PHILADELPHIA -- When the Orlando Magic opened their training camp in September, the gym was full of noise and energy. It was an exciting day filled with possibilities. Everyone believed this was going to be a great new season.
That did not go according to plan, quite clearly. The Orlando Magic did not have the season they or anyone around the league imagined.
Going 45-37 and finishing eighth in the Eastern Conference was not supposed to be in the cards. They are consistently called one of the most disappointing teams in the league for the 2026 season. Their coach is on a seat so hot that it might as well just be on fire. Their star is under an intense microscope that is not shying away as the team continues to struggle.
There is a lot of baggage as the Orlando Magic roll into Wednesday's Play-In Tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The gym on Wednesday was a bit more subdued and apprehensive. This is the start of a new season, but it is not a complete refresh.
Perhaps the extra day to prepare for the game gave everyone the chance to take a deep breath. Perhaps there is a new reality that is setting in.
But if it is cliché to say that the postseason is a new season and the Magic are now 0-0 with a tough road ahead, then the past two days might as well be a media day again. A fresh start for a team desperate to find itself or eager to end its season.
This is the Magic's chance to turn the page and start new if it can take it.
"It's win or go home," Desmond Bane said after shootaround Wednesday. "Everything that happened before is irrelevant. We know we're in the position we're in. It's a blessing to play postseason basketball."
The Magic cannot escape their regular season. That is what got them to this spot. But this is a new season. It is a new moment.
The team is relatively healthy with all of their key players available. Their regular season does not mean much anymore. All that is left is the matchup ahead of them.
And it starts with Wednesday's game and a chance to clinch their spot.
Carrying regular season baggage
The vibes are not the same as media day, obviously.
The Orlando Magic come into this postseason with the baggage of their 82-game journey with all of its successes and disappointments. This is not a team starting completely over, after all.
And coming off Sunday's disappointing loss to the Boston Celtics has only put a darker cloud over the team. One that can only be cleansed with a victory -- to set up a return trip to Boston for a playoff series and a rematch of last year's first-round series.
The Magic did not have the season they imagined, of course. It is not just that they finished eighth in the East, despite improving their record by four wins. They finished in the middle of the pack on defense. Their identity has been inconsistent.
Losses like Sunday's to the Celtics were not uncommon this season. The Magic are still finding themselves.
That is how a talented team ends up in the Play-In Tournament yet again. The mix of injuries and that inconsistency dropped them down the standings. They finished where they earned.
They will end up in the Playoffs or offseason where they deserve to based on these games.
Wednesday's game -- and any playoff series -- will be based on how they handle the challenges and matchups in front of them. The postseason is a completely different beast.
"[Experience] definitely helps," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Wednesday. "But then again, every team is different. Every series is different. We are looking at tonight as a whole new season. Definitely been a part of this a little bit, seen it, know what it feels like, know what it feels like when other teams go on run, it definitely will help us going into this game tonight."
The regular season only sets up this next phase of the season. What happened before no longer matters. It is all about what comes next.
That is what ultimately defines the team.
Flipping to Postseason mode
The Orlando Magic have survived most of their season because of their experience and talent. They have always found enough resolve and enough grit to find wins when they need them.
That will obviously become tougher now as the stakes rise. But here, too, the Magic have been in the postseason before.
With two series under their belts, they know how different the Playoffs are. They can anticipate the physicality and handle the pressure and stakes significantly better.
There is no switch to turn into a Playoff team. All of their flaws from the regular season will still exist.
The challenge in the playoffs is how they respond to them. And those are the scars from the regular season they will need to put away and be prepared to face.
"I think experience definitely bodes well," Desmond Bane said after shotaround on Wednesday. "This team has been in this position before. We've been in a lot of close games throughout the season. We know what it's going to be. It's going to be tough. There are going to be adverse situations. Exciting challenge."
Neither Desmond Bane nor Wendell Carter thought it would be hard to shift their mindset to the postseason and put their regular-season frustrations away. They have both been through enough of these games to know what it will be like.
This is what everyone in the league lives for. There should be a boost of excitement being in these games.
It is a bit of a fresh start even if it is not the start of a completely new season. It is a chance to take a breath and refocus on something new.
"With all the ups and downs that we had throughout the year, it's good to have a fresh reset," Carter said after shootaround on Wednesday. "For the most part, we are healthy. It definitely feels good to, in a way, put everything behind us and look ahead to see what we can do to change this whole season around."
The stakes are still very high. But the Magic know this is the moment they will be judged on and can change their perspective. Every other team is also starting new.
And with how much talent the Magic have, they can still make something happen if they can truly start fresh.
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