ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) 鈥� The Orlando Magic gathered for their first meeting of training camp last month and the theme of coach Jamahl Mosley鈥檚 talk was accountability.
A bit later, Mosley was running a couple minutes behind schedule for an interview session with some reporters. That鈥檚 when point guard Cole Anthony good-naturedly pointed to his watch, proving that the Magic are indeed listening to what Mosley is preaching.
鈥淓verybody鈥檚 got to take accountability, man,鈥� Anthony said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the first step to being great.鈥�
Greatness is the goal for Orlando. The team knows that turning a franchise鈥檚 fortunes around is a process, and so far, they seem to be welcoming it. The Magic went 22-60 last season and got their biggest victory a month after the final game 鈥� the win in the draft lottery and the right to draft Duke鈥檚 Paolo Banchero with the No. 1 overall pick.
Still, they might not contend this season. Injuries remain a concern: Jonathan Isaac hasn't played in two years, Markelle Fultz missed camp with a broken toe and 2021's No. 5 pick in
But the Magic should be better.
鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be ups and downs,鈥� Banchero said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 82 games. You鈥檙e not going to have a good game every game.鈥�
Banchero 鈥� whose lone college season was Mike Krzyzewski鈥檚 last with the Blue Devils 鈥� played two games at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and didn鈥檛 disappoint. Orlando shut him down at that point, not wanting to risk any injury and believing he鈥檇 gotten enough of a first taste of the NBA game to get him ready for camp.
鈥淭he great part of what he went through in college was it was Coach K鈥檚 farewell tour for every arena he walked into,鈥� Mosley said. 鈥淭here was always a level of pressure. He has a tattoo on his arm that says 鈥楴o pressure.鈥� ... He understands what it is.鈥�
Banchero and fellow rookie Caleb Houstan, the second-round pick, were initiated over the summer into how Mosley wants things done. Most of Orlando鈥檚 other players already know Mosley鈥檚 plans, and that continuity should help the coach entering his second season.
鈥淲e asked our guys to be great decision makers and sometimes that has to do with not just the basketball in their hands, but it has to do with off the ball 鈥� when you鈥檙e cutting, when you鈥檙e moving, when you鈥檙e creating space for your teammate,鈥� Mosley said. 鈥淎ll those things are coming into play because we walked through all of that through camp last year and throughout the entire year. So now we鈥檒l be able to hit home on those even more.鈥�
THE YOUTH
To say the Magic are young is an understatement. Franz Wagner is 21; he played more minutes, by far, than any other Magic player last season. Cole Anthony is 22; he led the Magic in points and assists per game last season. Wendell Carter Jr. is 23; he led the Magic in rebounds per game. Chuma Okeke is 24; he led the Magic in steals. Mo Bamba is 24; he led the Magic in blocks.
Toss Banchero and Houstan in the mix 鈥� both of whom will turn 20 during the season 鈥� and the youth movement is certain to continue in Orlando.
DEFENSE MATTERS
When Orlando defended well last season, it was competitive. In the games where the Magic gave up no more than 103 points, they were 14-10; a good winning percentage, but still below the league average of 79% from last season. When the Magic gave up 104 or more, they were a league-worst 8-50.
ATTACK THE RIM
Look for the Magic to try to be more assertive on getting to the basket this season. Orlando had only one game last season where it shot more than 30 free throws 鈥� the lowest such total in the league. The Magic averaged 19.7 foul shots per game, 29th in the 30-team NBA, ahead of only the Los Angeles Clippers (19.6).
AND THE ODDS ARE ...
Entering Tuesday, had seven teams at 500-1 to win the NBA title 鈥� the longest shots on the board. Those teams: Oklahoma City, Indiana, San Antonio, Houston, Detroit, Utah and Orlando. But FanDuel does have Banchero as the 2-1 favorite to win rookie of the year, ahead of Detroit鈥檚 Jaden Ivey, Sacramento鈥檚 Keegan Murray and Houston鈥檚 Jabari Smith.
THE SCHEDULE
Orlando starts with six of its first eight games on the road, then immediately goes into a season-best seven-game homestand 鈥� mostly against Western Conference opponents, a stretch that includes defending champion Golden State and expected contenders Dallas, Minnesota, and Phoenix. No road trip is longer than five games.
___
More AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
