It felt very warm and cozy to see that familiar No. 9 pop out to the top of the key and fire a 3-pointer in Wednesday's preseason opener.
For 10 years -- or at least the last three or four years -- Nikola Vucevic was a constant presence beyond the arc and a dangerous pick-and-pop option. He was reliable as a three-point shooter. His transformation as a shooter gave the Magic a little bit of a Playoff life.
That shooting is what the Magic expect from Vucevic. That is what the Magic are hoping to revive in him to help boost a lagging bench.
He scored nine points, making all three 3-pointers in Wednesday's game, giving the Magic the boost offensively they expect.
But then there was also the familiar struggles on defense.
Vucevic was called for a pair of quick fouls for slapping at the ball ate, a bit of desperate mistiming. He took a third foul when he brought his arms down after taking a forearm to the face, a play that was reviewed and upheld against the Magic.
He had a block where he used his size to get to a shot. But the Memphis Grizzlies also attacked him in pick-and-rolls relentlessly, as he sat in his drop, setting a line too deep.
All of these things can be fixed. But they are not surprising missteps from Vucevic. His defense was never otherworldly in Orlando, and it has started to degrade in the last few years. It is one of the concerns as the Magic plan out their center.
And it is a reminder that the center position is still one area where things are not set in stone.
The Magic are still confident in what they have at center. It is still a seeming embarrassment of riches. The Magic have a solid defender in Goga Bitadze and a great offensive weapon in Nikola Vucevic.
But this remains the biggest remaining decision in training camp.
"For Goga, he's relentless. He's going to go out there and give it his all until he can't anymore. Whatever is needed for the team, he's going to do it. And he doesn't stop," Wendell Carter said after practice Friday. "Vooch is very polished. Year 15 now, you kind of know what kind of player he is. He stretches the floor, a really good shooter. Probably one of the best on the team. He has an amazing feel for the game. He understands where to be and when to be there."
This is a decision that is going to last to the end of training camp and likely be something coach Sean Sweeney bounces between throughout the season.
The Vucevic conundrum
This was always the big question when the Orlando Magic acquired Nikola Vucevic.
No one questions his credentials as an offensive player and scorer. Teammates have called him a machine with his preparation. Vucevic has had a good influence on a young locker room so far.
He averaged 16.9 points per game and shot 37.6 percent from three with the Chicago Bulls. A hand injury slowed him down when he got traded to the Boston Celtics. But Vucevic still has a lot of offense in him.
That was abundantly clear when he drained three 3-pointers in that comfortable-looking pick-and-pop for his nine points in Wednesday's preseason opener. How the Magic can use him offensively is self evident. He is still an excellent post-up player and a reliable jump shooter.
But the Magic knew in signing him they assumed some risk defensively.
That too was on display in Wednesday's game.
The Magic had a 142.9 defensive rating with Vucevic on the floor. He picked up three fouls in 12 minutes on those late swipedowns and struggled to defend in drop coverage.
That may not all be his fault. Most of that negative defensive play came in his second stint when he played alongside Tristan da Silva, Paolo Banchero, Jevon Carter and Franz Wagner. The Magic went from up 12 to up three in the final six minutes of the second quarter.
The Magic always knew they would have to cover for these perceived shortcomings on defense. The question remains whether the team can.
It is hard to do so in one preseason game. The Magic were not running their regular rotations. But this weakness remains.
Steadying Bitadze?
Perhaps the most surprising thing from Wednesday's game, then, was that Goga Bitadze got the first look at the backup center position.
Is that a sign of Sean Sweeney's thinking ahead of the season? That is probably a bit too far. One game does not make a pattern.
But if the Magic are prioritizing defense as their identity, it is hard not to look at Bitadze as the option at backup center.
All of Bitadze's defensive metrics are strong.
Last year, opponents shot 47.3 percent at the rim against Bitadze, according to data from Second Spectrum. The Magic had a 111.0 defensive rating with Goga Bitadze on the floor, trailing only Jonathan Isaac, Jalen Suggs and Franz Wagner among rotation players.
Bitadze has filled in well when his number is called. But consistency has been the biggest thing keeping him from taking that next step and establishing an unquestioned spot in the rotation.
Bitadze has had some moments where he runs too hot emotionally and will take himself out of position. He will let mistakes compound. And that cost him in the games that really mattered.
He has seen his minutes diminish in the Playoffs throughout his career. His 13.8 minutes per game in last year's playoffs were the most in his career.
The team had some success on defense still. The Magic had a 94.2 defensive rating with Bitadze on the floor in those limited minutes, but just an 80.0 offensive rating.
Bitadze has always been working to put all the pieces together. But, when he has gotten consistent playing time and even extended runs as a starter, he has been successful.
He gives the Magic an above-the-rim play on both ends that none of their other bigs have and that this team has been starving for.
Bitadze had seven points and two rebounds in 12.5 minutes during Wednesday's preseason opener. Again, not a huge indication of where he or this team is at. The Magic had a 107.4 defensive rating in those minutes.
It really seems that when it comes to the backup center position, there is still a lot up in the air. And it will truly depend on what the Magic need in any particular game or how the player and team is playing.
The Magic should feel fairly comfortable with both Nikola Vucevic and Goga Bitadze in the rotation whomever they call upon. But who will secure that spot and what woks bst for this team is still to be determined in the remainder of the preseason.
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