Orlando Magic start training camp with familiar beats

The Orlando Magic season is new, but the beginning of practice felt comfortable to a lot of new players. The continuity helped the Magic get started.

The Orlando Magic finished up their scrimmaging for the day at the end of their first practice and retreated to a familiar drill. One they opened up to the media last year too.

As coach Frank Vogel had his team do last year at the end of the first practice, he challenged his team to make 82 left-handed layups in two minutes by first inbounding the ball to a coach at the elbow, receiving the pass back, throwing the ball ahead to a coach at the opposite elbow, sprinting down the court to receive the ball again and making the layup before getting back in line and doing it all again.

The drill was probably unfamiliar to every player last year when they did it. Vogel was a new coach with a new team he was in charge of. And the kind of effort it took from every player to make that mark was unknown.

It took the Magic two tries to hit the mark that first day a year ago. The Magic’s push to hit it the second time was a sign of the team’s supposed competitive spirit. That was the easy storyline. Really, it was a first-day training camp drill that probably has no larger meaning.

Yet, the Magic this time around did have something to help them accomplish this goal the first time around. They knew what to expect. And as the Magic hit the 82nd layup just as time expired, the Magic had accomplished this conditioning goal.

It may be meaningless. But the team knew what was coming and what it would take to succeed in this drill. That got them moving quicker through their first practice plan.

"“It’s important, especially for the players that are returning,” Nikola Vucevic told Orlando Magic Daily on Tuesday. “You really kind of know what to expect. You feel comfortable with the coaching staff. That’s really important when you want to build good team chemistry and when you want to build success for a long time. That’s a recipe for success for the long term. Hopefully we can keep it that way.”"

Nikola Vucevic, who has played for four different coaches in the last three years, said that familiarity helped create a relatively efficient practice. There was a comfort to the drills the Magic were doing and the expectations for practice. Returning players could help give guidance and instruction to keep drills moving rather than coaches having to stop and explain it to the whole group.

Orlando Magic

This consistency is something easily taken for granted, but the results already seem apparent.

Take that conditioning drill. Jonathan Isaac made a rookie mistake and dribbled up the court instead of doing the full cross-court pass. That kind of lost time could be the difference between succeeding in the drill and having to do it over. But teammates corrected him and he, just like everyone else, was back on track.

Granted, the Magic failed their conditioning drill in the middle of practice, Vogel said. The coach will get his licks in to make sure the players have their conditioning right as practice begins.

But that familiarity matters to this team as they try to come together and build off their stronger finish last season.

Vucevic said he felt some of that chemistry carried over into the team’s scrimmages and drill work, especially among last year’s starting group. Even without much offense installed, Vucevic said the players instinctively knew where they were going to be.

The team will hammer out a lot of the other details as the preseason continues on. Especially as they integrate new players.

"“I think we are all trying to help each other,” Jonathon Simmons told Orlando Magic Daily on Tuesday. “It’s basically the transition from getting to know new people, a new organization, new media, I think that is the biggest part to me other than basketball. Trying to make everybody feel comfortable.”"

There was a lot of newness for a player like Jonathon Simmons coming to the Magic. But his returning teammates helped get things acclimated. It did make things comfortable for the team.

That was a big theme for the Magic throughout the first day of practice. Things felt a lot more comfortable for a lot of players. And that feeling seemingly permeated through.

Even though the Magic opted to practice in the main arena bowl — a change of scenery, Vogel said –things felt familiar for the team. Vucevic said during the team’s scrimmages the players who were part of the starting lineup last year felt that comfort of working together.

It was far from perfect, it was the first day after all. But Vucevic and Vogel were encouraged by the team’s progress, especially when compared to last year. Positional roles and expectations were just clearer.

That should help them take their next step for training camp.

"“I think some of it carried from last year,” Vucevic told Orlando Magic Daily. “Some of the guys are comfortable, especially the starting five. I think that will help the guys that are newcomers as we mix different teams in practice and different guys playing. I think already when you have guys who are familiar with what do, they can help the other guys. You can tell right from the beginning there is familiarity.”"

This familiarity and this comfort will help the team get themselves going.

Of course, it will not equal wins. And it is the first practice. There is a lot of instruction yet to come.

But this facet was something Vogel highlighted to his team after the first practice’s conclusion. And it helped the team get itself started.

"“That’s what we talked about when we brought it in when we huddled up,” Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily following Tuesday’s practice. “That was apparent throughout the entire practice. Guys just being comfortable not only with each other but with the system we were running. It is largely the same system we were running with last year. It’s something that our young core has not had here. It’s good to hit the ground running.”"

The Magic are scheduled to practice again Tuesday night and remain in training camp for the rest of the week. The team will slowly install more wrinkles to its offense and sharpen its defense. There is still time before the season starts and even before the first preseason game.

Next: Jonathan Isaac eager to get going, Orlando Magic preach patience

Not everything is going to feel easy or comfortable in this process. But, for now, the Magic are eager to keep moving ahead and are moving quickly through the work they need as practice begins.