MEMPHIS, TEN- Following a successful and eventful offseason, the Orlando Magic (0-1 Preseason) begin their final preparations ahead of the 2022-2023 NBA regular season. With Orlando’s regular season tip-off game at Detroit scheduled for October 19th, the Magic still have about two weeks left to finalize their complex roster and rotation. With this said, the 2022 NBA preseason will likely serve as a preview for the Magic’s regular season.
Orlando officially began their five-game preseason schedule in Memphis to play the Grizzlies (2-0 Preseason) and superstar Ja Morant. Due to Morant’s 22-point, four-rebound, and seven-assist performance, Memphis took care of Orlando, defeating the Magic 109-97.
It’s worth noting that Morant was not alone in his superb showing, however, as second-year forward Santi Aldama notched 21 points and six rebounds in 23 minutes of action. Furthermore, sharpshooter guard Desmond Bane played well, finishing the 12-point win with 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Finally, fourth-year forward Brandon Clarke played well as the Grizzlies’ starting center, notching 13 points and five rebounds on 5-9 (55.6%) shooting from the field.
As expected, Banchero struggled in his first NBA Preseason game, recording only eight points, two rebounds, one assist, and two steals while shooting 2-9 (22.9%) from the field and 0-2 (0.0%) from three-point range. Even with his unique blend of athleticism and two-way skill, it will take some time for Banchero to adjust to NBA competition. For example, 2021 No. 5 pick Jalen Suggs endured a turbulent rookie season filled with injuries, but was still able to average 11.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.2 SPG on 36.1/21.4/77.3% shooting splits.
In spite of Banchero’s disappointing preseason debut, third-year guard Cole Anthony led the Magic with 17 points, while shooting 6-10 (60.0%) from the field and 4-8 (50.0%) from three-point range. Anthony was followed closely by center Moritz Wagner, who scored 15 points on 5-7 (71.4%) shooting from the field and 4-6 (66.7%) from downtown. After poor play in the Las Vegas Summer League, third-year guard R.J. Hampton had a bounce-back game, posting 14 points, three rebounds, and seven assists on 6-11 (54.5%) shooting from the field. Journeyman Terrence Ross (12 points and one steal) was the only other player for Orlando to score double-digit points, although Devin Cannady did finish with nine points off the bench.
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As a team, Orlando wasn’t too efficient, shooting 35-89 (39.3%) from the field, 18-54 (33.3%) from three-point range, and 9-13 (69.2%) from the free-throw line. For context, Memphis shot 36-82 (43.9%) from the field, 10-36 (27.8%) from downtown, and 27-34 (79.4%) from the charity stripe. Similar to their shooting issues, Orlando was very undisciplined with turnovers and fouls, committing 23 turnovers and 27 personal fouls. Memphis wasn’t much better than Orlando, committing 25 turnovers and 21 personal fouls.
Following their 12-point loss to Memphis, Orlando will travel to the AT&T Center in Texas to face the San Antonio Spurs (0-1 Preseason) on Thursday, October 6th, at 8:00 PM ET. Meanwhile, Memphis will head to the FTX Arena in Florida to play the Miami Heat (0-1 Preseason) on Friday, October 7th, at 8:00 PM ET.