LAS VEGAS, Nev. -- When Orlando Magic coach Jamahl Mosley talks about the NBA Cup, he rarely talks about the trophy or the money on the line, although those are both mentioned, as is the team's competitiveness.
So far, he has focused mostly on the opportunity that this tournament run has given the team.
The chance to experience winning in pressure situations and even, upon arriving in Las Vegas, seeing all the bells and whistles of an NBA-run event, from the media availability to carefully scheduled practice times.
It is a different kind of experience for the team.
But it is one that everyone believes will make the team better. Another log they can add to their memory banks as they try to pursh and pursue a championship -- an openly stated goal for this team.
The Magic have built on two Playoff series to break through the Eastern Conference to reach Las Vegas. They wonder where they can take things next.
"I think it's great for our guys," coach Jamahl Mosley said after practice Friday. "Speaking to some of the guys in Indiana, being able to lean into that experience that they had. It's great for the guys. The bright lights, the stakes. I think these guys understand exactly what is at stake and the intensity, the focus, the gameplanning you have to go through. I think those are such great pieces for us to experience."
The Magic are the exact kind of team that would and should benefit from this tournament. A young team looking for experience and hungry to prove themselves on a bigger stage.
It is an experience that shows the team's continued growth and where the team can go next.
Built by experience
The Orlando Magic had plenty of motivation heading into the NBA Cup this season.
The Magic lost out on advancing in the 2023 tournament because of point differential. The group play run still announced the team as a player contender in 2024.
Last year, the Orlando Magic rallied past injury to push the Milwaukee Bucks on the road before falling in the quarterfinal. Like playoff teams that hit roadblocks year after year before breaking through, the Magic carried that memory.
But in both tournaments, the Magic used the tournament as a springboard to cement their identity and build for the Playoffs. That remains the ultimate goal. And the Cup served as key experience to succeed in pressure situations.
"Playoff experience is valuable," Paolo Banchero said after practice Friday. "I think the deeper in the playoffs you go, the higher the stakes are, the more the pressure builds, the more media is around. This is obviously a lot of that. I think it does prepare you for what's to come if you advance in the playoffs and make it far. I think it's a good thing for our team to be a part of."
The Magic are still looking to advance further in the Playoffs. They are still looking for their first Playoff series win since 2010. That is a lot of the promise this team has for this season.
Orlando has built some playoff experience to gain the confidence to know how to make it through the regular season and withstand those ups and downs. What they do not know, and what they hope this run will teach them, is how to win big in these pressure games against elite teams.
What comes next
That is the obvious thing then: How does the NBA Cup dovetail into something bigger for the Orlando Magic? What can they actually get from being in Las Vegas and competing for this trophy? What lessons will it teach them as they prepare for those more critical games in the spring.
The Magic have come a long way as a team -- not merely from when Jamahl Mosley took over and built them into a defensive juggernaut and perennial Playoff team but from the start of the season as they tried to find their way with some new players and these heavier expectations.
The Magic had to find themselves first. And their month since NBA Cup play began has seen them find their direction. Leading to this critical moment.
"It's been huge," Desmond Bane said after practice Friday. "I think we're building a ton of momentum and trending in the right direction. Unfortunately, Franz goes down, but we still find a way to win some games. It has been great."
The Magic have found a way, doing most of it in the last month without Paolo Banchero after he missed 10 games with a strained groin.
Orlando has gone 12-5 with a 110.1 defensive rating and a surprisingly strong 117.0 offensive rating. The Magic have climbed to fourth in the Eastern Conference, with much of the softer spots in their schedule still upcoming.
That is all in addition to punching their ticket to play in the NBA Cup semifinals. The Magic are rounding into form in a major way.
Jamahl Mosley said the team has been able to build chemistry and stick to the team's principles and standards to get to this spot. Everyone is more confident in their roles and playing more on a string.
Orlando is still building and getting accustomed to the added pressure of internal and external expectations.
"Guys now, with the stakes and expectations, understand that standards continue to rise," Mosley said after practice Friday. "We're going to continue to play hard. They are going to continue to fight for one another. With more stakes, I have to change, helping them understand what it means to win at a high level. You are always growing and always getting better, but I think that's when you focus in on the details of the process of what you are trying to accomplish."
This team is still evolving and still growing. It is still trying to reach this level where events like this do not feel special.
But the first thing the team has to do is get here to the first time. I thas to feel what this moment and these stakes feel like. That will make them better in the long run.
It will help them prepare for the spring.
"I wouldn't say this is a guaranteed ticket to winning the East," Banchero said after practice Friday. "If you win this, you do get money, you get confidence as a team, you are on a big stage. But it is also December. Those games are played in May and June. It does give you confidence as far as knowing you can come into something like this and come out on top. But at the end of the day, it's a long season, and you have to play your best basketball in May and June."