Magic Starting 5: Orlando Hopes For Change of Fortune in New Year
1. MAGIC DROP FINAL '22 CONTEST VS. WIZARDS
"While the Magic didn't put its best foot forward, tonight was a great opportunity for the young squad to play a considerable amount of minutes. Franz Wagner led the team with 28, but the team also saw some unfamiliar faces receive a ton of playing time. Two-way duo Kevon Harris, Admiral Schofield and Caleb Houstan all played 25+ minutes and combined for 23 points off the bench."
2. MO GIVES BACK
"Since his rookie season in Orlando, Bamba has always had a dream of giving back to the nation that had given him so much, while also involving the sport that did much of the same."
3. ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES
"I think we had good energy coming out," rookie Paolo Banchero said. "I feel like we just couldn’t get shots to fall early and then we just had started having to play from behind. That’s pretty hard when you have eight players.
"We had a lot of good looks. They just didn’t fall. I think we’ve just got to roll with the punches sometimes and move on."
4. 'I SUCK RIGHT NOW'
"Sometimes that's what happens," Banchero said. "That's what I've been learning. Sometimes you have early success and you think that's what it's going to be like all the time and then you have games like this where you're just like, "Damn, I suck right now."
5. NEXT MAGIC GAME
The Magic will return to the court Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards at 7:00 p.m. You can watch in-market on Bally Sports Florida or out-of-market on NBA League Pass.
You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.
Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Magic? Click Here.
Follow The Magic Insider on Facebook.
Follow The Magic Insider on Twitter.
Want even more Orlando Magic news? Check out the SI.com team page here.
