The Lead
Cole Anthony led the Magic with 17 points, fellow third-year NBA guard R.J. Hampton scored 14 points and Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 draft, posted eight points in his NBA preseason debut in Orlando’s 109-97 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday.
Memorable Plays
On the very first possession of the game, Banchero intercepted a bad pass by Ja Morant and then raced the other way for a layup. Later in the first half, the 6-foot-10, 255-pounder drove in for a thunderous two-handed jam over John Konchar and Brandon Clarke.
Key Stats
The Grizzlies led the NBA in points in the paint last year, and it looks like that will be a strength of theirs again this season. They scored 50 points in the paint, 28 more than the Magic. They also had 15 more fast break points.
Interesting Note
The Magic weren’t afraid to let it fly from long distance. They took 54 3-pointers, with everyone who played attempting at least one. The 6-foot-11 Moe Wagner made four of his six tries, while Anthony also knocked down four of them and Devin Cannady drilled three triples. Orlando set a franchise record with 58 threes attempted in their last game of the 2021-22 season against Miami.
Injury Report
Franz Wagner (coach’s decision), Markelle Fultz (toe), Gary Harris (left knee rehabilitation), Admiral Schofield (knee contusion), and Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) were unavailable for the Magic, while Jaren Jackson Jr. (foot), Danny Green (knee), and Killian Tillie (back) did not play for the Grizzlies.
Quote of the Day
“Equal amount of pride on both ends. Don’t want to take any plays off, and just compete on the defensive end – show that I can be a great defender to the coaches and my team. They can count on me on that end.” – Banchero on his goal of becoming a great two-way player
Rivals Report
The Grizzlies were the big surprise of the league last season. They won 56 games (second most in the league), featured the NBA’s most improved player in Morant, and were one of just a few teams that ranked in the top 10 in both offense and defense. Most amazing about their success was that they played well regardless of who was in and who was out. They went 20-5, for instance, when Morant didn’t play. A few things could throw them off track if they aren’t careful, though. One is the absence of Jackson for a while as he recovers from foot surgery, and the other is simply the improved competition around them. The Clippers, by getting Kawhi Leonard back, the Pelicans, by getting Zion Williamson back, and T-Wolves, now with Rudy Gobert on board, should all be substantially better. Plus, there’s no reason to believe that the Warriors, Suns, or Mavs will take a step back. And who knows with the Lakers, as they look to rebound from a disappointing season.
Up Next
The Magic return home for just a day before heading back out on the road for preseason games against the San Antonio Spurs (Thursday, 8 p.m. ET) and Dallas Mavericks (Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET). San Antonio and Dallas have very different objectives this season. The Spurs, like the Magic, are a young team trying to establish an identity and direction, while the Mavs, after reaching the Western Conference Finals last season, have championship aspirations.