Orlando Magic Training Camp 2021

[MagicFan101]

I DO NOT CARE about W-L this year.

I want to see progress and a fun team.

For some season I have high hopes …

[PrimeThyme]

I don't put too much weight into the "this is a fun team who all loves each other" stuff I've seen talked about by our fanbase and the team leading up to the season.

Don't get me wrong, I like quite a few of the characters/personalities on this roster, && they do seem to gel well together on that front, but it's really easy for new young rebuilding teams like this to have that vibe about them before any games are played.

Everything changes when the losses start piling up. Which (despite what many others around our fanbase seem to think) is going to happen rather quickly for this team in my opinion. This group of young guys will face a lot of adversity this year, && in my experience, once the player hierarchy starts to get established and the effects of that and the losses set in, all the good vibe talk kind of goes out the window.

I definitely have optimism going into the season though. Suggs is my most anticipated/highly rated draft pick since Dwight Howard. I'm incredibly excited to watch him play. Monitoring the development of the likes of Wagner, RG, Chuma, WCJ, Isaac (Maybe?), among others should hopefully be a bright spot as well.

However, there will be plenty of negatives, && I think we need to all be anticipating that.

I can certainly get behind wanting to see a consistently improving team that plays hard next year. I'd just hesitate thinking that it will translate into an overly competitive one that will win more than 25 games. I'd expect 21 or less.

Sometime in the next two years as Suggs starts to come into his own, a few of these young guys hopefully separate themselves, we add another top 5 draft pick (or two), and we potentially attack the free-agent market is when we can start prioritizing things like team chemistry and actually competing for a playoff spot.

For now, it's about growth, && seeing who on this roster is worth keeping around long-term.

[drsd]

Ross is now quoted saying that Anthony and Bamba are both significantly better. Here's hoping!

Where did you see that?

His podcast, which is mentioned in this link:

OMD link

[drsd]

I DO NOT CARE about W-L this year.

I would like the Magic to lift the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship Trophy this year. That would be my goal.


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[drsd]

I don't put too much weight into the "this is a fun team who all loves each other" stuff I've seen talked about by our fanbase and the team leading up to the season.

ANd-1

You know what's fun? Winning.

Your narrative gets to that one point. These athletes are employees were the employer measures productivity with a key metric: Wins.

Fultz has a quote to this point when he said "he would tie shoe laces if that is the role that leads to victories".

It is not the group dynamic that excites me but the work ethic and willingness to sacrifice to achieve the singular goal: be a winning team.

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