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LAS VEGAS – Memphis rookie Heralded Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr., drove down the middle of the hall early in the first quarter on Sunday night.
Jonathan Isaac and Mo Bamba's Magic Center converged on Jackson and rose to the skies – Isaac's right arm and Bamba's left arm stretching up, toward the roof from the arena. Isaac and Bamba beat the ball at the same time.
Games like this one almost never happen to Jackson, who is almost 7 feet tall in sneakers. At that moment, however, Isaac and Bamba made Jackson appear tiny.
"It's crazy, man," said Jackson afterward. "They are great players, they are dynamic, they are long, their length given by God and everything that sometimes makes it difficult."
Isaac and Bamba did better than this Sunday night.
The imposing duo and their summer league teammates made it almost impossible for the Grizzlies to generate the offensive. Orlando held Memphis at 26% shooting, blocked eight shots and dominated the 86-56 show at UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center
All the required warnings should be mentioned: It was just a summer league confrontation against a bit ragtag, the tired opponent who was playing the second night of a back-to-back.In weeks or months, no one will remember the final score.But for one night, with Isaac and Bamba in mind, the magic showed the promise and potential of their franchise has often been lacking for years.
"I do not run out that he even scratches the surface in terms of where Mo is going to be in a year or two years, where I will be in a year or two years – physically, mentally, play-wise, "said Isaac afterward. "You throw in AG and all the guys we have on our team now, and I think we will be a defensive nightmare for a lot of teams."
By "AG", Isaac refers to the attacker Aaron Gordon, who the team re-signed several days ago a $ 76 million contract over four years
Gordon, Isaac and Bamba form the core of Orlando – a core that now presents three dominant physical traits: agility, exceptional height and long arms. Bamba and Isaac embody these characteristics. During the May NBA Draft Combine, Bamba measured nearly 7 feet-1 in sneakers and recorded a 7-foot-10-inch wingspan, which is considered the largest ever staged at the event.
Assertively what he did in his summer league debut on Friday. In 16 minutes, he scored 11 points, collected five rebounds, blocked a shot and modified many others. At the beginning of the second quarter, Memphis guard, Kobi Simmons, launched a float while Bamba was getting closer to a possible lockup. Simmons' shot slammed on the side of the back panel.
"The potential between me and Jon is unreal," Bamba said. "In the summer league, we start turning that potential into production through the little things we do. I think we had three shots violations of 24 seconds today, and I watched Coach [Pat Delany]. It was like, "It was all due to the length." "
More confident than the # 39, last year as a rookie, Isaac blocked a total of five shots, recorded two interceptions and helped limit Jackson to 1 At the end of the second quarter, Isaac launched his own shot, a 3-point rather than ricocheted on the edge of the rim, but on the possession of Memphis, Isaac shot Jackson's ball, recovered and absorbed a Jackson's road foul. A year earlier, Isaac would certainly not have f "C & # I see: the growth of his game and his general confidence, "said Delany." When [his] does not shoot, you do not see him with his head down. You do not see him shrugging his shoulders. You do not see it at all on the defensive side. "
Sunday night, none of Magic's players seemed to relax in defense
For this reason, they could dream of better days in front of them.
Best days, perhaps, when games really matter.
[email protected] Read his blog on OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter @JoshuaBRobbins
