DETROIT -- Tristan da Silva has been in a Playoff game before.
He had two short stints during the Orlando Magic's playoff series with the Boston Celtics last season. He was mostly on the bench for the series, absorbing the preparation and atmosphere of an intense playoff series, even if it was only five games.
Da Silva's role was much smaller during that series and for that team last year. As a rookie, he was still finding his footing in the league, and coach Jamahl Mosley and the Magic were still building their confidence.
Da Silva's playoff journey last year was actually much shorter. He played in only five minutes in two games during last year's playoffs. All of his playoff experience is from observing.
He will obviously play a much bigger role this time around.
"I think it was a good amount of experience, a good amount of learning, watching the Playoffs last year and being in the mix a little bit," da Silva said after shootaround Sunday. "I look forward to learning a little bit more and soaking up as much as I can throughout this whole series. I know that's a part of it, too. I'm excited to be out there for the first time in the real scenarios."
Da Silva has played a much more involved role this season. He will step onto the court for meaningful playoff minutes for the first time. And all that experience will help, but it will not fully prepare him for what is coming beginning Sunday.
Orlando is still a very young team. And there is still a lot of room for growth and development with this team. Playoff experience is valuable to everyone. And it is the next step for a lot of players as the Magic try to keep building themselves into a contender.
Growth in Playoff experience
Undoubtedly, Tristan da Silva's absorption of the postseason experience was a big key in his development from his rookie to his sophomore season. As was playing in Eurobasket with Germany.
Those pressurized minutes revealed a diamond and got him into a consistent role for the Orlando Magic this year. Da Silva had a career season, averaging 9.9 points per game and shooting 37.4 percent from three in 24.7 minutes per game.
He will play a big role as a floor spacer and secondary attacker for the Orlando Magic in their series with the Detroit Pistons.
But he is still finding his footing in the postseason. He made both of his shots to score four points in 13:32 against the Philadelphia 76ers and followed up with five points on 2-for-4 shooting in 19:03 in Friday's win over the Charlotte Hornets.
The same was true for Anthony Black.
Similar to da Silva, Black spent his rookie year mostly on the bench watching as the Orlando Magic went to seven games with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played in only 11 minutes in two games of that competitive series, scoring six points.
Last year, Black was more involved, averaging 8.2 points per game in 17.8 minutes per game as he appeared in all five games of that series. But Black still struggled, making only 40.5 percent of his shots and 2 of 13 from three.
That first dip in the water was a major learning experience. Black knows that even though his role has gotten bigger, his responsibilities are the same.
"Honestly, it's probably the same stuff," Black said after shootaround Sunday. "I think it's just important that I make shots and play defense. That's been pretty much my role the last three years. I think playing defense and making shots will help us win."
Black's role jumped up quite a bit this year, averaging 15.0 points per game and shooting 33.3 percent on 4.7 3-point attempts per game in 29.8 minutes per game. He is essentially a sixth starter with how much the team has relied on him, even though he is still ramping up after a late-season abdominal strain.
Success for players like Black and da Silva are really that simple -- do what made them successful in the regular season. Their play will help make it easier for the stars to do their thing and get the team over the top.
Everyone has used playoff experience as motivation to grow. Just as they all know that there is a new challenge ahead.
How useful is experience?
But experience is only useful if it leads to growth. The Orlando Magic are no longer satisfied with just being in the first round. Even as the 8-seed, there is at least some confidence in how they will match up with the Detroit Pistons.
But the Magic still want more.
The Playoffs are the proving ground for everyone.
"That's for us to show," da Silva said after shootaround Sunday. "I know there is a lot of talk about the expectations at the beginning of the season and expectations last year, but at the end of the day it comes down to what we do game by game. It wouldn't do me any service to talk about that right now and not do it in the game. That's the focus for all of our guys."
That part is right too.
As valuable as playoff experience is for helping young players grow and develop, every series is a complete reset. The Detroit Pistons are a different challenge from the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. This is obviously a different team.
Experience can guide the team, but it will not replace execution. A playoff series is not about what is on paper but about who shows up to play each game.
"Just coming in with a fresh mindset. It's a new season," Paolo Banchero said after shootaround Sunday. "Coming in with a clear head, nothing that happened before matters. All that matters is that we come out and get a win tonight and eventually win the series. It's just a singular focus."
The Pistons certainly will not let growth come easy. And even Banchero, who has stepped up his scoring in the Magic's two playoff series, will have to prove himself all over again, as he did Friday after Wednesday's frustrating effort.
Especially starting on the road, the Magic know they will face a wave of energy for the home-standing Pistons.
But that is not anything this team has not seen before. And that might give Orlando some comfort and experience to lean on as they try to score an upset.
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