Osceola Magic

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Josh Cohen

ORLANDO - While the Orlando Magic have consistently been one of the NBA’s best defensive teams this season, the Osceola Magic have steadily been one of the G League’s best offensive teams.&nbsp;

They now hope that offensive firepower will carry over to the playoffs, which starts this week. Following a bye, the Magic will host the winner of the first-round matchup between the Capital City Go-Go and Long Island Nets in the quarterfinals on Friday, April 5 at 7 p.m. at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee (Click here for tickets). If Osceola wins that contest, it will also host the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday at 7 p.m. 

“It’s a huge honor for us,” Osceola first-year head coach Dylan Murphy said. “We are really excited about it. The crowds have been growing throughout this season. We think it’s going to give us a huge boost.”

Finishing the regular season 22-12, best in the East, Osceola averaged a league-best 120.1 points per game and shot a league-high 49.4 percent from the field. Mac McClung, the NBA’s reigning back-to-back All-Star Weekend slam dunk champion, led the G League in scoring with 25.7 points per contest on 50.9 percent field goal shooting.&nbsp;

Back in February, at around the halfway point of the regular season, McClung felt like his team was in excellent shape going forward. The continuity within the group, just as we’ve seen in Orlando with the parent club, was precisely what he envisioned it would be when they first arrived for training camp in the fall.&nbsp;

“I think we have a great team,” he had said. “We have a ton of talent. We are working all together. We don’t want anything less than a championship. That’s all of our goals, and I think we have a good chance at it.”

From that point, the G League Magic won 11 of their next 13 games, including on March 21 when they set a new franchise record by scoring 168 points against the Birmingham Squadron.&nbsp;

Back in early December, during the showcase portion of the schedule, Osceola buried a franchise-record 25 3-pointers in a victory over the Oklahoma City Blue. Two-way contract player Trevelin Queen, who a couple months later was named the G League Up Next Game MVP, knocked down six triples in that contest.

A big piece as well for Osceola has been NBA rookie Jett Howard, the 11th&nbsp;overall pick by the Magic in the 2023 draft. In 35 games – showcase and regular season combined – the 6-foot-8 swingman averaged 18.8 points and shot just a shade under 38 percent from 3-point range.

“Jett is super skilled offensively, and that’s been the case throughout the season,” Murphy said. “I don’t think anyone had any questions about his ability to shoot the ball, make plays and (his) willingness to share it. His growth on the defensive end has been really, really impressive, especially because it’s not easy to be the 11th&nbsp;pick in the draft and then spend most of your season in the G League. He’s embraced it. He’s embraced the grind of professional basketball. He sees the long-term vision and he continues to kind of keep his eyes down the road for what this is going to do for him.”

While most of his rookie campaign has been spent in the G League, Howard has appeared in 14 games with Orlando, although each of those times he’s stepped on the court it’s been in a blowout in the final minutes of the fourth quarter.&nbsp;

Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley is extremely proud of what Osceola has accomplished so far in its first season in its new home.&nbsp;

“Dylan has done a fantastic job; that group has done a great job of helping those guys grow, get better, work together,” he said. “The ups and downs of a season, he’s navigated that well. I think those guys are really pumped up about where they are right now.”

Two of Osceola’s players this season were signed by NBA teams mid-season. Point guard Brandon Williams, who appeared in 14 games for Osceola, signed a two-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks in late December, while forward D.J. Wilson, who played in 33 games for Osceola, signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in late March.&nbsp;

The Magic’s G League squad is back in the postseason for the first since 2021, when it won the championship in the Disney bubble. This is the fourth trip to the playoffs for them overall since inaugurating in Florida in the 2017-18 season (there were no G League playoffs in 2020 because of the pandemic).&nbsp;

They played in Lakeland from 2017 to 2023 before relocating to Osceola Heritage Park prior to the start of this season.&nbsp;

The G League is the NBA’s official developmental league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for careers in the NBA, while acting as the league’s research and developmental laboratory. The G League featured 31 teams this season – 29 with one-to-one affiliations with NBA franchises. Next season, all 30 NBA teams will have a direct affiliation to a G League team.

