Orlando Magic: 3 takeaways from 2017-18 season opener
By Randy Porga
1. Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier step up
Elfrid Payton is out to prove he is capable of leading the Magic into something other than mediocrity this season. He came out and led a solid performance on the court with unselfish basketball, but had a good game himself offensively as well.
Payton scored 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting, went 1-for-1 from beyond the arc and dished out nine assists, three rebounds, three steals and one block. His four turnovers for this game can be overlooked for an overall positive performance on the night, but must not develop into a constant.
Evan Fournier continues to be a great shooter in the clutch, and made a handful of shots late in the fourth quarter to keep this one out of reach from the Miami Heat. He finished the night with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc with three assists and one steal.
Off the bench, this game was held together and done so temporarily with utilizing Jonathon Simmons, Jonathan Issac, Bismack Biyombo and D.J. Augustin.
Each player saw 16 minutes or more all while shooting 50 percent or better from the field. But Issac and Biyombo were the real standouts off the bench, collectively producing 13 rebounds and four blocks on 6-for-11 shooting.
Next: 2017-18 Week 1 NBA Power Rankings
The Orlando Magic got the better of the Miami Heat and were able to start their season off with a well earned 1-0 record in the 2017-18 regular season. Now it’s a matter of seeing if that kind of all-around team play is sustainable.