The San Antonio Spurs will be without Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle Wednesday, but Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is not undermining the No. 4 team in the Western Conference.
ORLANDO — The Orlando Magic will not have to deal with Victor Wembanyama or Stephon Castle when they host the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday, but they are not brushing off the challenge that remains.
“You know, I think [De’Aaron] Fox is averaging close to 27. [Devin] Vassell is averaging 20,” said Magic coach Jamahl Mosley about San Antonio’s pair of guards. “I think those are guys that can get it going.”
“They have guys that come off the bench that are able to knock shots down, but they play hard the way they're defending. They disrupt. Coaching Harrison Barnes in Dallas, you've seen that he's still got it going and doing what he needs to do. Comes off and has 30 -plus last night. So they have guys that are more than capable, that can get out and score. But then their defense is at a high level as well.”
The Magic are winners of six-straight home games despite missing All-Star forward Paolo Banchero. Of course, Orlando’s success has been a collective effort, but Desmond Bane has made a critical difference as he continues to elevate his level of play.
“I think there's so many pieces to what he brings to the table,” Mosley said. “His toughness, his work ethic, the way he is in the locker room with our guys, and then on the court, his command of the floor, his focus level, and just the little things he does within a game that impact winning.”
“You see a guy that gets two offensive rebounds on a free throw line as one of the smaller guys on the floor. Those winning plays, I think that's what those things stand out about him more than anything.”
The Magic are committed to their process, and the results of their efforts are being realized. For Mosley, there is a continuous evaluation process to make sure the team is playing the right way.
“I think it's just continued growth in what we're asking these guys to do, both offensively and defensively. Can we take care of the basketball? Can we rebound at the right rate? Are we keeping guys off the rim? How are we contesting shots?”
“Offensively, how are we pushing it? Are we sharing it and moving it? All those pieces are a game-by-game piece, and we can judge it after every game. Following our process, I think that's what we really continue to look at.