1. Culture & Comradery:
I may not be able to speak too in-depth on this seeing as how this was my very first time spending time around the players, staff, coaches and other media members, but there was an energy in the building that just felt so fun and familiar. There was a sense of family. The players really seemed to enjoy being around each other and with the exception of a handful of players (no fault of their own, I think they are naturally introverts), the guys were eager to talk about the upcoming season and there was genuine optimism when discussing expectations they had for themselves and the team as a whole. When asked if he believes if the Magic can be the team they were during the last 31 games of the season (22-9), DJ Augustin had this to say “I believe in my heart we can. But it’s up to us as a team to put it together on the floor. It doesn’t matter what we think individually but when we come together and step on the floor, we’ve got to stay with each other and believe in each other. If we start like we finished last year I expect us to accomplish a lot of great things.”
But more than that, these guys have such a good time being around each other. It’s reminiscent of the Magic teams of the late 2000s. One moment that stood out to me on media day was during a photoshoot. Aaron Gordon, Jonathan Isaac, Mo Bamba and Terrance Ross cracked jokes while playfully posing together. T-Ross hit us with a “prison pose” while AG did his best Andre 3000 impressions (seriously, go look at the cover art on the Stankonia album). Later on during Jonathan Isaac’s solo photoshoot, Mo Bamba (and his brand new haircut) walks past Jonathan and yells in a sarcastically disappointed old man tone of voice “Millennials and their haircuts! Moments like these are important. When the going gets tough (and they will get tough) these guys will need to fight for each other, they will need to have each other’s back and they will need to sacrifice for each other. I have no doubt when that time comes, this team will go to the trenches together and come through the other side better than ever. THE CHEMISTRY IS REAL.
2. Markelle Fultz Reassurance:
Let’s face it. I’ve been a pessimist at best when it comes to my expectations for Fultz. I recognize the talent, but my concern has always been where he’s at mentally. He’s been through quite a shit storm these last few years and media and fans alike have not been kind to him. What kind of damage does that have on a player’s psyche? Especially one so young and unproven? How much of his personal struggles were mental and how much physical? Fultz will tell you it was all physical and he’s 100% healthy for the first time in his career. Without having much video evidence of such, I’ve taken a very cautious wait and see approach. HOWEVER. I’VE BECOME A FULL BLOW FULTZ BELIEVER IN THE DAYS SINCE MEDIA DAY. He exudes confidence without saying much, but what he does say speaks volumes. When asked about how it felt not being able to play much over the last two seasons, Fultz, without hesitation, had this to say “It’s the toughest thing, just like anything you love. If you ask anybody what’s the thing they love the most and ask them how it feels to be taken away from you. It’s tough. I just wanted to go out there. If I had no arms I’d still want to play basketball”
This is a young man that more than anything loves the game of basketball. Put yourself in his shoes for a moment, if you will, and think about how hard you’d fight to get back to the thing that brings you the most joy. It’s hard to imagine someone just flat out giving up on that. I think it’ll take some time, but Fultz look ready both mentally and physically (seriously, the guy is in phenomenal shape) to prove to the world what made him the consensus number one pick several years ago. I mean really, you should’ve seen how Terrance Ross lit up when he spoke about Markelle. He was impressed (and that may be an understatement). If Fultz can impress The Human Torch on such a level, then I imagine (more so hoping) he will blow us all away this season.
