ORLANDO, Fla. - The Orlando Magic opened media day with more than just the usual preseason chatter. Before the first real practice of training camp, the team got together to sort out roles, and that meeting offered a pretty clear look at how Orlando plans to approach the season.
That early sit-down stood out because it wasn’t business as usual for this group. The Magic mapped out who would do what going into the year, but there’s also room for that blueprint to shift if the season starts throwing curveballs.
Orlando enters camp in relatively good shape physically, though not everyone is ready right away. Izaiyah Nelson and Jonathan Isaac will both miss the start of training camp, and Nelson will also miss the start of the season while he works through the ankle injury he suffered during the summer.
Isaac is still trying to get himself ready for opening night.
The biggest spotlight, though, is on Paolo Banchero. He’s the player Orlando is counting on to push this team forward, and he showed up to his media session looking slimmer and stronger.
That kind of offseason work matters here, because the Magic are banking heavily on internal growth after making only minimal roster changes. President of basketball operations Jeff Weltman made clear how important that development is for a young team, and Banchero appears to have spent the summer preparing to take that next step.
There’s also a different feel around the building, even though much of the roster is the same as last season. The group has been around the facility for weeks, and the emphasis has clearly shifted.
Part of that comes from the fact that Sweeney is in the building instead of Mosley, but the change goes beyond one name. The Magic are approaching games with a redefined focus, and the hope inside the building is that the season will show it.
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Banchero has already shown the kind of talent that makes the ceiling easy to imagine, but the next step is about turning that promise into something steadier. Analysts have pointed to his need for more consistency and stronger leadership, and those are the traits that could determine whether Orlandos season feels like another step forward or just another year of waiting for the breakout to fully arrive. [Read more 🡒]