The Orlando Magic have been preaching one thing throughout the course of the ups and downs of their early season.
They have not been focused on their record or their results. They have not been focused on their sometimes gaudy scoring numbers.
Each game has been measured against something else.
Call it the Magic standard. Call it an ideal version of this team. Call it sticking to the process. Call it whatever you want. But there is a noticeable shift in the way the Magic talk about their games.
They are still happy to win. But how they win and the way they play matter too. They may matter more.
The Magic have not hidden from their ambitions this season. They talked openly about competing at the top of the Eastern Conference and winning a championship. To do that takes a level of focus and preparation this team has not experienced before.
The lesson of the week during this three-game homestand was just how exacting and demanding the standard the Magic are playing to is. And how much work the team still has to get there.
Winning was not enough all week. Everyone could feel it. And was eager to tackle the challenge.
Winning, but not satisfied
The Orlando Magic are winning, let's make that clear.
The team felt a bit incomplete after coming home riding high from that win over the Detroit Pistons a week ago. The Magic had to hold on for dear life in a grind-it-out game in the end of that one.
The Magic closed that game thanks to some timely stops more than the force of will of their offense. They needed big shots from Desmond Bane to close that one out.
The team then had to bail itself out after a largely lifeless effort against the Chicago Bulls on Monday. Orlando needed 18 of Desmond Bane's 37 points in the fourth quarter to close it out, willing the team to victory with some key defensive stops down the stretch.
The San Antonio Spurs finally caught them for this lack of activity and intensity.
Coach Jamahl Mosley described the team as playing only eight good minutes. Those eight minutes cut an eight-point deficit to a tie game in the final moments before De'Aaron Fox closed it with a pair of free throws and Luke Kornet blocked Franz Wagner's game-tying attempt at the buzzer.
Orlando showed it can win and compete even when the focus is not completely there. This team has different ways to win from outscoring and outpacing opponents to its trademark physical style.
But the warning of this week was how precarious that can be. Without playing at a high level on both ends, the Magic are still susceptible to mistakes. The Magic must remain attentive and focused.
Friday's proof
The Orlando Magic's potential and frustrations were all on display in Friday's win over the Miami Heat.
The Orlando Magic found themselves in a surprising slog fest with the Miami Heat. Neither team was able to pull away in this tug-of-war.
The Magic stayed within striking distance in the first half, only to outscore the Heat 30-19 in the third quarter, forcing seven turnovers and hitting 5 of 9 3-pointers in the quarter. That helped the Magic take control of the game.
"Our talk was to continue to stay with it," Jalen Suggs said after Friday's game. "Continue to do the things we talk about -- defending, getting out and run, have movement in the half-court offense and not stall out. The important part is basketball is a game of runs. We know at some point, especially when you are at home, you have that added juice to go on a run. We knew we would have the chance to go on one and hold the lead."
This was far closer to the standard the Magic are trying to reach. But still left room for improvement.
The fourth quarter saw Orlando take a 10-point lead early on, but that lead slowly dissipated as the Magic went into clock-killing mode and Miami increased their pressure. The Magic's offense slowed to a crawl and the Heat slowly got back into it, cutting it to one with 50.9 seconds left on a Norman Powell layup.
Orlando wanted to slow down the high-paced Miami team, but found itself moving too slowly. The rotation jumble had at least some effect as they work Banchero back into the fold.
There is still a lot to improve on as the Magic learned against two strong defensive teams this week.
"It's going to take some time," Mosley said after Friday's win. "I think there was a moment where there is a flow you have to try to connect with. I think they did a good job. Miami is a tough team with how they defend. They put you in different binds. I think our guys did a good job adjusting to that, no matter who was on the floor."
But just as important as anything, the Magic leaned on their defense to give themselves a chance. That is not something the team has always done. Orlando needed three key defensive possessions up one to put the game away as Bam Adebayo's game-winning three missed badly as the clock expired.
The Magic can still grit out wins with their defense when the offense is nowhere to be found. That quality will matter.
Plenty of potential
That was the key lesson in the week.
The Orlando Magic have a lot of potential still to build on. They have established themselves as one of the best teams in the East, now fourth in the conference. They are fulfilling a lot of their preseason expectations.
But they clearly want more. They were not happy with their energy and intensity during this three-game homestand. They are working now to resettle themselves.
They know they can still win even without their best. They can find pockets where they simply dominate.
Paolo Banchero's return only adds to that margin for error. The Magic will be a better team with the attention Banchero brings and his ability to pick up more of the load to free up other players.
Nobody wants to rely on that margin for error though. That is part of the standard the team is reaching for.
This Magic team knows it is working toward something bigger. That will be their pursuit for the rest of the season.