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Southeast Notes: Williams, Nurkic, Baugh, Black, Da Silva, Sarr

February 15th, 2025 at 5:31pm CST by Arthur Hill

It’s been a week since the trade sending Mark Williams to the Lakers was rescinded, and he still hasn’t rejoined the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte played three road games since L.A. decided to void the deal due to the results of Williams’ physical, and Boone believes Hornets officials are giving him time to adjust to the shock of returning to his old team.

Boone points out that if Williams is required to resume playing immediately after the All-Star Break, his first game would be against the Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. That contest, originally scheduled for last month, was postponed due to the wildfires and rescheduled for Wednesday.

Boone notes that president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson hasn’t spoken to the media about the Lakers’ decision to call off the deal, and the organization has been silent except for a brief statement it released after the news broke last Saturday. The Hornets have contacted the league office to explore their options, but a source tells Boone that they’re preparing for Williams’ return.

With Williams absent, center Jusuf Nurkic, who was acquired from Phoenix last week, made his Hornets debut in Wednesday’s loss at Orlando. He had nine points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes and made a positive impression on coach Charles Lee.

“I just saw a guy that obviously understands the game at a really high level,” Lee said. “His size, his physicality adds a different element to our group. Defensively, I thought he was good in helping the paint with his communication. And offensively, even showed me a little bit more. “Able to rebound and push the break and I knew he was kind of a good passer but to see him handle it in the open court and make some good decisions. … Another guy you can throw it down to in the paint when you need a bucket or he gets fouled. It was really nice to have him out there.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • The two-way contract that Damion Baugh signed with the Hornets this week will also cover next season, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link). The 24-year-old shooting guard had a strong NBA debut Wednesday with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists off the bench
  • Magic coach Jamahl Mosley believes Anthony Black and Tristan Da Silva will benefit from their first trip to All-Star Weekend, per Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Both players took part in the Rising Stars event Friday night. “It does something when you go to the All-Star game,” Mosley said. “You get to see the league in a different light. You get to be around your peers that you know are at a certain level, and then it instills a little bit of confidence knowing that you belong in that class.
  • Wizards rookie center Alex Sarr, another Rising Stars participant, talked to Varun Shankar of The Washington Post about not getting dragged down by difficult moments as he adjusts to the NBA. “I just try to go to the next play because there’s so many plays,” Sarr said. “Who cares you lost the ball? Who cares you missed the shot? Move on and just do something else.”
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NBA Announces Player Pool For 2025 Rising Stars Event

January 28th, 2025 at 2:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially revealed the 10 rookies, 11 sophomores, and seven G League players who have been selected to take part in the 2025 Rising Stars event at All-Star weekend in San Francisco next month.

The following players made the cut, as voted on by NBA assistant coaches (rookies and sophomores) and selected by the league office (G Leaguers):

Rookies

Sophomores

G League Players

* Note: Players marked with asterisks are on standard or two-way contracts with NBA teams.

As usual, the Rising Stars event will consist of four teams and three games. The seven G League players will comprise one team, while the other 21 players will be drafted to three squads on February 4.

The four teams will be split into two first-round matchups and the winners of those two games will face one another for the Rising Stars championship. The two semifinals will be played to a target score of 40 points, while the final will be played to a target score of 25 points.

All three contests will take place on Friday, February 14 as part of All-Star weekend’s opening night. The winning team will compete on Sunday in a similar four-team tournament, with the three other rosters made up of NBA All-Stars.

A handful of injury replacements will be necessary, with McCain, Lively, and Brandon Miller among the players who won’t be available to suit up. Additionally, since players selected as All-Stars won’t play in the Rising Stars event, Wembanyama will almost certainly need to be replaced.

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Injury Notes: Wagner, Magic, Kyrie, Sixers, Haliburton, Jackson

January 14th, 2025 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Magic forward Franz Wagner, who is recovering from a torn right oblique, will remain sidelined for Wednesday’s game in Milwaukee, but his injury designation will be updated to “return to competition reconditioning,” according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel (Twitter link).

