What we saw from the 105-98 loss to the Washington Wizards.
1. Magic start fast, maybe too fast.
The Magic begin games with great energy, but they may be trying to play too fast. They shot well to start but suffered eight turnovers in the first ten minutes, which negated the offensive production
2. Where is Maurice Harkless?
Say what you want about Harkless’ development to this point, but to not see him in the rotation for the second straight game is puzzling. One would imagine that a team trying to evaluate its young pieces like the Magic should find minutes for the 21 year old somewhere, but perhaps something else is at play.
3. Elfrid wasn’t ready for John Wall.
While this is not a stunning revelation, it is clear that Payton was facing a different class of a player than what he saw in New Orleans. He still did some good things to warrant his place on the court, but got in foul trouble and turned the ball over routinely against Wall.
4. Ben Gordon turns back the clock for a night.
Gordon sparked the Magic offense to start the fourth quarter and got them back in the mix. While no one should expect it to be a regular occurrence, it was encouraging to see he and Evan Fournier compensate offensively in Victor Oladipo’s absence.
5. Vucevic impresses against another imposing front line.
Just like he did against the New Orleans duo of Anthony Davis and Omer Asik, Vooch excelled against Marcin Gortat and Nene. Seeing him play at a high level while working in the post against these pairs speaks well for his all-star chances.
