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gordon-im-ready

Gordon: "I'm Ready"

Josh Cohen

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – For much of the season, Orlando Magic rookie Aaron Gordon has shadowed Tobias Harris whether it was subbing in for him at either the small forward or power forward positions or playing alongside of him.

Now, the two versatile forwards have something else in common: Both have had to deal with the effects of a fractured foot early in their basketball careers.

Gordon, the No. 4 pick in last June’s NBA Draft, is out for the foreseeable future after an X-ray revealed a fractured bone in the outside of his left foot on Saturday. Gordon, the youngest player in the NBA at 19 years old, is in a walking boot and will see a foot specialist this week to determine the best course of action for treatment.

Gordon’s injury is very similar to the one that Harris suffered as an 18-year-old high school senior. Harris needed surgery – and still has the stabilizing screw in his foot – and had to miss out on a chance to play for Team USA in international play. However, after some time away from basketball, Harris made a full recovery and has had no problems with the foot over the past four years.

``My advice would be to take his time with it and not to rush it. It’s easier said than done, but it’s a different ballpark in the NBA because I was going into college (when he suffered the injury),’’ Harris said. ``I’ve just told him to keep his spirits up. I’m praying for him and other guys on the team are praying for him, so he’ll be fine.’’

Harris raved about Gordon’s attitude and willingness to learn in the time that the two have worked together over the summer, exhibition season and the first 11 games of this season. Gordon has been especially good of late for the Magic, giving the team an energy boost and some hard-nosed defense off the bench. Harris said that while losing the rookie for an extended period of time is a blow to the Magic, he said he’s tried to keep the injury in perspective when talking to the fellow small forward.

``With an injury like that, you don’t see it coming. It happens all of the time (in basketball) and it’s a stress fracture,’’ Harris said. ``But you can survive it and it’s a waiting game and you just have to let it heal. He just has to be prepared to come back and be as mentally focused and prepares as he was before the injury.’’

SHAKING OFF THE RUST: The Magic and Victor Oladipo knew that it would take some time for him to get totally back up to speed following his six-week absences for a knee injury and a facial fracture. And while there were plenty of questions about Oladipo’s conditioning, ball-handling and jump shot when he returned, there wasn’t as much focus on his decision-making.

Oladipo played well in his first game back on Friday, giving the Magic a huge spark off the bench with his energy and ability to get in the lane and produce free throws. But on Saturday, Oladipo made just seven of 18 and turned the ball over three times. Oladipo chided himself after the game for taking some questionable shots and added that it could take some time for his feel of the game to return. The second-year guard had seven assists, but Orlando finished with just 14 – tying a season low.

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said on Monday that Oladipo might have gotten caught up in the emotion of playing in Washington, D.C. in front of more than a dozen family and friends. One Oladipo shot in particular – a contested 3-point heave with 15 on the shot clock – seemed to irk the head coach and Oladipo was removed from the game right after.

``Hopefully we’re not in Washington where his family and friends are (anytime soon) and hopefully a different setting will lend to him continuing to make the right play for us,’’ Vaughn said.

VERSUS VAN GUNDY: Monday’s game in Detroit was the Magic’s first in the regular season against former Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy since he took over as the Pistons’ President of Basketball Operations and coach.

Van Gundy is the most successful coach in franchise history, going 259-135 with the Magic from 2007-12. He guided Orlando to five playoff appearances, including the 2009 NBA Finals and the ’10 Eastern Conference Finals.

Van Gundy said his memories of Central Florida will always be fond because of the treatment that he received from Magic fans.

``The people, that’s what you always remember,’’ Van Gundy said. ``I worked with great people, which I really enjoyed. We lived in a great community and I really appreciate the people in the Central Florida community. It was great for my family. My kids and my family were well taken care of there, so I have great appreciation.’’

