Nobody quite knew what to expect from Noah Penda as a rookie last season.
The Magic took the rare step of trading up in the second round to ensure they got the talented young forward. They knew he would be a project. But he fit all the needs the Magic like -- versatility, strong, big, long-armed and full of potential.
It was quite the swing.
Penda, predictably, looked undeveloped in his short minutes in the NBA. He averaged only 3.8 points per game and appeared in 59 games for 12.8 minutes per game.
He still had his moments. Penda had 13 points and 12 rebounds, including seven offensive rebounds, in an overtime win over the Utah Jazz, and 13 points and 11 rebounds (five offensive rebounds) in an overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.
Penda's role was to go in and make all the hustle plays. Those are the kind of plays that can win games and are necessary to maintain leads in the second quarter of a playoff game. It was clear to see how Penda could make an impact.
Even on a roster that saw so little change, Penda and his development could get lost in the shuffle. But with so few changes possible, anything that could boost the team becomes a huge deal.
After a strong Summer League run, Penda retreated home to France to get his work in. He is back in Orlando now, and early reports say he has made the most of his summer, getting leaner, fixing his diet and expanding his skills.
Penda might be a small player in the grand scheme of things. He is not someone who raises the team's ceiling. But adding another impactful player only adds to a bench hungry to return to form. And a young player -- read: cheap player -- is vital.
Penda's development will be one of the big questions in training camp. And he could be a player who makes a big difference off the bench this season.
Penda's big summer
Evaluators and people around the NBA often say the summer between a player's rookie year and second year is one of the most important in a player's career.
That player has gone through the ups and downs of an NBA season. They have a feel for the speed of the game. Their heads are not spinning nearly as much.
The hope is that all of that comes together and leads to a more focused offseason to prepare them for a stronger second season. Knowledge is power.
That usually starts with Summer League, where teams just want to see what players have learned and whether they look like the veterans in that environment.
That is where Penda began to turn heads.
In three games, Penda scored 45 points, grabbed 20 rebounds and even dished out 10 assists. He added five steals and eight blocks for good measure. Penda was everywhere on the floor, defending the perimeter and protecting shots at the rim.
Penda shot 14 for 25 (56.0 percent) from the floor and 8 for 17 (47.1 percent) from three. It was revelatory with how impactful he was for the Magic.
It was not enough to be considered among the best players in Summer League -- even though Orlando went 4-1. But Penda turned a lot of heads.
What really stood out was Penda's confidence on the ball. He was hitting pull-up threes and attacking off the dribble. There were a fair amount of turnovers in his three games, but a lot of that came from him being aggressive and trying to explore the canvas.
It is easy to see how he would scale back and easier to see how he could contribute if those improvements stick to the regular season.
It got everyone excited for what he could be as more than an energy burst in spot or emergency minutes.
There is a long time between July and the start of the season. Penda has been off on his own. Anyone who has followed him on social media has been treated to him clowning on Jalen Suggs, but also the continued work he has put in throughout the offseason.
According to some reports, he has lost 20 pounds. It is clear to see that he has put some work into his body after his rookie season, and he is returning as a different player.
The question will be how different and what impact that can make.
Penda's role could expand
What a team wants is to be able to count on every player on the roster to be able to fill in minutes. They want competition in training camp for spots in the rotation. They want to be able to trust everyone when they need to play.
And every player on the roster will play significant minutes at some point in the season.
Noah Penda is expected to be in the battle for backup forward minutes, battling with Jonathan Isaac for that primary backup power forward role. It would be easy to lean on Isaac as the veteran. Isaac is still an impactful defender even if his offense has fallen off.
But there is definitely a chance for Penda to earn minutes. He should be in the mix for one of the bigger battles in training camp and throughout the season. He will have the opportunity to earn minutes.
Penda was still raw and prone to rookie mistakes last year. It made sense that the Magic were a little hesitant to play him during the Playoffs -- he logged only 2:57 of playing time in Game 2.
There is still a lot unknown about Penda and who he can be.
But that unknown is also potential. There is a ceiling that Penda has yet to reach. And second-year players tend to make a big leap.
Penda seems poised for that kind of leap. He seems poised to push for playing time and become undeniable. It was clear he had that potential even in his limited minutes as a rookie. He could impact games even as he was figuring out how to play in the NBA.
That remains the big question facing Penda. That remains the key for him.
Penda could be a player that wins the Magic games, keeps them in the lead in a critical playoff game or give the team the depth they need. Penda has a big role to play for the Magic this season.
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