Orlando Magic view first exhibition as extension of practice

The Orlando Magic enter their first preseason game Monday hoping to extend what they have built in practice and looking for a start to their growth.

Coach Steve Clifford has been doing his best to lay in the foundations for his team through the early parts of training camp. His approach has been to teach and drill the basics each day and then test his team with scrimmages after. The spirit and energy of practices seem more important at this point than the depth of the team’s playbook.

The Orlando Magic certainly have a chunk of their offense installed. And knowing Clifford, he has probably focused a lot on his defensive rules and principles. The team will be trying to implement all of them and apply them in its latest test.

Monday, the Orlando Magic take on the Philadelphia 76ers in their first chance to go up against another team in the preseason. It is the first chance the public will get to see the team in action and gauge where they are at.

Those data points will help fans as they assess the season to some extent. But that is not the goal for the coaches.

This first game, especially, is less about the final result or even how effective everyone plays. It is about getting their feet wet and applying what they have learned so far. The preseason opener is always filled with a ton of rust and sloppy play.

This game is more like an extension of practice. And the things Clifford and the team are looking for are a bit more difficult to quantify.

"“This one to as much as any of them is going to literally be like another practice,” Clifford said. “There are some things from watching film with our staff from last year that you will see. Offensive and defensive things that were really good. I knew the guys were comfortable with it. We will be very similar. A lot of it obviously is new. You’ll see the newness. We’re not totally organized.”"

Clifford said simply he wants the team to do the things they have worked on in practice to this point. He used the cliches that the team has been its best when they play with pace and the ball has been moving and stuck to their defensive mentality.

It seems intensity and organization are more the calling cards. Clifford wants to see the team understand the concepts he has taught in camp so far and that they play hard throughout the game.

Do not expect to see anyone play more than 25 minutes. All 15 players on the roster are likely to see the floor. And the rotations and lineups Clifford uses in this first preseason game are not likely going to have any bearing on what the team will do when the season tips off in two weeks.

That does not mean Clifford and the team do not want to see some kind of progress.

The theme of organization pervaded the whole team as they discussed what they wanted to see in this preseason opener.

They are hoping they can at least be where they are supposed to be and do what they are supposed to do as they run through their basic sets. This would show understanding and growth within the system as much as anything.

"“[Clifford] doesn’t care if we win or lose,” D.J. Augustin said. “Just being organized and playing hard and playing the right way. That’s all we’re looking to do, no matter the outcome. These games don’t count, but they count for us learning each other and playing hard.”"

It seems the goal then is to look like they are a cogent team or at least moving in that direction. And then to see if the effort the team wants to play with is there. The rest of the details and the efficiency and mastery of the entire system can grow in the course of the next few weeks.

Maybe this game will tell the coaches just where the team is at and how quickly they have to set things in overdrive or that they are still on the right track. Or maybe all of that is irrelevant and this is a scrimmage by another name. It is not something to put a whole lot of stock into.

More philosophically, the first game is a chance to begin establishing the standard the Magic want to play with. They have held each other accountable in practice. But there is still nothing like going up against another team. It is a challenge in itself.

The Magic have their sights set high on what kind of team they want to be. It mirrors the teams Clifford coached with the Charlotte Hornets.

"“It shouldn’t be about preseason or playoffs or regular season, it should be about how you play,” Evan Fournier said. “We always talk about the Spurs and how they play — up 20, down 20, overtime or whatever. We should have one way to play basketball and we should do that every single day.”"

Just where the team is at and how they look against the 76ers will remain a bit up in the air. The final score will not be indicative of where the Magic stand. And really there are not a lot of conclusions to draw for fans other than to see the team dip its toe in the water.

What matters more, it seems, is how the team plays and the standard they set themselves. If the Magic play hard and look together on both ends — whether they meet success or struggle — then the first preseason game can be deemed a success.

This, for the public at least, is a launching pad for the team. A chance to see where they start and grow from there.