The Orlando Magic set the tone for his or her 2022-23 marketing campaign on the finish of final season when coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned this previous 12 months, partly, can be about “leveling up one more.”
The Magic lived as much as that normal, making a number of enhancements that resulted in a 34-48 file — a 12-win enchancment from the earlier season.
Their goal for 2023-24 already has been set.
“Playoffs,” middle Wendell Carter Jr. responded when requested what the usual for fulfillment will likely be for subsequent season.
He added: “Guys don’t like to look at it as, ‘We got to make the playoffs,’ or ‘We got to win a champion to be successful.’ But we’re at a pretty good point where we can say that now. Guys want to win now. That comes with winning — making it to the playoffs.”
The league’s playoffs began Saturday. And for the third consecutive 12 months and ninth time in 11 seasons, they didn’t function the Magic.
Orlando’s focus going into the offseason is ensuring that doesn’t occur subsequent season.
“I know a lot of people were talking about [making the playoffs] this year,” guard Markelle Fultz mentioned. “We talked about it earlier. That’s what we want to do. We want to be a playoff team and win. In all our minds, we all agree we’ll be very upset if we’re not in the playoffs next year.”
The Magic’s aspirations include an understanding that growth and enchancment within the standings on a yearly foundation aren’t assured.
Progress isn’t linear. And every step of changing into a greater group is more difficult than the earlier one.
“I told the guys in the locker room just now, we have to remember the work, effort and energy it takes to get to another level,” Mosley mentioned. “Because sometimes people think because you’ve done it in one year that it’s supposed to repeat itself the next year. We’ve got to put the work back in and we’ve got to make sure we do it at a higher level — individually and collectively.”
Mosley’s message has been acquired.
Players have already got began reflecting and specializing in what must be finished — individually and collectively — to turn into a playoff group.
“Training our minds and bodies to be able to play an 82-game season and be able to play in the playoffs,” Carter mentioned. “Accountability can take one other soar. With us being such a younger group, typically we could be a little bit goofy. Sometimes sort of get lackadaisical all through the video games. Being in a position to maintain one another accountable to a complete different degree will likely be a subsequent step for us.
“And mental toughness will be a big one for us. As a young team, that’s something that we struggled with sometimes. We’re not making shots or [the] other team has scored 2-3 times in a row, sometimes we get down on ourselves instead of continuing to play.”
The Magic realized necessary classes in 2022-23 — classes that guard Cole Anthony mentioned they’re nonetheless studying and can proceed to study.
Even with how encouraging this previous season was, particularly their 29-26 file from Dec. 5-April 4 (after they had been eradicated from postseason rivalry), they’ve greater targets in thoughts.
“The reality of the situation is, ‘Yeah, this [was] a very successful season for us,’ ” Anthony mentioned. “But we’re still not where we want to be. We still didn’t make the playoffs. For us, it just shows we have a lot of room to grow. Next season we have a chance to really be a playoff team.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
()
Source: www.bostonherald.com