The Orlando Magic season is inching closer, and expectations are higher than ever following preseason media day. Along with new additions Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones, coach Jamahl Mosley emphasized that the mix of veteran talent and young players understands the standard heading into the season.
“For this team,” Mosley said during media day. “It's extremely high. I'm excited for this group, the additions, the young guys, the older guys, the experience, the mindset that these guys have brought in all summer. Really excited to get going and get into camp.”
With new veteran additions and the continued growth of Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs, the Magic are expected not only to rise in the Eastern Conference but also contend for a championship. Coach Jamahl Mosley acknowledged the pressure that comes with those expectations, but said the roster is united on its ultimate goal.
“I just told the group in the locker room, there's nobody outside of that locker room that should have higher expectations for ourselves than us,” Mosley said. “And so there's going to be a lot of things written, there's going to be a lot of people saying a lot of things about what we should and could do, but our standard is high, and what we know we're capable of doing, and it starts with our everyday work getting better every single day. Every 29 other teams are saying they want to win NBA championship, and that's great to have, but it's the daily habits that we have to approach for us as a group and a standard and an accountability, we have to hold each other to in order to go do it.”
“We're getting better every day,” Mosley added. “And I'll say it now, playing our best basketball towards the end of the season. And that's going to be steps every single day. You know, Jalen Suggs says it all the time. You continue to stack days. How many days can we stack up until the end of the season? And every game is important, every practice is important, every recovery is important. How are we getting better every single day to build to be playing our best healthy basketball at the end of the season.”
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