Orlando Magic rookie forward Noah Penda has been thrown into the deep end in his first NBA season, and it is something we have seen this team do before.
As injuries have continued to be a thorn in the side of the Orlando Magic, the team has called on its younger players much more to fill the void.
One of those players is rookie forward Noah Penda, who has appeared in 31 of Orlando’s games this season, with two of those appearances coming as a starter. If anyone knows about being thrust into the proverbial deep end of the NBA, it is Tristan da Silva.
Last season, when injuries were also tearing through the Magic’s roster, da Silva played in 74 games and made 38 starts as a rookie. After the season ended, he talked about the challenge of adjusting to the league and what it meant to be in that position.
So, if anyone knows what Penda is going through, it’s da Silva. However, he does not want to overwhelm Penda.
“I mean, we're all in constant communication,” da Silva said after Friday’s shoot around. “I haven't had a specific sit-down conversation [or] one-on-one with him, obviously. But yeah, I feel like everybody's kind of in his ear already, so I'm not trying to add to that.”
The last three games have been a struggle for Penda, as the 20-year-old product of Paris, France has shot just 3-for-14 in that stretch. Despite that, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley is pleased with his work ethic.
“Yeah, he's been a pro all year,” Mosley said. “Staying ready when his number's called, getting the treatment, getting his work done, all those things have come into play.
So, I really think that just communicating with him to just continue to do the things he's been doing. Taking care of his body, getting his treatment, resting when he needs to rest, but he's done a great job.”
Penda has been able to also see, and work, firsthand with an NBA team dealing with adversity. Beyond the injuries, the Magic have not played their best brand of basketball and, until Wednesday, were on a four-game losing streak.
In Wednesday’s 133-124 win over the Miami Heat, the Magic produced turnovers and converted them into points. Da Silva knows when that is happening, the offense benefits.
“Yeah, I feel like that's the main thing that fuels our offense,” he said. “Heating guys up, pressure on full court, getting after it defensively, and then running on the other end and just playing off of that. So, as long as we create a good shot on offense, I feel like that's also going to help our defense.”
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