ETC: Gordon’s work tireless ethic has become legend around his teammates and he wonders what he will do while out injured to occupy his time. He worked hard over the offseason to improve his jump shot and he said he might continue some of that work even while wearing a cast on his left foot. Said Gordon: ``I just have to figure out how to stay around the game. Maybe I sit in the chair and work on jump hooks. I guess it’s a good time to rest and be healthy for the rest of the season. … Veteran point guard Luke Ridnour, who missed Saturday’s game in Washington because of a family matter, returned to the team for Monday’s game in suburban Detroit. Ridnour has been a big asset off the bench this season, averaging 5.8 points and 3.1 assists a game while also shooting 46.3 percent from the floor. … Magic reserves Willie Green and Devyn Marble hail from the Detroit area and both were scrambling to get extra tickets for friends and family Monday night. Marble, who is out because of a sprained rotator cuff, said he had 10 family members and friends coming to the game. … The Magic’s game in Detroit on Monday was their eighth road game of the season – the most in the NBA so far this season. Orlando is back at the Amway Center on Wednesday to face the Los Angeles Clippers. However, the Magic have road games looming against Charlotte (Friday) and Cleveland (Monday) and a six-game, 10-day trip ahead from Nov. 27-Dec. 6.

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Gordon Can Get Injury Advice From Harris

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – A gym rat and the kind of tireless worker who has put himself in position to be a contributor on the Orlando Magic even while being the NBA’s youngest player, Aaron Gordon said on Monday that he now has to find other ways to stay involved in the game.

X-rays on Saturday revealed that Gordon fractured the fifth metatarsal bone of his left foot. The rookie forward travelled with the team from Washington to Detroit and he will be re-evaluated later this week when the team returns to Orlando. Included in that evaluation of Gordon’s foot will a visit to specialist Dr. Robert B. Anderson in Charlotte, N.C.

Gordon, who played in all 11 games this season for the Magic (4-7) off the bench, said that he had been experiencing minor pain in the outside of his foot for some time, but thought that it ``didn’t feel like much at all.’’ He changed the orthotics in his shoe prior to Saturday’s loss in Washington and then went to get a postgame X-ray at the urging of Magic trainers. The X-ray revealed the fracture that will shelve the talented rookie who was the No. 4 pick in last June’s NBA Draft.

``Right now I’m fine, but it will be more during the game when my spirits will be trying to go down or be at the lowest point,’’ said Gordon, who was wearing a walking boot on Monday morning. ``All I can do is be as optimistic as I possibly can be and still try to help my team win.’’

Orlando will be without Gordon tonight when they face the struggling Detroit Pistons (3-7) and former Magic coach Stan Van Gundy at 7:30 in snowy Michigan. Not having Gordon – a versatile athlete capable of playing small forward or power forward – will likely mean rotational shifting and possibly more minutes for Maurice Harkless at small forward and Andrew Nicholson at power forward.

For now, though, Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said his thoughts have been with helping the teenager keep his injury in perspective.

``It’s tough injury-wise and a tough thing to deal with for a young guy who is learning the league and trying to find his place on the team and in the league,’’ Vaughn said. ``It is a tough position (being injured), but it is part of sports. … That’s what this sport is all about (stepping up to challenge). You act and perform as a team sport, you stay ready all the time and you don’t know when your opportunity is going to come when the situation arises. When it does come, you need to be ready.’’

Gordon averaged 5.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 0.55 blocks a game, but where his loss hurts the Magic the most is on defense and with his ability to guard either small forwards or power forwards.

In some ways, Gordon had shadowed Orlando’s Tobias Harris, another player capable of playing multiple positions. Gordon had predominantly backed up Harris, but the two had played together during stretches while sharing the forward positions. Coincidentally, Harris broke the fifth metatarsal in his foot as a high school senior, so he knows what Gordon is in for now as far as his recovery.

``It’s very disappointing and you have to feel for him as a player because he comes in every day with a great attitude and mindset,’’ Harris said. ``So as a team we have to keep him in our prayers. He’s a pretty mentally-strong kid and he’ll be fine to come back from this. It’s just tough to go through an injury like this.’’

