Noah Penda has had it happen to him before. Just maybe not on this big of a stage.
The Orlando Magic's young forward got a steal and came rumbling down the court on the fast break. James Harden was only going to be a passing obstacle as Noah Penda rose for a two-handed jam, thundering the ball through the rim and hanging on the rim.
Only the ball popped out, bouncing off his head and back through the other side of the rim. The officials called basket interference. And, after some discussion, they confirmed the call even though the ball cleared the cylinder.
It is a preseason kind of moment.
Instead, it was still an announcement that Penda was a different player. He was the bulldog and energy big the Magic wanted. He is slowly putting the skills together after spending a strong summer reworking his body to be ready for the rigors of the NBA season.
He is ready for more.
"It's part of the body transformation, I guess. You get higher," Penda said after practice Thursday on his dunk mishap. "I'm feeling great. If I have to take away one thing from the preseason, it is that I'm in shape. That feels good. I know my game takes a lot of energy. Even what Sean asks, even mentally, you have to be able to not only run, but communicate and participate. That takes a lot of energy. Staying in shape is going to be really important."
It has been clear even in his two preseason games that Penda is a different player. He is more refined and more focused.
That comes naturally with player development. This being a young team, they will still need the room to explore the canvas and find ways to improve.
But one of the calling cards throughout training camp has been a focus on more clearly defined roles. Everyone has a better understanding of what the team wants them to do.
That as much as anything has helped focus Penda's development and allowed him to blossom.
Defining roles has been one of the bigger themes of camp and the preseason. And it seems to be one of the reasons the Magic have blossomed. The team is playing with a lot more confidence and certainty.
Defining roles in a new system
During Media Day, several players noted how much clearer Sean Sweeney was in defining player roles and how clear the communication was.
The team is learning a new process for playing offense and defense, and Sweeney's way of doing things.
A lot of what fans have seen in the preseason has been the team getting a feel for the way they want to play. The team is trying to build something repeatable.
"You are always looking to build on your habits," Sweeney said after practice Thursday. "We want it to be second nature. Right now, we're at about fourth nature. We want to continue to make this thing habitual and repeatable. So far the guys have been doing a good job of that, but we've got to keep building."
Nobody believes the Magic are in their final form yet. But part of what has made the team successful in the early parts of the season is how well Sweeney has defined roles and communicated with his team.
For a team running something so new, they have mostly looked very organized. And they corrected mistakes quickly after Sunday's difficult game in Cleveland. Everyone is still waiting to see how everything comes together as the season approaches.
The clarity in what everyone is supposed to do is a good teaching tool as the team learns this new system.
"I think it is a new system, and I think it is very clearly communicated what is expected of each individual as well," Franz Wagner said after practice Thursday. "I think it is a little easier already to know what to expect a little bit. You see certain situations over and over again, they are going to become second nature at some point.
"I think you can already tell after a couple of weeks. Even though it is a new system, when it is clearly communicated -- obviously we still have to get used to it -- but I think that will make a lot of stuff easier."
The Magic are still getting comfortably, clearly. Defining roles has helped players settle in and learn what they are supposed to do.
When the roles expand
Still, the Orlando Magic are working on a few new ideas. They are still eager to see players' roles expand and grow. Sean Sweeney has a different way of using players.
That is part of the roles that are defined for players.
Tristan da Silva has found a lot of success focusing on spacing the floor and making threes. The Magic have turned Franz Wagner into a point guard and lead ball-handler for seemingly the first time. Noah Penda is being given more responsibility.
Players are getting more opportunities to explore different parts of the game. That is part of the different context that Sweeney is bringing to the team.
There are different ideas about how to attack and things that he is trying to get the team to do. It is all still settling in.
All of it feels like a natural growth for those players. And they are fitting into the new, faster-paced style the Magic are trying to play to create advantages.
"Roles are really important because that is how you help the team win the most," Sweeney said after practice Thursday. "That's how you can contribute the most to the team. That doesn't mean you can't develop. Your role right now as it stands i not your ceiling, but it's also not your floor. Roles can expand and can contract. In general, we want guys who want to improve and want to get better and who want more. And then there is making sure you manage that ambition and making sure you do what is best for the team."
Players are still understanding these roles. They are still getting a handle of what the coaches are asking of them. It will remain a process of growth for this team.
That growth will be seen in the way the team plays and how players grow into their roles.
That will evolve too as the season develops. And as a player like Penda continues to gain confidence. Things will continue to come together.
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