In the first quarter of Saturday's game against the Miami Heat, Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones were clearly getting a feel for their place on the team. They were trying to find where their shots would come from and where they fit in with their new team.
Everyone was trying to get a feel for exactly how this would work. And it is a lineup full of veterans who know the rhythm of getting ready for a season. Especially at this early stage of camp.
Still, the Magic cannot lose moments to integrate their new players, even if they are veterans. Bane and Jones are eager to join this team and then add to it.
Desmond Bane seemed to take control in his second stint, driving to the lane and dumping it down to Wendell Carter and whipping the ball around. The Magic hope that Bane's shooting (he did hit a three) and playmaking can unlock a dormant offense.
Jones had a less impactful game statistically, but everyone could feel the level of organization and offense he can bring to the table.
These two players will add a lot to the team.
"They are going to make this team so much better," Wendell Carter said during the first week of training camp. "Desmond, obviously, with how well he shoots the ball, is what is needed for our team to take that extra step. He's a great communicator, great leader. He uses his voice to bring the best out of everyone around him.
"Tyus is just old reliable. That's a guy, when you need him to make the right play, knock down a shot, do the right things on the defensive end, he does those things. He's also a great vocal leader. Those two guys are going to make this team so much better and easier for everyone around them."
The Magic are still a young team. They are still learning how to play deeper into the playoffs. Veterans still carry a big voice. And Bane and Jones are the only players on the roster who have been out of the first round.
Carter said their leadership will matter throughout the season.
And Bane and Jones will have a big role to play helping the Magic achieve their goals. Even through two weeks of training camp, the Magic are already feeling their impact.
Quiet leaders, adding to the team
The Orlando Magic are a player-run team. Coach Jamahl Mosley has worked diligently to create a culture where players have a high level of ownership and control. He wants players to problem-solve and take control over the team.
The Magic have years now established and a system that works. Even with the need to reform the offense, the Magic have built a culture of defense that has led them to the Playoffs the last two seasons. Orlando does not need to reinvent the wheel.
But this is still a young team that is short on experience. They still need veteran players who can help guide the team. And even younger veterans like Bane and Jones can have a major impact.
"If I had to say the one thing, it has been their level of communication," coach Jamahl Mosley said during the team's first week of training camp. "What they see and how they see it. Them letting these guys know the experience that they have had and what they see on the floor. And they aren't afraid to be vocal about it."
Bane and Jones both know they are adding to the team. They are not here to overtake what the team has already built.
The Magic certainly added them for their offensive acumen. They want them to give support offensively and change their struggling offense. They want them to have a voice.
Franz Wagner said his main task is to learn from those players and take in their experience. Even though they are new to an established team, the Magic are listening to their perspective and looking to add their skills to boost their team.
"The biggest piece that everyone has talked about is their [Bane and Jones] ability to shoot the basketball," Mosley said last week. "The space that they provide on the floor is tremendous. The other side is their leadership. Their experience, what they have done in this league and who they have been for each team they have been, I think that provides such great mentorship for our young guys and also a mindset of guys who have done it throughout the league and they can share that in the locker room."
Fitting into a new team
Still, it is always a challenge to come to a new team. Particularly, an established team with an established way of doing things.
As much as Desmond Bane and Tyus Jones are expected to add to the team offensively, they are still fitting in and finding their way. These preseason games are necessary for them to get comfortable playing with new teammates.
They are necessary for helping them find their voice and where they can continue to add to the team. The Magic are letting them find their way and listening to what they can bring to the group.
"They are allowing me to lead," Jones said during the first week of camp. "They are allowing me to talk and be vocal and speak my mind. But at the same time, I'm trying to figure out things. Figure out what Mose wants. Figure out the scheme calls. It is all a learning experience for me. It's an adjustment. I'm feeling more familiar each and every single day."
Even through one preseason game and two weeks of practice, it is clear the kind of impact to the team's spacing that Bane and Jones will provide. It is clear the kind of playmaking impact they can provide too.
There is a reason their arrival has coincided with a wave of optimism for this team and this season.
They are not just game-changing players on the court. They are adding something off it too as the team tries to elevate itself into contention.
"I think you can already feel how he is going to change the trajectory of the team and how we're going to play," Franz Wagner said last week. "He sets a good example of how he goes about his work as well. I think on the court, especially offensively, he's going to change quite a bit how we're going to play."
This is a sentiment that has resounded throughout camp. Everyone has been impressed with how Bane and Jones have added to this team and added their voice to the team.