Osceola Check-In: News and Notes Surrounding the Magic's G League Affiliate

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Although the Orlando Magic's are currently enjoying an extended break from the hardwood following a grueling first third of the schedule, that doesn't mean there isn't still meaningful basketball going on in the organization.

Thursday night, the club's G League affiliate Osceola Magic were in action at Silver Spurs Arena. Hosting the Rio Grande Valley Vipers for the first of two matchups this weekend – the other coming Saturday night at 7 p.m., Osceola fell short to the visitors in the contest, 116-110.

Wednesday, Orlando assigned forward 2022 second-round draft pick Caleb Houstan to Osceola, giving him a chance to get some additional game run during the parent club's time off. Magic assistant Ameer Bahhur, who puts Houstan through his normal pregame routine before Orlando games, was in attendance, as was second-year pro Jett Howard.

Two-way guard Mac McClung also featured for Osceola, but fellow two-way teammate Trevelin Queen was not with the team during Thursday's contest. They squared off with a Rio Grande Valley team who, as the G League affiliate of the Houston Rockets, feature names like Markquis Nowell and Thon Maker.

Let's empty the notebook from Thursday night in Osceola County:

Caleb Houstan's second assignment is a success

After Houstan was assigned to Osceola for one game earlier this season, Orlando head coach Jamahl Mosley hinted that it could be something that could be repeated.

For the second time this season, the Magic assigned Houstan to Osceola during a time when both teams were at home for an opportunity at extended run and minutes. In nearly 33 minutes, Houstan totaled 23 points (four 3s), four rebounds, two steals and a block.

He finished 8-of-19 from the field and 4-of-15 from three. But as the game continued on, Houstan looked like a multi-year NBA player who was honing in on his current training focus while simultaneously reminding, through flashes, that he was the best player on the floor.

Above all, Houstan emerges from the contest healthy. That constitutes a successful assignment, and a few hours after the game ended, Orlando recalled him to again join the parent club.

"Caleb's a super smart player, plays the right way, took good shots," Osceola head coach Dylan Murphy said postgame. "He didn't shoot his best today, but we're living with those shots. Open catch-and-shoots, he's got the green light, so I thought he looked good. Happy for him to be here with us."

Orlando Magic forward Caleb Houstan, on assignment with G League affiliate Osceola, warms before Thursday's game. | Osceola Magic

Houstan's second half was better than his first. Over the final 16-plus minutes of his evening, he totaled 16 of his 23 points, made three of his four threes and was active defensively. He opened his third-quarter scoring account with a steal-and-slam, then made consecutive threes late in the fourth quarter to dwindle the Vipers' advantage from 109-100 to 109-106 with under two minutes to play.

Much of Osecola's roster camped with the big-league Magic in October before joining the G League team, so very few faces around the team are unfamiliar. As his familiarity with the group grew on-court – remember, he was the first man off the Orlando bench in Sunday and Tuesday's games – so too did Houstan's impact on the game.

"Caleb is really good at being able to pick things up quickly. He'd been with us one game before, so a little familiarity, but he did a really good job of understanding what we were trying to do, both offensively and defensively," Murphy said.

"They run the exact same things and they're real good at keeping me up to date [with] what's going on when I go down here, so it's pretty easy," Houstan said of his adjustment. "The staff helps out a lot. The players help out a lot."

Houstan told reporters in the Orlando locker room Sunday that he had fun during his first assignment earlier this season and Osceola has a "real good group." He and Murphy are close, Houstan said, and he made it clear he understood the value of getting live reps in any fashion.

Postgame Thursday, he repeated the same sentiment.

"I think just getting up and down was good," Houstan said. "Just trying to work on things that I always work on, and just playing basketball. We had a couple days off for Orlando, so I think it was a good time to get some run in."

"It's great to have him down here," said Ethan Thompson, Osceola's starting two-guard who notched 15 points and seven rebounds in Thursday's game. "His shooting ability is off the charts, and then he knows how to play the game the right way. It's always good to have a player like that added to the team."

"He's just such an unbelievable shooter," two-way guard Mac McClung said. "It makes it easy for a guy like me who's trying to run the team. We love having him down here. I know we want him up there for his best interest, but it's always great having him down here."

Mac McClung, Trevelin Queen progressing in season's first stint

After both Queen and McClung joined Orlando in Milwaukee for Tuesday's NBA Cup game, only one half of the Magic's duo of two-way players were with Osceola on Thursday.

McClung scored a joint game-high 27 points on 8-11 shooting and 8-8 free throws (11 free-throw points) while also adding nine assists and a steal. However, eight of Osceola's 26 turnovers belonged to him at the final buzzer of Thursday's game.

"I think in terms of his growth, as a point guard he was really good today," Murphy said. "Obviously eight turnovers is now what he was going for, but he really looked to share the ball and I think that resulted in him getting more efficient shots. I think he was looking to make the right play throughout the game."

