5 things we learned from the Orlando Magic’s FIBA World Cup run
5 things we learned from Orlando Magic’s FIBA World Cup
Taste of Winning
The most important thing that came out of the FIBA World Cup is that the Orlando Magic’s two most important players played with and had to perform under winning pressure. That is something they have not had to do with the Magic yet, but they will have to do very soon.
Orlando has an experience gap. The team has only a few players who have played in the playoffs. They need to get used to playing under pressure as much as they possibly can.
However the team can get it, the team has to get them in these kinds of situations.
And that is precisely what happened at the World Cup. Both Paolo Banchero with the United States and Franz Wagner and Germany both expected to medal and win in this tournament.
Wagner’s Germany team obviously won and had to do so in a tight championship game where Wagner both succeeded and struggled.
Banchero’s U.S. team obviously fell short. And even in failure, Banchero learned what it will take to get that last little bit to win and the amount of sacrifice it will take to be a winning team.
The tournament structure is obviously different than an NBA regular season or even the NBA Playoffs. These teams have to come together quickly and play with the smallest margins of error. But the amount of sacrifice and understanding it takes to win are still present. And both Wagner and Banchero got to experience this and explore them.
How much will this translate for the Magic’s key players? That is the big question of course. The World Cup only is beneficial for these players if they take what they have learned and the experience they have gained and use it with the Magic’s roster.
Winning experience is something this team needs to understand. That is a big part of what this season is about.
Next. Franz Wagner can be a star if he takes it. dark
In that way, the trip to the Philippines (and Japan and Indonesia) for the World Cup are going to be valuable for giving the players that kind of experience.
We will see in three weeks how that begins to manifest itself.