It has been a long six months for Orlando Magic fans, players, coaches, front office and media, but Orlando Magic basketball is back!
Perhaps the biggest story of the offseason was the hiring of Sean Sweeney and the differences in approach and tactics Orlando may see from him and his new system.
As expected, opening night saw new rotations, roles and workloads for several different players -- including at the always contentious point guard position.
You can only take so much good or bad from opening night, given that it is not only just one game, but also the first game after a months-long offseason. Players need time to shake off rust. And for the Magic, this was their first time implementing their new system in truly live minutes.
Another thing to remember is that Anthony Black did not suit up for the Magic, so if Sweeney plans to deploy him in a point guard role, instead of as an off-ball guard, the rotation will look different than it did on opening night.
That being said, in what is expected to be an Eastern Conference where every game matters, the Magic have to hit the ground running.
The Magic are looking like they may take a point-guard-by-committee approach, which could work with the options at Sweeney's disposal.
Let's look at how each of them did in their new roles Wednesday night.
Jalen Suggs
Here is something rarely, if ever said about Jalen Suggs -- the Orlando Magic lost his minutes Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Suggs finished the game with a -13 rating, which was the worst rating on the team. It will not be the norm, but was the reality on opening night.
Suggs made several good plays that were sometimes negated or followed up by a bad decision or play.
Suggs had two steals but still has trouble at times containing his own energy on the defensive end, and that was shown by his five fouls. Suggs is still balancing the line between aggressive and reckless.
The Magic did a poor job of taking care of the basketball, but Suggs had one of the toughest turnovers in the game, which happened in the fourth quarter when the Magic cut Atlanta's lead to 120-119. Jalen Suggs tried to pass to Franz Wagner, who had posted up in transition, but the pass went too far and Wagner could not catch it before it went out of bounds.
His next play was on the upswing because he made a great decision and got an open corner three for Wagner, who ended up not converting it.
Jalen Suggs' best sequence of the game came in the fourth quarter when he was able to get Paolo Banchero an uncontested finish at the rim. Then followed that up by stripping an Atlanta Hawks ball handler, and finishing in transition on the other end.
Suggs finished the game with a 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio with five assists and two turnovers, which indicates he generally took good care of the basketball.
Suggs split his time playing both point guard and off-ball because Wagner actually played point guard for much of the game.
While Suggs' shot did not fall on Wednesday, he took care of the ball for the most part. And if having Suggs in a spot-up role is the plan this season, he is set up to have big success shooting from range.
His next step is to continue improving control of his energy on the defensive end and being intentional in his decision making with the basketball.
Franz Wagner
Surprisingly, Franz Wagner played the point guard position more minutes than anyone else on opening night.
He was the default initiator of the offense and did a very good job of it when he was on the court.
His time on the court was massively limited due to 3 fouls in the first 13 minutes of the game -- one of the fouls being on a three-point shooter, which cannot happen under any circumstances.
Wagner was often the hub that the Magic offense ran through, and the ball moved side to side noticeably more than Magic fans have been accustomed to seeing.
Franz Wagner has always had great chemistry with Wendell Carter, and putting Wagner in this position puts everyone else in great positions to succeed.
Jalen Suggs can line up as a spot-up shooter. Wendell Carter can roll to the rim with Franz Wagner handling the ball. Desmond Bane, as a volume shooter, can work off of the Magic's two top players. And, most importantly, it takes advantage of the biggest advantage on the Magic's roster: The two-man game between Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero.
In his minutes off the ball, Wagner was able to cut to the rim for a couple of easy baskets and take advantage of mismatches.
He was not very efficient shooting 9-for-20 from the floor and 2-for-8 from three. But he scored his 22 points in 29 minutes and showed a real ability to find open shooters, finishing with five assists.
He also recorded a steal, and his ability on the defensive end was evident, at least in the second half.
Jase Richardson
The biggest change to Sean Sweeney's rotation was that Jase Richardson was the first guard off the bench and the backup point guard.
This could be in part due to Anthony Black's absence. But regardless, it indicates that Sweeney plans to have Richardson get steady rotation minutes.
Richardson only scored two points, but that bucket ended a 12-0 Atlanta Hawks run. The ability to stop the bleeding has been a years-long problem for this Orlando Magic roster. Richardson showed some ability to weave through a defense.
Richardson was one of three players for the Magic on opening night who finished with a positive plus/minus. And while likely a flash in the pan, his final line on the defensive end was excellent: one steal on an inbound play and two blocks in only 14 minutes.
The area he struggled most was when he was left to bring the ball up under pressure, resulting in two turnovers. That included Dyson Daniels stealing the ball from him in the backcourt -- a situation he probably never should have been put in.
Richardson will need to work on this, but based on his role opening night, even when Black returns, it seems he will be getting the first opportunity to play backup point guard next to Black, playing off the ball.
One thing is certain after one game: Every player will have some ball-handling responsibilities. What the Magic need is for these players to calm things down when momentum is turning against them. That is what will still develop for Orlando as the season continues.
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