Fresh off a statement win over the Eastern Conference-leading Detroit Pistons to cap an undefeated NBA In-Season Tournament group stage, the Orlando Magic return home riding high. Monday night marks the start of a three-game homestand, beginning with a matchup against the Chicago Bulls - a team that handed Orlando a tough early-season loss during what became a four-game skid to open the year.
But this Magic team? It’s not the same group that stumbled out of the gate. Since that rocky start, Orlando has gone 11-4, finding its footing and, more importantly, its identity - especially on the defensive end.
Wendell Carter Jr., who spent the early part of his career in Chicago, knows exactly what the Magic are up against.
“First is to limit them in transition,” Carter said after shootaround Monday. “They get out and run.
They’re a very fast-paced team. Makes or misses - they’re getting it out quick.”
That tempo is a defining trait of this Bulls squad. They don’t wait for you to get set.
They push the ball, keep defenses on their heels, and try to create chaos in the open floor. For Orlando, controlling the pace and forcing Chicago into half-court sets will be key.
On the offensive end, Carter emphasized the importance of attacking the paint - not just to score, but to collapse the defense and open up opportunities elsewhere.
“We have to live in the paint a little bit,” he said. “Get into the paint as much as possible, but understand that they’re going to shrink the floor.”
The Bulls aren’t just playing fast - they’re getting big contributions from key players, most notably guard Josh Giddey. Through 17 games, Giddey is flirting with a triple-double average and has become a focal point of Chicago’s offense.
“Limit Josh Giddey,” Carter said bluntly. “Josh Giddey’s playing at an all-time high right now. So, you know, it has to be a little bit of attention to focus on him and Coby White also.”
Coby White’s scoring punch and Giddey’s all-around game make for a backcourt that can do damage in a hurry. Orlando’s perimeter defense will need to be sharp, especially in transition and on secondary actions.
But the Magic are in a different place now than they were when they first met the Bulls. The early-season chemistry issues have given way to cohesion.
The defense has tightened up. And the newcomers - Dez and Tyus - are starting to settle in.
“We just established our identity on the defensive end,” Carter said. “I think that was something we were missing to start the year.
Just kind of getting a feel for one another. And then offensively, we just started to click.”
That balance - defensive grit and offensive rhythm - has been the driving force behind Orlando’s turnaround. And while the team is trending in the right direction, Carter made it clear they’re not getting ahead of themselves.
“We're in a good spot, but we’re definitely not satisfied,” he said. “We’re only, what, 20 games into the season? So, we’ve got a lot more ways to continue to grow, and I think we’re going to do just that.”
One area where the Magic have made noticeable strides is in their tempo - not just playing fast, but playing smart. Early in the season, the team leaned hard into pace, sometimes to a fault. Now, they’re finding the right balance.
“It was one of those feel things,” Carter said. “We came into the year like, ‘We’re going to play fast.’ And, you know, we started playing a little too fast in my opinion - in moments where we didn’t really have an advantage, trying to make something out of nothing.”
That early overcorrection has evolved into a more measured approach. The Magic are still pushing the pace, but with purpose - understanding when to run, when to slow it down, and how to manage the flow of the game.
“Now we’ve kind of found a sweet spot,” Carter explained. “Knowing when to run, when not to run, when to get a good shot.
Understanding the momentum of the game. Understanding that maybe we need to take a little bit of time off the clock to make sure we get a good shot.”
It’s that kind of growth - the subtle, in-game awareness and maturity - that separates teams trying to find their way from those ready to take the next step.
So as the Magic tip off this homestand against a fast-paced, dangerous Bulls team, they do so with a stronger sense of who they are. The early-season struggles weren’t for nothing - they were part of the process. And now, Orlando looks like a team that’s learning how to win.