Magic Notes: Richardson, Banchero, Bane, Wagner

The Magic played their preseason opener on Saturday, picking up a 126-118 win over the Heat. While preseason action can only tell you so much, Orlando was able to get some valuable information on some of their new guys, as well as seeing their roster mainstays in action.

One of the standouts of the game was rookie guard Jase Richardson, writes Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel (subscriber link).

The 25th pick in the 2025 draft, Richardson came out of the gate cold and later admitted to feeling the nerves in his first real NBA action, but he quickly settled into the rhythm of the game. He finished with a team-high 13 points on 5-of-11 shooting, including 3-of-3 from three, along with four rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

“There’s just a level of confidence that he possesses reading the game, recognizing what guys are doing and how they’re playing him,” said head coach Jamahl Mosley. “His speed is such a big advantage for him, but then the other side of it is we talked all the time about how inquisitive he is and how he wants to know what to do in any situation.”

While the backup point guard spot will likely be primarily manned by Tyus Jones once Jalen Suggs recovers from injury, Richardson’s ability to function as an on- or off-ball player could help him carve out a role sooner rather than later if he’s able to maintain his aggression and shooting efficiency.

We have more from the Magic:

• Paolo Banchero is known as an offensive star, but his biggest impact against the Heat came on the defensive end. Beede writes that it wasn’t simply the three blocks in 13 minutes that were encouraging, but also the manner in which they came: one in isolation, another as a weak side rotation, and finally a chase-down block in transition. “That’s what it’s going to take for us to win at the highest level,” Mosely said. “If he plays with that energy and effort each and every single night defensively, it’s going to be a long night for a lot of people.”
• The trade to acquire sharp-shooting guard Desmond Bane was clearly made to bring more shooting to the Magic’s offense, which has struggled with efficiency in recent years. In his first action with the team, Bane provided more than floor spacing, according to Beede, who says Orlando’s new wing also helped push the pace in transition and opened up looks for teammates with his ability to catch and attack with the ball. Beede adds that the chemistry between former teammates Bane and Jones was immediately noticeable. Given his gravity as a shooter, that ability should help generate offense for a team that, at times, got bogged down in mid-range-heavy isolation play last season.
• Franz Wagner, Banchero’s co-star, missed the preseason opener, but according to Beede, this wasn’t due to an injury, but rather was an assigned rest following his run to the gold medal with Germany at EuroBasket.