Magic guard Jalen Suggs was only able to participate in non-contact drills during the first day of Orlando training camp Tuesday, according to coach Jamahl Mosley.
Suggs, who the Magic hope will return for the season opener on Oct. 22 vs. Miami, is recovering from a left knee trochlea cartilage tear that forced him to sit out majority of the second half of last season and the playoffs.
Although his activity was limited, Suggs still made his presence known throughout the first practice, Mosley said.
“His voice was everywhere,” the Magic coach said. “So, that’s one thing. The energy he brought was absolutely fantastic. What he was able to do was all [of] the non-contact drills. The things where he’s not physically going against guys but he was active and available to do that.”
Magic backup center Moe Wagner, who is working his way back from a torn left ACL, wasn’t able to do as much in practice compared to Suggs, Mosley said.
“A little similar to Jalen but probably two steps back,” said Mosley who mentioned that Wagner was able to do some non-contact shooting and work on technique.
Having both players around the team again is a bonus in of itself.
“The energy that they provide, the joy that they bring to the game … They give the guys perspective of what being out means and to take advantage of being able to play this game and be on the floor with full health,” Mosley said.
Mosley later added that everyone on the roster made it through the first day of camp healthy.
Bane adjusting well
Magic guard Desmond Bane, who Orlando acquired over the summer from Memphis, isn’t having a hard time fitting in with his new teammates.
The Magic are just the second team Desmond Bane has been a part of after the first five years of his career in Memphis. (Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel)
“It was a great first day,” he said. “The energy was there, the intensity was there and the willingness to learn was there. We’re building the blocks. It’s a long marathon.”
Bane is familiar with fellow newcomer Tyus Jones after the two previously spent multiple seasons together in Memphis, and they’re both figuring out how teammates such as Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. work on the court.
“With the group of guys we’ve got, honestly, it’s been pretty easy,” Bane said. “They’re such good guys that they make it easy to come in here and get our work in, so it’s been good.”
Penda makes early impression
Banchero was asked directly about rookie Noah Penda, who the franchise traded up for in the second round of June’s draft.
The Magic forward mentioned Penda’s feel on offense as a playmaker and his aggressiveness on the court.
“I like him a lot,” Banchero said about the 6-foot-7 rookie from France. “He’s pretty quiet as a person but his game is the opposite. He wreaks havoc out there on the floor. He has a great motor. He just plays really hard.
“I like what I see, for sure.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
With extension signed, Paolo Banchero embraces high expectations for Magic