Gordon’s finest game as a pro came on Nov. 6 when he scored 17 points – six of them in overtime – and grabbed six rebounds in Orlando’s defeat of Minnesota. He also played a key role in flipping the momentum in Friday’s defeat of Milwaukee by scoring eight points, grabbing three rebounds and handing out three assists.

Known for his off-the-charts athleticism and rare combination of size and speed, Gordon worked tirelessly over the summer to better his shooting. And through the first 11 games of his career, he had made 58.1 percent of his shots from the floor, four of eight 3-pointers and 10 of 15 free throws.

He played well in Saturday’s first half in Washington, converting a thunderous dunk off a feed from fellow rookie Elfrid Payton and connecting on two spinning hook shots in the lane. In 14 minutes of action on Saturday, he finished with six points and three rebounds.

Gordon said his foot hurt after that game, much the way it had of late. But he never thought there was damage to his foot saying, ``It’s been a sore foot and it didn’t feel like much at all. … I had just asked to change my orthotics. It was a little bit painful, but it really wasn’t anything at all.’’

Now, Gordon said he must channel his energy toward his recovery. He said he won’t truly know the extent of his injury until he sees the foot specialist in North Carolina later in the week. Until then, he said he will try to stay engaged with the team as best he can so that he continues learning.

``I just have to figure out how to stay around the game. Maybe I sit in the chair and work on jump hooks,’’ Gordon said. ``I guess it’s a good time to rest and be healthy for the rest of the season.’’

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Gordon: "All I Can Do Is Be Optimistic"

NEW YORK – An Orlando Magic roadtrip that will bring the team to New York City twice in a five–day span – and more specifically to Brooklyn’s Barclays Center – brought back great memories of last June’s NBA Draft for rookies Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton.

For both, it was the first time that either had visited New York or gotten to see first-hand the massive expanse of Manhattan. And going back to the Barclays Center – site of last June’s NBA Draft – it reminded them of the night when their dreams were realized to become a NBA player.

Gordon was the No. 4 overall selection of the draft by the Magic, and he didn’t learn his fate until just a couple of minutes before Orlando’s selection was announced.

``It’s surreal going back. There’s a little theme song for the NBA Draft and it still plays in my head every time that I think back to that night,’’ said Gordon, the hero of Orlando’s overtime defeat of Minnesota on Friday with a career-best 17 points. ``It was a pretty nerve-wracking night now that I think back to it. There was a lot of anxiety and you didn’t know what was going to happen. I could have gone to a couple of different teams. I’m just excited that I end up in Orlando.’���

Payton, who saw his stock dramatically shoot up the draft boards prior to last June 26, experienced a wide array of emotions on draft night. He was picked at No. 10 by the Philadelphia 76ers. Then, as he was doing interviews with the Philadelphia media – while wearing a blue and red Sixers hat, nonetheless – Payton was informed that he had been traded to the Magic. Payton said that he will most remember draft night for the relief of finally knowing where his new home would be and where his NBA journey would begin.

``In the two to three hours before the draft I was actually calm,’’ Payton admitted. ``It wasn’t until I sat down and the names started being called that I was nervous. Then, once I figured out where I was going, I was excited to have a home in Orlando.’’

OLADIPO’S ENERGY: Cleared to fly now that the swelling in his face has subsided, Victor Oladipo has rejoined the Magic on roadtrips and he’s itching to get back onto the floor. Oladipo, who has yet to play this season because of a knee sprain and a facial fracture beneath his right eye, go in a hard workout prior to Sunday’s game in Brooklyn.

``The knee feels really good and I feel good,’’ Oladipo said seconds after signing dozens of autographs for fans in Brooklyn. ``Now, it’s just about me getting myself in shape.’’

There is no firm timetable on Oladipo’s return, but he has shown so much progress with his sprained knee that he’s been able to shed the brace he wore for a week before his facial injury. Now, he’s just adjusting to wearing a protective mask on his face and building his stamina back up.