The change in designation doesn’t necessarily mean Wagner’s return is imminent, but it does suggest that he’s entering the final stage of his rehab process. By comparison, teammate Paolo Banchero, who sustained a torn oblique of his own on October 30, had his designation changed to “return to competition reconditioning” on December 27, then returned to action on January 10.

“I feel good,” Wagner said on Tuesday (Twitter link via Beede). “I think everything is going in a really good direction. I was able to do some more stuff on the court. I think pretty much the muscle is not the issue at this point. It’s more of getting back in shape, making sure that I check all of the boxes before I go play a game.”

Wagner, Gary Harris (left hamstring strain), and Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) went through a non-contact practice on Tuesday, per Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley (Twitter links via Beede). Tristan Da Silva (illness) and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (sore left knee) also practiced, but Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and Goga Bitadze (right hip contusion) didn’t, Beede adds.

Here are a few more injury-related updates from around the NBA:

  • Mavericks point guard Kyrie Irving, who last played on January 1, has been upgraded to questionable for Tuesday’s matchup with Denver. The Mavs announced last Monday that Irving was expected to miss at least a week or two due to a bulging disc in his back, but he fully participated in Monday’s practice and “looked good,” head coach Jason Kidd said (Twitter link via Jared Greenberg of NBA TV).
  • The banged-up Sixers will be missing Joel Embiid (left foot sprain), Andre Drummond (left toe sprain), and Kyle Lowry (right hip sprain) for a fifth straight game on Tuesday vs. Oklahoma City. Philadelphia also added Tyrese Maxey to its injury report as a result of a left hand sprain, with the star guard considered questionable to play against OKC.
  • Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle confirmed during a radio appearance on Tuesday that it’s “highly unlikely” Tyrese Haliburton suits up vs. Cleveland tonight, but said the point guard’s hamstring issue isn’t believed to be significant, as Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star relays. “The good news is we don’t believe that it’s serious,” Carlisle said. “It was tightness, soreness. When you have a high-functioning athlete, skill player like Tyrese, tightness can really make it difficult for him to play at the level that he plays at. Having him come out of (Sunday’s) game was absolutely the right thing to do.”
  • Grizzlies forward GG Jackson has essentially recovered from his offseason foot surgery and his season debut isn’t far off, according to head coach Taylor Jenkins. “It’s more just about reconditioning and back to play,” Jenkins said (story via Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal). “There may be opportunities with the (G League’s Memphis) Hustle for his first exposure to live five-on-five play.”
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Magic Notes: Banchero, Da Silva, Suggs

January 12th, 2025 at 7:29pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Magic All-Star forward Paolo Banchero hit the ground running in his first game back from a two-month injury absence, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

During a 109-106 defeat to Milwaukee on Friday, the 6’10” star scored 34 points in just 27 minutes, showing off a versatile offensive attack that included five three-pointers. Banchero had been shelved with a torn right abdominal muscle since an October 30 loss to Chicago.

“The kid’s been working his tail off to get back in,” Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “What he was able to do with poise, taking the right shots [at] the right time, defending, taking matchups on, this tells you how much he wants to go get it and get after it.

There’s more out of Orlando:

  • Rookie Magic forward Tristan da Silva, who thrived with Banchero sidelined, continued to play strongly even when the All-Star returned to action, Beede notes in another piece. Da Silva secured the first double-double of his career in the Bucks bout, scoring 16 points and pulling down 10 boards. “He’s just a natural,” Banchero raved of da Silva. “He can kind of fit out there with anybody, any lineup.”
  • Mosley provided a minor update on the health of Jalen Suggs on Sunday, including explaining why the injured guard has been away from the Magic‘s bench for the past couple games, Beede tweets. “I think it’s one of those things [that’s] precautionary more than anything,” Mosley said. “With the back [injury], sitting on the bench is not necessarily conducive to how you’re supposed to feel in that scenario… He’s been able to move a little bit here and there on the floor, getting up and getting down a little bit, but nothing with contact.”
  • In case you missed it, Marc Stein believes Mosley has a real shot at earning Coach of the Year honors. Even with long-term injury absences of Banchero and Franz Wagner, among others, Orlando has held steady as a top-four seed in the Eastern Conference.
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Magic Notes: Suggs, Da Silva, Harris, Joseph

January 4th, 2025 at 8:36pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jalen Suggs will miss Sunday’s game against Utah after leaving Friday’s contest with severe back spasms, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. Suggs had to be wheelchaired to the locker room after collapsing to the court and writhing in pain late in the second quarter.