Added Murphy: "I can live with aggressive plays to the rim and trying to make plays for teammates. We'll clean up how they're guarding and where we can look to find those sprayouts [and] cuts, but he's trying to make the right play, so I'm gonna live with that."

Last year's G League MVP said the high total of turnovers bothered him, but yet still, Thursday was one of his best days passing the ball. McClung said his distribution and growth as a point guard his biggest focus in this, his fourth season of professional basketball.

"I don't even care how many points I end up with. Somehow I end up with 27 today; I think it just opens your game up," he said. "My main goal this year is to pass continuing forward and showing everybody that's what my motive is this year."

"I think he's great," Houstan said of McClung. "Just being able to get downhill then kick out, be able to score for himself, shoot. It's real easy playing with him, for sure."

What a find from McClung for the Jalen Slawson HAMMER! 😤@OsceolaMagic battling with the Vipers late in Q2 on ESPN+. pic.twitter.com/hSEnHnl0Ii
— NBA G League (@nbagleague) December 13, 2024

Although Queen wasn't with Osceola on Thursday, the 27-year-old guard has been impressive during his stint with the team.

During Osceola's recent road trip, Queen dealt with an injury but made his return in the Magic's Dec. 8 game versus the OKC Blue, according to a release from Osceola PR. He, like McClung, traveled to Milwaukee for Orlando's game Tuesday, and Murphy affirmed he's healthy.

"He's really kind of understood what his NBA role is gonna be, which is guarding [and shooting] catch-and-shoot three[s]," Murphy said. "He was playing really well with us, kind of developing into that role. He's been an MVP in this league before, but he's got bigger aspirations, so playing his NBA game here is what he's been doing. We've been proud of his growth in that way."

In nine games this season, Queen is scoring 22.7 points a game on 49.0 percent shooting from the field and 40.4 percent from three (9.9 attempts a game) – a career-high in the G League for the league's 2021-22 MVP.

There's one area Queen isn't progressing though, McClung said.

"His golf game is really bad," McClung said, laughing. "We go golfing almost every day. He's just constantly losing to me."

As for where he is progressing, the former Georgetown Hoya and Texas Tech Red Raider was in agreement with his coach...

"His catching-and-shooting," McClung said. "That's what the big team wants him to do and he's been incredible with it. We know Trevelin can get some crazy offensive rebound, or – he's just the most athletic guy I've been around."

That's high praise from anyone who's spent multiple years in professional basketball. No less that it comes from someone who's a two-time Slam Dunk Champion.

But the praise is effusive for the Magic's two-way tandem.

"They're dogs," Thompson said. "They give us a lot of energy and carry a lot of the offensive responsibilities... every night."

"Obviously two guys that we know can hoop," Houstan said. "They've been in the league, in the G for a while, two great guys... It's just good to be around them [and] be on the team with them for sure."

After slow start, looming G League Winter Showcase offers reset and opportunity

Osceola's loss Thursday night dropped them to 4-9 this season. But after Saturday's second contest with Rio Grande Valley, the Magic enter the G League Winter Showcase. After that tournament, records will reset as it marks the conclusion of the Tip-Off Tournament.

It hasn't been the start to the season Osceola hoped for. But McClung affirmed he isn't worried about the slow jump out of the gates.

"It's really process in this league," McClung said. "A lot of teams - I've won a championship in this league and the team I started out with, we were terrible at the start. We were getting beat by 30 before the showcases. It's a process and we understand that as a team, and I think we're gonna continue to grow for each other. And it's all good people. If we had a bunch of selfish guys I'd be worried, but we don't. We have a lot of great human beings and we all put the work in, man. I think the best is yet to come for us."

Added McClung: "Teams that I've won on, I think the biggest thing is [in] the third, fourth quarter, being able to get stops. How can we [become] almost the alpha dog, like, 'Hey, you're not scoring on us as a unit.' And those teams usually win. But I've got so much hope because we have a great coach. We have [a] great front office. There's nothing that's a cancer in our locker room. So we know it's going to happen. We're like, 'When is it gonna happen?' but it's gonna happen. I promise, we're not gonna be sitting at the end of this season sad or in some disappointing season. I know it's gonna change."

"The G League is all about trying to get to the NBA, right? But our guys understand trying to win basketball games and play the right way is part of that growth, both individually and as a team," Murphy said.

Orlando will become a who's who for front office personnel when the city hosts the G League showcase for four days starting Dec. 19. Those two games could go a long way to helping fulfill those player's dreams of earning a call-up. But, for certain, Osceola will be eager to wipe the slate clean and enter into the regular season.

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Caleb Houstan's second assignment is a success

Mac McClung, Trevelin Queen progressing in season's first stint

After slow start, looming G League Winter Showcase offers reset and opportunity

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