The Orlando Magic had largely seen what they wanted to see from their Summer League team.
They sat Jase Richardson, Tristan da Silva and Noah Penda for the team's final Summer League game Friday, having seen plenty of what they needed from their main roster players. They all shined on the stage at Summer League, giving the Magic the exact thing they wanted to see.
The rest of the roster? The rest of the roster was a struggle.
It is Summer League, nobody is expecting a dominant showing, but the Magic surely have to do better than shooting 31.8 percent entering Friday's finale against the Dallas Mavericks (granted that was 12th). Orlando just missed a lot of opportunities to stay competitive and win.
Friday's 92-69 loss to the Mavericks to close a winless Summer League saw the Magic struggle with everything they have struggled with throughout Summer League. They fouled a lot -- giving up 22 free throw attempts on 18 fouls. They struggled to make open shots -- finishing at 7 for 34 (20.6 percent) in this final game. They fell behind and could not get back into the game.
"I thought our guys did a great job competing, no matter what the score was," coach Ameer Bahhur said after Friday's game. "It was just another one of those games like the last few that felt like we did everything right -- we moved the ball, we played unselfish and we played hard -- and shots did not go in. That we can't control. All we can control is our attitude and our energy and our guys did a great job of doing that."
The Magic, outside of their roster players, struggled to have anyone really stand out, besides Wendell Moore Jr.'s 14 points and eight rebounds.
Orlando saw what it needed to see from its key players. In that way, Summer League was a rousing success. What the Magic did not perhaps see is that other players step up to fill out their roster, training camp roster and G-League roster.
Nobody likes to go winless. But Orlando will leave Vegas still feeling very good about their young players and what comes next for this team.
1 Up: Jase Richardson
The most important thing the Orlando Magic needed to see from Summer League was how their first round pick fit in with the team.
Jase Richardson felt like a home run pick because of his raw talent. But his size was still a major question mark. The Magic needed to see how he would play and fit in despite those shortcomings.
Richardson aced every test that was put in front of him. He looked like an impactful player on both ends, putting in the work and playing with good energy throughout the pair of games he played. He finished Summer League with 33 total points, shooting 10 for 18 (55.6 percent) and 3 for 6 (50.0 percent) from three.
Richardson proved a whole lot more. He proved that despite his size, he will compete on the defensive end. And he showed he can use his speed, balance and length to finish at the rim with the same efficiency he did in college.
He still has hurdles to clear when the regular season begins and he joins the main roster. But he passed this test with flying colors.
1 Down: Ethan Thompson
The Orlando Magic made Ethan Thompson a late addition to the team last year, signing him to a two-way contract after the trade deadline last season. Thompson was known simply as a professional scorer in his G-League run, averaging 18.4 points per game and shooting 39.1 percent from three last year for Osceola.
Everyone wanted to see what the Magic invested in giving him a two-way deal, knowing he might see the court for the team.
But Thompson had an up-and-down ride. It was mostly discouraging what he showed during the team's games.
Thompson finished with eight points on 3-for-9 shooting in the Summer League finale. That brought him to 10.0 points per game and 29.2 percent shooting and 10-for-32 (31.3 percent) shooting, playing in all five games.
That speaks to how involved Thompson was. He was hunting for his shot and trying to take more ownership on the ball. But he struggled to make his mark. Thompson stood out for how much of a drain offensivley he was.
Thompson's spot is secure. Maybe he was purposefully trying to be over aggressive. He will not get this many reps if he plays for the Magic's main roster. But it was not a standout showing for a player who will be involved with the main roster this season.
2 Up: Noah Penda
Nobody really knew what to expect from Noah Penda. The Orlando Magic moved up in the draft to get him, and it was clear he had first-round-level talent. But he was considered a pretty raw prospect. It was uncertain how far along he was in his progression. Summer League was a perfect opportunity to let him loose.
Penda still is rough around the edges. He is probably not ready to take the NBA by storm. But he looked like he has something to build on and something to develop.
Penda finished his Summer League with 11.3 points per game and 7.7 rebounds per game in three games. He shot 51.7 percent from three and made 3 of 10 3-pointers.
Penda looked more comfortable and controlled on the ball than expected. He should be able to be a playmaker. But more immediately, he looked like a player who could give solid energy and boost the team in his minutes.
Penda may need some time, but he looked solid all week.
2 Down: Kylor Kelley
Kylor Kelley got the start at center alongside the Orlando Magic's roster players in the first two games. His minutes were a struggle throughout the week. Kelley has good size and mobility, but he struggled to use them effectively.
Kelley finished with 2.6 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game in 15.8 minutes per game, playing in all five games this week. The Magic were -40 in his minutes across all five games. Kelley struggled to make a presence.
Perhaps Kelley was not meant to be the starting center. The Magic had a late withdrawal from Marcus Bingham Jr., who signed a contract in Russia, and they opted for Kelley. He looked like the worst of the Magic's three bigs throughout the week.
3 Up: Wendell Moore Jr.
The Orlando Magic have one roster spot (that they cannot fill because of their hard cap) and two two-way spots open for players hoping to make the NBA. For the non-roster players, the Orlando Magic were looking for someone who could help fill the energy role that Kevon Harris and Trevelin Queen filled.
Wendell Moore Jr. was the one who stepped up the most.
He finished his week with 13.8 points per game and 6.8 rebounds per game. He put his defense on display and was solid attacking the rim. His 3-point shot still needs work -- he finished at 6 for 21 (28.6 percent) for the week. That is the big thing keeping him out of the NBA.
But Moore was clearly the best player of the Magic's non-roster players.
3 Down: Jalen Crutcher
It was hard to pinpoint any other player who disappointed, per se. So few stood out in a meaningful way. The Magic were looking for an additional two-way player.
But outside the Magic's main roster players, they needed another player to step up with his ball-handling and his shooting. Jalen Crutcher seemed like a good candidate to fight for that spot. And his play was largely inconsistent.
Crutcher finished with 4.4 points per game and 3.0 assists per game. He shot 25.9 percent overall and 6 for 21 (28.6 pecent) from three. Four of those makes came in the comeback effort against the Brooklyn Nets.
Crutcher did not establish himself or cement himself despite the minutes he received.
Like most on the Summer League roster, they were left looking to make an impression and failing to do so.