Players healthy as camp commences
The 2017-18 Orlando Magic already have one positive thing going for them.
They will enter their first practice of training camp this morning fully healthy.
All players on the roster have been cleared for 5-on-5 drills, said
the team’s president basketball operations. of That’s progress. At this time last year heading into what turned out to be a disappointing season, forward
suffered from a severely sprained ankle, and swingman was recovering from surgery.
At this time two years ago, a fractured jaw kept Gordon out of full-contact work.
Gordon’s limitations during the 2015 and 2016 camps set him back and hampered the team. foot
So he relishes being injury-free this time around.
“I’m ready to play,” Gordon said Monday. “It’s gonna to pay dividends just to be with the team.”
hair — or, more accurately, a sudden lack thereof — provided comedy fodder during Magic’s media day Monday.
Fournier typically grows his hair long enough on top that it requires him to tie the excess hair into a Samurai ponytail for practices and games. But Fournier recently had his hair cut short.
Coach always eager to make a joke, pretended to do a double take when he walked past Fournier on Monday.
“I just realized there is something missing here!” Vogel exclaimed.
In past years, opposing teams’ fans often lambasted Fournier mercilessly about his hairstyle.
Even who is Fournier’s best friend on the Magic, often kidded Fournier about the ponytail.
No surprise, then, that Vucevic said he was happy to see Fournier’s new buzzcut look.
“I’m very, very excited,” Vucevic quipped.
“A great thing. I think it will help us bring a lot of positives for this season. We don’t have to look at that anymore.
“It’s great. I’m happy that he finally decided to listen to me and get rid of it.”
But Fournier isn’t the only Magic employee making a hair adjustment.
Vogel has kept the beard he grew during the offseason and said it’s likely he’ll keep his facial hair into the regular season.
The Magic have scheduled two practices for today: a full-contact morning session and a non-contact afternoon session heavy on conditioning, Vogel said.
A bunch of Magic players spent part of Sunday playing paintball as a fun activity to boost team chemistry. Players said rookie swingman
took the brunt of the paint. “I don’t know if I can do paintballing again, man, because that’s painful for real,” Iwundu said.
The Magic plan to hold practice this morning on Amway Center’s main court instead of on the team’s Amway Center practice court, a team official said. The Magic hope that extra practice time on the game court can play a small role in building a homecourt advantage.