It’s the latest in a seemingly endless string of injuries for Orlando, which was already playing without stars Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, along with Anthony Black, Moritz Wagner and Gary Harris. Beede said Suggs seemed to be in good spirits after the game, but “the concern level was real” about the injury, which was diagnosed as a lower back strain.

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looked out there,” Cory Joseph said. “It’s kind of been, unfortunately, a theme this season — we have guys going down. We just know ‘next man up’ mentality but definitely we wanted to pull this one out for him, as for Moe and Franz, Paolo, Gary and AB. Too many people, right? So, [we] never want to see that happen but we know he’s a fighter and whatever it is, he’ll overcome it. For us, we’ve just got to continue the course.”

There’s more on the Magic:

  • Tristan Da Silva set a career high in scoring for the second time this week with 25 points Friday night, Beede adds in the same piece. The rookie small forward had 21 points against Brooklyn on Wednesday, but he has also been held scoreless in two of his last four games. “I’m just really trying to take it all in as a journey,” Da Silva said. “As a rookie, you’re obviously going to have ups and downs. There’s games where you might not play as well, where the shot is not falling. And you have games like tonight where you feel really good. But I’m just trying to stay even-keeled and trying to not let a single game kind of define my mental headspace.”
  • Harris is dealing with another left hamstring strain, the same injury that sidelined him for 13 games earlier in the season, Beede tweets. Harris missed Friday’s contest and has already been ruled out for Sunday.
  • Joseph, a native of Canada, scored in double figures for the first time with the Magic during Friday’s game at Toronto, Beede states in a separate story. It was part of a dominant night for Orlando’s reserves, who outscored Toronto’s bench, 43-18.
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Magic Notes: Comebacks, Anthony, Queen, M. Wagner, Banchero

December 23rd, 2024 at 10:04pm CST by Rory Maher

On Saturday vs. Miami, the Magic were playing without their top three scorers (Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the latter of whom returned on Monday following a one-game absence with a right ankle sprain). A rotation regular, Gary Harris, missed another game as he continues to deal with a hamstring strain.

Their fourth-leading scorer, Moritz Wagner, suffered a torn left ACL in the first quarter. And big man Wendell Carter was ejected in the second quarter after a pair of technical fouls.

As Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes, Orlando trailed by 22 points entering the fourth quarter, then proceeded to outscore the Heat 37-8 in the final frame, completing one of the biggest comebacks in NBA history. According to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link), it had been five years since a team had lost when leading by at least 22 points entering the final period.

“You can’t really explain that,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “That’s something I haven’t seen. I have not seen that ever in my years in the league: the ability to stay with it despite all of the circumstances that started in the beginning of the game.”

Backup guard Cole Anthony, who has struggled to find a rhythm for much of the season (entering Monday, he’s averaging a career-low 11.7 minutes per game), erupted for season highs of 35 points (27 in the second half), eight rebounds and nine assists, with Orlando outscoring Miami by 17 points in his 28 minutes on the court. The 24-year-old was emotional during his post-game interview, as he’s been frustrated by his performances but loves playing for the Magic. A close-knit group, three of his teammates were waiting to congratulate him after the game, per Robbins.

“Just to feel that same love back and know I’m always going to get that same love, it’s something that I don’t think is appreciated as much, especially around the league,” Anthony said later. “You don’t get this many good people in one organization. You don’t get this many high-character people in one organization. So, I’m just blessed to be a part of this.”