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With East’s Top Seed in Postseason, Osceola Magic Excited to Host in Playoffs, Chase G League Title 

INDIANAPOLIS - Michael Jordan, Jason Richardson, Nate Robinson, Zach LaVine, and now Mac McClung.Those are the only five players to ever win back-to-back slam dunk contests during NBA All-Star Weekend after the Osceola Magic star put on another spectacular show in this year’s competition at Lucas Oil Stadium.Like last year, when he was playing for the Delaware Blue Coats, all of his dunks were creative and showcased his incredible athleticism and spryness. He saved the best for last, too, with a reverse dunk while leaping over Shaquille O’Neal with the basketball Hall of Famer wearing McClung’s Gate City High School jersey. He needed an average score of 49.1 to win and defeat fellow finalist Jaylen Brown. He received a perfect score of 50.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“That was a shoutout to my hometown again. That’s what I did last year. I wanted to build on it,” said McClung, who was thrilled to get O’Neal involved, especially with the Orlando Magic legend having his No. 32 jersey raised to the rafters at Kia Center earlier this week. “Really, the thought I was thinking was don’t miss the dunk. I can’t a miss a dunk. I don’t usually miss…I’m glad the outcome happened the way it did.”

Dominique Wilkins, who was one of the five judges in this year’s event, and Harold Miner were also two-time dunk contest winners, but not consecutively. Robinson is the only three-time winner, prevailing in 2006, 2009 and 2010. 

It’s been another memorable weekend for McClung, who’s been one of the G League’s best players this season, averaging 23.7 points on 50.4 percent overall shooting and 39.3 percent 3-point shooting through 14 regular season games for Osceola. The 6-foot-2 guard also competed in the Panini Rising Stars on a team made up of only G Leaguers. They, coached by Detlef (Schrempf), upset a team in the semifinals that included Victor Wembanyama and several other young NBA stars before losing in the final to another set of up-and-coming youngsters.

“It’s so cool, man,” McClung said about how special it was this weekend to represent the Magic organization. “I feel lucky. I don’t really know how to explain it. I’ve really enjoyed this organization. The GMs, from top to bottom, have been incredible and so hands on. They sent such a big staff just to help me, and I’m very appreciative of that.”

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Mac McClung Wins the 2024 Slam Dunk Contest

In a rare instance, All-Star Paolo Banchero was part of an undercard on Saturday night.&nbsp;

The 21-year-old, who’s been getting praised left and right by others throughout the weekend, including Wembanyama and fellow Eastern Conference All-Stars Jayson Tatum and Bam Adebayo, competed in the 2024 Kia Skills Challenge.

Banchero was part of a team that also included fellow No. 1 overall draft picks Anthony Edwards and Wembanyama. Although his squad didn’t win the event, which tested each participant’s dribbling, passing and shooting, the Orlando Magic forward enjoyed the experience.

“All of us is next up in the league, and this is a chance for us to get ourselves in front of the world and show what we can do,” said Banchero, who also participated in the skills challenge as a rookie, although last year’s event had different rules and a much different format.&nbsp;

The winners of the competition were a trio of Indiana Pacers (Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Bennedict Mathurin). The other team was made up of a trio of All-Stars (Tyrese Maxey, Trae Young and Scottie Barnes).

Friday night, following the Panini Rising Stars, Wembanyama said he thinks Banchero is underrated and not talked about enough. While Banchero isn’t after the spotlight, he admits that sometimes through his journey he has felt a bit snubbed. Perhaps that’s starting to change, however, with him now an All-Star and the leader of a team that is 30-25 and right there in the playoff mix.&nbsp;

“I still went No. 1, (won) Rookie of the Year, so I can’t complain too much,” he said. “As a competitor, as a player, you do always feel slighted in a way sometimes. But I don’t let it get to my head too much. I try to go out there and put on a show every night.”

Tatum, who first got to know Banchero when the now Magic forward was at Duke, has been extremely impressed by what he’s seen from him.

“He’s just a great person, great kid, works extremely hard,” the Boston Celtics five-time All-Star said. “Obviously, only in his second year and already an All-Star. So, the work is there, the talent is there for sure. So, I’m excited to see where he takes it. (I) couldn’t be happier for him. This is only the beginning for him.”

