3 things we learned from Magic's penultimate preseason game against Cavaliers

The Orlando Magic concluded their third of four preseason games, including the second of two-straight, against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday inside Kia Center. Preseason results don't matter, but the Magic did lead wire-to-wire against their Eastern Conference foe, winning 132-116.

What were a few things we learned? Let's examine!

Ball movement will be key in new offense:

Magic Cavaliers — Oct 13, 2026; Orlando, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Sean Sweeney during the second quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kia Center. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This isn't new news, but dating back to the elementary stages of basketball, we are taught that ball movement is key to a successful offense.

Well, the ball has been poppin' around the perimeter for the Magic this preseason.

Thus, the ball has been droppin' through the nylon.

Orlando's offense continued to flow in Jalen Suggs' preseason debut Tuesday. It had 27 assists to just nine turnovers in the first three quarters, when the regulars played -- finishing with 34 assists total. It continued to put pressure on the Cavaliers' defense in the halfcourt and in transition. You would be hard-pressed to find many stagnant possessions where multiple bodies are stationary, waiting for the ballhandler to create open looks.

Instead, the Magic's offense looks far more free-flowing with constant ball- and player-movement, which is key to unlocking this group flooded with multiple non-spacers (Paolo Banchero, Wagner, Carter, etc.) on the floor.

Noah Penda is bound to begin season in rotation:

If there's been one non-star to impress this preseason, it's been Tristan da Silva. But I also believe Noah Penda, despite the lack of raw numbers, belongs in that conversation.

The second-year Frenchman followed up an eight-point, five-rebound, five-assist and two-block performance with five points and four rebounds on 2-of-3 shooting against the Cavaliers on Tuesday. He also finished with three dimes, one block and one steal across 14 minutes.

The numbers don't scream at you, but Penda makes winning plays all across the court. Defensively, he held his own against James Harden and Donovan Mitchell on several occasions. It's evident that Penda has put in a lot of work on his jump shot, which looks way more fluid and compact on spot-up attempts. He hasn't been afraid to exercise his handle on long closeouts, and his body looks way more prepared to endure the requisite bumps and bruises of an 82-game season.

Last year, one of the Magic's biggest flaws was their bench, yet they doubled down on it this offseason, in part because it expected internal growth from multiple of the Magic's best young players. Penda is not only well on his way to earning a spot in the rotation if he continues this play, but head coach Sean Sweeney will have a hard time yanking him off the floor.

I have been very impressed with Noah Penda’s start to preseason.

He’s made winning plays after winning plays.

Think it’s going to be hard for Sweeney to rip him off the court some nights. pic.twitter.com/pbg77VBPKE
— Matt Hanifan (@mph_824_) October 14, 2026

Tristan da Silva will have the greenest of green lights:

After ranking No. 24 in 3-point attempt rate last year (38.6 3PAr), the Magic entered the evening with a 46.4 3PAr. Obviously, that's an incredibly small sample, though that mark would have been the fourth-best in the NBA in 2025-26. In Tuesday's blowout win, Orlando's 3PAr was 45.4 percent.

Despite running back a poor 3-point shooting team, Sweeney wants to not only maximize the number of possessions they have with pace and offensive rebounding, but also maximize the outcome with the use of the long-range shot.

The biggest benefactor has been da Silva, who went 8-for-21 in his two preseason games before hoisting 11 more on Tuesday, making four of them. da Silva improved his 3-point percentage to 37.4 on just 6.1 attempts per 75 possessions last year. Sweeney is empowering him from distance, which could only be music to da Silva's ears in this free-flowing attack.

Add us as a preferred source on Google