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn said he’s delighted to have Oladipo back around the team because of his infectious personality and the positive support that he offers to teammates.
  ``You can watch the game from (Friday night) and see him in the huddle and on the bench and being around the guys and he’s travelling with the team, it’s nice. It means he’s heading in the right direction,’’ Vaughn said. ``The good thing is the next time you see him he won’t have that knee brace on, so that’s a comfort level for him when he’s back on the floor. The rust comes from just not playing for a month. He was in great shape coming into camp, so he’ll take the time to play some one-on-one, two-on-two and three-on-three and we’ll incorporate him into practice. I think he’ll be OK.’’

ROOKIE ROLE: As a second-round draft pick and a rookie, Devyn Marble knows that he has to try and find ways to make an impact on the Magic wherever possible.
  The long-armed Marble was called on at an unexpected time on Friday night – with 28 seconds remaining in a game that Orlando trailed by two points – and he came through in a big way.

The 6-foot-6, 200-pound Marble was inserted into Friday’s game so that he could use his defensive skills and hopefully force a turnover. And that’s just what happened as Marble and Maurice Harkless set a hard trap on Kevin Martin and Harkless was able to knock the ball free.

``I was ready. (Vaughn) told me to go in and make a play and we just so happened to turn it into offense,’’ Marble said. ``I did what I was supposed to do.’’

The problem, however, was that Marble’s shot on the other end of the floor was swatted by Minnesota guard Mo Williams. As Williams followed through on the block he hit Marble’s right arm and bent it back. Marble ended up with a strained rotator cuff that knocked him out of practice on Saturday and out of Sunday’s game in Brooklyn.

``I didn’t see him coming. I tried to go up quick and get it off the backboard and he came up and was able to get it,’’ said Marble, who has received twice-a-day ice and stimulation treatment on his arm the past two days. ``It’s just unfortunate that he pulled my arm back.’’

Despite getting his shot blocked and his arm injured, Marble said it was gratifying that the coaching staff believed in him enough to insert him into a close game in the final minute.

``It was a situation that we work on in practice and (Vaughn) calls on me in practice and I just try to make plays then,’’ Marble said. ``The fact that coach has seen me make plays in practice and he feels comfortable putting me in in those situations, I’m thankful for the opportunity.’’

ETC: Magic forward Tobias Harris, who was born in Islip and went to high school in Dix Hills, N.Y., had more than 100 family and friends at the game, including his father (Torrel) and mother (Lisa). Harris’ mother, Lisa, and forward Channing Frye’s mother, Karen, are sisters and grew up in Brooklyn just a few miles away from the Barclays Center. Said Tobias Harris: ``It’s always fun to be back in New York so that my dad, mom, brothers and sister can come and watch the game. It’s a good time for me playing here, but more importantly it’s another game that we need to win.’’ … Kyle O’Quinn, a native of Jamaica, Queens, did not make the trip with the Magic so that he could get extra treatment on his sprained ankle back in Orlando. O’Quinn was injured in the opener and missed his sixth straight game on Sunday. He could join the Magic in Toronto for Monday’s practice and Tuesday’s game against the Raptors. … Harkless, also a Queens native, said he needed just four tickets for family members for Sunday’s game. Harkless said he’s worked to trim his ticket requests when back in New York so that he can keep his focus on the games.

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Gordon, Payton Reflect Back on Trip to Brooklyn for NBA Draft

ORLANDO – At 19 and 20 years old respectively, Orlando Magic rookies Aaron Gordon and Elfrid Payton are two of the youngest and most inexperienced players in the NBA. But the 16,379 fans inside the Amway Center never would have been able to tell it on Friday considering the way the two youngsters delivered time and again in the tense moments of regulation and overtime.

And just for good measure both Magic rookies grossly outplayed the top overall pick from last June’s NBA Draft, Andrew Wiggins, in Orlando’s most thrilling victory thus far in the season.

Gordon, the No. 4 pick in last June’s draft, had a spectacular three-point play off a dunk and a game-sealing 3-point shot in the extra period and Payton added 15 points as Orlando surged past the Minnesota Timberwolves 112-103 in overtime at the noisy Amway Center.

