3 Overreactions From Magic Summer League Debut vs. Hornets

The Orlando Magic are starting their Las Vegas Summer League run in the loss column, following an 86-74 defeat at the hands of the Charlotte Hornets inside the Pavilion at UNLV.

The Magic led by six points going into the locker room at halftime, but they were limited to just 31 points in the second half while the Hornets posted 49 in a 12-point victory. Here's a look at three overreactions from the team's first game in Las Vegas.

Noah Penda Needs to Be Shut Down

Orlando Magic guard/forward Noah Penda passes the ball against the Chicago Bulls, | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It was very clear that Noah Penda was the best player on the court for the Magic in their game against the Hornets. The second-year pro out of France scored a team-high 23 points on 9-15 shooting, including 5-10 from downtown. It's clear Penda has taken leaps since the end of the season, and giving him a chance to be the focal point on offense is going to really help his development.

Penda was also strong defensively with a pair of steals and three of the team's blocks during the game. His defense is his calling card, and it showed against the Hornets.

It's clear that Penda doesn't need Summer League as much as some other players on the roster. The Magic should consider shutting him down for the rest of Summer League or putting him out there for one more game, just to see him continue to dominate on both ends of the floor.

Izaiyah Nelson Struggles in NBA Debut

The Magic's second-round pick, Izaiyah Nelson, only scored two points in 15 minutes during his debut with the team. The bucket came on a post-up in the fourth quarter, but he won't be expected to be an offensive juggernaut for the Magic.

Nelson is on a two-way contract with the Magic, so they aren't going to ask much of him right away. The summer league should be used as a starting block for him, and then he can use that to see how far he can go. Nelson should get more reps as the summer league progresses, so it will be interesting to see how he responds from this first game.

Jase Richardson's Fall Should Caution Magic

Magic fans' hearts may have skipped a beat late in the fourth quarter when 2025 first-round pick Jase Richardson took a tumble after getting denied at the rim by Hornets center Ryan Kalkbrenner while going up for a lay-up.

Ryan Kalkbrenner with the dunk and then a great block on Jase Richardson, who falls hard (with replays).

The foul on Ryan was overturned upon a coach's challenge. pic.twitter.com/08h4EdWHDq
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 10, 2026

There is no reason to risk injury while in Summer League, so the Magic will be cautious with Richardson. However, he appeared to be better once he was talking to media members after the game.

#Magic guard Jase Richardson talked about the hard fall he took vs. the Hornets at Summer League:

“Yeah, I mean it was a terrible take anyways. I took a lot of bad shots today, so I’ve just got to be better. It was a good block. It got overturned, so I’ve got to be better.” pic.twitter.com/uvNC21tSmI
— Jason Beede (@therealBeede) July 10, 2026

Richardson finished with 15 points on 6 of 14 shooting in his first Summer League game, which isn't up to his standards. He will have to bounce back for the team's second game against the Miami Heat on Saturday, which could be his final chance to play in Las Vegas before giving other players a shot.

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