Coach Sean Sweeney has waited a long time to run his own training camp. He has waited a long time to take the lead chair as a head coach.
The one thing everyone has learned about Sweeney in the two weeks since the Orlando Magic's camp opened is that he is meticulous in his preparation. He is intentional with his communication, and he has everything planned out as detailed as he can.
Still, there are some things a coach cannot control. There are some things that he cannot prepare for.
All the work in training camp to lay a foundation and identity is easy to manage in practice. The question is what will translate when coaches let go of that control and the players have to execute in a game.
This is the ultimate test for a team, especially one learning a new coach and a new way of doing things. If the preseason is an extension of training camp, how far will that extend?
The answer to that question was perhaps the most encouraging thing about the Orlando Magic's 122-118 win over the Memphis Grizzlies in Wednesday's preseason opener. The Magic looked like they took the principles they worked on in practice and applied them to the game.
It was an encouraging first step.
"We talked about being connected throughout training camp," Sweeney said after practice Friday. "When you get into the preseason, you can't work on everything as part of who you are. But being on the same page is one of those things. I thought we did a great job of that."
Sweeney said the team's connectivity stood out. The ball moved well -- the team had 35 assists on 41 field goals. He also praised the team's defense and communication. It checked a lot of good boxes.
There is still plenty to improve. The Magic fouled a lot, as is often the case in early preseason games. Orlando struggled a bit on the offensive glass.
But it was an encouraging opening game. And a game that showed how connected the team was and how they connected training camp to the game.
Proof of Concept
For all the excitement that the team still has for this season, there should still be some trepidation of trying to figure out whether this whole thing will work.
Players had that belief throughout training camp that what they were working on would translate when the games began. They could see what the coaches were trying to preach.
Seeing that in practice, when it is just the team in the gym alone, and doing that on the court are two completely different things. The team still needed some proof to buy in.
That is what felt so big about Wednesday's preseason game. The Magic felt they had a lot of success with their execution. And they got the results.
"We took what we've been working on and applied it," Wendell Carter said after practice Friday. "Offensively, the ball was moving. It was beautiful basketball. Defensively, we were on a string, locked in, communicating. There are a lot of things to clean up internally. For a first game after a month working on things together, to put on that kind of a showcase, I'm pretty pleased with it."
Nothing will be perfect in a first preseason game. But it is hard to be upset with the first impression the Magic made.
The starting group -- with Jase Richardson at point guard -- won its minutes 21-7 in 5:08 together, a limited sample but a good sign. As a team, the Magic had 35 assists and made 20 of 45 from three. The team could feel and see that success.
Fans could notice how different the team looked and played.
"The flow was good," Paolo Banchero said after practice Friday. "Getting to the next action, I thought we did well with that. Not being stagnant. That was great, and guys making the right reads. When you get two guys to collapse, making that right play to the next guy."
There was a lot for the Magic to build on and a lot of positives. But there is still work to do ahead of the regular season.
The next steps
No one is reading too much into one preseason game. Or, at least, they should not.
There is still a lot of work to do to clean things up and improve before the games count. The competition the rest of the preseason will get tougher -- at least, on paper.
The Orlando Magic played faster and made shots. That covered up some holes. They struggled at times defensively and were not always on the same page with their rotations. They gave up nine of their 13 offensive rebounds in the first half. They fouled a lot too, allowing the Memphis Grizzlies to climb back into the game.
This game felt like it was about dipping their toe into the water and focused on pace and physicality.
The Magic got their proof of concept. That should give them confidence as they continue to build their identity.
"I think confidence, just in general, is based on evidence," Sean Sweeney said after practice Friday. "You can't wave a magic wand and say abracadabra: confidence. You have to show it. I think we showed things we can be confident in. Now we've got to build on that. The things we need to improve upon, we've got to make those corrections and get those things right so we can build on that as well."
Perhaps this is where the Magic keeping the same roster has helped. They have learned this new system together, but they have come to this camp already knowing how to play off each other.
Sweeney might be putting players in some different positions and emphasizing some different things -- it is hard to ignore the shooting and spacing the Magic displayed Wednesday -- but he is also leaning into the players' experience together.
If they have bought in together, that is a powerful tool for this team to grow. And it bodes well for the start of the season.
"It gives us a lot of confidence," Wendell Carter said after practice Friday. "When you work on something constantly every single day, and it actually works? OK. That's something we can hang our hat on each and every night. There is multiple layers to it. We'll continue to build on it. The foundation is there, and we will continue to build."
The Magic got the exact carryover they were looking for then. They saw what they worked on in training camp translate to the court. And that is a good first impression for this team to keep building.
Now they have to keep growing and do it again Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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