Orlando Magic at Memphis Grizzlies (Oct. 3, 2022): 3 Things To Watch, Odds and Prediction
The Orlando Magic open their preseason against the Memphis Grizzlies as they hope to take some big steps forward this year.
Orlando Magic (0-0) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (1-0)
Time/TV: 8 p.m./No TV
WATCH MAGIC-GRIZZLIES ON FUBO TV
FOLLOW LIVE @OMAGICDAILY
Line via WynnBet: NO LINE
Tickets: $2-$700 on StubHub
2022 Season Series: Grizzlies 135, Magic 115 in Orlando on Feb. 5; Grizzlies 124, Magic 96 in Memphis on March 5
2023 Season Series: Jan. 5 in Orlando; March 28 in Memphis
| 2022 Stats | Pace | Off. Rtg. | Def. Rtg. | eFG% | O.Reb.% | TO% | FTR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orlando | 99.7 | 103.9 | 112.1 | 50.3 | 24.9 | 14.4 | 22.3 |
| Memphis | 100.5 | 114.3 | 108.9 | 52.2 | 33.8 | 13.0 | 24.5 |
OMD Prediction
This prediction part is here just for show. Because nobody really knows what will happen in a team’s first preseason game. There are just a lot of factors involved and nobody really knows what to expect when the team hits the floor. In any case, the score is the least important thing to come out of this game.
The Magic have a lot to focus on and work on in this game. Whether it is showing a better mastery and command over the offense, limiting and learning from mistakes in real time or experimenting with lineups. What will matter in this game is the pockets of good play the team can build on. The least important thing is whether they win.
Although winning is good.
38. 105. 211. Prediction. 97
3 Keys To Watch
Paolo’s Debut
There is no getting around it. The biggest storyline and the biggest intrigue of this first preseason game will be shaking out the dust and trying out the new toy in every way they can. This will be Paolo Banchero’s first time putting on an NBA uniform and playing in an NBA arena. Never mind that it is preseason. There are sure to be some nerves.
Banchero showed none of those nerves in his first Summer League game, dominating the Houston Rockets in that setting. There were a lot of eyes on him in Las Vegas and he passed through with flying colors, averaging 20.0 points per game. That included the game-winning assist in the sudden-death overtime victory against the Sacramento Kings.
That was Summer League though. That was a lifetime ago. The Magic plan to move Banchero around, playing him in big lineups, as the traditional 4 and maybe even as point guard. But the goal today is to get his feet wet on an NBA floor. The results are not important.
Lineup Fun
The talk in Orlando Magic training camp has centered a lot on the lineups the team plans to use. Wendell Carter turned some heads in training camp when he revealed he was playing alongside Bol Bol and Paolo Banchero in lineups with Franz Wagner at the 2. These were always lineups everyone suspected the Magic might try. But now the reality is that the team may actually use them.
Preseason and training camp is the time for lineup experimenting. The lineups — including the starting lineup — the team throws out Monday night is not necessarily indicative of the group that will play together or start on Oct. 19. But it does clue into some of the ideas the Magic might be thinking about.
The big lineup makes a lot of sense. The team has a lot of versatile 7-footers (or near 7-footers) who can handle the ball and shoot from the outside. That is something that can make this team unique and difficult to handle. Orlando is going to be testing how far they can push this positionless idea throughout the preseason and as they consider how to rebuild moving forward.
Bol Bol’s debut
That leads to the other thing that people seem to be buzzing about during training camp — Bol Bol.
Bol’s popularity has outstripped his actual production. He was a standout in the Bubble when he got his first real playing time with the Denver Nuggets. He became a 2K darling as a stretch big who can block shots and hit threes. But that idea has outpaced his actual production.
Bol has played only 53 total games, including 14 last year. He is a total mystery as he has tried to recover from various injuries, including a foot injury last year.
Next. Orlando Magic work on decision-making to improve offense. dark
He said he is feeling the healthiest he has been since coming to the NBA. And he has turned heads with his play both in pick-up runs and in training camp. The proof will come with how he looks during the preseason in his first public showing in quite some time.