Throughout coaching camp and the preseason, the Orlando Magic emphasised specializing in their course of and honing in on the small print as the subsequent steps of their rebuild.
The Magic’s progress will get their first actual check in season opener in opposition to the Pistons on Wednesday at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit.
While they don’t depend within the standings, preseason video games matter. They enable for information assortment, lineup/rotation experimentation and gamers to get a greater really feel for his or her teammates.
They additionally assist coaches and gamers see what else must be improved. For the Magic, which means higher ball safety, higher defensive rotations that ought to lower down on the fouls and selecting up on the opponent’s defensive coverages faster.
All issues are labored on throughout preseason, however they’ll have a greater understanding as soon as video games begin to depend in opposition to the win-loss report.
“If we focus on the process of doing the right thing, the outcome will take care of itself,” coach Jamahl Mosley mentioned after Tuesday’s apply, earlier than the staff departed for Detroit. “We’ll continue to celebrate the small successes with this team but focusing on doing the right thing, playing the right way with that level of consistency is really important for our group of guys.”
While the Magic prioritize themselves, excecuting a gameplan with scouting intel is part of it.
That means slowing down the Pistons in transition, particularly after rebounds, and discovering holes in Detroit’s switch-almost-everything defensive scheme.
“They push the basketball and attack that paint,” Mosley mentioned. “Their defense is something that’s been very unique in that they’re one of the most switching teams throughout the league. Our ability to score against switching has to be on point. Our understanding of where we’re going on cuts [and] how our spacing has got to be accurate is very important for us.”
When requested what a profitable season-opener would seem like, a number of folks from the staff targeted on growth.
“Hopefully, we can kind of show what we worked on last year,” second-year ahead Franz Wagner mentioned, “and this year also.”
But additionally they wish to win.
“Obviously I want to play well,” mentioned Paolo Banchero, the No. 1 decide in June’s draft who’ll be making his regular-season debut. “But if we win, that trumps everything.”
Markelle Fultz (fractured left massive toe), Gary Harris (left knee rehabilitation), Jonathan Isaac (left knee rehabilitation) and Moe Wagner (sprained proper midfoot) have been listed as out for Wednesday.
The season opener suggestions off at 7 p.m. and will be watched on Bally Sports Florida/Bally Sports+ or listened to on FM 96.9 The Game.
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com