Can you feel it?<\/p>\n
There\u2019s something electric in the air<\/a> in Central Florida \u2014 and, no, it\u2019s not another afternoon thunderstorm. It\u2019s the buzz. The hum. The excitement. The sheer anticipation<\/a> of an Orlando Magic season that feels, finally, real.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n For more than a decade, hardcore Magic fans have been the quiet constant, believing in the process long after the rest of the league stopped paying attention. Now, though, the rest of the league is looking over its shoulder.<\/p>\n Since Dwight Howard\u2019s departure more than a dozen years ago, the franchise has rebuilt, retooled, reimagined and reinvented itself so many times it\u2019s hard to keep track. But this year, it feels different.<\/p>\n After years of development, patience and an endless array of \u201cnext years,\u201d the Orlando Magic are not just ready to compete. They\u2019re one of the trendy picks to make noise in a wide-open Eastern Conference. With Boston\u2019s Jayson Tatum and Indiana\u2019s Tyrese Haliburton both sidelined with ruptured Achilles tendons, the door has swung open. And guess who\u2019s standing there, ready to walk through it?<\/p>\n Your Orlando Magic.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t hype for hype\u2019s sake. This isn\u2019t wishful thinking. This is the real thing \u2014 a young, homegrown, cohesive, confident team led by two young stars in Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, a coach in Jamahl Mosley who preaches grit and growth, and a front office that has been patient enough to build it the right way.<\/p>\n So here\u2019s the message, Magic fans: in this fast-paced, TikTok, hot-take, transfer-portal world that we live in, let\u2019s just pause. Take a deep breath. Look around. And enjoy this Magic carpet ride we\u2019re about to embark on.<\/p>\n Because the long and winding road seems to finally have a destination.<\/p>\n When the Magic drafted Banchero No. 1 overall in 2022, it wasn\u2019t the \u201cconsensus\u201d pick. It wasn\u2019t the \u201csafe\u201d pick. But it was the right pick.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cOrlando took a chance on me when they drafted me, and I am forever grateful for that,\u201d Banchero said at the time. \u201cThey put their trust in me to take that chance and take me No. 1. After that, I felt like it was my job to help them reach heights that haven\u2019t been reached in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n And now, at just 22 years old \u2014 with a Rookie of the Year award, an All-Star appearance and a max extension in his pocket \u2014 he feels it\u2019s time to start repaying the Magic in wins and playoff success.<\/p>\n From 22 wins in Mosley\u2019s first season to 34 the next to a leap to 47 before injuries derailed the momentum last season \u2014 this team\u2019s growth has been organic and steady. No shortcuts. No panic trades. No superstars forcing their way out.<\/p>\n Just work. Sweat. Faith.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Magic president Jeff Weltman summed it up best: \u201cThis team is growing up and the beauty of it is that the fans have been through this journey and growing process with us. The message we want to send out is we\u2019re ready to turn the page on the rebuild. This is about winning now. Hopefully, we\u2019re about to go on a fun ride.\u201d<\/p>\n Banchero. Wagner. Jalen Suggs. And now, Desmond Bane. Four young stars. All under contract for the foreseeable future. All have bought into Orlando\u2019s vision.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t a collection of mercenaries on short-term deals. This isn\u2019t a \u201clet\u2019s see if this works for a year\u201d experiment. This is your team, Orlando \u2014 built mostly through the draft and built with patience and purpose. In a transfer-portal world where loyalty is rare and commitment is fleeting, the Magic have assembled something that feels rooted.<\/p>\n Of course, with higher expectations comes higher scrutiny and accountability. Mosley knows this. He knows that when fans start caring more; they start judging more. And he welcomes it.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cPressure is a privilege,\u201d Mosley likes to say.<\/p>\n And this season, the Magic finally have some.<\/p>\n For the first time in a long time, pressure is something to embrace, not fear.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time since I got here where it feels serious in terms of expectations,\u201d Banchero said. \u201cI love that because now it\u2019s time to win. When the expectation and standard is to win, that\u2019s what brings the best out of people.\u201d<\/p>\n Weltman has preached patience from the start. He\u2019s built a roster brick by brick, never panicking, never rushing the timeline. But now, with the DeVos family investing heavily in this roster and the team giving up four first-round picks to acquire Bane, the organization has officially shifted into win-now mode.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cI was talking with my agent before everything went down after last season,\u201d Bane said after the trade. \u201cIf there was ever a chance I\u2019d get traded, where are the spots you want to go? And I mean, I promise you, Orlando was right at the top of the list. So it\u2019s a perfect fit.\u201d<\/p>\n Read that again.<\/p>\n Players actually want to come to Orlando.<\/p>\n When was the last time you could say that?<\/p>\n So here we are getting ready for the most highly anticipated season in more than a decade.<\/p>\n The Orlando Magic aren\u2019t playing for tomorrow any longer. They\u2019re playing for today.<\/p>\n And maybe, just maybe, this is the start of something special.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n So Magic fans, this is your reminder: don\u2019t miss the beauty of this moment.<\/p>\n The Orlando Magic are young, hungry, homegrown and finally \u2014 FINALLY \u2014 ready for prime time.<\/p>\n This isn\u2019t just a season. It\u2019s a statement.<\/p>\n The Magic carpet is waiting.<\/p>\n Let\u2019s ride.<\/p>\n Email me at mbianchi@orlandosentinel.com<\/a>. Hit me up on social media @BianchiWrites and listen to my new radio show \u201cGame On\u201d every weekday from 3 to 6 p.m. on FM 96.9, AM 740 and 969TheGame.com\/listen<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Can you feel it? 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