The last time Franz Wagner was on an NBA court was the third quarter of Game 4.
The Orlando Magic had the lead heading into the final quarter against the 1-seed Detroit Pistons when Wagner pulled up and limped toward the bench. Orlando held on to win that game, taking a 3-1 series lead. But Wagner was out for the remainder of the Playoffs. The Magic collapsed and went home early.
He and the Magic have had to stew on what could have been throughout the offseason. Wagner spent at least the early part of that time rehabbing the strained calf before he could get into his regular offseason work.
The first phase of training camp is now complete. The team is embarking on its first preseason game. Wagner is preparing to return. This team is preparing to step back onto the court for the first time with a new coaching staff and a new way of doing things.
Everyone is curious how things will play out.
"We should use it as an extension of practice, working on our stuff, seeing how we match up with some of the other teams," Wagner said after practice Tuesday. "And first and foremost, it's important to get better as a team. I think it's really important for us to use these games to make a lot of stuff smooth."
No matter the circumstance, there is always a bit of curiosity about how a team will play in their first game.
All of the questions facing this team will not be answered fully in one preseason game -- the Magic will be without Jonathan Isaac, who will not travel to Memphis for personal reasons, and will likely play without Jalen Suggs (illness), Anthony Black (sprained ankle) and Noah Penda (sore hamstring), who have all had limited availability in practice this week. But the team will take a critical step forward.
That is all the first preseason game will be. A big step forward and a key test for this team to pass.
Building foundations
Every coach likely uses the cliché that the preseason games are an extension of training camp. The goal is to be ready for the season opener -- Oct. 21 against the Atlanta Hawks. This is just a step in the process. The team is not concerned with the results.
What the team is concerned with in this first game is that its foundations are reinforced in the crucible of playing against somebody else.
Everyone in the league at this point is eager to play somebody else. Even if they know these games are not the most important in the world, they start to poke holes in the balloon and reveal what the team needs to work on.
With a new coaching staff, the Magic are still trying to get a feel for what they are running. It is one thing to buy in through a practice. It is another to see it in a game.
"We want to learn about ourselves as much as anything," coach Sean Sweeney said after practice Tuesday. "It would be great to execute at the ultimately high level that we want. The reality is we are going to make mistakes. It's a good opportunity to see what we did well, see what we need to do better and learn from it. The other thing that is great too is when you make a mistake, it is not a crisis of ability, it's an opportunity to lean into how you respond."
That is the difference between games and practices.
In practice, the coaches can control the settings and set up the offense and defense however they want. Everything is in ideal conditions.
Further, the coaches can stop and correct mistakes in real time. That is something the entire team has done throughout camp.
In a game, the players have to figure things out on their own. This is where habits are formed, and foundations are set. That is key to this team's development.
"For us, what we are looking to do is we do a good a job as we can building our base and building our foundation and then add layers to it," Sweeney said after practice Tuesday. "I think training camp, in general, goes all the way up to the first game. You are building toward the start of the 82 games. You take the steps as they come. If you are ready to take another, you take it. If not, you make sure you get what you need and then take that step."
That will be the test of this first game. Can the Magic lean back on what they have learned in camp? How far along are they? What still needs to be worked on?
Preparing for the 82
The ultimate task is still to be ready for the season opener. That is what this is all going toward and moving toward.
The Orlando Magic have been careful with health and injuries in training camp with that vision in mind.
Noah Penda rejoined the team for practice on Tuesday after going through three-on-three workouts on Monday. He has inched closer to his return, eyeing being ready for the start of the season and nipping any recurring injuries early.
All of camp and all of these games are all about the long journey ahead and being the most ready for it, ultimately peaking at the end of the season in the Playoffs.
"I think you just have to take the statistics," Penda said after practice Tuesday. "It's not a lot of guys who play 82 games in a season. You've got to understand that it's also part of the game to get your body right to the maximum before the season started. Even with that, injuries happen. You want to maximize the chances as soon as possible and live with what the game offers."
The Magic have their opener in mind. They are trying to get everyone ready physically and build to be ready for the start of the season.
Everything is just inching toward the games counting. The team is still trying to get its work in and get the terminology and basics down. That is what the preseason is for.
This group is ready for the next step and the next test.
"The guys are ready to play against somebody else," Sweeney said after practice on Tuesday. "The guys have done a good job with what we've asked them to do so far. You can tell they are ready to go and strap it on against some competition."
Everyone is curious to see how this all works out and how this all comes together.
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