Here’s more on the Magic:

  • They followed up their impressive comeback against Miami with another come-from-behind victory on Monday against the reigning champion Celtics, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. According to the team’s PR department (Twitter link), it was the first time Orlando has registered comebacks of at least 15 points in consecutive games since Feb. 7-9, 2014. Trevelin Queen, who provided a major energy boost vs. Miami, started the first game of his career on Monday and tied a career-high with 17 points, Beede notes, while first-rounder Tristan Da Silva notched a team-high 18 points, including a clutch three-pointer late to seal the victory. Carter moved to the bench so the Magic would have more size in the absence of Moe Wagner, Beede adds.
  • Moe Wagner was understandably upset that he’ll miss the rest of the season with a major knee injury, but also said he was “overwhelmed” by the outpouring of support he’s received throughout the organization, according to Robbins. “(Keeping an even keel is) part of what (I) try to ask our guys to do in those moments, but the reality is we’re all human beings, and it broke me a little bit,” Mosley said Monday. “I teared up as I watched Moe go down because you watched the work that he’s put in, you watched the tear he was on. I mean, he was in the running probably, in my mind, for Sixth Man of the Year, (with) the energy that he brings to this team, the toughness he brings to this team. It shook me a little bit.”
  • Banchero continues to recover from a torn oblique he sustained on Oct. 30, the same injury Franz Wagner suffered on Dec. 6. The former No. 1 overall pick was doing some light shooting and ball-handling work prior to Saturday’s game, and Suggs says he’s eager to have the 22-year-old back in the lineup. “Just having his presence back amongst us is going to be amazing,” Suggs said, per Beede. “He’s used his voice throughout the time he’s been out. I know it’s been hard for him. It always is when you’re not playing to speak up at times and things like that. But to see how mentally locked in he’s been throughout this process, it’s been really cool.”
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Southeast Notes: Bridges, Williams, Da Silva, Vukcevic

December 14th, 2024 at 7:37pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heading into his first year with the Hornets, head coach Charles Lee had been planning to start Miles Bridges and Mark Williams together on his front line, but he didn’t have that opportunity until Friday night, writes Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer. Bridges returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a bone bruise on his right knee, marking his first game this season alongside Williams, who made his debut last week after recovering from a strained tendon in his left foot.

“I thought they had good games,” Lee said. “Miles, I think you see what he can bring to our offense, in terms of being able to be a pick-and-roll handler, off ball catch-and-shoot guy or off ball driver and play-maker. And then defensively, I thought that his communication was really good, his rebounding. So, I’m encouraged. And I thought Mark had some good spurts on both ends of the floor, too.”

Williams made his first start of the season, contributing 15 points and nine rebounds in 17 minutes and showing signs that he might be ready to resume his normal role after being out of action for about a year. It was his longest outing since being cleared to return as his conditioning level continues to improve.

“It felt good,” he said. “Shout-out to my teammates for keeping my head in it, staying solid. But it felt good. Obviously, the intention was to win the game. This is a small piece of it. We were short in doing that, but I definitely felt good. There’s a lot of stuff I need to improve on individually and we can improve on collectively. But I think with each game I’m getting more and more comfortable with time increasing each game.”

There’s more from the Southeast Division:

  • Lee’s first season as a head coach has featured revolving lineups as the Hornets have been hit especially hard by injuries, Boone adds. Lottery pick Tidjane Salaun also returned on Friday night and LaMelo Ball is expected back soon, but many of the combinations Lee has been forced to use haven’t played together very often. “I’m super proud of our guys,” he said. “No matter who’s been available, there hasn’t been any excuses made and there’s just been an overall competitiveness.”
  • Magic rookie Tristan da Silva has appeared in 23 games and made 16 starts, but he realized at today’s practice that he hasn’t played at the same time as Paolo Banchero, according to Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. The first-round pick wasn’t used much early in the season, and his first real opportunity didn’t come until Banchero was sidelined with a torn oblique. Da Silva said Banchero has been extremely helpful in his adjustment to the NBA. “He’s been very vocal,” Da Silva said. “He brings a lot of energy off the bench, which is really good for us, especially on the road. Every time somebody subs out, he’s right there telling people what he sees and giving his input on the game, which is amazing. Advice like that from a guy like that from the sideline is always good.”
  • Wizards two-way center Tristan Vukcevic was expected to start practicing today with the team’s G League affiliate, relays Varun Shankar of The Washington Post. Vukcevic, a second-round pick in 2023, has been sidelined all season with a left knee contusion.
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Southeast Notes: Ware, Butler, Heat, Bagley, Brogdon, Da Silva

