Magic's Caleb Houstan Reveals Offseason Focus
If Caleb Houstan is going to see more playing time in the regular season for the Orlando Magic, he'll have to make his game more well-rounded.
The Las Vegas Summer League has been a good start for the second-year forward. Houstan led Orlando with 18 points plus five rebounds and two assists in its 108-85 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday.
Houstan shot 5-10 from the field and 1-5 from beyond the three-point line. He also shot 7-8 from the free-throw line.
His performance on Monday was a stark contrast to how he played on Saturday. Houstan had 12 points, all of which came on 3-pointers against the Detroit Pistons.
Houstan is more touted for his shooting but saw and capitalized on more opportunities to drive to the basket against the Pacers. Those drives either led to Houstan getting to the rim or going to the free-throw line.
"Guys overplaying, just put the ball on the floor, a couple of dribbles and try to use shot fakes to fight that to get fouls and get to the line," Houstan said on Monday. "I feel like that's the easiest basket you can get. Early on, they were jumping out on the 3's, so I found myself being able to get downhill more."
To help his ability to drive to the basketball, Houstan also said he's focused on adding strength to enhance his ability to get to the basket.
"That's been one of my main focuses this year," Houstan said. "Just lifting, trying to lift every day. Getting extra sets and extra reps in."
In his rookie season, Houstan played in 51 games. Houstan only averaged 15.9 minutes and 3.8 points per game.
With Orlando's depth, which includes adding Anthony Black and Jett Howard, it's going to be tough for Houstan to see consistent playing time. But if he can continue to his game and become more versatile, the former second-round pick may see more playing time in 2023.
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