Gordon, who had played only sparingly in two games earlier in the week, scored a career best 17 points and grabbed six rebounds. Most importantly, Gordon – the NBA’s youngest player this season – didn’t get rattled with the game on the line and he proved to be a tide-turning spark for the Magic (2-4).

``My energy is definitely contagious. It only takes one person and if he is being active you don’t want to let that person down. It makes everybody else pick up their energy and that’s what I tried to do,’’ said Gordon, who made six of nine shots and both of his 3-pointers and blocked two shots. ``The game of basketball is less fun to me if I’m not playing all-out all of the time. It’s just what I do.’’

Gordon and Payton checked out of the game with 35.9 seconds remaining in OT and they were given a rousing ovation. Payton, the No. 10 pick from last June’s draft whom the Magic acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers, had 13 of his 15 points after halftime and he twice hit shots in the overtime period.

``I’m just trying to come out with energy and help the team some kind of way,’’ said Payton, who added five rebounds, four assists, a steal and a blocked shot. ``Whether it be scoring, defense, assisting or rebounding – I’m just trying to bring something to the team to try and impact the game.’’

Evan Fournier, another player acquired last June on a draft-day transaction, scored 20 points and hit two 3-pointers for the Magic (2-4). An Orlando squad that started the season with four straight losses won a second consecutive game on the heels of Tobias Harris’ game-winning shot in Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Gordon came off the bench throughout the game, but he played well in the fourth quarter (six points and three rebounds) and got the start to open overtime. And he delivered in a big way in the extra period. He had a thunderous dunk as he was hacked by Kevin Martin to give Orlando a three-point lead that it would not surrender the rest of the way. And Gordon hit a dagger of a 3-pointer with 1:35 left in OT to seal the victory.

Magic coach Jacque Vaughn had Channing Frye at the scorer’s table at one point late in the fourth quarter, but he eventually pulled the veteran forward back to the bench so that Gordon could finish out the game.

``I just thought his energy was contagious,’’ Vaughn said. ``His defense and his ability to make the right play and stay in the moment – whether it was on a breakaway or at the end of a shot clock – he just did a great job of being ready.’’

For much of Friday night’s game at the Amway Center, the numbers simply didn’t compute for the Magic. At one point in the second half, they were shooting a robust 54 percent, owned a 12-rebound edge on the glass and still they were losing. And the Magic had no one to blame but themselves for their puzzling predicament because of their self-inflicted errors. They finished with 21 turnovers, but they didn’t give the ball away once in the overtime period.

Harris had 17 points and a season-best 16 rebounds for the Magic. Nikola Vucevic, who had 14 points and nine rebounds, hit two clutch free throws with 11.9 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 94. Vucevic got some friendly bounces from the home rims on both free throws as the first rattled in and the second caromed in despite being shot short. And Maurice Harkless combined with Devyn Marble – another rookie from Gordon and Payton’s draft class – to set a hard trap and force a turnover in the closing seconds of regulation.

``The fight and the character shown were positives and everybody on our team was needed,’’ Harris said. ``Mo Harkless came off the bench and gave us a spur, Aaron came off the bench and gave us a great spur. … We brought the intensity on the defensive end in overtime and we got stops. When you stop a team in overtime it discourages the other team. We were mentally tough tonight to get through that barrier and to get another victory.’’

Wiggins, who was traded from Cleveland to Minnesota in July, scored just six points in 27 minutes. Said Wiggins: ``The home crowd got into it. It was a tough loss. We have a game (Saturday in Miami) so we have to look forward.’’
  Orlando’s extremely difficult early-season schedule puts the Magic back on the road again following Friday’s home game. The Magic, who are in a stretch of playing 15 of 20 away games, hit the road again on Saturday and play in Brooklyn (Sunday), Toronto (Tuesday) and New York (Wednesday) this week.

