Preseason is its own animal. Everyone recognizes it is not representative of the real season in many ways.
Every team and everyone is working on something specific, and it may not always lead to the team winning -- plus the end of the game is decided by players who will not be on the roster when the season begins next week.
The Magic are 3-0 in their preseason run and on the verge of their first undefeated preseason since 2010, when they were on a 21-game preseason win streak from 2008-10. That was the Magic's longest sustained run of playoff success and one of its best teas.
But do not read too much into it.
Instead, the Magic hope that those signs that have led to success in these games is something that will translate when they start the season on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. All the Magic want to see on Thursday against the New Orleans Pelicans is to get more experience playing together and to tie everything together from their nearly three weeks of preparation.
They want to sharpen things up before the season begins.
"I think we showed a lot of growth," Goga Bitadze said after shootaround Thursday. "Just taking this game seriously because we know this is not just fun. Mentally, we just have to keep doing the right things. I think everybody has done that. The younger guys have realized every game has got to be the same way, same mentality and same things you have to do. Stay consistent. I think if we're missing something, it will come naturally and the coaches will look at it."
Preseason is the time to lay the foundation of who the team will be. That does not mean it always comes out in the preseason games, of course. But the Magic have one more game to put those puzzle pieces together once again.
Getting time on the court
The biggest part of preseason is getting in sync and playing together.
The Orlando Magic have leaned on continuity for much of the last three seasons, making it easy to jump right in and hit the ground running during the season.
But this year is different. The Magic added a new starter in Desmond Bane. He is meant to shift entirely how the Magic play because of his floor spacing and shooting.
On top of this, Jalen Suggs started training camp out while recovering from a February knee surgery. While he has continued to make progress in his return -- graduating to contact drills and 3-on-3 in Tuesday's practice -- he is still working his way back. His status for opening night remains uncertain.
Orlando simply has not had a lot of time on the court together this preseason. Especially considering that Franz Wagner sat out the preseason opener against the Miami Heat and Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane sat out Sunday's home opener against the Heat.
The Orlando Magic's main trio has played 15.7 minutes together in that lone game against the Philadelphia 76ers. They have gotten plenty of time together in practice. But every moment for them is valuable.
"It really is big for us to get those guys out there, the chemistry, how they play off of one another, their communication on both sides of the ball," coach Jamahl Mosley said after shootaround Thursday. "They have done a great job communicating already the things that they see. But it is going to be great to get them out there against a different opponent all together."
The Magic still have to plan for the season. The team is trying not to take any unnecessary risks. Holding out players throughout the preseason was part of that plan and process.
Orlando is still experimenting with different lineups and rotations. Thursday's finale will not be a dress rehearsal, per se. But the goal is to continue bringing these players together and laying the foundations for the rest of the season.
"It's huge. It's not a sprint though, it's a marathon," Bane said after shootaround Thursday. "We want everybody to be healthy and feeling toward the end of the season. That's the biggest thing. In Memphis, me, Ja [Morant] and Jaren [Jackson Jr.] didn't get enought time on the floor together with injuries and different things. The more we play together, the more chemistry we will have."
The Magic are not counting their chickens before they hatch, but they know there is a long journey ahead of the.
Cleaning up the mistakes
The preseason has been more about laying the foundation for who the Orlando Magic will be. The team is trying to reshape its offense in a significant way with its pace and speed. But still maintain its defense.
There have been a lot of good moments for the Magic throughout the preseason. But there has been a lot to clean up.
The Magic's increased pace has led to an increase in turnovers -- an 18.9 percent turnover rate for the entire game and 21.7 percent in the first half when the starters are more likely to play. That has led to the defense struggling to a 112.3 defensive rating in the first half.
It is nothing anyone is concerned with. But the Magic know they must tighten things up.
"We're trying to get better and play to our standards," Goga Bitadze said after shootaround Thursday. "We played a little bit faster. We have to control that, get back, get stops and do what we did last year. Our goal and whole meaning to this team is to get stops and get out and run. We've got to do that and keep improving as a team."
There is still a lot of work to do to be ready for the regular season.
But generally, the Magic have been encouraged with what they have seen so far. They have been encouraged by the spirits, pace and passing. Everyone sees the potential within this group.
This has been a good preseason for the Magic -- undefeated record or not. But the goal is not to win, the goal is to play good basketball.
"Just keep building on our habits," Desmond Bane said after shootaround Thursday. "Really come out and be the defensive team we want to be this year. Push the ball with pace, share it. We are still getting a feel for things. We're relatively new together. Just go out and really build on what we've laid so far."
There is still work to do before Wednesday's opener. Thursday's preseason finale is another step in that direction.