What happens in Vegas: Orlando Magic at Summer League
By: Phil Harlow
The Orlando Magic kick off their participation in the NBA Summer League on July 5 against the San Antonio Spurs. The 11 day tournament, being held in Las Vegas, is the first chance to see many of this years Draft picks in action for their respective organizations. It is also an opportunity for undrafted players to stake a claim for a G-League spot. A lot is on the line.
It will be the first time since 2002 that there has not been an Orlando Summer League, but this is a good thing in my opinion. The exposure that comes from being part of the 32 team Las Vegas tournament (which includes the Chinese and Croatian national squads) will be very beneficial to our club. The Utah and Sacramento versions only have 4 participants. Vegas is where you want to be. People need to start noticing us, and this is a good step, even if it is mostly G-League and undrafted talent.
There is one very notable talent who will be in Magic uniform at Summer League, and that is Mo Bamba. We haven't seen him in action since his stress fracture in late January and are all intrigued to see how he has used his time off. Clearly, from his social media posts, he has put on muscle mass which was essential after how frail he looked at times early last season. From information released by the team, we know that he spent time in the film room and learning plays that are going to be very helpful when he gets back on the court. He seemed out of his depth at times, and being forced to take a step back to evaluate his game was a blessing in disguise. His projected 3.0 blocks and 11.0 rebounds per 36 minutes were very encouraging, but getting the fundamentals of the Clifford system was necessary. You would imagine he will be on a minutes restriction, but his presence in Vegas will draw a lot of attention, particularly if the Vucevic situation takes a turn.
In what seems like a line that is repeated far too often, Markelle Fultz is not ready for on court action. The latest statement from the Front Office covered information such as his low body fat, but nothing as pertains to his return date. They are being irritatingly vague. Is it all a smoke screen and they know exactly when he'll be back? Possibly. But Summer League would have been the perfect 'under the radar' time for Fultz to get some competitive action. Although as soon as he does return it will be BIG news, I feel that simply starting a game in Las Vegas would have been on a much smaller scale. But he won't be there, so I'll leave it there before I go off on a tangent. Let me say though, I do have faith in him.
Some other notable names on the roster are Amile Jefferson and undrafted DeQuan Jefferies. I always liked Jefferson when he came into games for the Magic, despite it usually being garbage time. He had a calmness to his play and did things well. Down in Lakeland he was a star, averaging 18.1 points per game. Jefferies, a tweener Guard/Forward, is an interesting prospect. He averaged 11.5 points while shooting 51.7% from the field in 2 years at Tulsa. I'm looking forward to see him as part of the team. We will of course be without our 16th pick Chuma Okeke, which is a shame.
The proving ground of the Las Vegas Summer League can be the kick start to a very good NBA career. Previous MVP winners include John Wall, Damian Lillard and Blake Griffin. The games are shorter than the NBA (they last 40 minutes), but the amount on the line makes them compelling. Players are there, for the most part, to prove that they do belong in the league. Many undrafted talents use his as a platform to show their worth, and the Orlando Magic team will be the same. Our 19 man roster includes 6 Lakeland guys, and you know that they want to show everyone who they are after a very successful season last year. There is also certainly a reason for Mo Bamba to play hard and show us why he, and not Vucevic, is the future.
Orlando Magic schedule in Las Vegas (All times are EST):
July 5 - vs San Antonio Spurs 11pm (NBA TV)
July 7 – vs Denver Nuggets 6pm (NBA TV)
July 9 – vs Miami Heat 4pm (ESPN2)
July 10 – vs Brooklyn Nets 5:30pm (ESPN)