Said Fournier: ``Obviously this win gives us more confidence. It’s a great thing that we won because we have a lot of games coming up on the road and it will be very hard. So hopefully we can continue to build off this.’’

The Magic were once again without standout guard Victor Oladipo and power forward Kyle O’Quinn on Friday night. Oladipo, who has yet to play this season, had surgery two weeks ago to repair a fracture below his right eye and there is no firm timetable on his return because of the lingering swelling in his face. O’Quinn sprained his left ankle in the opener and has missed the past five games. He worked out Thursday and Friday and could possibly play Sunday against the Nets near his hometown of Queens, New York.

Minnesota suffered a big blow in the second quarter when standout point guard Ricky Rubio severely sprained his left ankle a drive to the hoop. Rubio, who entered the game second in the NBA in assists at 11 a game, had four points and six assists in 13 minutes and did not return following the injury.

The Magic, which trailed 52-47 at the half, surged into the lead twice in the third quarter thanks to some ultra aggressive play from Payton, who had a driving dunk just after halftime and had nine points in the period. But Orlando still trailed 77-74 at the start of the fourth quarter because of its 19 turnovers – miscues that led to 17 points for the T-Wolves.

The youthful enthusiasm and relentless energy of Gordon and Payton eventually helped the Magic overcome their turnover troubles, get the game to overtime and win in thrilling fashion in the extra period. Both Gordon and Payton stressed after the game that their ages shouldn’t be an excuse and they expect greatness out of themselves even as rookies.

``I don’t think about (being the youngest player in the NBA) too much because as much as it is a compliment, it’s also a crutch,’’ Gordon said. ``People saying, `Oh, he’s only 19, don’t worry about it.’ I don’t like to hear that stuff. I don’t care about that and I might as well just play basketball like I know how to play.’’

Added Payton: ``We’re all on the same level now and (age) doesn’t matter. The other team doesn’t care and the coaches don’t care (about age). So it makes no sense for us to use that (as an excuse). … I don’t feel like a rookie and I think that helps me. They’re counting on me to make plays and I have to be ready.’’

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Gordon, Payton Show Confidence and Poise in Late Stages of OT Win

ORLANDO – Two nights after Orlando Magic guard Elfrid Payton enjoyed a memorable debut played before dozens of family, friends and former college teammates, fellow rookie Aaron Gordon got to revel in a homecoming of sorts himself.

Gordon had his parents, Ed and Shelly, fly in from San Jose, Calif., to be at the Amway Center on Thursday night for the first regular-season home game of his professional career. Also, Gordon’s older brother – Drew, who was recently waived by the Philadelphia 76ers – was in Orlando and was in a familiar role as a mentor while staying at Aaron’s apartment.

Gordon, the youngest player in the NBA this season at 19 years old, is extremely close with his family. He credits Drew and sister Elise – a member of the Harvard women’s basketball team – for pushing him all throughout his childhood and helping him to mature at an early age. Gordon said that while it is surreal that he is accomplishing his dream of playing in the NBA, it is made even sweeter by the fact that his family is Orlando to celebrate the journey with him.

``We’ve got the whole family together,’’ Gordon said. ``We were all sitting there together (on Wednesday) night just kind of reminiscing. My family is really cool and they keep me level-headed and they keep (distractions) out of the way. I know that they love me and if I know that, all I have to do is go out and operate.’’

Gordon, the No. 4 draft pick last June, played well in his debut in New Orleans, scoring 11 points by making five of eight shots and confidently stroking a 3-pointer from the right corner. Gordon said that he was flooded with text messages from friends, family and former teammates following his first official game as a professional.

``The people that I care about, the people who have been in my life while I was growing up, they all wanted to send me their best wishes. It was really nice,’’ Gordon said.

QUICK LEARNER: Payton started pre-school when he was three years old, he played pick-up ball against grown men as an early teen and he graduated from high school at 16 years old – all signs that he has a high IQ on and off the basketball court.

So it’s not surprising that Payton needed just one game to realize that he needed to make some changes to his approach of getting to the rim after just one regular-season NBA game.

