The scoreboard at Kia Heart mentioned it clearly: Orlando 125, Miami 121. However the true message of Wednesday evening’s season opener went far deeper than the ultimate numbers.
For the primary time in a very long time, the Orlando Magic are clearly the state’s superior basketball franchise. Not for every week, not for a season, not for a few seasons – however for the foreseeable future.
This wasn’t only a win to begin a season. It was the most recent proof that the Magic’s affected person rebuild – the years of improvement, the draft nights that required religion, the seasons of development and frustration – is lastly turning potential into manufacturing.
And the opponent made it that a lot sweeter.
For many years, the Miami Warmth have been Florida’s basketball large brother, lording their banners, their titles, and their swagger over the Magic. From Alonzo Mourning and Tim Hardaway to the Heatles – LeBron, D-Wade and Chris Bosh – Miami constructed an identification that made “Warmth Tradition” a family phrase. The Magic, in the meantime, have cycled by means of false hope and forgotten seasons for the higher a part of their historical past.
That dynamic has actually modified.
Orlando’s win Wednesday evening was a workforce with construction, youth, depth and objective beating a franchise that’s nonetheless defiantly proud, however is desperately and perhaps hopelessly making an attempt to hold on to what it as soon as had.
Magic followers noticed all the pieces they might have hoped for Wednesday evening. Jalen Suggs, sidelined since final January, lastly returned to the lineup – and wasted no time reminding everybody what they’d missed. He set the emotional tone from the opening tip, energizing the gang along with his relentless hustle – taking fees, diving for free balls, and flattening 6 of his 7 photographs from the sector.
They noticed the Magic’s latest addition, sharpshooter Desmond Bane, pour in 23 factors and knock down three of his seven makes an attempt from deep. They noticed Wendell Carter Jr. flex his energy within the paint, combating for pivotal offensive rebounds and calmly sinking clutch free throws within the closing minutes. And, after all, they noticed the Magic’s two co-stars – Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner –every ship 24 factors to seal the win.
The Magic gained the sport regardless of not enjoying their normally shut-down protection. In actual fact, the Warmth led 39-38 after the primary quarter, the highest-scoring quarter within the 143-game historical past of the intrastate sequence.
That is what the perfect organizations appear to be: groups that don’t need to play completely to win, as a result of their basis is robust sufficient to soak up errors.
As for the Warmth, I’m not able to bury them simply but. They’ve come again from the useless earlier than. And to be truthful, they’re enjoying the opening weeks of the season with out Tyler Herro – final 12 months’s main scorer – who underwent surgical procedure on his left ankle final month.
Nonetheless, the Warmth simply don’t appear to be the Warmth anymore. Pat Riley’s entrance workplace hasn’t landed an enormous fish in years. Jimmy Butler is gone after forcing a commerce. The Warmth’s veterans – gamers who as soon as embodied the toughness of the group – at the moment are making an attempt to carry off the inevitable slide towards mediocrity.
In previous years, the Magic have been the workforce trying to find identification. Now, they’ve one. The Warmth are those making an attempt to rediscover theirs.
That is the fantastic thing about doing it the fitting method
This Orlando workforce didn’t skip steps.
They didn’t mortgage the long run for a short-term splash. They didn’t panic when the wins didn’t come instantly. They stayed affected person and believed that development takes time.
Banchero turned an All-Star earlier than turning 23. Franz Wagner has advanced into the right co-star — unselfish, environment friendly, and constant. Bane and Suggs are additionally professional scoring choices. These 4 core gamers are underneath contract for the following 4 or 5 years.
That’s what makes this rise really feel completely different from previous Magic runs. When Shaq and Penny arrived, the success was electrical however fleeting. When Dwight Howard took Orlando to the Finals, the window was brief and closely depending on one participant. This time, the core isn’t constructed on a single character or fleeting window. It’s constructed to evolve collectively.
Now, the group is considered as secure, well-run, and forward-thinking. Possession is invested, the entrance workplace is aligned, and the teaching workers has buy-in from the gamers.
In a league the place dysfunction can torpedo even essentially the most gifted rosters, that sort of unity issues.
In the meantime, in Miami, the cracks are apparent.
Coach Erik Spoelstra’s brilliance can solely take you thus far and there’s solely a lot teaching can do when the expertise pipeline begins to dry up. Pat Riley’s previous formulation – lure stars, win titles, retool on the fly – doesn’t work as properly in at the moment’s NBA.
That’s what made Wednesday’s sport so symbolic. The Warmth live prior to now; the Magic are constructed for the long run.
And for longtime Magic followers, the flip of occasions couldn’t be sweeter. In spite of everything, Orlando has all the time been overshadowed by Miami. It was dangerous sufficient that Shaq left Orlando for L.A., however it was even worse that he ultimately landed in Orlando and helped the Warmth win their first title. The window of alternative on the Magic’s Dwight Howard period was shortly slammed shut when LeBron and the Heatles joined forces in South Florida.
However now, the tables have turned. The Magic have gained the Southeast Division two straight years, whereas Miami has flirted with the Play-In. The stability of energy in Florida basketball – and perhaps within the East – has shifted.
None of this implies Orlando is a completed product. They’re nonetheless younger, nonetheless studying easy methods to deal with prosperity, nonetheless determining easy methods to translate potential into postseason success. However the items are in place, and Wednesday evening was one other reminder of that progress.
The win wasn’t dramatic. It wasn’t flashy. It was gutsy – which makes it much more encouraging.
As a result of for years, the Magic have been the workforce hoping to shock folks. Now, they’re the workforce anticipated to win.
For the primary time in franchise historical past, it seems like is constructing one thing that may final.
And perhaps that’s what makes this season-opening victory over Miami a lot extra significant.
It’s not simply that the Magic have been higher on this one evening, it’s that they’re constructed to be higher for years to return.
Electronic mail me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and hearken to my new radio present “Recreation On” each weekday from 3 to six p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com/hear
