The G-League is a weird animal in the basketball ecosystem.
It is one of the best leagues in the world. But the measure of its success is by how many players it pushes out. Success can be difficult to judge -- is it the team's record or which players get promoted by the end of the season?
How does one find success in this atmosphere?
If any team has found an answer to that consistently lately, it is the Osceola Magic. They have finished with thet op record in the Eastern Conference in each of the last three years, reaching the G-League Finals in 2025 and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2026.
With a new coaching staff, nothing has changed. The Magic hope to build on their formula for success as they prepare for the season and their opener Sunday at home against the Oklahoma City Blue.
"There is a tradition of winning here," coach Ronnie Burrell said. "There is also a tradition of development. Our priority is to help these guys get better and win in conjunction with that. When you put a group of players on the floor who are well-rounded and have high character, those are winning teams."
There is a lot new with Osceola entering this season.
Ronnie Burrell steps in to replace Dylan Murphy after Murphy left to take an assistant job at Michigan. There is a brand new roster featuring Magic training camp invitees Malaki Branham and J.D. Davison, two players proven to be excellent producers in the G-League.
Ace Baldwin and Johnell Davis are the only returning players from last year's team.
If the Magic will build on their G-League legacy, it will truly be about the program they have built.
Osceola's goals
Even with a big roster overhaul, the Osceola Magic are used to winning in the G-League (at least in the spring). And that is still what the team hopes to accomplish.
How the team gets there is the intriguing part.
The G-League is known as an offensive league. The pace is usually much faster than even the NBA. There are a lot of gaudy stats.
Success in the league often comes down to who defends at the highest level. The teams that are more connected and dialed in on that end will not only find more success in the league but also make an impression on NBA teams looking to add key role players to the end of their roster.
In the early days of training camp, players repeatedly said defense was the main emphasis that new coach Ronnie Burrell was preaching.
"You hope that it all comes together," Osceola general manager Kevin Tiller said. "That's why we try to find guys who are wiling to play team basketball. Coach Ronnie has done a great job early of preaching defense and preachign moving the ball. We try to keep things simple but we want guys to be themselves as well.
The Magic intend to be a hard-working, gritty, defensive team. Their expectation is to compete every night. That is half the battle in the G-League. And half the battle toward gaining the attention of an NBA team down the line.
Even with so much new, the expectations do not change for Osceola from that standpoint. And ultimately the goal is for players to continue growing and take the next step. This is still a developmental league, after all.
The team will be focused on seeing Malaki Branham and J.D. Davison, two proven G-League scorers, take their next steps and get closer to securing NBA roster spots.
Branham averaged 20.3 points per game and shot 36.4 percent from three as he continues to improve his 3-point shot -- a big sticking point keeping him from a more consistent NBA spot.
Davison averaged 25.2 points per game, 6.8 assists and 6.6 rebounds per game for the Rio Grand Valley Vipers. He has averaged at least 20.0 points per game in the last three seasons.
The Osceola Magic may be based on their defense, but they will have plenty of offense too.
Ultimately, the goal is to get players to the NBA one way or another. And that is where the connection to the parent club matters.
The Magic connection
The G-League is weird too because it is a minor league system that is not fully a minor league system.
Outside of the Orlando Magic's two-way players -- Alex Morales, Colin Castleton and Izaiyah Nelson -- players are available to sign with any team in the league. The only real relationship to the roster is the two-way players and the bonus that Exhibit 10 players got from working with the Orlando Magic during their training camp.
Still, there is a connection between what Orlando is running to what Osceola is running.
Like the Orlando Magic, the Osceola Magic have emphasized finding players who are versatile defensively. That is a defining feature.
As is the togetherness and family atmosphere they try to build. Players hwo have been around the G-League know that is key to success too.
"It's really just home," said Au'Diese Toney, who is returning to the Magic after a few years spent playing overseas. "They only get guys that they believe in. The guys that come here, they believe in them and the organization as well. It's more so the organization is a unity and family."
Ronnie Burrell will add his own flavor to what the team runs, but the basics will be similar to what Sean Sweeney is preaching with the parent club.
It is no coincidence that players are talking about defending and competing at a high level. There is little talk of offense, knowing they have two high-level G-League scorers on the roster now from the parent club's Exhibit 10 contracts.
The Osceola Magic and the Orlando Magic are trying to be about the same things. They are hoping that it leads to success at both levels.
Success is difficult at any level. Repeated success is even more difficult.
That will be the challenge for this group as they enter their season. They are trying to meet and establish the standard that Osceola has typically reached.
"You can try to do the same thing over again, it's hard," Malaki Branham said. "Every single year it's new players and new teammates that you have to adjust to. It's a new group. But just really figuring each other out day by day."
Osceola has a high standard to meet this season. It is always a journey to get there. And success will come from individuals and the group coming together.
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