Well-traveled Magic veteran guard Cory Joseph is evolving into a key locker room presence for a rising young Orlando squad, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.
“The league’s getting younger and they keep me young, too,” Joseph said of his Magic colleagues. “It continues to change and you have to continue to adapt. I’m asking a lot of questions as well, trying to learn from them.”
Rookie forward Tristan Da Silva, the No. 18 pick in this summer’s draft, sang Joseph’s praises.
“He’s a great leader for this team, even though he’s not on the court as much,” Da Silva said. “He still has a huge impact on this team.”
There’s more out of the Southeast Division:
- New Hawks guard Dyson Daniels intends to improve his shooting mechanics and up his three-point output this season, per Lauren Williams of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Williams notes Daniels has shot 30.8 percent of his 3.4 triple tries a night overall this year, but also enjoyed more consistent success briefly, between November 18-29, when he nailed 42.9 percent of 3.5 long range looks.
- Washington, D.C.’s Capital One Arena, home to both the Wizards and the NHL’s Capitals, has gotten the green light for a $515MM renovation — ensuring that both clubs will stick around for the long-term, writes David Aldridge of The Athletic.
- Following a Thursday loss to lowly Washington, the Hornets have now lost nine of their last 10 contests and fallen to a 7-20 record on the year. Rod Boone of The Charlotte Observer wonders how, or if, Charlotte will be able to right the ship this year, even in the Eastern Conference. Three East play-in teams have records below .500. The Hornets’ Core Four of All-Star point guard LaMelo Ball, forwards Brandon Miller and Miles Bridges, and center Mark Williams has rarely been able to stay on the court together thus far this season.