Orlando Magic eager to put on a show in front of their fans

The Orlando Magic held an open practice and have two preseason games at home this week. It is their chance to put on a show for their fans before the year.

The Orlando Magic’s open practice is the kind of event where everyone goes home a winner. Or, as coach Frank Vogel quipped to the referees before his team went through a 12-minute scrimmage, “It’s OK to call in the Magic’s favor tonight.”

It was the kind of night where everyone can be happy with Jonathan Isaac skying high to block an Aaron Gordon layup attempt and then watch Gordon collect the rebound dribble back out to the perimeter and drain a 3-pointer.

See: Everyone wins.

The Magic’s open practice scrimmage was largely a showcase of their play. Defense was hard to find — the team played a game the previous night and completed a regular practice beforehand — and the team was merely getting on the floor for the fans for the first time. The rookie sing-off, team knockout competition and Facebook Live Q&A session were the real highlights of the evening.

For a fan base and a franchise that is still a bit apprehensive about the team’s future and dispirited by the team’s recent past, the team is looking for any sign of hope it can get.

It is still early in the preseason. But fans got a taste of what their 2018 team will look like Tuesday at the Amway Center and will get a bit more in preseason games Thursday against the Dallas Mavericks and Saturday against the Miami Heat.

"“I think they are going to see an exciting brand of basketball,” Vogel told Orlando Magic Daily following Tuesday’s open practice. “We’ve got a lot of athleticism with our group. We’re going to play up-tempo, be attacking and shoot a lot of 3s. We’re going to modernize our team to be more fit to compete in today’s NBA. We started doing it midseason last year and we’re carrying it over to this season. Hopefully, we have a much stronger showing than we did last year.”"

Vogel said Tuesday’s open practice was a great opportunity to connect with their fans in a fun setting. It is a great chance for fans to get to know the team. The games this week will provide fans an opportunity to get to know the team on the court.

Vogel, ever the optimist, came out to address the crowd and told them things are cyclical and the Magic are preparing to recover and bounce back from the lull they have been in the last few years. The time to jump on was now, he said in a bit of salesmanship.

Orlando Magic

Longtime Magic fans certainly hope so too.

It has been a rough five years to be a Magic fan. While the team reported attendance was up last year (slightly), there is certainly a concern the team has lost some of its fan base and its buzz around town. Or, at least, that fan base is a bit dormant as the Magic try to put a winning product on the floor.

There was a solid crowd to see the Magic play at their open practice. But it was nothing like the crowd that saw them play back in their hay days. There are long-time fans eager to find something to buy into.

"“I’m looking for watching the young players and how the veterans will help them gel,” Aaron Carlson, a six-year season ticket holder, told Orlando Magic Daily. “[I look forward to] just the future and seeing them improve. [Aaron] Gordon especially. He has shown signs and I’m excited to see [Jonathan] Isaac when he gets a chance to play.”"

Certainly, there are young players fans are eager to see from Aaron Gordon to Elfrid Payton to Jonathan Isaac. But like the “experts,” fans want to see them reach some level of consistency so the team can invest in a core. Those young players hold a lot of the excitement.

Carlson added he was excited to see what new management headed by Jeff Weltman and John Hammond could do with this team. Unlike the Rob Hennigan regime, Carlson said he was encouraged the Magic hired an experienced front office to lead this team.

They have proven they can get things done, he said.

Fans seem to agree the team is headed in the right direction. What direction that is remains a bit of a mystery and may not develop fully this season.

Other longtime fans seemingly are looking for a reason to come to the games. The open practice was an excellent opportunity for them to get a free taste of the Magic. Whether they invest in season tickets and coming to more games may depend on how the team looks and performs.

It is much easier to sell a winner.

But there are still plenty of diehards who just want to go to the games and be invested in the team. These fans are very antsy to see the team recover. Longtime Magic players like Nikola Vucevic have the personal anxiety and certainly feel it from the fans too.

"“It’s my sixth season here and every year has been the same. Fans really support the Magic,” Nikola Vucevic told Orlando Magic Daily on Tuesday. “Wherever you go people can’t wait for the season to start again. It’s exciting. Opening Night is one of the best nights, the arena is almost always sold out. We get really pumped for that game. You can tell. I can see people writing at me [on Twitter]. It’s always good to know we have support.”"

There is still a long way to go before opening night. Vucevic said he was eager to get out in front of the team’s fans at the preseason games this week. It is their opportunity to build their base for the season and show the fans who will support them what is to come.

The Magic have sent encouraging signals and seemed to generally like how they played in Monday’s preseason opener. Now the fans will get a chance to judge this team and figure out their willingness to invest — emotionally and financially.

The Magic put on a good show Tuesday at the open practice. They showed off their personalities and some of their skills that will come.

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A more official introduction comes Thursday at the Amway Center.