The first three weeks of the Orlando Magic's season has been filled with doubt.
Injuries ravaged the roster. Paolo Banchero went down with a high ankle sprain in the second game. Jalen Suggs suffered a knee contusion and bone bruise a game later. Jonathan Isaac and Izaiyah Nelson have yet to play. Tristan da Silva's stellar season was slowed by a calf strain that has cost him the last two games.
Jamal Cain, recently elevated into the starting lineup, missed Wednesday's game with a shoulder contusion. The hits just did not stop coming.
In the process, the Magic still had to play games. And they struggled to find their footing and establish their identity.
The defense has never felt quite right under coach Sean Sweeney. It was not helped by an offense that was turning the ball over and not quite finding its footing, despite being a bit more aesthetically pleasing to watch.
This was a team still looking to find its identity and looking to find itself. The team lacked confidence.
That has been the feeling through the first 10 games. This is a team still trying to put the pieces together.
Any time you see those pieces come together, even if briefly, it is encouraging.
Any time you see it done with this much bravado and joy, it is a good sign the Magic will find their footing. It is a sign that things are starting to click.
The Orlando Magic's 123-108 win over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday was tight for most of three quarters.
But suddenly things changed early in the fourth quarter. Franz Wagner was upset with a flop from Svi Mykhailiuk that ended with him hitting a floater over Jaxson Hayes. The usually reserved Wagner let his emotions show as he earned a technical foul for taunting the Jazz's defensive duo.
That shot broke a 93-93 tie and sparked a 21-8 run that put the game effectively away. It was a barrage of confident and aggressive shots from Franz Wagner getting to the basket, Desmond Bane hitting a pair of three-pointers and a three from Jevon Carter. Wagner even hit a three.
It all came together for an avalanche that had the Jazz frustrated at their inability to close.
"I thought we had good poise and resilience," Desmond Bane said after Wednesday's win. "Coming into the fourth, we were either down one or close game, didn't have the third quarter that we wanted, but the fourth quarter we stayed with it and were able to execute. It was a great fourth quarter.
The output looked like a team that had suddenly woken up. They were aggressive on offense. They were bruising on defense. They were a team that had some swagger and confidence.
They were a team that was starting to figure out who they are and who they need to be. They had finally found their swagger again.
Defense leads the way
The most important development on this road trip was the Orlando Magic finding its defense again.
The team built its identity on defense. The expectation is that the defense will outpace the offense, even with better spacing principles and actions.
Orlando's struggles to start the season have come from a team that is still figuring out what the coaching staff wants. They are figuring out how to work together and complement both sides of the ball.
The Magic are still 21st in the league with a 114.6 defensive rating. It will take a few strong efforts to bury the poor start to the season. But on the West Coast road trip, they posted a much-improved 111.9 defensive rating. Taking out the loss to the Phoenix Suns to open the trip, they gave up just 110.2 points per 100 possessions.
That is trending in the right direction, at the very least. It looks more like the Magic.
"I think our process has been a lot better these last couple of games," Franz Wagner said after Wednesday's game. "Just keep improving on that. Keep having the same energy. I thought we had a good vibe these last couple of games as a group. Everybody is into the game."
The Jazz scored only 111.3 points per 100 possessions and shot 40.7 percent from the field. The Jazz made only 38.5 percent and 4-for-16 from three in the second half.
In the fourth quarter, the Jazz scored only 21 points and went 4.5 minutes without a field goal in that decisive run.
The Magic found their spark. Once they settled in they dictated the terms of the game.
They let their defense lead. And that is why the road trip felt like a success.
Confidence is growing
The schedule was set up for the Orlando Magic to gain some confidence.
At the time, the Phoenix Suns, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz each had one win. The Golden State Warriors were the only team on the trip that had a winning record. Outside of the turnover-filled loss to the Suns, the Magic played the way they wanted to play.
They played with grit and determination. They contained their mistakes. They played a distinct style that feels repeatable. If the Magic could hit shots, things would look a lot better.
But this was a team in need of confidence. They needed to feel success. They needed results to confirm their work.
"I think we're definitely improving," Desmond Bane said after Wednesday's win. "That's been the big thing Sweeney has been talking about since he got here was our process and improving. I think we're doing that. Now we've got to go take care of home."
It is one thing to say they are sticking with the process and confident things will work. But the Magic needed to turn their words into action. They needed to go out and prove the kind of team they can be.
Even against bad teams, that confirmation can be everything.
The Orlando Magic played with true swagger in the fourth quarter against the Utah Jazz. For the first time all season, the Magic were in complete control and dictating every term of engagement.
The final eight minutes of Wednesday's win were pure joy. It was a team that had complete confidence in itself. It was a team that understood how it needed to play to win.
That goes a long way for a team figuring itself out. The Magic are hoping this road trip has built that confidence and can carry it through the rest of the season.
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