Orlando Magic’s resilience shows a will to win, growth in winning
The Orlando Magic have had to claw their way to a chance at victory in the first four games. That they have come through is a sign of their growth.
For several years, everyone involved with the Orlando Magic has talked about a team needing to learn to win.
It was something intangible and necessary to their ultimate success. Experience was not quite the right thing to solve it, although it was a necessary factor. Everyone knew they had to learn how to win and gain the toughness it takes to gut out wins. Yet, no one knew quite how to get it.
Something, seemingly, would click in at the right moment. A light would go off and the Magic would suddenly learn how to win, getting victories out of poor performances and building momentum.
The season is still young in 2018. The Magic may not have learned their lessons yet. Their early season victories might still be a mirage. Things can slip back fairly easily. Evan Fournier said he remembered how quickly things turned after the team’s 19-13 start in 2016.
It is hard to know exactly what to believe.
But it is undeniable the feeling and spirit around the Magic. It is no coincidence and only coming out with some spurring from the media that several players admit the games the Magic have won this year would not have happened last year. The team would have crumbled after losing a 17-point lead in the opener, let a crushing, disappointing defeat cost them another game a night later and been unable to muster up enough mettle to buckle down and secure a come-from-behind win at home against any opponent.
Orlando Magic
This is not the 2016 team. There is something different about them. So far, they have shown that willingness and ability to win.
"“What the game was all about — just find a way,” coach Frank Vogel said after Tuesday’s 125-121 win over the Brooklyn Nets. “You see signs good or bad. Last preseason we saw some terrible signs of what was to come. This preseason, we saw some good signs. Each preseason game that we played this year, our group rallied. They never quit on a game and fought back. We showed that tonight. We got down. Things were not perfect by any stretch. We can play a lot better. Ultimately in the fourth quarter, we buckled down on the defensive end and made a bunch of big shots.”"
It has been rare in the last five years to see the Magic win a game without playing their best. And Orlando was far from its best in the win Tuesday over Brooklyn.
The Nets had the lead for most of the game, taking advantage of some sloppy defending from the Magic. Orlando gave up 34 free throw attempts on 23 fouls. Nearly every Magic foul resulted in a free throw.
That was just the first sign for the Magic of the team’s inconsistent defense that game.
On top of that, Orlando fell behind by as much as 12 points thanks to a stagnant offense that could not get itself going. The Magic, by any stretch of the imagination, did not have their best stuff. Their poor defense halted any chance at a fast break or offensive rhythm and flow.
Yet, Orlando stayed in the game. When the team strung together some stops in the fourth quarter, it slowly built momentum until it became a tidal wave. Eventually, the Magic were in the lead and holding off the Nets.
"“I’m glad we got a W, but there is a lesson in this game,” Evan Fournier said after Tuesday’s win. “We got away from moving the ball today. We can’t have that. We’re not a team that can just iso ball and just do pick and roll. Our strength is with body movement and ball movement. We basically waited three quarters to do it. When we don’t score, it gives them transition and gives them open looks and gives them pace. It’s always like this. Defense and offense is related.“It’s good we got some fight in us. That’s good, but I would rather have an easy night tonight.”"
And down the stretch, the Magic made the plays that mattered.
All of that is new. But so is trying to see those weaknesses while winning. That is the measure of the good teams — winning even without their best effort.
Orlando had done that before. It was an important step toward their becoming real contenders in the Dwight Howard era.
This team does not appear to have that kind of ceiling. But being able to reach down and win games like Tuesday night showed a resilience and a will to win the team had not had before.
At the very least, the Magic were not last year’s team. They were a team willing to scratch and claw. At least while momentum appears on their side.
"“Everyone is talking about this was kind of the same situation we were in last year early in the season,” Aaron Gordon said. “We could give up on this game and start turning downhill or We could turn it around and come out on top and start feeling good about ourselves heading into the next game. We’re going to continue to compete. We have a lot of guys who are just tired of losing.”"
That is the sentiment that seems to have permeated itself throughout the Magic roster early on this season. Orlando was determined not to let this season go the same way as its previous years.
No one may have talked much about the team’s internal expectations at media day or before the season — preferring the ever-open ended “just get better.” But there certainly seemed to be a bit of anger and a determination to respond with how last year went.
Maybe they can point to the end of last season when they seemed to take on an identity and build winning habits. Or maybe those are buzz words a coach said to keep an optimistic view.
They do not seem like that is what they are anymore. Or at least, that is what the early signs would suggest.
Instead, this seems like a team that can take a punch and bounce back. A team that can find the will to win late.
More than that, it is a team that has proven it already this season against the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets. It creates a new outlook for this season
"“This season, we just have a feeling like we are going to have a good season this year and we’re going to get over the hump this year,” Vogel said. “Everybody is bringing purity to their effort and their focus. So far early on, it is resulting in a couple wins. We still have a lot of work to do.”"
Things are not perfect for Orlando. There is still a long way to go. Several players know how quickly things can collapse.
Next: Aaron Gordon and the Orlando Magic are finally having fun
Through four games, the greatest sign of the Magic’s growth is in its ability to be resilient. And that is something Orlando has struggled to capture throughout the last five years. Maybe that is how they have turned the corner.