Orlando Magic vs. Houston Rockets: Game Preview

Opening Night Report from the CreationHealth Training Center 

ORLANDO – The Orlando Magic installed an incredible quantity of labor throughout the offseason, coaching camp and preseason. 

All in preparation for this second. 

The Magic tip off the 35^th common season in franchise historical past after they host the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. 

“I’m excited to get out there and really play some meaningful basketball,” mentioned Magic guard Cole Anthony, who not too long ago signed a freelance extension with the staff. “We have a tough, tough challenge in the new-and-improved Houston Rockets. They’ve got some dogs on that team, so it’s going to be a great challenge for us.” 

The Rockets made numerous adjustments this offseason. They have a brand new head trainer in Ime Udoka. They introduced in some big-name loose brokers reminiscent of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, and Jeff Green. And they added a couple of top profile prosects in Amen Thompson and Cam Whitmore by way of the 2023 NBA Draft. 

The Magic, in the meantime, desirous about continuity and inner enlargement this summer season. Early within the season, that would end up to be a bonus as different teams try to gel with one every other. With that during thoughts, the Magic’s best precedence on opening night time shall be ensuring that they don’t beat themselves. 

“The way in which we start this year is going to be very important,” mentioned Magic Head Coach Jamahl Mosley. “We have to make sure we come out and detail our work. We have to make sure that we’re not a team that’s beating themselves.” 

For the Magic’s head trainer that suggests placing an emphasis on caring for the basketball, speaking as a unit, controlling the glass, and restricting the opposition’s alternatives in transition.  

“If we talk about learning from last year, those are the (areas) we’re going to have to improve upon,” mentioned Mosley. 

It’s no secret that two of the avid gamers that can play a big function within the Magic’s good fortune this season are reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero and FIBA World Cup champion Franz Wagner. Orlando will want its younger dynamic duo to proceed to make strides with a purpose to degree up as a staff and be within the postseason dialog. 

But as a staff, the world that’s prone to be the No. 1 think about figuring out the franchise’s good fortune this season shall be its defensive prowess. The Magic have prioritized that finish of the ground all over coaching camp and the preseason. Now, they’re hoping all that tough paintings carries over into their 2023-24 marketing campaign. 

“Defensively, we were really consistent throughout (preseason),” mentioned veteran ahead Joe Ingles, who signed with Orlando this offseason. “Even in practice, we’ve been really good on that end. Especially in this league, if you’re a good defensive team, you usually get a lot of wins during the season. That can obviously be a key.” 

IN AND OUT: Orlando guard Gary Harris (left adductor; pressure) is questionable, whilst Kevon Harris (sore proper knee) is out. 

For Houston, Tari Eason (leg), Trevor Hudgins (now not with staff), and Victor Oladipo (left patellar tendon; restore) are out. 

QUOTE TO NOTE: “I can’t really imagine being somewhere else right now. I’ve spent my whole NBA career here. I’d love to spend my entire NBA career here.” 

“It’s like a main home to me now. I’m here more than I am in New York. This is my home. This is where I’m at. This is where I’m going to be. I’m happy I’m here.” – Anthony on his contract extension 

KEY STATS: Opening night time have traditionally been just right to the Magic. Orlando is 19-15 all-time on opening night time and 22-12 in house openers.  

RIVALS REPORT: We tip off our common season Rivals Report collection with Kelly Iko, NBA reporter for The Athletic and host of the IkoSystem podcast. An professional on all issues Rockets, he was once sort sufficient to respond to a few questions previous to Houston’s matchup in Orlando. 

Savage: “Since Udoka’s arrival, what are the biggest changes you’ve seen from a coaching standpoint with this Rockets team?”

Iko: “Right off the top, the two biggest changes that you’ll see with this Rockets team are structure and accountability. Ime has brought in his staff, and they’ve taken time to explain the importance of having cohesion on both sides of the floor. They’ve taken great steps to ensure that things are addressed from top to bottom, that there’s no confusion and that everyone is going to be on the same page. I think from the way that they’ll play, especially defensively, you’ll see that they’re organized. Over the last two or three seasons, they didn’t really have that organization, that togetherness. Now, moving forward, having added a number of key veterans and entirely new coaching staff, I think you’ll see a different brand of Rockets basketball that you really haven’t seen in the past.” 

Savage: “In regard to two of those big free agent acquisitions, VanVleet and Brooks, how do you see them fitting in and how do you expect the Rockets to use them early in the season?”  

Iko: “I think starting with Fred, they’re adding a talented veteran point guard at the biggest position of need on the roster. He’s going to be able to come in and be a leader from day one. He’s already started that process. Offensively, he’s going to be able to get them into the right sets. He’s going to be able to set things up in the half court and make sure that positions don’t go by the wayside. Defensively, he’s still an aggressive, point-of-attack defender and he’s still able to disrupt opposing ballhandlers and be a key cog in Udoka’s defensive scheme, which wants to get a lot of turnovers and (play with) a lot of aggression.  

Dillon Brooks feeds right into that. He’s someone that finished the year (making the) All-Defensive Second Team. He had a down year offensively from a shooting perspective. But defensively, he’s still one of the best wing defenders there is in the league. The Rockets desperately needed someone that could come in and command that presence in the locker room and be a guy that’s going to bring that aggression and that fight on a night-to-night basis. (He’ll) take on the tougher assignments around the league just to help these young players learn what it means to be a poised veteran defender. I think between the both of them, you’re going to see a lot of leadership, a lot of guidance and hopefully for them, it’ll lead to winning basketball.” 

Savage: “Jabari Smith Jr. enters his second season in the league. Where do you see him making the biggest leap from year one to year two?” 

Iko: “I think for Jabari, the biggest leap should be in his confidence. He had a pretty inconsistent rookie season. But that was due to a number of factors. I think that Houston’s offensive chaos was one of the biggest reasons of it. But towards the end of the year, he kind of caught fire and he carried that momentum into summer league, which is something you don’t really see. He was able to just be more sure of himself in his movements. He put the ball on the floor. He was able to get to his sweet spots around the rim. In preseason, he actually continued that strong play as well. So, I think for Jabari going into year two, he’s going to be looking for some consistency and trying to make sure that everything that he’s done (in terms of) putting in the work over the summer is going to actually translate into the regular season. It’s also going to be on guys like Fred and Jalen (Green) to get him good shots. And also himself. He also has to learn to clean up some of the grey areas of his game that kind of plagued him during his rookie season. He’s so young and talented that he’s someone that can reach those (goals) that he sets for himself. It’s all going to come down to the work that he puts in on a day-to-day basis.”  

CELEBRATING OPENING NIGHT: Magic fanatics who’re heading out to Amway Center on Wednesday are inspired to get into their seats early. Highlights for opening night time come with: 

The town of Orlando may even display its Magic pleasure all over downtown with constructions in blue lights on opening night time. The Magic brand and colours shall be displayed in a couple of places, together with artwork on a devoted site visitors field and the “big chair” by means of Lake Eola. In addition, the Magic shall be turning in backyard indicators, agenda posters, and agenda magnets to town districts to turn toughen in native neighborhoods.