What to look for as the Orlando Magic take on the New Orleans Pelicans in their preseason opener

For the first time in 155 days, the Orlando Magic are playing basketball today and coach Jamahl Mosley's team is more than excited to get started.

Orlando traveled to New Orleans on Sunday to open four preseason games with the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center. The start date is set for 1:30 p.m. ET – the unusual start time is at least partly due to the Pelicans' desire not to disrupt the Saints' Monday Night Football game later that evening in Kansas City.

Orlando's training camp opened six days ago and this group has completed five official training sessions between them. There will be two teams, a scoreboard operator and a result on the line at the end, but for Mosley these first games serve as an extension of training camp, he said.

“The big word we're going to talk about is transference. What carries over from what we've talked about throughout camp?” Mosley said.

“It's really good for the game that you can see the things you've been working on and talking about in the film in real time.”

With that in mind, here's what you should keep in mind as the Magic face someone other than themselves for the first time this season:

Suggs' transition back to a point guard role in the Magic offense was one of the stories of the summer and camp. Orlando acquired Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, a two-guard, this summer instead of using a more traditional table-dressing guard and will rely on Suggs to shoulder a larger portion of that load.

READ MORE: Magic will rely on Jalen Suggs' QB skills to help PG run the offense

With this being the first opportunity outside of practice to see the development in a game, many eyes will be on Suggs whenever the ball is in his hands. However, there is likely to be some uncertainty as to the extent to which the former Gonzaga product will be expected to spark the offense.

The Magic will continue to feature strong forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, who are Orlando's numbers 1 and 2 on offense. Part of Suggs' transition to the position is developing a feel for when to direct traffic rather than letting his teammates take the brunt of a possession. It will be some time before we have a full look at how big of a role Suggs will take on, but Monday's contest will provide a first look at the Magic guard's progress.

Will there be growing pains? Does Suggs want to prove himself as the Magic's future point guard? Answering these questions will take time, but the totality of the work will begin to emerge this afternoon.

Jamahl Mosley intentionally switched lineups mid-practice this week in hopes of encouraging communication between players sharing the field together in smaller stints.

We probably know the Magic starters in New Orleans on Monday — Suggs, Caldwell-Pope, Wagner, Banchero and Carter Jr., but the second unit has some question marks about who will crack the rotation. Of course, since this is the first game of the preseason, this will be anything but a dress rehearsal modeled after a regular season contest. So we'll likely spend a lot of Monday's time watching key timing battles in the second unit unravel.

How do younger players like Anthony Black, Jett Howard and Tristan da Silva play with veterans Cole Anthony and Gary Harris? How much will Jonathan Isaac be offered and to what extent will he be used?

The meshing of starters and reserves and how much of that actually happens in the first preseason game is something to keep an eye on. But for an Orlando team that had one of the best benches in the NBA last year, seats will be hard to come by.

“It will be very important for us to find the next person to step in,” Mosley said.

When it comes to scoring and creating spacing to go along with stifling defense, the Magic's acquisition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope this offseason makes a lot of sense. Monday will be his first appearance in a competitive environment for the Magic.

Caldwell-Pope was one of the people in town during his first week in his new home. Many teammates spoke about how impressive the two-time NBA champion was at communicating, getting to his spots and helping mentor some of the Magic's key younger players. Given his lineage and background, there are certainly worse people to pick the brains of.

READ MORE: For Magic's Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, 12th grade offers new lessons to learn

“I mean, he’s just a perfect fit,” Mosley said. “His ability to defend, to communicate with the guys, his leadership through the way he moves, behaves and performs – it doesn’t always have to be vocal. But he does a great job of just casually showing things that he plays and what he does.”

The new Magic guard said he's excited about the possibilities in transition, and Mosley confirmed at practice this week that Orlando will look to run more this year. Orlando gets a detailed look at the game against the Pelicans for the first time.

WHO: Orlando Magic at New Orleans Pelicans
When: Monday, October 7, 1:30 p.m. ET
TV: Pelicans.com, NBA League Pass
Latest line: New Orleans minus 1.5

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