The cliches, and an identity emerge despite Magic loss

The preseason is not a time to worry too much about wins and losses. It is not a time to freak out too much about late-game execution. There are funky lineups out there and lots of experimenting going on.

Jannero Pargo scored 16 points on 6-for-10 shooting in the final quarter and Al Jefferson was still on the floor as the final moments ticked down. The Magic’s execution was not perfect with Elfrid Payton missing a jumper at the buzzer that would have tied the game, sparing us another preseason overtime.

The Magic’s 99-97 loss to the Hornets at Time Warner Cable Arena was far from perfect. It revealed some of the warts and some of the problems Orlando is sure to experience as the season goes on. There is still a lot to work on. There is still a lot to like. A lot of themes and patterns to get excited about as the Magic near the halfway point of the preseason and the regular season approaches.

The Magic are finding themselves. We are getting a better and better idea of who this team is.

The starting lineup for this team was a bit of an odd one — Elfrid Payton, Maurice Harkless, Aaron Gordon, Tobias Harris and Nikola Vucevic. It does not exactly scream offense. Predictably, the Magic fell behind with the Bobcats Hornets putting the best shooting numbers against the Magic that we have seen to date. Charlotte scored 36 points in the first quarter and 57 in the first half.

The second half showed the improvement on defense a team wants to see at this stage. Orlando locked down and was much better defensively. The offense too worked well together.

The Magic retook the lead in much the same way they have succeeded offensively throughout the preseason. They pushed the pace, continuing to set a good tone offensively and reacted well. This offense found a nice groove with ball movement getting the defense to shift and multiple pick and rolls to get players into the paint.

This should be the hallmark of this team’s offense.

Once again, Tobias Harris paced the way offensively with 14 points and nine rebounds. Nikola Vucevic had a solid game as well with 10 points and seven rebounds. These two players look ready to go.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qylt5OCgTpU

Ben Gordon returned to Charlotte and had a strong performance too. He scored 17 points on 6-for-10 shooting. He was looking to score and taking shots in rhythm, using pick and rolls to get into the paint. Gordon provided the kind of quick offense the Magic are hoping he can rekindle throughout the season.

And, in what should become the cliche of the year, this Magic team just does not know how not to play hard.

That is a good sign — although you wonder a bit if the team is not hitting that gear a little too quickly. I am betting no one is complaining about that as this is not a team that can turn things on and off. And that is fine.

Defensively, the Magic are still working to get a complete game together. Jacque Vaughn stressed that the team needs to have the same mentality and same attitude to their game at all times. That was certainly not present early. Al Jefferson ended up with 20 points (albeit on 8-for-20 shooting). He continues to be a bit of an issue for Nikola Vucevic. And, unlike in previous games, the Magic were a little bit out of control in transition.

Still, there were plenty of moments where the defense turned into beautiful offense. Elfrid Payton continues to impress, scoring 14 points to go with five assists and six rebounds. He did need 15 field goal attempts however. Obviously, he still has to find where and how he can score to balance with his great playmaking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1q1RvzGn68

Aaron Gordon got himself going again after a slow start, draining two 3-pointers. He continues to try to prove himself offensively while his athleticism helps him on defense and in transition.

Ultimately, though, after that big first quarter, Charlotte shot 42.6 percent from the floor and 3 for 20 from beyond the arc. The Magic got the pace up and played pretty good defense.

This team is going to have some struggles offensively. That much was clear beforehand and the Magic had their struggles from the foul line and from the floor at times in this game.

Nothing is going to be perfect at this point. It should not be. Not quite yet.

The Magic still have a ways to go to get where they need to be. But once again, Jacque Vaughn should have gotten a pretty good look at what the character of his team will be. The ultimate result of the game was irrelevant with that being the case.

What has become clear is the team is going to play hard and scratch its way into any game. That may not be enough most nights, but it will give them a chance. At least for now.