December 5th, 2024 at 10:59pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Heat are giving No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware an opportunity for playing time by having sent him to the G League’s Sioux Falls Skyforce. The big man made his G League debut on Thursday, securing 17 points, 12 rebounds, two blocks and two steals in a win. Instead of having him bounce back and forth between the developmental team and Miami, the Heat are hoping to have Ware play in three-game stints for Sioux Falls, according to The Athletic’s James Jackson.

According to Jackson, the Heat are impressed by Ware’s progress and his mental fortitude as he develops and learns the system. The Heat are seeing success with two-big lineups featuring Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love, so there’s no rush to force the rookie into unfamiliar situations. He has gotten some minutes against the likes of Nikola Jokic, but his spot in the rotation has been inconsistent.

“It’s all valuable, even when he’s with us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But the next logical thing is trying to get him some time — get him some game minutes and see how he can impact winning. But I’m encouraged by the work he’s been putting in.”

The Heat remain confident Ware will become a rotation regular at some point, even if doesn’t happen this season, Jackson writes.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

  • After missing Monday’s game to the Celtics due to knee soreness, Jimmy Butler returned for the Heat on Wednesday to help lead them to victory. According to the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, Butler looked sharp in the victory, filling up the stat sheet in a blowout win over the Lakers. “He passed all the protocols, he wants to be out there, we want to get him out there and the trainers felt that he made enough progress the last two days,” Spoelstra said of getting Butler back on Wednesday. “While we were still in Boston, he was around the clock in the training room doing as much treatment as he possibly could.“
  • At 10-10, the Heat have had a middling season so far. They were blown out on Monday by Boston but dominated Los Angeles on Wednesday. They set franchise records in assists (42) and tied for most threes in a game (24) in the win over the Lakers. Even through consistency questions, the Heat’s identity is coming to light, Chiang writes in a separate piece. Leaning on their defensive strengths and playing through Butler are two major tenets for Miami, as in most recent seasons.
  • The Wizards are 2-18 this season, leaving head coach Brian Keefe searching for answers to help make the team more competitive. The team moved Marvin Bagley into the starting lineup on Thursday (Twitter link). Bagley finished with a team-high 16 points in a blowout loss, while Jonas Valanciunas played a season-low 13 minutes off the bench.
  • Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon, who has started all but one of his nine appearances this season, exited Thursday’s game with hamstring tightness and didn’t return (Twitter link). Brogdon is averaging 13.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 51.3% from the field this season. The Wizards next play a back-to-back at home against the Nuggets on Saturday and Grizzlies on Sunday. Their 16th straight loss on Thursday matched a franchise record.
  • Tristan Da Silva continues to play a pivotal role on the 16-8 Magic, filling in as a part-time starter while Paolo Banchero is out. Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes in a subscriber-only story that Da Silva’s play is drawing praise from up and down the organization. This year’s 18th overall pick is averaging 7.5 points and 3.7 assists per game while starting in 14 of his 20 appearances.
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Magic Notes: Da Silva, F. Wagner, Black, Suggs

November 23rd, 2024 at 5:11pm CST by Arthur Hill

Tristan da Silva didn’t appear to have a path to consistent playing time when the Magic took him with their first-round pick in June, writes Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel. That changed when Paolo Banchero suffered a torn right oblique in late October. Da Silva took his place in the starting lineup and has averaged 7.1 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 11 games as a starter.

“He’s a player,” Gary Harris said. “He’s smart. He understands where he’s supposed to be. He works hard. It’s just a testament to who he is. He was drafted for a reason.”

At 23, da Silva was old for a prospect, which is part of the reason he was still on the board when Orlando picked at No. 18. He fits the Magic’s profile for a forward with his size (6’8″ with a 6’10” wingspan) and he was a capable outside shooter in college. He has shown an ability to take care of the ball, compiling a 3.57 assist-to-turnover ratio that leads all rookies who’ve appeared in at least 11 games, and he’s contributing on defense as well.

Beede notes that coach Jamahl Mosley will eventually face a difficult decision. Before Banchero’s injury, da Silva had logged five total minutes, all on opening night. His performance over the last three weeks may be enough to keep him in the rotation once Banchero returns.

There’s more from Orlando:

  • Franz Wagner is the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week and is making a bid for his first All-Star appearance, notes Law Murray of The Athletic. Wagner has been the focal point of the Magic’s offense since Banchero got hurt, as his touches per game have risen from 46.4 in October to 72.2 in November. With his unique combination of size and skills, Wagner told Murray he has difficulty selecting a player to compare himself to. “I don’t know if there’s someone who I would say I play really close to,” he said. “I think I’m definitely like a tall guard, I would say that. I’m a perimeter player, but pretty tall. I try to do a lot of different stuff out there. And I hope when you see me play, you see that I’m having fun and play for the right reasons. That’s what I hope people see when they see me play.”
  • Some rival general managers were upset when the Magic gave Wagner a full max extension this summer even though he was coming off somewhat of a down season, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. They viewed the deal as inflationary because it would cause more players to demand the same terms. However, sources tell Windhorst that Orlando’s front office was happy to reward Wagner for the work ethic and character he displayed during his first three NBA seasons, and they expect the contract to be less of a strain on the salary cap once the new television money starts rolling in.
  • Anthony Black has improved in his second season and there’s speculation that he and Jalen Suggs could eventually challenge Boston for the league’s best defensive backcourt, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps adds in the same piece. “I think he can be their long-term point guard,” a scout told Bontemps. “That allows Suggs to play off the ball, where he looks more comfortable.”
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Magic Notes: Wagner, Depth, Black, Isaac

November 14th, 2024 at 5:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Magic have been playing without Paolo Banchero as he deals with a torn right oblique, but Franz Wagner has been playing like an All-Star in his absence, Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel opines.

As Bianchi points out, Wagner is one of just seven players averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game, with the former Michigan forward joining stars Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, Nikola Jokic, James Harden and De’Aaron Fox in that company.

The former No. 8 overall pick has yet to earn an All-Star nod, but he has increased his scoring average every season and is putting up 19.3 points since the start of the 2022/23 campaign. In his last five games, Wagner is averaging 27.8 PPG and 6.0 APG.

We have more on the Magic:

  • Life without Banchero proved to be difficult initially, as the Magic lost their first four games without their All-Star forward after his injury, including three by double figures. Since then, they’ve won four straight. Josh Robbins of The Athletic writes that Wagner’s All-Star level play is helping, but they’re also getting terrific defensive contributions from the likes of Jalen Suggs, Jonathan Isaac and Anthony Black. “I’m so proud of them, so proud of this group,” head coach Jamahl Mosley said. “It wasn’t a pretty one, but it’s the way you have to try to get it done in this league, and these guys embraced it. [They] easily could’ve given in. But we talk about how much grit this team has, and you see how connected they are. They fought through the shooting lulls at times, the turnovers early, and they found a way.“
  • Although rookie Tristan Da Silva has taken over Banchero’s spot in the starting lineup, the team has been closing games with Black next to the starters, as the Orlando Sentinel’s Jason Beede details. “Super comfortable,” Black said. “When I play with [the starters], my role is super simple and easy — just affect the game on the defensive end.“
  • Isaac played in both games of the Magic’s home back-to-back against Charlotte on Tuesday and Indiana on Wednesday. He began playing in back-to-backs last season for the first time since 2019. This season, it’s not a question whether he’s going to play in both games, Beede writes in the same piece. “It does feel like a big deal,” Isaac said. “Especially when it’s not so much of a thought anymore. That’s huge. … It’s been a slow start to the season but I’m starting to feel like myself again with just my energy level, getting back to running up and down and playing heavier minutes. I feel great.“
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