Noah Penda wants to “cause problems” for his coach Jamal Mosley

« The most important thing is that we achieved this victory on our birthday Noah Penda. » Jamahl Mosley was in the mood to gift his now 21-year-old French rookie during the Magic’s trip to Brooklyn. Already restarted in the rotation the day before in Washington, the Frenchman confirmed an important role in the Orlando’s last minute win on the Nets floor.

The former Le Mans player finished with 13 points, tied for an NBA career high, a double-double with 11 rebounds and the most playing time since entering the NBA (more than 31 minutes).

He played as the sixth man in the Florida team, replacing Tristan Da Silva. Convincing in passing in the first period, the Frenchman returned to the floor in the 32nd minute and barely left it until the end of overtime, with the exception of 16 short seconds. The absence of Franz Wagner left space in positions 3 and 4, and Noah Penda was able to take full advantage of it.

« That was one of my goals, not to be a rookie who asks questions and then doesn’t play well. » he explained journalists. « My mentality was always to get the coach to leave me on the field. Seeing that he trusts me, and we talked about that a little at the beginning of the season, it makes me feel more comfortable on the field. I see that my teammates also have a lot of trust in me. And I’m very grateful for that. »

Complete service

Noah Penda got off to a shy start in the first action where he missed three consecutive layups (5/15 in this match). But he immediately made up for it with a magnificent counter from behind on the next counterattack, a symbol of his constant activity (11 rebounds including 5 offensive, 2 blocks, 1 interception). The one who encouraged Jamal Mosley to trust the 32nd pick of the last draft in the moments of a close game until the buzzer and Paolo Banchero’s winning shot.

« I’m super happy Noa Penda laughed. ” Winning is obviously what we came here for tonight. To have the chance to win another one is a great feeling, especially on my birthday. This is a great gift, thank you. It sucks every time you lose, especially away from home. It’s a fantastic feeling when you win away from home, especially like this. In attack, I think we were very good. We shared the ball well. »

https://vvv.youtube.com/vatch?v=ViGOV9TJrpv

It keeps increasing the playing time

Noah Penda is still just a rookie and is experiencing his first season between a few outings with minutes, and others without even stepping on the field. He said it himself: still impressed ” by ” the amount of Nets talent », one of the other findings from the NBA world.

But his last two nights suggest a gradually emerging spot in the Magic rotation (16.8 minutes average since mid-December) where his versatility is starting to be appreciated.

« We suffered a bit at the start of the season for several reasons, new recruits, players who may not be used to this kind of defensive mentality. I also had trouble shooting outdoors at the beginning of the season (3/5 Wednesday in Brooklyn, editor’s note). We’re just finding a bit of a rhythm, even though we’re not even halfway through the season. We are still trying to get to know each other and find our collective identity » he concludes.

An identity where Noah Penda could have a real role in the game, especially since Franz Wagner has yet to announce a return date from his ankle injury.

How to read statistics? MJ = matches played; Min = Minute; Shots = Shots Successful / Shots Attempted; 3 points = 3 points / attempt 3 points; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive jump; Tot = Total number of jumps; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal mistakes; Int = intercepts; Bp = lost balls; Ct: Against; Points = Points.