The first time Noah Penda took the floor for the Orlando Magic last year was in the team's fourth game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The rookie forward still looked like a rookie, wide-eyed and unsure of where to be, playing solely on instinct.
That instinct could still make an impact, but Penda was drafted as a raw prospect playing on defensive versatility and instincts more than skill, at least to begin his career.
He made a three for his first NBA basket in the 6:46 he played in that first game. Throughout his rookie season, Penda was mostly a garbage man, making his mark solely on his ability to get to the glass and make energy plays.
Penda showed promise, but he had a long way to go.
By the end of the season, Penda was on the bench watching. His last game of more than 10 minutes was the loss to the Toronto Raptors. And he logged only three minutes at the end of Game 2 in the Playoffs.
That is what a lot of rookies have to do when they are on teams with the ambitions the Magic have. He would have to take all he learned in his limited playing time -- 59 games and 12.8 minutes per game -- and use it to feed his summer.
Summer League was his check-up. It was his opportunity to show how far he had progressed.
As the Magic get set to close their Summer League, Penda has indeed made a big statement. He showed how much he has improved and grown his skills as he prepares for his second season.
"It's a good way to get to know the expectations from the coaches for next season," Penda said after practice Friday. "It is a good way to see the improvements of the work that you put in during the summer. I worked a lot during the summer. I think the results were there. It's encouraging to keep pushing you for the rest of the summer."
This was a wildly successful Summer League for Penda, regardless of whether he plays in Saturday's finale against the Boston Celtics.
He showed exactly what he needed to show to push for playing time. He got a good launch into the last two months before training camp begins.
Penda's Summer League will certainly set him up to contribute.
Penda remakes his skill
The Orlando Magic traded up to take Noah Penda early in the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft in a bold move to secure a player many pegged with first-round talent.
The 6-foot-7 forward had a wide base to build off of, and he figured to be a versatile defender. But his skill set was still raw.
That was abundantly clear when he did get playing time. But Penda was still capable of making an impact on the glass and on the boards. There was a lot to work with.
He just needed to expand his skills.
Immediately in Vegas, Penda made it clear he was a different and more confident player. He made five of 10 from three in a 23-point, seven-rebound effort in the opener against the Charlotte Hornets. It was not just that he made those three-pointers. It was the comfort with which he made them.
"I think his confidence is coming with it," Jase Richardson said after practice Friday. "A lot of it is all confidence with him. Offensively, it's confidence. Defensively, he knows he can guard anybody he can. Offensively, with that confidence he has on his shot and his drive is big for him."
Penda is averaging 15.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game in three Summer League appearances. He has shot 14 for 25 (56.0 percent) from the floor and 8 for 17 (47.1 percent) from three.
He certainly worked on his body first, but he knew that improving as a 3-point shooter was vital to sticking on the roster.
Penda no longer looks like a raw rookie. He looks like someone who knows where he is supposed to be and what he is supposed to do. He looks confident with the ball in his hands and is showcasing what his size can do with confidence, speed and force.
Defense still makes Penda
Still, Noah Penda's bread and butter is on defense.
What made the league curious about Penda was his size at 6-foot-7 and his versatility. He had the frame and width to take on bigger players and the quickness and foot speed to stay in front of them.
Defense was always Penda's ticket to playing time. And that is where he stood out most in his rookie year.
As much as Penda needed to grow his offensive skills this offseason, what would get Penda on the floor was his commitment on defense.
As impressive as Penda has been with the ball, his defense has stood out too.
Penda has tallied five steals and eight blocks in three games. His versatility defensively has continued to stand out.
This remains his ticket to playing time. And he worked to grow on that end as much as he did with his shooting.
"Defense is always going to be the first thing that pops up when you think about Noah Penda," Penda said after practice Friday. "As a second-year [player], you want to make the right play and show all the things that are categorized as rookie mistakes. You want to erase that and show poise and growth during the games."
Penda is still working to reduce some of those mistakes and gain better defensive awareness. That is also a big part of growing up and learning how to play in the league.
But Penda had one of the more successful Summer League's the team has seen from a second round pick in some time. He looks like he will fight with Jonathan Isaac throughout the year for backup forward minutes.
The proof for him will not come on the floor in Vegas. That merely proved what he is capable of and that he has taken some key steps.
The proof will come when the season begins. Penda has proven he will get that opportunity.
Add us as a preferred source on Google