Payton made just two of eight shots against New Orleans – largely because three of those attempts were blocked while he was at point-blank range of the rim. Jrue Holiday, a bigger point guard, blocked the first shot attempt of Payton’s pro career and emerging superstar Anthony Davis twice picked off Payton’s tries for layups. The 20-year-old Magic rookie still found ways to be productive by handing out seven assists, grabbing five rebounds and swiping a steal.

Payton, who lived in the paint as a small-college star, quickly realized the need to develop a mid-range shot or a high-arching floater shot because of the length and physicality of the big men in the NBA.

``I’ve been working on finishing around the rim and things like that,’’ Payton said on Thursday. ``I was getting to places that I wanted to get to, but it’s all about finishing. I was able to do other things like hitting open guys (with his passing), but I’ve also got to do other things like helping on the boards, too. It’s going to be up to me and the other guards to help the bigs on the boards.’’

ALL BUSINESS: Tobias Harris acquired the nickname ``All Business’’ at an early stage of his basketball career because of his serious, no-nonsense approach to the game. Accordingly, Harris didn’t take the manner in which the Magic lost the opener – they surrendered 32 second-chance points and 26 offensive rebounds – very well and he wasted no time reviewing where corrections could be made.

The Magic’s charter flight from New Orleans landed about 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning and Harris got to his suburban Orlando about 2:15. He said he didn’t go to sleep until after 4 a.m. because he had to re-watch the game film again before retiring for the night.

``That one was hard. I watched (the game) almost as a coach and I know our coaching staff is doing all of the right stuff for us to be successful,’’ said Harris, who had 25 points and eight rebounds in the opener. ``There was stuff that I saw and I took it to Coach (Vaughn) and said, `What do you think about this?’ We’ve communicated and that’s the beauty in this game the way we talk. I can tell by the emotions of our team that we’re disappointed by how we lost that game. That’s the right attitude to have.’’

ETC: Channing Frye, who missed all of the preseason after spraining a ligament in his knee, not only played his first game with the Magic, but started at power forward. … Standout guard Victor Oladipo, out all preseason because of a knee injury and a facial fracture, joined his teammates on the bench Thursday night. Oladipo, who had surgery last Saturday to repair the fractured bone below his right eye, wore glasses and a bright, plum-colored jacket. … The Magic will be back at the Amway Center on Saturday night to host the Toronto Raptors. Game time is 7 p.m. and tickets – that can be purchased at OrlandoMagic.com – remain. After that, Orlando plays its first back-to-back of the regular season, travelling to Chicago (on Tuesday) and Philadelphia (on Wednesday). … One offshoot of Orlando’s poor performance on the glass in the opener was New Orleans getting 101 field goal attempts. There were only 24 times last season when NBA teams got 100-or-more shot attempts in a regulation game. When factoring in overtime games, it happened 53 times last season.

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Gordon's Parents Fly In To Watch Son's Home Debut

NEW ORLEANS – When they were anxiously passing the time together a night before their NBA regular-season debuts, Aaron Gordon – a sage of 19 years on this Earth – had some extremely mature advice for fellow Orlando Magic rookie Elfrid Payton.

Payton, 20, had extra reason to be nervous in the hours leading up to the NBA season-opener what with his first NBA game coming just a handful of miles from his hometown of Gretna, La. Swamped with well-wishers, ticket requests and family demands, Payton easily could have been swallowed up by the magnitude of the moment Tuesday night.

Instead, Gordon – the teammate he’s known for two years and his closest friend on the Magic – was there to be a calming influence.

``This night is big big-time for him. It’s his home hometown and not 30 or 45 minutes away – this is his actual town. I was talking a little bit with him (Monday) night and I reminded him that it’s still basketball and you go out and operate like you know you can. I know that he knows because his IQ is so high he’ll know what to do.’’
  The pep talk seemed to do wonders for both Payton and Gordon on Tuesday night as both rookies played without anxiousness and showed flashes of promises in the Orlando’s 101-84 season-opening loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Gordon, the No. 4 overall pick last June, shot the ball well and scored 11 points with a corner 3-pointer in almost 29 minutes. Payton, whom the Magic traded for on draft night last June, got the start at point guard in his hometown and chipped in four points, seven assists and five rebounds in almost 31 minutes.

