Orlando Magic prepare the same, but playoffs will bring changes
The Orlando Magic have been preparing like it is the playoffs for the entire season. But things will change with the postseason here.
Terrence Ross stood in front of the Orlando Magic backdrop to meet the media outside the Advent Health practice facility. A binder was tucked underneath his arm — nothing thick like the end of the semester at school but big enough to notice.
There were far more cameras and lights facing him than a typical practice. Every TV network in Orlando was there along with reporters from just about every outlet that regularly covers the team too.
The playoffs had arrived with the attention the team was getting. But the playoffs really arrived behind closed doors.
A reporter asked Terrence Ross if that was the “Playoff Book.” Ross smiled and confirmed it was. Inside were all the notes and scouting reports the coaching staff had gathered on the Toronto Raptors as they prepare for their playoff series beginning Saturday at Scotiabank Arena.
Ross sheepishly grinned again and said he had a flash drive with more clips of the Raptors for him to study. He said he was going to plug it into his PlayStation and watch more when he got home, perhaps even as he goes to sleep.
Everyone has to be locked in now. Everyone has to do their homework.
"“I think we’ve still got that mentality we’ve got to win,” Ross said. “Everybody right now is confident. We’re studying up on the plays and personnel. I think we’ll be prepared.”"
This is playoff basketball. No frills — Ross shrugged at the thought of his returning to play the franchise that drafted and remember how Joe Johnson introduced him to playoff basketball — and no fluff. This series is about deep preparation and honing in on stopping your opponent and executing what you do best at the highest level.
The Magic believe they will win the series and are going into the playoffs thinking they can score the upset. They have been playing do-or-die basketball for several weeks just to get in. But they will still have to get their work in.
They got some good news as Jonathan Isaac cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and Nikola Vucevic said he was feeling much better after missing Wednesday’s game with a stomach illness. Both seem on track to play in Saturday’s Game 1.
That is welcome news. But this is still the Magic’s first taste of the postseason.
The whole season has led to this point. And quietly, this is what the Magic have prepared for the whole season.
"“I think we’re more mature in a way,” Nikola Vucevic said. “We understand what it takes to win better. We understand what works for us and what doesn’t. I think what we do much better now is if we get down or we have a lead and a team comes back, we are able to sustain it better. We don’t fall apart, we don’t panic.”"
Coach Steve Clifford dropped hints that he would point things out to the team in shootarounds and practices trying to inform them what it would be like in the playoffs. He said not much of their preparation actually changes.
During practices and shootarounds, Clifford said he would run through more plays than a typical coach would. Their regular season preparation is done as if they are preparing for the playoffs even for that brief moment.
Changes to the process
That is all done with this moment in mind. The team’s preparation process does not change much as they hit a comfort level with what they will have to do.
Clifford said he believes this kind of preparation helps a team’s habits and how they approach each games comes with an intense understanding of what they are about to face.
The preparation is a bit different though. There are no hints of what the playoffs might be like even if the process of practice change.
Now the team has the time to focus in and dive deeply into what another team does. The playoffs become about little adjustments to make the opponent uncomfortable.
Ross said teams will dive deeper into the team’s plays and tendencies. Players have to be more aware of these counters and tendencies than ever before. They will learn quickly.
"“Regardless of whose second or whose seventh, to play well you have to have a belief,” Clifford said. “I don’t think it’s far-fetched for our guys to believe we have a chance to play against any team the way we have played these last 31 games.”"
The reality is coaching staffs are so good about being detail-oriented there is plenty for each team to dive into. They know everything about each other. Now they have the time to really dive in and gameplan for it — rather than a day and a shootaround during the regular season.
At the end of the day, a series comes down to making plays and breaking that preparation.
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Rising intensity
Ross said the team will understand how much more intense playoff games are after Game 1. They will feel the energy and noise of the opposing crowd — just as they will feed off the energy and noise of the home crowd in Game 3.
"“It’s going to be tough,” Ross said. “Everybody knows the playoffs are going to be tough. Nobody comes thinking it is going to be what it was for 82. They know it is going to be difficult. That’s all they’ve got to know.”"
The Magic are not resting on their laurels.
They are a somewhat surprising playoff entrant. They are a team that many believe could be a tough out and push the Raptors around. But a team some also believe could be ripe for a rude awakening in the playoffs.
Orlando accomplished a lot this season but know there is still a lot to do.
"“No matter what our guys have done a good job,” Clifford said. “But the NBA is about winning in the playoffs. We have size, we have intelligence and we’re playing good basketball right now. I think there is a determination, a confidence level in how good we can play.”"
Confidence will be a start to getting the team ready for the postseason. The coaches will do the rest with how they instruct and strategize for their team.
They will try to make things as normal as possible for the team to keep them in this group. But things are going to be different. These games have a weight and intensity to them the previous 82 will not.
The secrets as the Magic know all year will not be in that binder. They will come on the court. Clifford can prepare his team as best as he can, but it will come down to how they play in the end.
Next. Orlando Magic's greatest trait is their belief. dark
And there is really no preparation for that.