When Paolo Banchero first met Sean Sweeney over the summer, the Magic forward had a gut feeling about his new head coach.
Sweeney became Banchero’s second NBA head coach since Orlando drafted him No. 1 overall in 2022, and it would be important the two got off on the right foot.
Following months of open conversations, on-court training and now four preseason games, Banchero’s initial impression of Sweeney has seemingly proven to be accurate as the Magic make final preparations to open the regular season Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks inside Kia Center.
After Friday night’s preseason finale against the Heat, a 136-115 home win, Banchero said there haven’t been many surprises from Sweeney.
“I feel like when I met him and talked to him, I kind of got a good feel for how he was going to be, and I think my intuition was right – in a good way,” Banchero said in the locker room. “So, no real surprises. He’s obviously really intense, holds us to a standard every day. He’s very direct with his communication and isn’t going to sugarcoat anything. But I love it.”
“I think the rest of the team does as well,” Banchero added. “It’s great because there is no gray area with him. He’s going to tell you how it is — and whether you’re doing a good job or a bad job, he’s going to let you know. So, I think we can all appreciate that.”
That direct communication translated into a new-look offense that relied on moving the ball and stronger defense that leaned into a certain level of disruptiveness for the Magic in the preseason.
Across four preseason games, Orlando shot 38.8% on an average of 42.5 three-point shots per game. The Magic also averaged 32 assists and 9.3 steals per game.
For context, the franchise has never finished a regular season averaging 37 or more three-point attempts per game and hasn’t shot above 38% from distance across a single season since 2008-09 — the last time the club reached the NBA Finals.
Although this year’s preseason numbers are an extremely small sample size that came in games where lineups and rotations were different compared to the regular season, they’re still an early indicator of the type of basketball Sweeney wants the Magic to play.
It’s a type of play that relies on making quick decisions with and without the ball, playing connected on both ends of the floor and remaining disciplined enough to stay committed to their plan.
Orlando’s players are still learning the ins and outs of that style, even if they made strides in the preseason.
“I think we’re getting there,” Banchero said. “I think we’re a lot further along than we were at the start of training camp. So, that’s what you like to see, that carryover. I think we saw improvement throughout the preseason and I think you’ll continue to see improvement throughout the early parts of the season. Hopefully by the New Year into February and then for the rest of the season, that’s when it really starts to become second nature and we hit our stride and it just becomes seamless.
“But I think we’re in a good spot. I don’t think there’s a lot of unknown or confusion, which is good.”
Of course, it won’t all be perfectly executed every night and there are bound to be bumps in the road as the team saw Friday night.
After entering the exhibition without Anthony Black (right ankle sprain) and Jonathan Isaac, who continues to rehab a left knee sprain from last season, the Magic saw Franz Wagner (right shoulder soreness), Jase Richardson (low sore back) and Noah Penda (right hamstring tightness) exit early and not return. Sweeney said the latter three will be re-evaluated.
Rookie Izaiyah Nelson continues to recover from a fractured left ankle he suffered at Las Vegas Summer League as well.
Beyond the injuries, the Magic also let the Heat record 32 assists, notch 44 points in the paint and score 21 points off 18 Orlando turnovers on a night Miami was without stars Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Still, the foundation is set under Sweeney, who heads an NBA team for the first time after years as a top assistant in the league. And the Magic, including Banchero, like what they’ve built so far.
“Obviously not where we want to be — (we have) more work to do — but I think everybody has a good grip on what we’re trying to do as a team,” Banchero said. “Coach is on us every day, holding us to the standard, and we’re just continuing to work and get better.”
Added teammate Wendell Carter Jr. in the locker room: “Guys understand what needs to be done on both ends of the floor. And if they don’t get it by now, it’s a little too late. It’s time to go now.”
Jason Beede can be reached at jbeede@orlandosentinel.com
Up next
What: Magic vs. Hawks
When: 7 p.m., Wednesday, Kia Center
TV: MagicTV 27/DAZN