A quick look at the box score might make you think Jalen Suggs is some kind of wizard.
In 12:48, the Magic had a +18 with Suggs on the floor as he scored nine points, making three of his four 3-point attempts. Suggs had some of his usual defensive chaos deployed at times, especially in the second quarter when he got more comfortable.
That might have been the lowest plus/minus for the starters on Tuesday night. But his presence in the lineup was still undeniable.
For all the hand-wringing about Suggs' shooting and his up-and-down (mostly down) playoffs, the numbers all say Suggs is a plus/minus supercharger. He makes the team go.
And so, the team clearly missed him, whether that is just vibes, his energy or his defensive menace. Suggs is part of this team's formula to win. And the team cannot get a clear picture of what this group looks like without him, especially while integrating a new coach.
After all, the Magic's whole thesis for this offseason was that their starting lineup works. They just needed to see it on the floor together more often.
One preseason game, even against a quality and full-strength Cleveland Cavaliers team, will not make anyone draw final conclusions. This is just about getting a feel for the team's new offensive and defensive principles and building on this team's foundation.
Still, it is hard not to look at a 20-point rout at halftime against this Cavs team and a +9 in 8:47 with that starting group and not feel some excitement. Everyone in the starting five had a plus/minus of at least +13 in the first half.
Is this a sign of things to come as the Magic returned to the Kia Center for a 132-116 victory over the Cavs, in a return matchup from Sunday's somewhat sluggish showing?
It is at least another step forward ahead of the regular season.
"I loved the way the ball moved," coach Sean Sweeney said after Tuesday's game. "I thought we did a really good job of playing extremely aggressively and making every option live on offense. I thought defensively, we did a really good job understanding what we were trying to get accomplished from a scheme standpoint and the carryover of the things we wanted to improve upon from last game. I thought we did a really good job of that."
At the very least, this was the first sign of what this team is like when it is whole. They executed their offense and showed their potential.
Each preseason game is a step. And this was another step in the right direction for the Magic. The team's picture is getting clearer.
Suggs completes the lineup
Jalen Suggs was certainly easing his way back into the game after missing most of the last week with an illness. He had just rejoined the team and was doing more on the floor. His minutes were limited.
But Suggs is one of the ultimate connectors on the team. The Orlando Magic feed off his energy. That is why he remains such an important player and someone who it has been difficult to give up on.
Sean Sweeney praised Jalen Suggs' point of attack defense, helping bottle up Donovan Mitchell a bit in the early part of the game. It brought an added intensity to the team's defense.
Suggs' return gave the Magic the feeling that they are whole again. They had that main group together. That is the basis for everything the team hopes to achieve.
"I think we kept it pretty simple," Suggs said after Tuesday's game. "I think that's the beauty about what we're doing. There are a lot of complexities that we are going to get to in time. But it is pretty simple for the most part. I think we were really fast. But I think we were quick in moving the ball and moving the ball with a lot of pop and quick with our decisionmaking. I think we hit all of our keys today. There was no drop-off from how we started the game to how we finished the game."
What Suggs' return did was present a part of the picture of what this team can be. Obviously, it is not the full picture. There is still improvement to make and habits to form.
But it is hard to argue with the results when it looks this good.
The Magic, as a team, finished shooting 51.5 percent and 16-for-44 from three (36.4 percent). They posted a 123.4 offensive rating.
Through three quarters, with the starters checking out by the end of the third quarter, Orlando shot 54.7 percent overall and 14 for 35 (40.0 percent) from three. They had a 135.0 offensive rating (and a 106.4 defensive rating).
"I thought we were physical on both ends of the court," Paolo Banchero said after Tuesday's game. "The ball was moving. We got into the things we were trying to run with pace. It was good flow."
But the preseason is for clarifying the picture of what the team will be for the season.
Bringing Suggs into the mix makes that picture clearer.
The picture getting clearer
The lineup piece was one part of the picture that was not yet clear. The other part was how the Orlando Magic's two stars would fit into the puzzle and how they could assert themselves.
Paolo Banchero had a rough shooting start to the preseason.
That was probably not enough to wring hands, but considering how vital he is to this team's success and how many narratives he has to disprove, it was at least mildly concerning as a start to the season.
Sean Sweeney said Paolo Banchero was meant to be the engine of the offense. His success is measured not in how many points he scores but in how the offense operates.
In that sense, even through his shooting struggles, the team was successful. He was moving quicker. But the Magic still need him and Franz Wagner to lead the way and take over the scoring.
That was not what they were doing in the first two games as the team looked to move the ball and improve their spacing.
From the tip, both Banchero and Wagner were aggressive to get downhill. They scored the team's first 17 points combined. Banchero finished with 24 points on 10-for-13 shoting. Wagner had 20 points and eight assists, making 7 of 10.
It was safe to say they were the engines that drove a roaring offensive engine.
"I thought their aggressiveness was great," Sweeney said. "Both those guys have the ability to make plays in different areas. I love how they are playing together. The way they started the game, I thought they did a really nice job on both ends. But their aggressiveness on offense was great."
It was all clicking as many positive trends from throughout the preseason continued.
Orlando is hoping to get more players back from injury to complete practice and prepare for the preseason finale on Friday against the Miami Heat. The team certainly wants to continue building its foundation and the team needs the reps as they learn this new system and learn their new coach.
Orlando obviously still has work to do. They must continue building on their foundation. They must continue to make this new way of playing a habit.
But the picture is looking clearer at last. The vision for this team is coming into some focus.
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