Magic must treat every night like the opener
There was a time not so long ago when Amway Center would have been packed for a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers mainly because it gave Orlando sports fans a chance to see LeBron James and the crew put on a show.
That’s how it was for all those wasted, woebegone seasons when the only attractions at Amway Center had more to do with who the Magic were playing rather than the Magic themselves.
Now let’s fast-forward to Wednesday when the mundane, rebuilding, LeBron-less Cavaliers were in town on their opening night of the NBA season — and the crowd at Amway Center actually showed up to see the hometown team.
Magic fans got what they wanted — a 94-85 victory over the Cavaliers and a promising preview of just how good young point guard Markelle Fultz could become. Meanwhile, Magic players got what they
wanted — a festive atmosphere befitting of a team that won over the city by leading the league in hope, hustle, defense and floor burns during a playoff run at the end of last season. This was like opening night back in the glory days of yesteryear with poster giveaways, “Magic Above All” Tshirts for every fan in attendance, an LED light show and, of course, the national anthem being sung Gina Marie Incandela — who first started singing at Magic games a decade ago at the NBA Finals when she was 7 years old.
I’m not saying this team is anything close to that Finals team of 2009, but, hey, anything seems possible on opening night.
“I’m extremely fired up,” Orlando mayor Buddy Dyer said. “It’s been so long since we’ve come off a season where we were in the playoffs the year before. … This might be my favorite group of Magic players ever. They’re young, they’re exciting and they want to be on the Magic and be in Orlando instead of wanting to be in L.A.”
The mayor is right. This is the most anticipated Magic season in the better part of a decade because of the way the Magic finished last season when they ended a sixyear playoff drought. But that was last season, and nobody knows better than Magic coach Steve Clifford how quickly things can change in the NBA.
Much like he did in Orlando during his first season a year ago, Clifford turned around his previous team in his inaugural season in Charlotte. The Hornets, who were an abysmal 21-61 the year before Clifford arrived, won 43 games and made the playoffs in Clifford’s first season. But the following season, because of injuries and some personnel changes, the Hornets fell back to 33 wins.
Translation: Clifford knows when you’re a franchise that doesn’t have multiple superstars, there’s a fine line between being a good team and a bad one. The Magic simply aren’t a team that can afford to cruise through the regular season and rest themselves for the playoffs. Every game, from last night’s opener to the 82nd game of the season, is ultra-important if they expect to make the playoffs again.
This is why Clifford made a point in the Magic’s final practice before Wednesday night’s opener to write the name of Kenyan distance runner Eliud Kipchoge on the team white board. Kipchoge last week became the first man to ever run a marathon in under two hours.
“The reason I used him as an example is because people say the NBA season is a marathon and not a sprint,” Clifford said. “Well, [Kipchoge] ran the marathon in under two hours at a pace of about 4 minutes, 30 seconds per mile. To be a good marathoner and a good NBA team, the entire race is a sprint. That’s the mentality the best teams and the best players have.”
The Magic made a quantum leap from hapless franchise to playoff team in Clifford’s first year, but can they make another monumental jump from fringe playoff team to a legitimate contender this season? The hope, of course, is that the Magic can continue what they started at the end of last season when they won 22 of their final 31 games.
The naysayers will say the Magic are essentially the same team with the same roster as last year, but I don’t agree. I believe this Magic team has the capability to be significantly better for two reasons.
First and foremost, even though the roster makeup is similar to last year, another season in Clifford’s system — and the expectation and comfort level that comes with it — could pay huge dividends.
Secondly, this roster isn’t exactly the same. It’s not far-fetched to think that Fultz could be the greatest acquisition since the Louisiana Purchase. Fultz, the former No. 1 overall pick in the draft whom the Magic traded for last season, looked amazing in his debut. He came off the bench midway through the first quarter, quickly made the Magic’s next three buckets and then threw an alley-oop pass to Mo Bamba for another bucket. When Fultz checked out of the game a few minutes later, he had hit 4 of 5 shots to stake the Magic to a five-point lead.
“Markelle was the difference in the game,” Clifford said.
“For me, seeing the ball go in the hoop just gave me confidence,” said Fultz, who finished 6-of-12 from the floor with 12 points. “It made me say, ‘Hey, it’s back. I’m good.’ ”
The crowd at Amway Center roared its approval as Fultz and the rest of the team trotted off the court.
The first leg of the marathon sprint had been successfully completed, but there are 81 more to go.
If the Magic expect to accomplish greatness, they must treat every night like its opening night.
Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on Twitter @BianchiWrites and listen to my Open Mike radio show every weekday from 6 to 9 a.m. on FM 96.9 and AM 740.