For the Orlando Magic, preseason isn’t some separate lane from the real work. It’s all part of the same grind.
That was the message again Tuesday as the team prepared for its rematch with the Cleveland Cavaliers, with next Wednesday’s season opener now creeping into view. The games matter, sure. But inside the building, they’re being treated as one more piece of the daily process of getting this group ready under a new coach.
“We value them the same way you value every day,” Desmond Bane said at shootaround Tuesday. “This is an every day thing.
You don't just turn it on when the lights come on. When we're in here practicing, when we're in here on our individual days, they add up, and they matter to what we're trying to do.”
That’s the thread running through everything the Magic are doing right now: build, repeat, correct, keep going. The preseason gives them a chance to test things in real time, but it’s still part of a larger foundation project.
“Just keep building on what we've been doing,” Desmond Bane said after shootaround Tuesday. “We're really hammering in our identity.
We have seen it for spurts and stretches. Every team is working to be as consistent as possible with what they are doing.
Just take a step toward that.”
That identity work matters even more because the Magic are still very much in the early stages of figuring things out. Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner have not played in the second half yet this preseason, and Bane sat out Sunday as the veteran on the roster. With minutes being managed and lineups still in flux, it’s tough to get a clean read on exactly how everything will look once the games count.
Still, the focus has been clear. The Magic have talked about spacing, physicality and defensive principles as the core pieces they want to lock in. Sean Sweeney laid out the approach simply after shootaround.
“I think for us we're trying to build each and every day and continue to improve,” coach Sean Sweeney said after shootaround Tuesday. “When it comes to the preseason games or this game night in particular, it's what did we do well, what do we want to see more of, and how do we keep doubling down on if we made a mistake not making it twice and if we got it right once, getting it right twice.”
Tuesday’s game against Cleveland is another chance to do exactly that. Sunday offered some encouraging pieces - offensive rebounding, forcing turnovers, Noah Penda getting back on the floor - but it also left plenty for the Magic to clean up. Bane didn’t sugarcoat that part.
“We were loose with some of the things we practiced,” Desmond Bane said after shootaround on Tuesday. “Our spacing wasn't great, driving a little too deep into crowds and just being on the same page.
Some of that is to be expected. We are in the preseason for a reason.
We are implementing a new system. It's not going to be perfect right away.
That's why we've got another opportunity tonight to clean it up.”
The Cavaliers are expected to have their full group available Tuesday, and maybe longer than they did in Sunday’s game. For Orlando, that makes this a useful measuring stick.
The point isn’t to chase a final score in October. It’s to keep trimming down the mistakes and getting closer to the version of the team they want to be when the opener arrives.
There’s still some injury-related progress to monitor, too. Sean Sweeney said Jalen Suggs is feeling better after his illness and was shooting with teammates when the media entered shootaround. Anthony Black was on the floor with teammates, though he was not taking part in those shooting drills.
So the puzzle is coming together, just slowly. That’s where the Magic are right now - still piecing things together, still learning, still trying to make sure each day leaves them a little sharper than the one before.
Sunday wasn’t the day they wanted. Tuesday is another chance to keep building.
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Magic Coaching Reset Could Define What This Core Really Is
A new chapter is underway in Orlando after the Magic moved on from Jamahl Mosley and handed the sideline to Sean Sweeney, a first-time head coach whose rsum was built as an assistant and associate head coach around the league. For a team trying to find out exactly what this core can become, the coaching change is more than a cosmetic reset. It is a chance to see whether a different voice and a different structure can unlock a roster that has been searching for a clearer identity.
Wendell Carter Jr. has already offered an early endorsement of Sweeneys style, pointing to the daily standards and detail work that come with a staff voice rooted in winning habits. Sweeney brings plenty of big-game experience from his years on contender staffs, and Orlando is betting that can translate into something more meaningful in a new setting. The real test now is whether the Magic can absorb those lessons quickly enough to turn optimism into traction. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Black Faces A Defining Season With The Magic
Anthony Black heads into the coming season with a clear chance to shape his future in Orlando. The Magic guard is eligible for a contract extension, but the team is not treating that as an immediate priority as it manages a tight payroll built around its core players. Black has made noticeable offensive strides, and the organization likes the direction he is going, even if there is still development ahead.
The coming months could matter a great deal for both sides because Black still has room to grow and the Magic have to weigh his progress against their financial reality. A strong season would only strengthen his case as part of the franchises long-term plans, while the clubs current approach leaves his situation very much in play as next summer approaches. [Read more 🡒]
Cavaliers Get An Early Test Against A Magic Team With Something To Prove
The Cavaliers are set to get another look at an Orlando group that has already used this preseason as a chance to tighten up the details. The teams meet at the Kia Center at 7 p.m. ET, with the game on NBCSN and Peacock, and the Magic have made clear they want to be sharper on shot selection while continuing to correct the mistakes that showed up in their earlier preseason loss to Cleveland.
Sean Sweeney also offered a small update on Jalen Suggs, noting that the guard is no longer under the weather. Even so, Orlando is still sorting out what his status and workload will look like against the Cavaliers, which adds another layer of interest for a team trying to use preseason reps the right way without losing sight of the bigger picture. [Read more 🡒]