Orlando's Noah Penda will miss the start of the season with a new hamstring injury on the same leg as his first, which imaging showed had fully healed. Timeline? "I have no idea, honestly." He won't rush back. Sean Sweeney: whoever gains minutes has "to be ready to go."
Franz Wagner (shoulder) got "some light work in" at Orlando's practice but is "still being evaluated." Asked about concern, Sean Sweeney wouldn't commit. His order for lingering issues, games or not: "health first, then it's conditioning, and then it's basketball."
Jase Richardson is being moved around. Sean Sweeney said at Orlando's shootaround he has been "in different spots probably than he's been in his short career thus far in terms of on and off the ball, screen setting," and praised the way he has been attacking.
Franz Wagner (right shoulder soreness) will be re-evaluated, Sean Sweeney said after Orlando's Oct. 16 game. So will Noah Penda (right hamstring tightness) and Jase Richardson (back soreness), who both left the game. No timelines; Desmond Bane didn't know how bad either is.
Anthony Black is a "full participant," Sean Sweeney said at Orlando's shootaround, but he would not commit to Black playing against Miami: "We're just gonna keep ramping him up, and then we'll see what makes the most sense for him."
Anthony Black took full part in Orlando's practice, but Sean Sweeney said his ramp-up will continue; he is moving well and feels good. Jonathan Isaac also practiced, and Sweeney liked what he saw: "Did a good job. It's great to see him out there."
Franz Wagner has been the ball handler on some of Orlando's plays drawn up out of timeouts, which he called "different from a couple other years." Asked about his higher preseason assist numbers, he said he is playing aggressive and passing when the defense helps.
Jase Richardson is back with Orlando's second unit after a temporary turn as a starter. Noah Penda said he has organized the reserves since: "I think he's adjusted pretty well with that new temporary role of a starter." Jalen Suggs made his preseason debut with the starters.
Jalen Suggs is back for Orlando after missing the first two preseason games: "it was a bit hard on the mental." Sean Sweeney called his defense on the ball spectacular. On his three-point shot after offseason work, Suggs said "it's more mental than anything."
"If it's 5, take 5. If it's 10, take 10. If it's 15, take 15." Orlando's Sean Sweeney wants Tristan da Silva taking as many threes as he can while he competes for the power forward spot. He praised da Silva's defense and how quickly he has picked up the scheme.
Jonathan Isaac is back with Orlando after time away for personal reasons; Sean Sweeney gave no update on how he is doing physically. The starters' minutes stay on a set plan that adds a little each game: "we're just going to stick to the progression plan."
Noah Penda "definitely got the aggressiveness part down" in his preseason debut, Orlando's Sean Sweeney said, calling him an extremely hard worker. The next step is offensive balance: "If he can add a little bit more balance at times, that would be great."
From Orlando's postgame: Jase Richardson was "a catalyst in terms of his energy, in terms of his pace attacking" in a second-half run against Cleveland. He said the big change is pace: "I was stuck on, you know, one speed. I think this year I'm being a lot more patient."
"I'm glad to be back. Glad to be able to play basketball again," Orlando's Noah Penda said at shootaround. Getting slimmer helped his cardio, movement and recovery; his shot work since Summer League is about "staying down more." He's learning the new staff's schemes.
Franz Wagner handling the ball is by design: he's done it all camp, Orlando's Sean Sweeney said. Nikola Vucevic credits Wagner's passing to "Michigan education... although they do cheat in football." Sweeney didn't commit on Anthony Black or Noah Penda: "you can't skip steps."
Jalen Suggs "did more" at Magic practice and "was looking more like himself," Sean Sweeney said; Nikola Vucevic expects him ready for the regular season. With Suggs and Anthony Black out, Jase Richardson and Jevon Carter play point; Sweeney liked Richardson's last game.
Tristan da Silva's orders from Magic coach Sean Sweeney: "when in doubt, shoot. Stay in doubt always ... And when that ball comes to you, let it fly." Sweeney said Orlando taking more threes than twos against Memphis was "All by design," chasing high-value shots, not a quota.
Jalen Suggs is "still under the weather, but he's been getting some shots up," Sean Sweeney said at Orlando's practice. He gave no timeline, only that they'll be smart about bringing him back. Anthony Black and Noah Penda were "full participants in practice, doing well."
Orlando's new coaching staff is pushing Tristan da Silva to take his 3-pointers. They "make me realize how important it is that I do shoot those shots," da Silva said after the Oct. 7 game, "to be able to space the floor."
Jalen Suggs got on the court a bit at Magic practice on Oct. 6 but is "still under the weather a little bit," Sean Sweeney said. Noah Penda had his first full practice after a hamstring injury. He was pain-free within 48 hours but held off so it wouldn't come back.
JD Davison is ramping up at Orlando Magic camp with more live small-sided game work. Coach Sean Sweeney: "He looked good. Had a good burst when he was out there." Sweeney says camp is "health first, conditioning second," with medical staff meeting coaches daily.
Switching is "one of many options" for Orlando's defense, coach Sean Sweeney said: "fastball, changeup, curveball, slurve, knuckle curve. Fernando Valenzuela's screwball, all of them." Desmond Bane says Sweeney wants bigs Nikola Vucevic and Goga Bitadze to "anchor our defense."
Anthony Black has only watched Orlando Magic practice — the first training camp he's ever missed. Asked about playing Oct. 7: "I don't know how I'm going to feel after ramping up the next couple of days." Jalen Suggs, ill, sat out again; Sean Sweeney thinks he returns Oct. 6.
Minutes and pairings for the Orlando Magic get settled after the Oct. 6 practice, Sean Sweeney said. He mixed practice teams to test combinations, and the first-time head coach leans on assistant Joe Prunty: "if we want to put these guys together, what does that look like?"
Anthony Black and Noah Penda did more ramp-up work at Orlando Magic practice and both said they felt great. Sean Sweeney: "Hopefully they came out clean. Looks like they did." Some players may get minutes limits in preseason games, he said, "but we still want to compete."
Magic 1/2
From the Orlando Magic's practice: an unnamed player has done "pretty much everything non-contact" at full speed, and two unnamed players are "both pretty close to being back in the game." Jase Richardson aims to be an "on-ball creator" in his second camp.
Magic 2/2
Sweeney said Jalen Suggs's role includes being "a great point-of-attack defender," the Magic's first line against ball-handlers. Jase Richardson said he got "picked on a little bit" last year and spent the summer in the weight room getting stronger.
Sweeney wants a multiple-scheme defense run by the centers as communicators, like quarterbacks: "they're at the heart of everything we do." Wendell Carter Jr. is getting his pilot's license, and Sweeney wants him "ahead of our plane, making sure he's talking, anticipating."
From Orlando's practice: Jalen Suggs is "in great condition" and "playing really well," and was named camp's standout at point guard. Nikola Vucevic: camp's focus is new spacing, with him possibly spacing the floor while Goga Bitadze and Wendell Carter Jr. protect the rim.