Orlando Magic Grades: New Orleans Pelicans 104, Orlando Magic 86

The Orlando Magic brought the energy early. Even with an unorthodox lineup to start the game, the team was flying to the ball and moving the ball. The second unit followed suit and the Magic had the early lead and seemed comfortable to build off Monday’s inspired performance.

Things were so much more uneven. Preseason slopiness started to take over. And the team’s struggles to defend the 3-point line crept up again.

It was Nickeil Alexander-Walker this time who helped flip an eight-point deficit into an eight-point lead for the New Orleans Pelicans in the second quarter. He hit five 3-pointers in the quarter to flip the game.

The Magic would fight back, but their fate was sealed. They fouled, they turned the ball over and their offense never really could get out of its own way.

The Orlando Magic fell a bit flat in their second preseason game as they struggled to get their offense moving and gave up a 3-point barrage to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Orlando spent much of the game shooting worse than 40 percent. The team finished with 16 turnovers and shooting 36.0-percent overall. The Pelicans never really stopped hitting. Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s spurt turned into a spurt from Trey Murphy III, who hit six 3-pointers in the game.

The Pelicans won 104-86 at Smoothie King Center, turning a close game late in the third into a bit of a rout as the Magic got sloppy with a few turnovers to give up a 6-0 run. They put the game firmly away, doubling a nine-point lead in a matter of three minutes early in the fourth quarter for the win.

The Magic certainly will not be pleased with how imprecise the team was and how the team seemed to get outworked by a scrappy Pelicans team. Orlando just struggled after the first quarter with keeping the ball in front of them or protecting the ball. That put the Magic in bad positions defensively and the team never seemed to recover.

It was a game where the Magic just seemed wholly out of rhythm. It became difficult for the team to find its balance.

When it did — like early in the game or a big spurt from Wendell Carter in the third quarter — the Magic looked dangerous and as it did Monday. The team was active defending the paint in these moments.

But they became too few and far between and did not last long enough to make a lasting impression. Far too often, the Magic found themselves driving into traffic and having no outlet to get the ball moving again. This was not playing with the pass.

The good moments were very good. The bad moments were very bad.

Player Grades

Wendell Carter: A

Wendell Carter has been an often-forgotten player among the Magic’s young group. He is usually pretty quiet and not the flashiest player in the world. But this was a game to remind what an engaged, energetic and strong Carter can look like. If this is the approach Carter brings to his game more often than not, he is going to be a handful for a lot of teams to cover.

Carter finished with 13 points, 11 rebounds and two blocks, hitting five of his nine shots and even making two 3-pointers. He was an absolute terror on the interior and lifted the team up with his energy and hustle throughout the third quarter.

His comfort and confidence taking 3-pointers is the best development for the team. If he can hit that shot and take it consistently, he becomes a much bigger weapon. Carter was more forceful in this game and that was something that helped Orlando temporarily turn the tide.

Mohamed Bamba: B

The spurt Mohamed Bamba gave the Orlando Magic in the first few minutes of the game was something that had everyone buzzing. No one had seen Bamba exert himself that forcefully as he chased after rebounds, blocked and challenged shots, and showed some nice tough around the basket. The early spurt was exactly what everyone imagined from Bamba.

Then came the sugar crash. Bamba started settling for 3-pointers out of the flow of the offense at many times. He picked up two quick fouls trying to defend Jonas Valanciunas. He was still plenty active, but anything good was quickly balanced with something bad.

In the end, Bamba fouled out early in the third quarter. Although coach Jamahl Mosley said he was going to let him ride to hit a minute cap the team planned for him this game. Bamba finished with seven points and three rebounds, fouling out in less than 12 minutes of play. There was a lot of promise there, but still little tangible.

Moritz Wagner: D

Moritz Wagner can absolutely catch fire and be a problem for teams when he is hitting from the outside. That is what happened in Monday’s game against the Boston Celtics. When he is not hitting from the outside? It is more difficult to get a sense of what he can add on the floor. He can just be a drain and there is a reason he is not likely to be part of the regular playing rotation.

After Wagner’s 16-point effort Monday, he scored only seven points on 2-for-6 shooting. He struggled to find pockets as the Orlando Magic’s offense continually got stuck and unable to move the ball.

That was the bigger concern. Wagner seemed to get in the way at times. He was also loose with the ball with five of the Magic’s 16 turnovers. He just could not find a rhythm and the offense seemed to slow to a crawl or find the ball in his hands far too often.

Jalen Suggs: C+

No one wants to be too harsh on a rookie. Jalen Suggs is still getting used to the NBA game and is going to be asked to do a lot. The Orlando Magic have handed him a lot, putting him in control of the offense as the point guard. He has done a lot of really good things. But he still looks very much like a rookie.

There were a lot of moments in the game where you wanted him to take over and he just did not seem able to. Either he was not looking to be aggressive or just struggled to deal with the pressure the New Orleans Pelicans put on him. He scored only two points on 1-for-7 shooting. The Magic may have to rethink plans of putting him as the point guard at least as a primary attacker.

Suggs still did plenty of good things. He had some good defensive moments and was active on the glass. No one should ever question his effort and he got after it. But he was also ducking too weakly under screens. It was a struggle for him to find his rhythm.

New Orleans Pelicans: A-

The New Orleans Pelicans played without Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. Then Jonas Valanciunas got ejected for a second (weak) technical foul midway through the third quarter. Still, the Pelicans kept coming and played with tremendous effort and energy, even after falling behind early.

They hit 18 of 35 3-pointers and were constantly pestering the Orlando Magic throughout the night defensively. The Magic never really found their rhythm throughout the night.

New Orleans was the better, more energetic team. The Pelicans did not really pull away until the end of the third quarter and early fourth quarter. But the Magic were chasing uphill all game after giving up that early lead.

The Magic are midway through their preseason. They return to action Sunday at the Amway Center against the San Antonio Spurs.