The Orlando Magic had some troubling trends throughout the preseason. But the team’s history suggests it is nothing they cannot fix quickly.
The Orlando Magic’s preseason was a wild ride.
The first three games saw the team play with incredible precision and energy. It looked like the Magic picked up right where they left off and they were picking apart teams that just had not gotten everything together yet.
The last three games? They were a different story.
The Magic faced injuries that knocked out some key players. The Magic seemed to lose some of their attention to detail. Orlando lost two games at home in blowout fashion where there really was not much to take away in preparation for the regular season.
The Orlando Magic finished things off with an improved effort against the Miami Heat. But still, turnovers and some lax defense allowed the Heat to win this quasi-dress rehearsal.
Nobody with the Magic seems worried. They understand it is still preseason.
While coach Steve Clifford probably does not want to see the team going through the motions a bit, players are human. They know the stakes are low and they understand how much their intensity and attention to detail — their purpose of play, if you will — will have to increase during the regular season.
The Magic spent practice Sunday and Monday doing contact practice and installing more of their offense. They are starting to make their final preparations for the regular season.
They might also be playing some catch up as they make up lost time from their injuries in the regular season.
It is easy to get carried away with the preseason. It is, after all, the only data points fans have to go on before the regular season begins. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing all the statistics you see in the preseason — both good and bad.
There was plenty of good to be encouraged by and bad to be discouraged by and concerned about. The truth for the team is somewhere in the middle.
It is best right now to be concerned and alert to some of these trends, but not to get overly concerned. The preseason had its poor moments, but nothing to fret over.
Too much.