Orlando Magic SG Jase Richardson Delivers Strong Performance In Summer League Loss

The Orlando Magic have been making waves in the NBA offseason. They made the first big move of the offseason, trading for Desmond Bane to help their scoring deficiencies. With the core of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, this team is ready to make the jump to Eastern Conference contender. However, all eyes are on the NBA Summer League right now, and one player on the Magic has been turning heads. First-round pick Jase Richardson delivered another strong performance today in a loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Orlando Magic SG Jase Richardson With Another Strong Showing

Jase Richardson is the son of long-time NBA star Jason Richardson. Because of that, he comes into the league with high expectations. So far, he has shown he can be a solid player in a rotation. In 25 minutes, Richardson was 5-for-10 from the field, including 1-for-3 from three-point range and 8-for-9 from the free throw line. He scored 19 points, which was second on the team, and added two rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. This is the second game in a row he has played well.

In the opening game against the Sacramento Kings, he scored 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting, including 2-for-3 from three-point range and 2-for-2 from the free throw line. If there is one thing the Orlando Magic should love, it is the shooting percentage. Many young stars put up points, but do so inefficiently. They put up a ton of shots to get the points. Jase Richardson is getting his points by taking good shots and being aggressive in getting to the free-throw line.

Good To See

The Orlando Magic have to be happy about what they are seeing from the 25th overall pick. In order to get Bane, the Magic had to give up a lot of their guard depth. While Orlando still has plenty of guards on the roster, it is never bad to have a surplus. The Magic struggled with injuries last year, and having players who can step in for a period of time is essential to getting a top seed in the conference.

The window is open in the Eastern Conference. Many of the top teams from last year are slated to take a step back because of injuries and/or losses in free agency. If the Magic can fix their scoring problems, this will be a tough team to play in the postseason because of their physical defense.

Final Thoughts

We can’t read too much into Summer League. However, it is always positive when a player looks comfortable on the court. We’ve seen some great performances already, and hopefully, Jase Richardson will be able to keep up the quality play in Las Vegas.