Adebayo spoke similarly about Banchero, adding in that, from what he’s seen, Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is making a big difference on Banchero’s development and confidence.&nbsp;

“Paolo has a lot of talent, and he’s got a coach that’s giving him no restrictions,” the Miami Heat three-time All-Star said. “He wants him to explore his game. He wants him to be aggressive. He wants him to play hard, and he wants him to figure out how to win on his own with help along the way. He’s going to be a great one. He’s going to be a great leader for his team and a great player in this league.”

Among the many interesting things Banchero said during his talk with media was that his favorite moment of a game is seeing who the other team decides to have defend him right after the opening tip. Obviously, with him being a No. 1 option on the Magic, the game’s top defenders are placed in front of him on a nightly basis. But also, he has to face double teams, triple teams and blitzes throughout games.&nbsp;

Banchero will have another opportunity to showcase his skills on a grand stage on Sunday in his first NBA All-Star Game appearance.

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Mac McClung Wins Second Straight AT&T Slam Dunk Contest

Osceola Well Represented at NBA All-Star Weekend

INDIANAPOLIS - As the Orlando Magic continue their push for the playoffs, so are their G League team. 

The Osceola Magic, who are well represented at NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, are riding a three-game winning streak entering the break and sit at 10-7, just 1 ½ games back of first place in the Eastern Conference.

While Orlando is best known for its stellar defense, Osceola is one of the most potent offensive squads in the G League, possessing the league’s third-best rating on that end of the floor. 

Four of its players are averaging over 20 points per game, including Mac McClung, who is looking to become the fifth player in NBA history to win back-to-back slam dunk contests at All-Star Weekend. The only others who have accomplished that are Michael Jordan (1987, 1988), Jason Richardson (2002, 2003), Nate Robinson (2009, 2010) and Zach LaVine (2015, 2016). Dominique Wilkins and Harold Miner were also two-time winners, but not in back-to-back years. Robinson is the only three-time winner, having also won the competition in 2006.  

McClung, who in 14 regular season games is averaging 23.7 points on 50.4 percent overall shooting and 39.3 percent 3-point shooting, will also be playing in the Rising Stars Game on a team featuring only G League players. 

Where he feels he’s blossomed the most this season is as a floor general, making sure the team is functioning at a high level when he’s orchestrating the offense.

“I think the biggest thing is that I have a lot of talent to feed,” he said. “I have a lot of people to keep happy, so I think just being a point guard and making sure my points come last. Just kind of feeding everybody, and making sure I’m observing the floor and managing the game.”

Magic two-way contract players Kevon Harris and Trevelin Queen have also made their way to Indy, where they will be suiting up in Sunday’s G League Up Next Game. Both were among the 10 players voted in by the fans. 

Harris, now in his second season with the Magic as one of their two-way contract players, has been one of the most efficient players in the G League this season, shooting 51.6 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from 3-point range. 

The 6-foot-5, 216-pound guard, who started this year nursing a knee injury, has appeared in 36 games for the parent club in the last two seasons combined. 

Queen, meanwhile, has bounced back and forth between Orlando and Osceola this year. The former G League MVP has appeared in 20 G League games so far this season – showcase and regular season combined – and is averaging 23.9 points on 50.3 percent field goal shooting to go along with 7.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists. The 6-foot-6, 190-pound swingman got extensive minutes for Orlando when injuries cut into their normal rotation. 

“We have a great team (in Osceola),” McClung said. “We have a ton of talent. We’re just working all together, and we don’t want anything less than a championship. I think that’s all of our goals, and I think we have a good chance at it.”

Like Orlando, Osceola will be spending a lot of its time at home the rest of the season, with 10 games scheduled at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee in March. This is the first season for the Magic’s G League team in Osceola County, after spending the last six years in Polk County. 

In 2021, playing in the Disney bubble because of the pandemic, they won the G League championship. 

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NBA All-Star Weekend Media Availability: Mac McClung

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Like Orlando, Osceola Magic Have Sights Set on Playoffs

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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.