MIAMI -- The Orlando Magic woke up Wednesday morning to a four-game losing streak and the frustration that comes with it.
As the Magic have struggled to find consistency in the last six or seven weeks, the noise around the team has been getting louder.
Nobody is having a good time when the team is losing. Nobody is happy. And it is easy to start reading between the lines.
The noise outside only gets louder when national voices try to step in, like Tim McMahon did on ESPN's The Hoop Collective podcast. He cited "a lot of talk around the league" suggesting Paolo Banchero and coach Jamahl Mosley are not "seeing eye to eye," giving legs to whispers suggesting things nobody would confirm.
That only ratcheted things up around the team. A win was the bare necessity. What the team also needed was a full-throated endorsement from the star putting the noise to rest (for now).
So after dropping 31 points on 11-for-23 shooting, 12 rebounds and a +27 plus/minus in a 133-124 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday, Banchero scoffed at the idea that he and his coach are not on the same page.
"He has helped me a lot," Banchero said after Wednesday's win. "We have a lot of open communication. Whatever those reports are, I wouldn't say those are true. One thing I know about myself and know about him is that we are both fierce competitors. When you are losing a lot of games and things aren't going well, people are upset. Me and him haven't had any blow-ups or arguments. Me and him are pretty aligned when we talk to each other and figure stuff out.
Winning cures all, as Banchero would later say. The more the Magic win, the quieter everyone will be about the team. And the team has felt the frustration of this losing stretch.
Orlando is not out of the woods yet after Wednesday's win. But for one night, everything feels stable again.
The noise comes about because of disappointment
Jamahl Mosley said throughout the preseason that pressure is a privilege, and the team set higher internal expectations than anyone had outside the AdventHealth Training Center.
Orlando has certainly not met those lofty standards. There has been a lot of soul-searching to try to meet that standard.
Naturally, when a team disappoints -- after Wednesday's game, the Magic are 24-22, seventh in the Eastern Conference and a game behind the Philadelphia 76ers for sixth -- questions arise about why things are not working.
The coach is the easy person to blame and change when things go wrong, even if it is merely sending a message to everyone else. Fans have certainly been quick to blame Mosley as the offense has struggled to take a leap amid all the injuries the team has faced.
"I don't really have reactions to that," Mosley said when asked about the report before Wednesday's game. "I think that's outside opinion. Everyone is fair to have their opinion on that. What me and Paolo have is a constant level of competitiveness that wants to find a way to get a win. Nobody is happy when you are on a losing streak. And there shouldn't be happiness on a losing streak. I don't give too much to those versus what's going on in our locker room. Our guys have that edge that wants to find a way to get a win."
The Magic have not seen their team fully healthy since early November. And while the Magic's 5-6 record in that run was not impressive, the team can clearly see that its preferred starting lineup -- a +18.0 net rating in 117 minutes -- has some juice behind it.
Orlando's inability to reach the team's lofty goals has certainly frustrated the team internally.
The Magic cannot get those back. Mosley said they need to use the frustration of their losing streak as fuel to give that extra bit of effort. That is what finally seemed to click in Wednesday's win.
Paolo's coming breakthrough?
Those struggles have fallen on Paolo Banchero too.
Most of Tim McMahon's comments on the podcast were not even directed at Jamahl Mosley. They were a challenge to the Orlando Magic's young star player to be more impactful toward winning.
The Magic, once again, struggle in Banchero's minutes. And he has been saddled with carrying the team without Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, all while recovering from an injury.
The good news is that Banchero has started to find his groove again and be more efficient and impactful.
Banchero followed up an efficient 37-point effort with Wednesday's 31-point showing. He is averaging 25.1 points per game, 9.6 rebounds per game and 5.6 assists per game in his last 14 games. He is shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 38.6 percent from three.
In those 14 games, the Magic have a -4.7 net rating with Banchero on the floor, which is about the team's overall average during those 14 games (-4.9, if you must know).
For the season, Banchero has bounced back to 21.9 points per game with a career-high 8.8 rebounds per game, a career-high 46.2 percent shooting and a career-high 56.3 percent true shooting percentage.
Banchero is rounding into form.
Still, nobody is satisfied with that production. A star player is ultimately judged on the ability to win. And the Magic have been hunting for wins.
That is what led to rumors about discontent and frustration.
If there has been a criticism for Banchero, it is becoming a better leader and challenging him to set the tone for his team. That is something that he as a 23-year-old is still learning.
"Every year of my career, I've tried to improve my leadership," Banchero said after Wednesday's win. "I have always been a big lead-by-example guy. But since I've been a pro, I've been more of a vocal leader. That's something I've tried to focus on this year. That's something I've had to remind myself of in these tough moments.
"Throughout the season, my voice has to be there. Obviously, my play has to be there in terms of playing at a high level. It's just a learning experience as you go. I understand that for us to be at our best, I have to be at my best. That's my mentality."
This team is still learning. And that includes dealing with the pressure of weighty expectations.
While there is still lingering tension and frustration -- Wednesday was one win, after all -- the Magic seem to be aligned for now.
For one evening, the noise can quiet down some.