Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Orlando Magic team building has begun in California

By Philip Rossman-Reich

PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 2: D.J. Augustin #14 celebrates with Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic in the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on December 2, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Magic defeated the 76ers 105-88. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - DECEMBER 2: D.J. Augustin #14 celebrates with Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic in the third quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on December 2, 2016 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Magic defeated the 76ers 105-88. 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. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

Several members of the Orlando Magic are getting a jump start on preseason preparations. The team has gathered in Los Angeles for group workouts.

The offseason for NBA players tends to have the players turn out on their own. Teams do not oversee individual offseason workouts and players are left mostly to their own devices to improve their skills and grow their game.

Players do not take this time to be lazy. Many hire their own skills coaches and work out with them multiple times per day. They take vacations and promotional trips, but they will still find a gym somewhere and get their workouts in. Just because they are not working out at the Amway Center or under team supervision does not mean they are not working hard.

Outside of a few occasions where team personnel checks in on them — strength and conditioning coach Bill Burgos for example visited Evan Fournier in France in July — they largely work on their own.

Several players stayed in town for a good chunk of the summer. Terrence Ross has posted photos of himself working out at the Amway Center practice court throughout the summer. Jonathan Isaac and Wesley Iwundu have also spent a lot of time in their new home preparing for the season.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXQdVLHjr7S/?hl=en&taken-by=3tross1

But most players have been all over the place working out on their own.

Aaron Gordon has spent most of his summer in California in the San Jose area working out with his individual coaches. Mario Hezonja spent parts of the summer in Orlando and then went out to Los Angeles to rehab his reportedly injured knee. Evan Fournier and Nikola Vucevic are in Europe preparing for Eurobasket. Bismack Biyombo was in South Africa for the NBA Africa Game and his own philanthropic efforts in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Typically NBA players do not begin trickling back into town until around Labor Day. That is when they will gather for group workouts and open gyms at the Amway Center.

It appears the Orlando Magic are getting a head start on the team building. And that is something veteran forward Marreese Speights told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype will be important for the team if they want to push for a Playoff bid.

Terrence Ross posted on Instagram a photo he took of several Magic players, including Bismack Biyombo, D.J. Augustin, Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon. Jonathan Isaac, Wesley Iwundu and Mario Hezonja also joined the group for workouts in Los Angeles.

Magic director of player development Becky Bonner is also in the photo above. But it appears the Magic are indeed beginning to work out together in some capacity.

This is an important step for the team. Remember back when the team was competing for championships, Jameer Nelson would gather the players in late August or early September for a week of team-building activities and workouts in Philadelphia, where he lived. The “Building Magic” week was often credited for those team’s strong chemistry.

Veteran forward Marreese Speights told Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype events like this one where the team comes together to workout and get to know each other will be critical for the season. That is something he hopes to spearhead during the season beyond this week’s gathering in Los Angeles:

"“I’ve learned what it takes to win in this league over time based on the different experiences I’ve had,” Speights said. “I think the biggest thing I’ve seen is that the more time you spend around each other, the more comfortable you get on the court together. The more team-bonding events you do, the better. Those bring you closer as a team and they help you when you step onto the court together. I’ll definitely try to get the guys together on road trips and even get guys together when we’re home. I’ll be planning different events for the group. That kind of stuff really helps the team.”"

Speights’ championship experience is already seeming to pay some dividends. He said he is going to impart how much sacrifice it takes to be truly successful.

The Magic are not expecting to compete for the Eastern Conference championship this season. But they certainly all seem to believe the Playoffs are an achievable and realistic goal.

There is a lot of stability on the roster — for better or worse — this year. But the new guys already seem to be doing some work to get to know their new teammates and build the chemistry it will take to reach the Playoffs.

Next: Orlando Magic still behind rebuild counterparts

This week in Los Angeles might be a moment they point to as part of their success.