to the perimeter. That last part is not his fault, the Magic’s defense has had some level of disorganization throughout the week.
But Midtgaard had a real chance to cement a place with Lakeland at least. But the Magic’s poor play at center has been a major hindrance throughout Summer League.
The Orlando Magic have two games left in Las Vegas and will play the Houston Rockets on Sunday.