The Orlando Magic are virtually the same roster as last year. That has helped them ease their transition to a new coaching staff.
All Orlando Magic fans should be excited and intrigued by this Saturday’s preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets. The team has been working hard behind the scenes to get ready for the season and learning the new things coach Scott Skiles needs the team to learn to accomplish its goals.
Those goals are pretty simple — be competitive and make the Playoffs.
That can be difficult to do when you are getting used to a new coach. The good news for the Magic is there are a lot of players who played with each other last year. Familiarity should breed some comfort as I wrote for Orlando Magic Daily:
“The fact that a lot of us know each other and are familiar with each other’s game, it helps,” Nikola Vucevic said. “But I think Coach Scott has been very patient with us. Trying to teach us the plays and the defensive sets and all. Taking his time. If we make a mistake, he won’t go crazy. He explains it over and over again. But it definitely helps if you have guys around you already know, makes it easier to learn everything.”
Undoubtedly things have changed for the Magic even at this early stage of camp. The focus on defense has increased and Skiles appears to be focusing on little things that will pay big dividends in changing the Magic’s mentality.
Fortunately, Orlando’s players seem to have taken this to heart too. The Magic are embracing things so far to camp and progressing nicely as the season comes up.
