What impressed Sean Sweeney most in Magic's preseason opener

Even though it's just the preseason, Wednesday night marked Sean Sweeney's first unofficial game manning the sidelines for the Orlando Magic against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Wins and losses don't matter at this time of year -- but process does. And the Magic's process was quite encouraging. The offense noticeably had some extra flair, headlined by one star shouldering the creation burden in the first half.

Magic's offense was an area of positivity:

Oct 7, 2026; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner (22) drives to the basket as Memphis Grizzlies forward Cameron Boozer (27) defends during the second quarter at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Comparing preseason to the regular season is a fool's errand. But in their 122-118 win, they shot 46.6 percent from the floor, burying 20 threes on 45 attempts -- a 44.4 percent clip. Though the most notable stat was the Magic's 35 assists, a number they reached just three times all of last year, including 18 in the first half.

"We talked a lot about trying to sprint into organization going into this game and I thought we did a really nice job of that, especially in the first half," Sweeney said, according to the Orlando Sentinel's Jason Beede. "Throughout the game, we did a really good job with trying to get into our offense and play with great pace throughout a possession and great ball movement throughout a possession.

"I think we had 35 assists and 14 turnovers. Great ball movement there. A lot of unselfishness."

Franz Wagner's playmaking stood out:

There were a few hiccups in the second- and third-quarters. Sweeney was also testing several different combinations, especially without Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black and Noah Penda. But what stood out the most was Franz Wagner initiating offense like he was in cruise control.

"[Franz Wagner] did a great job of initiating offense," Sweeney said. "He did a great job of initiating advantages and creating advantages."

Wagner stood out, finishing with six points, a team-high seven assists, two rebounds and two steals in 14:29. He didn't shoot the ball well, going just 2-of-7 while missing all three of his 3-point tries. But he didn't need to, accentuating the Magic's offense with his playmaking, which has long been his most underrated skill.

"I think the way that he plays and the skill set that he has allows him to be a threat at all times and to attack the paint," Magic forward Tristan da Silva said after the game. "He's always a guy that the defense has to collapse to. Franz is somebody that's really patient in the paint and makes the right decisions there.

"So it really makes everybody else's life way easier."

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