Elfrid Payton said Sunday afternoon that he and his Orlando Magic teammates haven’t discussed how they’ll approach the national anthem when they open their preseason Monday night against the Memphis Grizzlies in Memphis.
“We haven’t discussed anything,” Payton said when asked about the anthem.
Whether teams will kneel or link arms when the anthem is played has become perhaps the major hot-button topic in sports after President Donald Trump weighed in on the issue. Trump has criticized NFL players who kneel in an effort to protest police violence against African-Americans.
Magic players didn’t kneel or link arms during the anthem last season.
Payton, for instance, has said he supports NFL players who kneel, but he also added that kneeling “is just the first step” toward making a positive impact in communities.
The Magic franchise is owned by Rich DeVos. One of DeVos’ daughters-in-law is Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, who is a member of Trump’s Cabinet.
Back in action
Swingman Jonathon Simmons practiced Sunday after he missed most of training camp because of a sore hip flexor.
Arron Afflalo, another swingman, didn’t practice Sunday because he has a sore back.
First game jitters
Rookie forward Jonathan Isaac is excited for the preseason opener in Memphis.
“I try not to think about it as much as possible,” Isaac said. “We’ll get to Monday and just see what happens. I’ve got so many emotions going in my head about Monday. So just hurry up and get there and just see what happens.”
Early impression
Khemcq Birch has made a solid impression on coach Frank Vogel.
Birch, a 6-foot-9 center, is technically a rookie, even though he’s already 25 years old.
Undrafted out of UNLV, he spent the 2014-15 season in the NBA Development League, the 2015-16 season playing in Turkey and the 2016-17 season playing in Greece.
The Magic signed him to a two-year deal this offseason, but it’s important to note the deal is only partially guaranteed. Birch is fighting for the 15th, and final, spot on the regular-season roster.
“I’m excited about what he’s doing,” Vogel said. “He’s got a good feel for the game, rolling [to the hoop] and catching and finishing, catching and making extra passes, being a presence on the defensive end, blocking shots and rebounding and having the ability to switch out. I’ve been pleased.”
Birch’s most likely competition for the 15th roster spot is power forward Damjan Rudez.
Keeping perspective
Vogel was pleased with the team’s training camp, but he acknowledges that there’s a difference between practices and games. It should be no surprise, then, that he keeps practice performances in their proper perspective.
“You have to take it for what it’s worth,” Vogel said. “A lot of these are drill situations, contrived situations. A lot of them are with rotations that guys are not going to typically be in, or lineup combinations [that will be unlikely]. Obviously, it all changes when you play a different opponent.”
Games will bring another element to the evaluation equation: how well players follow gameplans tailored to specific opponents.
jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Read his blog at OrlandoSentinel.com/magicblog and follow him on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins.
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