Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics Summer League Game #3

The Celtics face the Orlando Magic in their third Summer League game. The Celtics are 2-0 so far in Las Vegas, beating the Hawks by 2 points and then blowing out the Nuggets by 20. The Magic started out with a 91-89 overtime win over the Warriors and then lost by 10 points, 94-84, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Magic feature two lottery picks from the 2021 draft. Franz Wagner, who was the 8th pick and has been called by some a basketball unicorn. His brother, Mo Wagner, played for the Celtics briefly before signing with the Magic last season. Also, Jalen Suggs, who was the 5th pick, is showing off his quickness and his all around game.

They also include Yante Maten, who played with the Maine Red Claws (now the Maine Celtics) for the 2019-20 season. RJ Hampton is a second year player who was with the Magic last season. They also feature Latvian player Janis Timma whose rights the Magic traded for in the 2015 draft and who has been playing in Europe.

Cole Anthony, the son of 11 year NBA player Greg Anthony, was the 15th pick in the 2020 draft and is also a part of the Magic’s Summer League squad. Ignas Brazdeikis was signed by the Magic to a 10 day contract in May and was signed for the rest of the season when that expired. He played in 8 games for the Magic last season. There are also undrafted players and others looking for a chance as well.

The Celtics have been led by the 4 current Celtics including Aaron Nesmith, Romeo Langford, Payton Pritchard and Carsen Edwards. They also feature two players who were drafted to stash in Europe for a year or two including Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin, both of whom are looking to prove to the Celtics that they are ready to play in the NBA now.

Because Summer League is all about looking at a lot of different players and coaches experimenting, it’s hard to say who will start, but going by the starters in the first two games and the best players on each team, I’ve listed a possible starting five for each team.

Grid View

• Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images

Summer League Participants
Juhann Begarin 6’5” G
Sam Hauser 6’8” F
Aric Holman 6’9” C
Dedric Lawson 6’7” F
KJ Lawson 6’7” F
Yam Mader 6’3” G
Payton Pritchard 6’2” G
Zach Auguste 6’10” C
Carsen Edwards 5’11” G
Romeo Langford 6’4” G
Aaron Nesmith 6’6” F
Bruno Fernando 6’9” F

Head Coach: Joe Mazzulla

Possible Starters

• Payton Pritchard
• Romeo Langford
• Aaron Nesmith
• Carsen Edwards
• Bruno Fernando

Players to Watch
Aaron Nesmith
Nesmith struggled with his shot against the Hawks but came on strong against the Nuggets with 33 points on 13-18 shooting to go with 7 rebounds. He has also been good on the defensive end. Now the Celtics are hoping to see some consistency from him in the remaining games.

Payton Pritchard
Pritchard was solid in both games so far, prompting some to say that he shouldn’t be playing in Summer League. He followed up a 23 point, 5 rebound, 5 assist, 2 steal performance against the Hawks with a near triple double of 21 points, 12 assists and 8 rebounds against the Nuggets. The Celtics are hoping that he can get some experience running the offense in these Summer League games.

Honorable Mention
Romeo Langford has had two solid performances so far and seemed to gain confidence from one game to the next. Also keep an eye on Yam Madar and Juhann Begarin, both of whom are hoping to impress the Celtics enough to stay with the team and not have to return to Israel and France respectively. Finally, Bruno Fernando, who came over in the trade that sent Tristan Thompson to Sacramento, was added to the Summer League team before the Denver game and finished with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists in 15 minutes.

Grid View

• Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images

Summer League Participants
Cole Anthony 6’3” G
Ignas Brazdeikis 6’6” F
Barry Brown, Jr 6’3” G
Jeff Dowtin 6’3” G
Tahj Eaddy 6’2” G
Hassani Gavett 6’2”G
Jaire Grayer 6’5” G
RJ Hampton 6’6” G
DJ Hogg 6’9”F
Justin Jackson 6’7” F
Shakur Juiston 6’7” F
Yante Maten 6’7” F
Jahjere McCall 6’4” G
Asbjorn Mitdgaard 7’1” C
Jalen Suggs 6’4” G
Amar Sylla 6’9” F
John Teske 7’1” C
Jeremiah Tilmon 6’10” C
Janis Timma 6’7” F
Franz Wagner 6’9” F

Head Coach: Jamahl Mosley

Possible Starters

• Jon Teske
• Franz Wagner
• R.J. Hampton
• Cole Anthony
• Jalen Suggs

Players to Watch
Jalen Suggs
Suggs was the 5th pick by the Magic in the 2021 draft. He is fast and can get up the court quickly. He is also a good defender. He averaged 20 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists and 1.5 blocks in the two games so far.

Franz Wagner
Wagner was the 8th pick by the Magic in the 2021 draft. He is a good defender and is a capable scorer. He averaged 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1 block per game so far.

Honorable Mention
RJ Hampton, a second year player with the Magic who averaged 9 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in the Magic’s 2 games so far in Summer League. Also Ignas Brazdeikis who averaged 10.5 points, 5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over the two games so far.

Key Factor
The Magic are playing on the second night of back to back games. Although they have plenty of players on their roster, their key players will likely play big minutes once again and fatigue may become a factor.