Ryan Anderson got off to a rough start in his first game as a member of the Orlando Magic, going 0-for-6 from the field in the first half of Orlando's 88-77 loss to Oklahoma City. But by the time the dust settled and the final horn sounded, Anderson's stat line – 21 points, seven rebounds and three assists in 37 minutes played – was hard to argue with.

After shaking off some initial rust and a slight case of nerves, Anderson looked exactly like the player Otis Smith and Stan Van Gundy have been raving about since he was acquired as part of the Vince Carter trade on June 25.

Anderson hit the three-ball (2-for-3 in the second half), showed off his ball-handling skills and even took the ball to the hoop with authority.

To be honest, he looked like a young Hedo Turkoglu.

Now I realize that it's summer league and the Magic lost, but the summer has very little to do with wins and losses. The week of exhibition games is all about evaluating talent and finding out just who is ready to step up from bench player to legitimate contributer.

In the past, the Magic have used the summer league to prep players like Courtney Lee, J.J. Redick and Marcin Gortat for more significant roles on the team.

This year it's Anderson's turn.

Orlando clearly sees Anderson as a very important piece to the puzzle, and his inclusion in the Carter trade made the whole deal possible. Of course it also helped guarantee Courtney Lee's ticket out of town, and for that reason, Magic fans already seem to hold a grudge against Anderson.

Anderson is a very smart and engaging player who spent a full 20 minutes asking questions following today's game.

That's not something he had to do, but chose to do since it was his first public appearance as a member of the Magic.

Media members were surprised at Anderson's candor, mainly because just like Magic fans, they have been skeptical about a rather unknown player.

As the week wears on, Magic fans will get a chance to see more of what Anderson has to offer, and if they give him a chance, they might actually like him.

Other notes from the first day of summer league: