One Month Later… What we learned from the Orlando Magic’s season and what comes next

it has been one month since the Orlando Magic season ended it’s time to look back at the lessons we’ve learned and look ahead to what’s to come we’ll talk with Jason Bey of the Orlando Cal next on lockon Magic you are locked on Magic your daily Orlando Magic podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day and you are indeed locked on Magic today is June 6 2024 it will be June 7th 2024 my name is Philip Rosman I I’m the senior writer over at Orlando Magic daily.com you can find me on Twitter Philip rror on today’s episode of lockon magic we’re g to chat with Jason Bey of the Orlando Sentinel get a recap of what he saw in his first season on the beat with the Orlando Sentinel what the what we saw from the Orlando Magic the lessons we learned from the Magic’s playoff run and where the magic go next we’re goingon to get to all that coming up here in just a moment but first we want to thank you again for making lockdown magic part of your day every day no matter when you listen to us whether it’s first in the morning whether it’s right when we upload we truly appreciate you making lockdown magic part of your day every day remember this great lockdown podcast covering every single team in the NBA to search for locked on and the team you’re looking for the lockon podcast Network it’s your team every day T’s episode of lockdown magic is brought to you by prize piix the easiest and most exciting way to play daily fantasy sports go to prize.com lockon NBA and use code all lowercase locked on NBA for a first deposit match of up to $100 and now without any further Ado let’s get into it with Jason Bey of the orando sental this was recorded before game of the NBA finals in case anything should happen it probably didn’t but we’ll talk about the NBA finals on Monday’s episode for now let’s recap the season with Jason Bey of the Orlando Cent and we are now joined by the Orlando Sentinels Jason Bey to talk more about the Orlando Magic what we learned this season and what’s going to come Jason uh it’s been a months since the season ended I haven’t seen you in a while it’s it’s a little weird um how have you been man yeah I went to uh like a PR like fun event last week and and Daniel Stein was there and Kristen loo was there and was like you know a couple the Vagner brothers were there in Cole Anthony and they were doing something with Planet Fitness and it was kind of like it felt so long but also so recent and uh the last month has just been kind of depressing like it was it was like nonstop I mean it really was nonstop from the beginning of training camp all the way up until game seven I mean um I I said the only day I took off was when the Sentinel Guild went on strike I mean that every single day from the end of September to to a few days after game seven obviously with you know postwork was there was a story written almost every single day uh so the work was non-stop but it was a lot of fun and I’ve been able to take this time I didn’t get to go to Clear Water uh or or go on any fun vacation I have I have been able to decompress a little bit reflect a little bit and uh relax and and uh just take some time off and and it’s just been it’s been it’s been nice honestly yeah yeah I I feel you there I I’ve definitely been doing the same uh I was listening to some music the other day and Bob Marley came on the shuffle and I was just like immediately like sad I was immediately like sad we never got Arie kander’s review of The Bob barley movie I think that is the greatest unanswered question of the Orlando Magic season not the injuries not anything else what did Arie can think of the Bob Marley movie I think that is that is that is still what the people want to know hopefully we’ll be able to track him down and and get his full review now that it’s available on digital um but Jason uh we’ve had that month to decompress now we’ve had that month to kind of absorb everything that happened in the season obviously we’re we’re in the NBA Finals right now so the countdown to the off season and everything else is is on but what what was maybe this is too broad of a question to start with but what was your big takeaway from what the magic gained from this season I think it just continues to show that you know powo banero is a superstar On The Rise um you know obviously I I watched from afar I didn’t watch every single game of his rookie season and I I rewatched a lot of it after I learned I was you know joining this beat and and whatnot but seeing him up close and the work he does and how he lifted this team so many different moments you know you you can go back to that Denver game you go back to the the sick gamewinner in Detroit like literally he was sick um and then of course in the playoffs and just his performances um I think that to me is the biggest thing I think the growth of Jamal Mosley as a head coach you know you talk about the different injuries he dealt with and the rotations at times and um you know so maybe there’s a few big things I don’t think it’s just one big thing but the biggest thing if I had to say was just you know obviously the M knew they had something impo but we really saw it on display this year that you know there was a reason he got picked as an All-Star he got a few all NBA votes um and it’s just like more and more confidence in that pick that this is the guy that they wanted and he is the guy for this team in this franchise and you know of course obviously we learned so much about a ton a ton of different things about this this organization this franchise um but I think my biggest takeaways just the continued growth of Pao and and and Jamal Mosley as a head coach um it was it was impressive to see and uh just the the load that Pao carried was just it’s hard to remind yourself that he’s such a young age um only in his second year and U it’s I’m excited to see what he can do in year three yeah I mean I think that’s that’s obviously like the big thing I mean it’s it’s the NBA it’s a star driven League uh you kind of see how important stars are and especially in the playoffs like you know we obviously watched him all throughout the season but did did you see you know I thought we’ see him step up in the playoffs but did you see him stepping up to this level and how much how much more confidence does how he performed in the playoffs in addition to what he did in the regular season how much does that change the outlook for this team and and what feels possible yeah I mean it’s it’s like you know you see fans on social media kind of like joke about you know who he reminds everyone of right it’s LeBron James just the way he plays and and whatnot and just literally how he plays um obviously you know I don’t think he had as much hype coming out of the draft and whatnot as LeBron did but you look at the characteristics of him and how he performs and his ability you know not everyone is ready for that moment um and I just felt like from the moment you know after the first practice when they took a couple days off from the regular season and he said he felt really good better than he would have anticipated if he had told him that he would have played 80 out of 8 82 games um that just shows like he he he’s a Pros Pro he takes care of his body uh you know unless he’s a little sick after the All-Star break but for the most part he takes care of his body he he holds himself to a highest standard um and and when he’s not playing well he he admits it I mean he was frustrated with himself when there was that period where um you know towards the later part of the Season that he wasn’t scoring enough points in his in his perspective he wasn’t taking over and then even during the Cleveland series I spoke him I can’t remember what in between I think we I know we were in Cleveland I asked him what he what needs to change and he said he needs to take more control and speed things up on offense so he’s so beyond his years and the way he thinks about basketball like people talk about basketball IQ all the time it’s it’s impressive you know to think the way he thinks the way he talks I mean he’s he’s aware of a lot of things from a big pitchure to a small pitcher and and that just reminds me even more of LeBron you know let alone the way you watch Pao and the way he shoots and obviously people like to bring up Carmelo as well but um it’s it was really impressive some of the shots he was making yeah on the road in these atmospheres I mean I’ve I’ve been to Big sporting events you know obviously before the magic beat I covered UCF Athletics for multiple years between 247 and the Sentinel I’ve I’ve seen really impressive individual performances um you know McKenzie Milton and the peach bow uh Aubrey Dawkins against Duke and and taco and whatnot but for me to see that firsthand in the playoffs it it was like wow this is this guy’s different and we knew that that he was different but to see it in the playoffs um at that level that stage with that crowd and how Rowdy it was in Cleveland it was really impressive and I think it’s an encouraging sign that again like there’s levels to this and he’s he’s on the way up yeah it it definitely felt like you know I like I well I think this is kind of the next next point to get to but like it always felt like this season was about getting introduced to the playoffs it it wasn’t NE it didn’t necessarily matter how well the magic played in the playoffs it was just like let’s get that taste let’s understand a what it takes to get here and then what this is like and you know games one and two are obviously a big struggle but after games three and four when the magic really kind of settled in it was just like okay this this team has that feeling now and Paulo you know the really only bad game he played in the playoffs was game four uh but like game five six and seven like he showed up and made like really big plays and I think gained a lot of respect you know the way you gain respect in this league among your peers is you show up in the playoffs and you play well and obviously donin Mitchell had to do something historic to to to to keep the Cavs alive in game six and seven there uh but um you know I I think it really felt like this whole season was again just about getting to the playoffs and getting that that taste taste of it should we should we have expected more of this team or you or what what do you feel like the playoffs did for this franchise now as they begin to look ahead to what comes next yeah I think to answer that first question maybe we should have I don’t know I mean you asked Marquel folz at media day way back in October he tells you we’re going to the Eastern Conference Finals okay well the magic were only five wins away right if they get to the second round I don’t know what would have happened against Boston they’re obviously uh you know a really talented Squad and whatnot but there there’s a five seed in the finals right now like it’s it’s not it’s not that impossible fact that they got to game seven and they were right there you know if they get to the second round they’re not far from the Conference Finals so you know obviously every player’s gonna say they want to compete for championships and I think some of the magic players were you know maybe a little bit more out of hand than they needed to be but they all understood the task at hand I think from an Outsiders perspective joining this beat and whatnot understanding the past and where they have been under Jamal Mosley I think right where they fell into it was was you know where they needed to be where the expectations were it’s what I expected I think obviously you can look at it and go man that those last couple weeks of the regular season were tough to watch I mean if they hadn’t beaten Milwaukee in that final regular season game you know maybe our our perspective of the Season would be different but at the same time decisions aren’t made off of one game decisions aren’t made off of a week of basketball I think they lost the magic lost their last six or seven Road games of the season between the playoffs and the regular season so that’s a little bit concerning but I don’t think anyone’s concerned big picture- wise about Pao about fron and the growth of Jaylen and and everything that goes with that so um I think just to get into the playoffs just to experience this now obviously I didn’t say they needed to go through this heartbreaking game seven loss um to to learn the hard way but um they needed to go through this and and they need and I think you know Talking Joe Engles talking to Gary Harris like this is just a part of their careers and and they’re going to look back on this maybe next year even maybe three four years down line and and I think Pao especially and frons especially that game seven performance they’re gonna say hey remember when we were in Cleveland and this this happened x y and z um so you you know you I think the expectations for me were get into the playoffs experience this and and boy did they I mean they they they put up a fight and they almost won the series of course um how it impacts the future I think you know wend Carter put it perfectly like they still need to act like they’re not a playoff team next year um and and and prove that they are a playoff team and they and they they’ve earned this spot uh because I think a lot of people around the league didn’t you know you look at that there was so much rhetoric online from fans outside of Cleveland and Orlando that this series you know wasn’t all that but it was one of the best first round series obviously going only first round series that went seven games right right so I think when you’re when you’re building off of this into the future your expectations should be reaching the playoffs from here on out I mean it’s hard to do I think I think Rick Carlile said it at one of the games in Indiana you know it’s there’s different steps to to A team’s success it’s it’s getting the playoffs and then it’s winning in the playoffs and that’s that’s what they have to do next but um the expectations for this team we getting into the playoffs and experience it let’s take a quick break to talk a little bit about about our friends from prize pick prize pick is America’s number one fantasy sports app with more than 5 million members it’s the most fun and exciting way to get in on the action while you watch your favorite sports and players all you have to do is just pick more or less on two or more player stats for shot to win up to 100 times your cash with the the finals are the best part of the NBA season and they mean more on prize picks so do the star players you get boosted payouts on Ed basketball stars that you won’t find anywhere else all there to help you win more when the finals are over the Hoops action doesn’t stop there on prize picks women’s basketball is getting going with young stars like Caitlyn Clark and Angel Reese looking 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streaming Channel you can find that on YouTube or the Amazon Fire TV channels app locked on sports day brings you the biggest stories without all the screaming just the best analysis in sports for all the big Sports stories from local experts who know their team best get the can’t miss analysis opinions and news streaming 24/7 on YouTube or the free Amazon Fire TV channels app part of the lockon podcast Network your team every day yeah and and and we’ll definitely get into how the magic move forward but you know you obviously mentioned kind of the the I want to make sure that we talk about two other players that are that are really important to this team and and players that will play a big factor in this team future um you mentioned the game seven there’s no getting around it both Jaylen Suggs and France vogner both really struggled in that game seven and obviously you don’t want one game to base decisions off of especially with a 21y old a 22y old like guys that are super super young in their first playoffs as well as Pao played it’s still everyone’s first playoffs there’s they’re going to get better but let’s start with fron what do you make of fron Vagner season um because you know look at the numbers and he did a lot you know he had a career season by like every metri every metric but three except he couldn’t shoot what what do you what do you make of what we saw from France vager this year and and and how he projects moving forward yeah I think the problem with the three issue that he had you know whatever it was whether it was the lift he wasn’t getting from his ankle that he messed up in the feeble cup and then dealt with again in the in the season like or or whatever it was at one point he had a wrap around his elbow um you know whatever you want to chalk it up to I think the problem with that is when you have a team that doesn’t shoot well from three and you need threes just something you don’t need to go above average if the magic had shot average I think you know we’ve written about this before when they were shooting just the league average they were you know they had a bunch of wins and if they shot even below average like 36% or something like that they they were a successful team so when you have a guy like that missing over and over and over again let alone the playoffs but in the regular season it’s more magnified I guess so people see the threes and they see the it felt like to me a lot of the times his shots were short right they were hitting the front of the rim or whatever it might be um and they see that and it’s it’s disappointing obviously you have high expectations for your star players but I think when you put it into perspective of everything else that he did and how he grew and and and whatnot um I still think it was a success a successful season for fron Vagner um and and and he’s going to carry that game seven with him more than anyone else in the roster obviously he was really I was surprised that we that he was up at the podium after that game that says a lot about his character and who he is and um you know when we I joked about that event I went to last week and he was there he was much better spirits yeah it’s been been a while yeah he was he was tanned and and and looked like he gotten on a beach and he was in much better spirits so um it was still still an impressive season for frons and and I think that you know you talk so much about Pao and frons and their body types and that they’re the future of the NBA and these lengthy guys who can defend multiple positions and do a ton of different things um you know France at the end of last year said that he wanted to improve his rebounding well he did and he he he improved quite a bit on his rebounding and um just just everything else besides the three points I think the problem is people see the threes and it’s magnified on a team when you don’t have that three-point shooting and you need just a little bit of it and he doesn’t have success there it’s it’s a problem obviously um but it’s it’s still still so much to say about fron and who he is as a person and it’s obviously that it’s obvious that it matters to him a lot you know I want to reserve offseason stuff for for for our next next segment but obviously it’s extension time for France Vagner we we kind of know what the new reality is going to be here in the NBA for a little while with with this with the with cap increasing is there’s no sense that that that the magic are going to let fron walk in any capacity even if he hits restricted free agency he’s staying in Orlando but is he in your mind a max player is is that some is is does this season does he need to prove something this season to maybe hit that Mark or is or or or do magic you know are the M should should the magic be wavering at all at the idea that he is the number two guy on this team no I I think he’s a max player I think you don’t want to overthink these things because then that leads to frustration in the locker room or frustration among individuals whatever it might be I think it’s it’s it’s clear to me at least that he’s the number two guy on this roster um you know you talk about game seven with fron you know go look at game six with fron I mean he’s just so important to to this to this organization to this team um you know obviously the attention is on Pao and then being a first- Time Allstar I expect fron Vagner to be an All-Star next year I mean that should be the goal for him and and the expectations are high for him obviously um you know the last thing we have of of him is that game seven performance which was disappointing and again like we said before you don’t make decisions let alone that expensive of a decision off of one game you know does it have an impact yes a lot of things an impact um you know we don’t know to what extent the ankle is bothering him and what I’m not going to make excuses but there’s a lot of contributing factors and you have to look at these things from a big picture when you’re making these types of decisions but to me at the end of the day bottom line he’s he’s worthy of a Max extension um that’s that’s just to me how I view it yeah I’m I’m I’m getting I’m I think I’m pretty much in that boat too I think you know on top of that just you take care of your guys it sends a message to the league that we take care of our guys that makes more attractive in fre agency which we’ll get to here in a moment but I want to kind of end recapping the previous season with this qu with this question how important was Jaylen sus to this team like like like how how big was his growth this season to to getting the magic where they are yeah it was it was it was impressive um you you almost sort of like forgot that young players can improve like I think uh you know welman talked Jeff welman talked about the at Exit interviews talking about the need for threes um that’s one area that you know you talk about Player Development that Jaylen grew so much in and he hit some big threes in the playoffs and and throughout the course of the regular season so that alone is really impressive um my dog is sorry um the other thing with Jaylen is like obviously you’re watching a lot of NBA on TV and whatnot and you’re you’re seeing these Defenders and these physical plays like man he’s playing football he’s playing football out there I mean it it it sounds gliche but he is he is really physical of a Defender um I would not want to be bringing the ball at the court and having to deal with Jaylen Suggs all up in your face and then Jamal Mosley shouting three feet to your left as well like that’s that’s a pretty intense spot to be put in um but it was just so impressive to see Jaylen grow um you know the first one of the first experiences I had when I be when I joined the beat was with Jaylen actually I I got to write a story um when he was over in Africa Last Summer with the kids basketball camp you know growing the game and whatnot I talked with him over the phone about it and just to see how far he’s grown um you know not just in in the game of basketball but spiritually and mentally and his confidence and where that’s at now um you know to maybe where it wasn’t before I think he said at some point in the season 21% from three was pretty lonely um so just to see how far he’s come from not just last year but from his rookie year and I think the big thing is that he was able to remain mostly healthy I mean obviously that risk that he dealt with was probably more serious than it had to be and he’s tough and he played through quite a bit I still can’t believe the yeah that was when we saw him warming up at halftime of that game I I mean I I’ve had to triple check my eyeballs before I tweeted that he was warming up again I mean it was really impressive I mean I I joke with people all the time like jayen Suggs is held together with like Scotch tape and superglue like I I I forget which magic Twitter personality tweeted this out and and this is not an offense to Jonathan Isaac or anything but it’s just like Jonathan Isaac has a hangnail he’s out for a month got to protect him Jaylen Sugg’s hand is like Holding On by a tendon throw him back out there he’s he’s good to go like that’s that’s yeah that’s not a knock on Jonathan Isaac that is just jayen Jaylen Suggs will play through anything because he is he is a tough dude um but how you know we’re going to talk a lot about the offense here at our last segment as we start looking ahead to the Future because obviously you know Orlando finished 24th in the league in offensive rating um they were they were the worst team by offensive rating that made the postseason this year so obviously defense was a huge part of this team how how important was Suggs to establishing that identity and how important is maintaining and growing that identity as kind of the foundation as the magic you know try now to advance to the second round of the playoffs yeah I think you know you can ask players you know what type of leader are you and they said say I’m vocal or I you know whatever there’s all these different types of leadership abilities and and how to be a leader I think Jaylen set the tone with his with his type of play like you see this guy you know going after these other players with the ball the ball handles whatever it is and and just hunting and and going after him and and really setting the tone and I think when you see guys like Jaylen regardless of the team but especially with the magic lay their body on the line time and time again diving for loose balls just all up in the face of ball handlers and and and just just really aggressive I think that inspires a lot of other guys to put in that same type of effort or try and uh you know pull from that um and I think Jaylen did such a good job of you know obviously there were moments where he maybe was a little bit too physical and got into foul trouble whatnot but you talk about defending without fouling that was something that I think he did a mostly good job at um but I just think he he really set the standard for for the rest of the team and and guys feed off that energy like there were so many plays where you know he would intercept a ball or or or poke it away and go the other direction and there was such a difference he makes such he made such a difference you know when obviously sometimes he would go a little too fast um but when he would attack downhill and get to the rim when they needed something like you talk about his defense but turning the defense into offense was something that he did really well at and um yeah I just think he sets the tone for that organization defensively he was all defensive for a reason um you don’t get that on accident right as as a first-time voter that was really hard to vote for um so it’s it’s it’s clear around the league that he’s that guy for for them defensively and I think you know he he’s just so physical and aggressive and and I wouldn’t want to play against him and and you know obviously defense is where this team starts but you know we’re we’re we’re we’re in the offseason now it’s it’s it’s going to be a busy offseason for the magic I think we all anticipate that you know you’ve got that taste of the playoffs you’ve got you know expectation now for the first time you know I I I describe this year a little bit as kind of a free season like no matter what happened with the magic you know as long as they improved from the previous year it was all going to be good um yes be disappointed with the game seven loss but obviously the the bigger picture things look very very up for Orlando but now you’re now you’re in it now you’re kind of your winning window is open we know how much cap room the magic have we know the flexibility that they’ve created for themselves H how important is it for the magic to add that right piece or or or or how important is it for the magic to utilize this space now considering we know that big contract with fron is coming you know Suggs is also do an extension he’ll get a big contract Pao is a year later how important is this summer to setting that table for for the magic and and and what they’re going to look like in their you know winning window here for the next four or five years yeah it’s it really you know can can say a lot about the front office I mean there’s so much to be said about Jeff welman and and him deciding to stick with this current team as we saw you know the trade deadline um but I think think what he does and obviously it’s not just him doing it but like what the organization does um with free agency and whatnot I think would s will say a lot about where they see their big plan their four fiveyear plan um you know I think it’s funny you say we know how much cap space they have I have to give uh credit to the story you wrote the other day about how much cap space they can have or can’t have obviously I think we all expect Mo Vagner to get his team club picked up or his Club option picked up and I would imagine Joe Engles does as well we don’t know that for a fact but that would be I think you would agree surprising if they didn’t but there are a lot of different moves that you know come into play some there are a couple guaranteed contracts you talk about Caleb Caleb Houston and I know Jonathan Isaac DAV is until January but um they can create more cow space if they want they can have as much as you know that $50 million range or somewhere in the 30s I I would say realistically it’s then that 35 closer to 30 yeah yeah that that seems more real realistic um but yeah this is absolutely a crucial summer you know just to show that you know you’re not just happy what you did you know in the moment you were this is great they experienced the playoffs and and whatnot but now we want to win in the playoffs now we want to advance to the playoffs that’s what you’re saying I would imagine if you’re the magic um and to do that you know I think