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WATCH: Orlando Magic players at work in their offseason

By Philip Rossman-Reich

HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on February 7, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - FEBRUARY 7: Elfrid Payton #4 of the Orlando Magic shoots the ball against the Houston Rockets on February 7, 2017 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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The NBA offseason is in its doldrums, but will quickly wind down toward Labor Day and the NBA season. Orlando Magic players are getting their work in.

The summer can be a bit of a distracted time. There is not always a ton of Orlando Magic news going on. The pages here begin to slow to a trickle by this point in August (see: number of posts the last few days).

There is still a lot going on, albeit behind closed doors. Players are getting their work in this offseason to improve their skills. And many of them commit a good chunk of their summer to gym time. Just because the fans do not see them putting in their work.

They are, though. The players may pause to take a gander at the schedule that came out Monday, but they are going to put in their work right after.

It is just not all taking place in Orlando.

Jonathan Isaac and Terrence Ross are among the frequent players reportedly working out at the Amway Center. Elfrid Payton, too, has joined some training there on occasions. But most of the players are working out near their homes to improve their games.

They released some video to show the kind of work they are doing.

Elfrid Payton is a good place to start.

The Magic’s starting point guard has split his time throughout the Southeast, including in Orlando where the Magic posted this video of his workouts:

It definitely seems like Payton is working on his agility and his explosion at the rim.

Payton finished the season last year on an absolute tear, averaging 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game including totaling five triple doubles after the All-Star Break. Those were gaudy numbers. Even his field goal percentage increased to 50.8 percent.

He was taking a lot more shots closer to the basket and thrived in a more wide-open, transition style.

The Magic surely would like to see Payton improve his 3-point shooting — he still made only 31.9 percent of his threes after the break — but Payton will have the keys to the offense and run the team as the point guard last year.

Payton also took off for Chris Paul’s basketball camp in Winston-Salem, N.C. to work out with Chris Paul and several other NBA players. He has done this the last few summers.

Jonathon Simmons made a quick stop in Orlando for his introduction in mid-July. But he has spent the majority of his summer back home in Houston, Texas.

Jonathon Simmons was the Magic’s surprise free agent signing after San Antonio Spurs cut him loose from restricted free agent. The Magic pounced on a three-year, $18-million deal. That is some big money for someone who had to pay to try out for the D-League.

Even during his introductory press conference, Simmons spoke about how he still felt like he had to put food on his family’s table. That may sound callous coming from someone who has made $1.4 million the last two years and just signed a new deal that will start him at $6.3 million this year. But that is the mentality he has had to have to make it in the league.

And it does not appear he is resting on the laurels of his new contract either. Simmons is back in Texas, but still putting plenty of work in, as his trainers from NXTLevel.

Simmons showed at least some promise offensively last year, averaging 10.5 points per game and shooting 35.1 percent from beyond the arc in the Playoffs. When Kawhi Leonard went down to an injury in the second round series against the Houston Rockets, Simmons stepped his game up more. It suggested there is more room to grow — although the league was obviously a bit skeptical by how his contract negotiations played out.

He also got a chance to play in a pro-am in Texas. The competition is not great, but his basketball skills are still on full display.

Other Magic players are getting their work in at far-flung gyms around the country — and maybe even the world. Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier are preparing for Eurobasket with their national teams right now.

Players like Mario Hezonja, who recently said he fought through 2017 with an injury that slowed him down that had not properly healed, are working out in Orlando and Los Angeles to improve their skills. Mario Hezonja knows he has to show up this year to have any chance of continuing his career — with the Magic or otherwise.

Fans do not get to see all the work players are putting in right now. They are getting their summer to work on themselves or use it however they want. These NBA players are working hard, though.

The summer is winding down. While Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic will not be back in town until mid-September, the rest of the team will likely begin trickling back into Orlando around Labor Day. That is when team preparations will kick up at the Amway Center.

That is when teams around the league will have open gyms for their players. The improvements they are working on get a more serious workshop against NBA players then.

Next: Top 5 NBA JAM duos for 2018 Orlando Magic

No time like the present to get to work.