Orlando Magic eager to see where they stand as season begins

The Orlando Magic have gone through training camp and the season opener is finally here. They are eager to see just where they stand in these early games.

The feeling of an opening night gets old.

Sure, there are the bells and whistles of the ceremony to open the season. The Orlando Magic have planned a special introduction for their players and everyone gets their chance to hear Paul Porter call out their name and introduced to the team. The building will have the energy of endless possibility within it as the season gets started.

There is, of course, that nervous energy and pressure. This is not preseason anymore. The games count and the team will get judged on the final result. There is the pressure to do well and show out for the fans. But also the recognition that this is the beginning of a marathon of a season.

Like the other 29 teams in the NBA, the Magic are eager to get their season started.

"“Opening night is always special,” Nikola Vucevic said. “After so much time you are back to playing. There is so much excitement around the fans and players and both teams are fired up to play. You always want to start the season with a win. It always helps. It starts off with a good mood. It’s obviously just one game but it can give you a positive boost that is always good.”"

Coach Steve Clifford said he wants to use these early games to get a sense of where the team is at. Really this is the time to see just how much of the training camp instruction the team retained and then try to correct things.

Orlando is still discovering who it is as a team. While much of the roster remains the same from last year, it is still a group getting used to a new coach. The Magic played well in the preseason in some areas but certainly have a lot to improve upon, especially on offense. There is a bit of mystery about how the team will fare when the lights turn on Wednesday.

Orlando Magic

Orlando though will have to run through its first four games with limited practice time. The Orlando Magic open Wednesday against the Miami Heat and then host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night. They then travel to play the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday in a back to back before playing the Boston Celtics on Monday at TD Garden. They will get at least a day of practice in then before playing the Portland Trail Blazers next Thursday.

That is not an easy run for the first five games. But Clifford said he prefers to test the team against good competition early. It becomes a true measuring stick.

"“The biggest thing is you always anxious more than anything to see where we’re at,” Clifford said. “Offensively, defensively, rebounding so you can get a gauge of what we have to do after that to get better. In this league you always have to know what’s ahead of you, we’ll play four here with little practice time against good competition. For me, it’s the thing you want early in the year. You want to play against the teams that are hard to play again because it’s the best chance of making improvement.”"

Steve Clifford named Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Evan Fournier the team’s captains. Unlike previous years, it seems like Clifford takes this role seriously. And he gave the honor to probably the Magic’s three key players — the longest-tenured players on the team too.

All three seem like they are taking that responsibility seriously too as the season approaches.

Both Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon said it is important for the leader to lead by example as much by words. Clifford said they each have a drive to win and see the franchise move in the right direction.

Evan Fournier, Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon have been with the team the longest and will have the biggest impact on the team’s ultimate success or failure this year as the team’s three best players.

Clifford said all three will take responsibility for how the team plays anyway. He said in the NBA the people most responsible for how a team plays is the head coach and the best player. Those three players are guys who can set an example and will hold themselves and others accountable.

"“It’s a responsibility I am proud to have,” Vucevic said. “As a captain of the team, you have to make sure you lead by example. That’s the main thing. You can say all the right things but at the end of the day, to do the right things that shows the most and makes other guys respect you the most. it’s something I think I have been doing all these years. I will try to keep doing that. It means a lot and it’s a great thing to be named a captain.”"

All the pieces seem to be in place for the team’s opener. They are playing a familiar opponent and already have something they want to work on and watch out for — Steve Clifford noted the Magic missed all eight attempts Hassan Whiteside defended in their preseason game.

The excitement to be back is all there too.

The Magic know they have a tall task ahead of them and a difficult journey ahead. The season is a marathon, of course. One game will not determine the outcome. A loss Wednesday is just as much a measuring stick as a win. And one game outliers always occur.

But the team is ready to get going and see exactly where they are at.

"“We’re ready,” Gordon said. “It’s going to be a tough home stretch here. These first 10 games are going to be very telling on how much momentum we are going to build, how far we’ve come and how much further we have to go. But we’re ready.”"

The team and the fans will see just how ready when they hit the floor Wednesday.