Orlando Magic seeking energy from run of G-League signings

The way Dante Marchitelli told it on the Bally Sports Florida broadcast of Saturday’s game between the Orlando Magic and Brooklyn Nets, Hassani Gravett did not have much time to get himself ready.

He got a phone call in the early afternoon saying the Magic may be calling him up and to be ready and packed for the team’s upcoming road trip. The team was trying to get a hardship exception with five players out with long-term injuries and what would turn out to be another five players in the health and safety protocols.

Gravett was not even done with his laundry in preparation when he got the call a car would be waiting for him to take him to Orlando and give him his first crack at the NBA.

This is surely how everyone felt as the Magic tried desperately to fill their roster and give themselves enough active players to get through their pair of games this weekend and the foreseeable future.

All four players were thrown into the fire immediately and asked to go and contribute.

The Orlando Magic had to turn to their G-League roster to fill out their team and play games Friday and Saturday. Each player brought energy in their own way.

Predictably the Magic struggled in their minutes when they were on the floor. Especially when they were on the floor together. But still, they had their moments where they contributed through the two wins. Now Orlando has to figure out how to use them.

Gravett probably stood out the most, earning the nominal point guard minutes at the end of Saturday’s win over the Brooklyn Nets. He scored seven points, including a nice dribble move that ended in a layup.

Even from Summer League, it was clear the energy he could play with. Gravett is someone that fits the culture the Magic want to build really well. He plays hard and chases after loose balls and defends well.

With the Lakeland Magic this season, Gravett is averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game. He does not pop off the screen with his height or his shooting ability. But that effort has gone a long way for him. He finds ways to contribute.

That is what Aleem Ford did in Saturday’s game especially too.

He is probably the most unfamiliar to Magic fans since he did not play for the team in Summer League or in training camp. But his success shows how closely aligned the Lakeland Magic are to the Orlando Magic’s philosophies and how good that team has been at finding talent.

Ford scored eight points on 3-for-5 shooting in Saturday’s win. He added two 3-pointers in five attempts. That was the biggest benefit he would bring as his time in Lakeland showed.

He has averaged 9.6 points per game with 35.6-percent shooting from deep. That is not extreme 3-point prowess, but it was certainly encouraging. And Ford showed enough versatility and ability to put the ball on the floor to attack around the basket for his size too.

Admiral Schofield continued that move to add all of Lakeland’s top players. He spent training camp with Orlando and has averaged 14.4 points and 7.3 rebounds per game for Lakeland this season.

Schofield has been an interesting mix of size and speed. But he has struggled to find his place and his fit in the league. Schofield can make his mark defensively, but that remains a big challenge for him.

B.J. Johnson is the most known commodity. He played for the Magic in the 2020 season, helping them steal a win from the Los Angeles Lakers. Johnson has and always will be a bucket getter.

He leads the Lakeland Magic with 24.7 points per game, adding 7.0 rebounds per game for good measure.

He has not been shy about shooting so far. He has made 5 of his 13 shots. Nobody wants any of these players to do something they are not familiar with. Especially considering how quickly they have had to integrate with the team.

Orlando appears set now to add Freddie Gillespie (the team is likely waiting for Wednesday’s game to start the 10-day clock on him). Injuries continue to ravage the roster and the team has no center depth with Moritz Wagner and Mo Bamba in health and safety protocols and Wendell Carter out with his lower leg injury.

Gillespie will help on that front.

He played two games with the Toronto Raptors last season. Gillespie is averaging 11.4 points and 12.5 rebounds per game for the Memphis Hustle. That will certainly help the team out as Gillespie is a full-on energy player.

The Magic were obviously desperate. They ended up signing the Lakeland Magic’s four top scorers (the other top scorers are the Magic’s two-way players in Mychal Mulder and Ignas Brazdeikis). Orlando just needed Lakeland’s best to fill out the roster.

Considering how quickly they had to drop in on the team — and the fact they were playing their fourth game in five nights Saturday — all four players performed as well as they could. They each contributed in both games to giving the Magic a chance to win.

And that injection of energy and effort have been and will remain vital. These guys know this is an opportunity to show themselves off at the NBA level.

The fact Lakeland runs much of the same things as Orlando will help them integrate. As will many of these players’ experience playing under Jamahl Mosley whether that was in Summer League or training camp.

Nobody is under any impression that any of these guys will drastically change the world. It is clear when the G-League lineup is on the floor even at this stage. Orlando is still holding the ship together until they can get players back.

And players may be able to trickle back in from health and safety protocols starting with Thursday’s home game against the New Orleans Pelicans. That will inevitably end the opportunity for some of these players.

They are working to make the most of them. And the energy they are providing is helping the Magic hang tough through it all.