``There were no nerves and I was just able to get out there and play,’’ said Payton, who made just two of eight shots and had three of his tries swatted at the rim. ``It was kind of surprising, but once the ball went up I was comfortable out there. I felt like I got the shots that I wanted, but I just have to convert them and help these guys on the boards as much as possible. I’m big enough and I should be able to get in there and get a few (rebounds).’’

An Orlando team playing without standout point guard Victor Oladipo and power forward Channing Frye lost on Tuesday when it yielded 32 second-chance points and 26 offensive rebounds. Those numbers didn’t sit well with Gordon, a high energy player who prides himself on doing the dirty work for the Magic.

``That (rebounding) and a couple of other points are why we lost the game. That (lack of rebounding) is why we lost the game, so we know we have areas to improve,’’ Gordon said. ``It’s not like we played our best game and still lost. We didn’t play all that great down the stretch and we know where we need to get better. … We’ve got to clean up the offensive rebounds and not break down on defense. We have to keep grinding and when we get punched, we have to punch back.’’

Payton and Gordon lived out some of their life-long dreams when they played in their first official NBA games. Payton was cheered throughout the game by a contingent of fans supporting the hometown hero who grew up approximately five miles from the Pelicans’ home arena. Gordon admitted that it was a downright surreal moment to hear his name called for a NBA starting lineup – and then to have that accompanied with the soundtrack of cheering family and friends in the background.

``It was cool to hear my name and have a lot of people screaming,’’ Payton said. ``It just would have been a lot better if we would have won.’’

Payton’s parents, Elfrid Sr. and Danielle, rented out a suite at the Smoothie King Center and had approximately 15 friends and family members on hand to cheer on their son. Danielle, who has blue-and-black painted fingernails (six inches long) that she’s been growing for 12 years, said she was filled with pride knowing that her son was doing what he had always hoped to do.

``It is a lifelong dream for me to see him out on the court,’’ said Danielle, who was dressed in a blue No. 4 jersey. ``We were at the preseason game last Wednesday, so I’ve seen him on the Magic court. But for him to be here for first game in his hometown in front of his family, it will just be so exciting for all of us. … We thought of this as a blessing for him to just get into the NBA. But for his first game to be in front of his friends and family, it’s just beautiful.’’

As he did in college, Payton got in the lane time and again, but things were different this time around with defensive ace Anthony Davis patrolling the rim. Payton made just two of eight shots and had three of his tries swatted away. He said a first lesson was that nothing comes easy in the NBA.

``The biggest thing I learned is that I’ve got to finish and finish at a high level,’’ Payton said. ``And I have to get in there and help out our bigs on the boards.’’

As for Gordon, he said before the game that he would likely be so locked into competing that he might forget to savor his first official game in the NBA. He checked into the game for the first time with 5:17 left in the first period and he certainly looked dialed in his first few minutes on the floor. Gordon aggressively spun in the lane for a hook shot and he confidently stroked a 3-pointer from the corner minutes later to give the Magic an early lead.

Gordon promised that he would go back and study his play on Tuesday and hopefully be better by Thursday. Highly intelligent and an extremely hard worker, Gordon vowed to keeping learning from every game and improve as the season progresses.

``I was just trying to get a feel for it and I think I did,’’ said Gordon, who made five of eight shots. ``It’s never going to be a linear line up because we’re human. But hopefully it’s going to be (gradual progress). But I just want to make as steady a climb as possible.’’

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Due to Tropical Storm Nicole, the NBA has announced that the Dallas Mavericks at Orlando Magic game on Wednesday, November 9 will tip-off at 5:30 PM. Amway Center doors open at 4:30 PM.