The Orlando Magic have had a different approach to training camp this year.
Last year, everyone spoke openly about their Playoff ambitions. They came into camp with renewed focus having gone through a playoff series for the first time and determined to overcome the youthful foibles that cost them in the end.
Their season did not play out that way. Injuries derailed them almost immediately, and the Magic went into survival mode just to get in, forgetting about those big goals.
The 2025 season ended up being a difficult lesson for the team. Nothing is guaranteed. Even teams with loads of talent need to build themselves brick by brick. There is no promise of returning exactly where you left off the previous season.
That spirit has come to the Magic's training camp this fall.
The Magic are not stating their goals as clearly, even if they acknowledge the potential this team has. Instead, there is a focus on each step it will take to get there.
The Magic know this camp is the foundation for a long playoff run.
"We're not going to skip steps," Tyus Jones said after practice Tuesday. "We're not going to look too far ahead. We know what the ultimate goal is and everybody wants that. In order to get there, there are smaller steps you have to achieve in order to achieve that big goal.
"We're not going to get ahead of ourselves. We're not going to look too far into the future. But we also know in order for us to do what we want to do, that means it's going to be a long season. We want to prepare ourselves the right way."
Indeed, the Magic are expecting this to be a long season. One that lasts deep into May. The hope is that it goes into June. They are not hiding from that reality.
But instead of focusing on the destination or talking about where the team hopes to end up as they did throughout training camp last season, this Magic team is talking about the steps to get there. They are talking about what it will take to make it through the entire season.
That is the foundation the team is hoping to build in training camp this year. It is a different kind of season for them.
Conditioning is the focus
If last year taught anything, it was that the season is a mental grind as much as a physical one. The Orlando Magic are not taking their spot for granted or assuming they will reach their goals just because everyone expects them to.
The Magic are trying to improve their offense by getting out in transition more. The team is aiming to run and play much faster.
That has necessitated a lot more conditioning. The team does not want any breakdowns.
But conditioning is not just about the ability to play faster and more in transition. It is about having the mental and physical capacity to push through fatigue and go deeper into the season. Orlando is training for a marathon during this training camp.
"It's all a mind game," Wendell Carter said after practice Tuesday. "Throughout a game, you're going to get tired. What separates the good teams from the great teams are the ones who push themselves past that fourth wall. We want to be a running team, we want to be able to get up and down and still be a great defensive team, it takes a lot of effort and a lot of commitment to doing it. Once you establish that as a team, we'll be just fine."
Communication has always been key to the Magic's identity. That is the key to any good defense. The team has emphasized this.
But the Magic are trying to push through a mental and physical barrier and come out ready to play not only a full 48 minutes, but potentially an extra two months in the season.
Tyus Jones is right, the team cannot think that far ahead. Only to the extent that what they are doing now will pay off for the team later in the season.
Instead of looking at the destination, the Magic are focused on the journey.
"You are laying the foundation right now," Jones said after practice Tuesday. "Obviously, the goal is to play into June. You want it to be a long season. You want it to be a grind. So you've got to prepare yourself mentally. It's just the foundation right now. You want to set those pillars that you can always fall back on."
That standard the Magic are hoping to fall back on is a level of intensity and togetherness on both ends. But that is not something that just happens. It is something that needs to be forged.
Pushing through fatigue
That is what training camp is all about for the Orlando Magic. It is all about being ready for the long haul of the season. It is about being ready for the ups and downs that a season will inevitably bring.
While the Magic are hopeful they will not face the level of injuries they went through last year, they know they will inevitably face some adversity. They will face some challenge to their roster. Players will miss time, even if it is brief.
And that will test and push the team.
The Magic may not be talking so boldly or explicitly about their goals, but they know it is out there. They are well aware of their goals and what they are capable of.
"You train like you are going to be playing way more than 82 games in the season," Wendell Carter said after practice Tuesday. "Going into training camp, [the Playoffs are] always something in the back of your mind. If it's the last play or the last drill, and you are dog tired, huffing and puffing, and just giving your last bit of extra effort, that could decide a game during the season.
"That's something I think, especially the ones who have been here and played in those two playoff series that we have had I have been here, kind of realize and recognize going into the season."
This is the foundation the team is hoping to strengthen and build heading into that all-important opener on Oct. 22.