The Orlando Magic have made it clear they want to run and play faster. They want to create space and attack at all times.
The newfound speed is apparent. The Magic are looking to push the ball upcourt quicker on rebounds and even after makes. They are getting into their offense sooner. They are trying to move and decide things quicker.
But that comes with a downside, too. That means the other team can also play much faster. And when mistakes compound, things can get rough.
That was the case throughout the Orlando Magic's second preseason game on Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers. They turned the ball over throughout the second quarter, letting the eager and energetic Sixers stay in the game.
During a stretch of five possessions in the second half, the Magic's starting group turned it over three times. Two of them were at the top of the key, allowing the Sixers to get out in transition for run-outs.
The Magic found themselves down two when Jamahl Mosley called a timeout. Surely, during that timeout was a reminder to rein things in and play smarter.
Orlando came out of that timeout on fire. The team scored the next seven points -- a Tyus Jones three, a Desmond Bane layup and a Wendell Carter tip dunk -- to retake the lead and take some measure of control. The speed and decision-making to attack and pass were all on display. All the things the Magic wanted to see.
"Early on, I thought we were just exchanging baskets," coach Jamahl Mosley said after Friday's win. "I think once we decided to sit down and lock in, we showed what we are capable of. That 24-point third quarter was big for us. I think that's when the starters stepped up and the second unit, as well as the guys from Osceola, did a heck of a job holding those guys to eight points in that fourth quarter."
Orlando needed that response to help the starters finish their day. But it was a reminder that there is still a lot of work to do. The Magic are not regular season ready. And there are still a lot of mistakes to rein in.
Rounding into form
There have been long stretches where this works.
There are stretches where the pace and spacing are solid and the team is making quick passes that have the defense in fits. The Orlando Magic have so much more size and playmaking that it is easy to see the vision for what they are trying to build.
Even with suspect shooting -- 11 for 32 from three in Friday's game against the Philadelphia 76ers, but 1 for 10 from the starters -- the Magic are much more efficient on offense. The ball is moving, and no one is standing still nearly as much.
Orlando finished the game with a 125.5 offensive rating and was at 123.7 through three quarters. They hit 100 points just more than two minutes into the fourth quarter. That is refreshing after the struggles last year.
But then there are the moments where it does not seem to work. There are moments when the ball is flying all over the place, the team is taking risky passes, and the team is turning it over. There are moments when the team is giving up points in transition.
There are moments where it looks like the team is still learning how to play together and how to play with this new mindset. It is downright sloppy. And that is where both the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers have taken advantage of them.
The Magic finished Friday's game with 20 turnovers, leading to 26 Sixers points. This is a Magic team that, despite turning the ball over a ton last year, did not give up many points off turnovers (13th at 17.1 points per game) or fast-break points (sixth at 13.9 points per game).
The risk of playing faster is that the Magic will be exposed defensively and play more with their defense not set. Teams, after all, do not want to see a set defense against this Magic team.
And while Orlando eventually held Philadelphia to less than 100 points, giving up only 32 points in the second half total, the defense still has to round into form. The pieces still are not completely together, and the effort is not at a regular-season level quite yet.
Answering the call
It is just the second preseason game. It has been only two weeks in training camp. The games are about testing things out more than they are about producing results.
At the end of the day, the Orlando Magic's starters won their minutes and came out on top. Everyone knew there would be adjustments to make and a large learning curve before the team reached its full potential.
There is still time to get everything right. And the team is probably more interested in getting the feel for how they want to play and changing their mindset offensively. The team knows it can rein in mistakes. This is the time to play a bit wild and loose and experiment with things.
"Obviously, it's still preseason and you're still trying to figure out stuff and different lineups," Tristan da Silva said after Friday's game. "It is a bit more experimental, in a sense. We try to push the pace, put our mark on the game. I feel we did that better in the third and fourth quarter."
The good news then is how frequently the Magic have answered the bell when they are challenged. When they are making all of these miscues and trying to get up the floor, they snap themselves back to attention.
That is what the Magic did in the third quarter after that spat of turnovers to start the third quarter. They responded with a run that took control over the game.
The bench group, too, after it struggled with turnovers in the first game against the Miami Heat, played with more composure and consistency. They built the 11-0 run that put the game firmly away as the Sixers had far less depth and bodies available to play.
The Magic buckled down and played better in the second half. Improvement is the ultimate goal. And the Magic got better as the game proceeded.
There will be plenty to parse through when the Magic review the game tape. There is plenty still to clean up.