The Orlando Magic are moving on from the preseason and putting their focus entirely on preparing for their home opener against the Miami Heat.
There is a different vibe around Orlando Magic practice these days.
Friday’s final preseason game left a bad taste in everyone’s mouth but the prospect of what comes next is too tantalizing. The NBA season is getting ready to begin. The eagerness to get going for the Orlando Magic’s opener Wednesday at the Amway Center against the Miami Heat is palpable. Not only because it is against a hated rival.
It is the first day of school in many ways. Or the next big day on the calendar.
Practices have changed now with the Magic preparing for a real game. The scrimmaging that was prevalent throughout camp have stopped as the team tries to preserve their bodies. And the focus is slowly turning away from the self and focusing on what the other team is going to do with more detail.
It is a bit of a shift. But the focus has to be as tight as the team now moves away from the preseason and toward the regular season and the onslaught of games that come with the regular season.
"“They change quite a bit,” coach Steve Clifford said. “Not nearly as much contact. More correction. You can still do some technique and play more in the half court. We’ve done a lot of contact for a pro team. It will be less of that.”"
Things were indeed a bit different at practice Monday.
Steve Clifford said assistant coach Pat Delany took the team through some of the Heat’s sets and concepts in preparation for the team’s first game. The first week is not too busy for the Magic and so they can afford to put some extra attention.
Orlando opens the season Wednesday against Miami. the Orlando Magic then host the Charlotte Hornets on Friday night before taking the road for a difficult pair of games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics.
Orlando will have its work cut out for it to start the season for sure.
The focus though starts with the first game against the Heat. Clifford said playing against Miami in the preseason helped a bit to give the team a basic look at the sets they want to run and how the teams match up.
"“It’s more specific preparation for how we might play next game or what we might see the first couple games against our opponents,” Nikola Vucevic said. “Still a lot of stuff that we work on ourselves. Even though the preseason is over, it’s still early in the year. There is still some stuff we need to work on and improve upon. A little more as we get closer to the first day focus on what Miami will do.”"
For whatever preseason results are worth, the Magic lost the game 90-89. The Magic’s starters finished the game against the Heat’s second unit. Orlando struggled with fouling in that game and their transition defense. Those are things the team had to correct in their final two preseason games. They look OK doing that.
Preseason will obviously be different than the regular season. That game was still a team figuring itself out. They have come a long way even in a week. Both teams likely have.
Orlando Magic
There are still plenty of other things to figure out too in preparation for the regular season. Clifford still has to settle on a rotation and the combination of players he wants to use.
Clifford is well known around the league for his attention to detail and preparation. That is something Magic players have noted too as the team gets ready for the regular season. That detail now turns away some from instructing and getting his team ready and turns more toward preparing for each game.
"“He’s very detail-oriented,” Nikola Vucevic said. “He likes to make sure we are prepared for what we’re going to see. . . . I think those are great things to do to prepare us for the game. He did that in the preseason to make sure we get a feel for it and how it’s going to be when the season starts. It always gives you confidence as a player to go into games knowing you are prepared and kind of know what a team is going to do and what you need to do.”"
Clifford said he plans on using a nine- or 10-man rotation for the first game. He prefers to keep his rotation tight. In the Orlando Magic’s preseason finale against the San Antonio Spurs, he used 11 players. It is easy to see Jarell Martin (6:46 in the preseason finale) and Wes Iwundu played fewer than 15 minutes. That was likely because Jonathan Isaac, Terrence Ross and Jonathon Simmons were on minutes restrictions.
That might lead to a more expanded rotation to start the season. It seems like a few players might still see their minutes restricted to start the season. The rotation Clifford prefers is going to squeeze some players out of regular playing time, at least for a little while.
There is still a lot to figure out and sort through as the season begins. The preseason and training camp offered some clues but not a complete picture. The team is still coming together despite the quiet confidence the team seems to be exuding.
The pressure though undoubtedly is increasing now. The room for error and growth is going to lessen with the games counting. The Magic, if they want to make good on some of their wildest dreams, have to perform immediately.
And so that preparation goes on now as the season draws closer and closer.