The Orlando Magic are back in action on the court. And in their first game, they showcased everything that makes them fun and promising.
About an hour before tip-off of the Orlando Magic’s preseason opener, the team sent out a tweet announcing its starting lineup.
D.J. Augustin, Evan Fournier, Jonathan Isaac, Aaron Gordon and Nikola Vucevic.
That is not spectacular in itself. And it being the preseason, there was always the chance the Magic could decide to let some starters rest for a myriad of reasons. Each team approaches the preseason differently.
But Orlando was going to play its full complement at least to start. And there was a warm comfort to having that same starting five back out there. The same starting five that anchored the Magic’s playoff run.
They got their work in for sure. The team had 15 points within the first half of the first quarter. And the Magic’s starting unit was generally positive in the preseason opener. They all put in their work without going too overboard.
There was still plenty to clean up on both ends of the floor for the Magic after one preseason game. But it was hard not to come away impressed with the team’s overall effort their 125-89 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
This is part of the beauty of continuity. It really does feel like the Magic are picking up right where they left off. Like a band, they started playing all their hits to start off their preseason.
Aaron Gordon took a pass along the baseline and finished with an overhead jam. Evan Fournier got things going with the first points of the preseason on a nice runner. It all felt so familiar.
And coming off last year, that familiarity is only going to increase the excitement from an eager fan base. The Magic certainly wanted to get those first-game jitters out. So if this is their first effort, then things certainly seem like they will look good in the future.
Like a band too, there were new hits to play.
Mohamed Bamba played his first action since Summer League and his second action since last January. He had some rough moments early on but started to make a positive impact. He scored 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting, adding seven rebounds and three blocks.
But the counting stats matter less than how he accumulated them.
The Magic want him to run the floor and play with energy. They want to see him go from end to end. In one possession, he did just that, blocking one shot and running the floor for a two-handed put-back jam.
There was Markelle Fultz’s long-awaited debut. He certainly looked like he had some rust to knock off, but there was a joy about the way he played. You could tell he felt the desire to be out on the floor and make the most of every minute.
And he was productive in scoring six points and dishing out four assists. He got the team moving and looked like he belonged. It was a good first step for him.
Markelle Fultz said he was keeping his goals simple for that first game. One of them being to help the team pick up its pace.
That has been a professed goal for the Magic throughout training camp. To kickstart their offense, the Magic want to get out in transition more and create easier scoring opportunities.
Orland played that first game at a pace of 102 possessions in the game. That is nearly four possessions better than the team was last year. The Magic had 27 fast-break points in Saturday’s game. Fultz added a big exclamation point with a one-handed jam to cap a 24-2 run.
Of course, it is just one game. It is just a preseason game. Everything should get taken with a grain of salt.
Many grains of salt actually.
The team will have to do this again. It will have to be just as effective and reinforce their good habits while looking to improve elsewhere. This is just one step on a long journey.
But before getting back to the reality of getting better every day and facing an opponent that is perhaps playing at its peak, a return like this deserves some appreciation.
For one night, Magic basketball was back and it felt perfect.
All the fans’ wildest dreams and possibilities for this season seemed to be on display at the AT&T Center. It was a game that just brought back all the joy of Magic basketball, reminding everyone of the run the team made last year and all the possibility that still lays in front of them.
Fultz had it right. Playing basketball is supposed to be fun. And finding that joy can help a team win.
And the best way to have fun is to go out and play and play at a high level. It certainly felt like the Magic were playing at high level. It certainly felt like the team had is focus sharp and things were coming easily.
There will be a lot more work to do. This game is not the final product — nowhere close to it. The team will face tougher challenges and adversity along the way. The Magic are going to have their work cut out for them.
Watching or listening to Magic basketball was fun again. That part is certainly back again. And it is good to have it back.