The Orlando Magic had a lot of soul-searching to do after their loss to the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.
The Orlando Magic started off well and seemed to answer their anemic offense and defensive effort to open the road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers. Then things seemed to fall apart in the second half. The Pistons ran roughshod through the Magic in a blowout victory.
The Magic's first game giving up 130 points per 100 possessions since March 2022 was followed by another one. It was the worst two back-to-back defensive performances since before the Magic had Paolo Banchero and when the team was tanking at the end of the season.
At this stage, with all the expectations the Magic had for themselves and all of their ambitions, this required the team to ask itself some hard truths.
The results spoke for themselves during a 123-107 victory over the Charlotte Hornets the following night. On that plane ride from Detroit to Charlotte, the team had discussions and meetings. They needed to reset their standard.
They could not let that performance stand. And they had to find themselves again.
A week full of hand-wringing and frustration during a shocking four-game losing streak
"It was just a look in the mirror for us," Wendell Carter said after shootaround Saturday. "We pride ourselves on the defensive end. We were kind of failing on that side to start the season. The other night was a turning point for us. It was a step in the right direction. We just have to continue to do that."
Thursday's game was at least a chance to breathe after a disappointing four-game losing streak following the Orlando Magic's now impressive-looking opening-night win over the Miami Heat.
They delivered with that victory, holding the Hornets to a 111.5 defensive rating. Considering how much the Hornets had been scoring before that game, it was an impressive mark. It was at least a step in the right direction.
That is what the team hopes to build on as the road trip continues Saturday in Washington against the Washington Wizards.
Defensive issues
The frustrating thing for the Orlando Magic to start the season was not necessarily the losses. Orlando expected some hiccups offensively as the team learns to work together and play together. That is still a work in progress even with three strong offensive showings on this road trip.
The frustrating part is that the Magic have not looked like themselves on defense.
Their quicker pace was going to lead to scores increasing. But the whole project for the Magic is still based on its defense. And the team banked on the defense remaining an elite group.
The team knew that if it was going to go anywhere, it had to start with its defense.
The games against the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons were frustrating. The Magic simply did not look that disconnected or lax on the defensive end at any point last year. It was jarring to watch.
Orlando entered this road trip with one of the top defenses in the league through the first weekend. They were sitting in sixth. But even there, everyone felt uneasy about the team's defense through the first three games.
The two games to open the road trip seemingly put everything into overdrive. Suddenly Orlando was working through a new offense and did not have the defense as that reliable backstop.
It forced the team to remember its identity and, more importantly, stay the course. No one could change the outcomes except this team. They had to come together and find a way to make this work.
"It's important to stay together," Carter said after shootaround Saturday. "It's easy to start pointing fingers, start blaming one person or blaming coaches. The hardest thing you can do is look in the mirror and find a way to help this team. I think that's the beauty of this team. We're young, but we're definitely mature. Guys are not looking around looking trying to find somebody to blame, but trying to find a way to help this team."
The Magic answered the bell in Thursday's win over the Hornets.
They still had some issues corralling offensive rebounds. But they largely locked down the Hornets and took them out of their favorite shots. They were disruptive, getting deflections, steals and blocks. And they dictated the tempo of the game on both ends.
It was indeed a step in the right direction.
Seeking familiarity
Everyone probably needed to take a breath after the slow start to the season. Expectations raced ahead of reality to some extent as the team still came together and got down the different ways they wanted to play.
Coach Jamahl Mosley, perhaps at times frustratingly so, tried to portray a calm demeanor while holding his team accountable.
It was the inconsistency that was so maddening in that opening week. Everything just look disjointed and out of sync. It was hard to pinpoint any specific problem minus rebounding, fouling and an often disjointed offense.
The team seemingly had different issues pop up in each of those four losses, whether it was the offensive collapse in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks, a poor shooting effort against the Chicago Bulls or the poor perimeter defense in the first two games of this road trip. Orlando has been looking for familiarity and consistency at this point in the season.
The team has tried to preach patience. But patience only works if the team is still compting and picking up wins in the process. And that is what the team needed to get back against the Hornets.
"I think with the start of a season, with a new team, with new guys and try to play a different way, it's easy to walk into it a little tight," Jonathan Isaac said after shootaround Saturday. "I think we did. As we relax and everything gets flowing, I think it will come out more about who we are, our joy, our spirit and our togetherness."
There are still likely a few hiccups to go yet. But Orlando needed to get back to its basics and its identity to work its way through it.
That is what was not happening earlier this week. And that is what the team had to have its group meeting to correct Thursday night. Things should continue to get better.
Orlando looked in the mirror and realized who the team needs to be.