you and I have agreed over the course of the Season it became clear that you know no disrespect to Wendell Carter Jr but I think they do need an upgrade at Center at some point so we’ve agreed that you know maybe they have some questions at Center but the more obvious one is a guard of some point of some a point guard of some type um you know whether that’s a scorer whether that’s setting the table I think Pao was pretty clear in his interview with the Washington Post what he wants he doesn’t want to be a point guard you know they need someone like that to to really help set the stage for this offense because you know Marquel folz was great to work with and he was a lot of fun but obviously they need a healthier version of him or an upgraded version of him to to be able to run this offense and not get so clunky um where if the first option on offense doesn’t work it’s just superhero time um you know so that’s I think getting that point guard of some of some type whatever it’s going to be um that should be the priority for this team for sure um because you have guys like fron and Paulo and and Wendell who and of course Jaylen as well we saw bits and pieces of Jaylen running at point guard but um I still think you need someone to help with that and help orchestrate the offense because that would just open things up and and and divert some attention away without you know getting rid of Palo and France doing a bunch of the scoring for this offense so you know down the line Center can be addressed but right now they need a point guard badly yeah and and I think it’s important to know to to note that yes there are all these kind of things that that are kind of working concurrently like you know like the biggest need obviously is Marco folz and Gary Harris probably gone probably not coming back it certainly Gary Harris’s spot in the starting lineup feels like it needs to be filled he had a he had a poor playoff performance he got he became kind of the fan scapegoat I I think a lot of it was unfair to the extent that it went but he obviously didn’t perform in the playoffs and he’s a veteran you expect him to perform in the playoffs so that spot feels you know it feels like at minimum the magic have to find a starter but the you know I I don’t know if we need to go into like specific names because who knows where the magic are actually going as as you know we talked with Keith Smith about free agency last last week uh we can’t be naive uh probably by you know it’s still early June but by the time free agency rolls around the magic probably know who they’re actually going to be talking with and who they have a chance with like tampering happens it’s okay it’s not the end of the world um and you know we’ll get some Clues I think to what the magic ultimately do based on what they do with those options for Les and mo Vagner our friend Keith Smith from spot track um suggested the magic might actually decline the team option on Mo Vagner free up that 8 million and then use the room exception to sign him to a New Deal um so I think we all expect Ro vogner to be back it just we make get a roundabout weight there’s there’s C mechanics they can use to to get there um um so just don’t be surprised by that if that happens but as the magic looked to add new players what’s the balance that they have to to to have or or or do they need to consider the balance of a the great chemistry within the group but be also making sure that they’re not taking away too much from the defense because you know obviously we’re all focused on getting more shooting I know Jeff Walman said that line during exit interviews that they were 14th in the league in three-point percentage since since January 1 a little bit more than half the season that’s not insignificant but we all saw what happened in the playoffs too you can’t ignore that you know the Cavs are happy to let the magic shoot from three this is a low volume three-point shooting team which is I actually think a bigger problem than the percentage honestly um you could probably get away shooting the percentage to Magic shot if you’re a higher volume three-point shooting team but because they shot so few the misses felt bigger right um like you said earlier um how did the magic balance maintaining what they built and what they have while adding obviously at least one maybe two really big pieces to this puzzle yeah I think that last point you just made is interesting because you know you talk about cap space and how much they can create or how much they have we both agree it’s probably in that $30 million Range 32 35 whatever it is that’s not just on one player like they could use that in a number of different ways and as you said you know with the mo Vagner Club option and look the magic have a lot of flexibility we know that um and I think balancing also the culture is really important um like that’s something that’s so crucial for what Jamal Mosley has done the last three years and and I said the last three years but you know the first two years in this past season of course um like that’s invaluable you can’t really teach that you can’t practice culture right like you can practice chemistry and and practice plays and fitting into where they need to be on the court but if there’s problems in the locker room like the rest of that stuff doesn’t matter so that’s something else I think you know you talk about all these different guards and who’s really two- ways and who who can help defend that’s obviously important I mean I joked with Jamal after one of these pregame press conferences I think it was maybe even the TNT game when Dennis Scott was working or one of the playoff games I think they were talking about they were talking to each other or it was one of those games and I joke with whoever it was that you know if you’re not playing defense you’re not playing with Jamal Mosley so let’s be clear about that they need to find someone who can not just defend and stand over over on that side of the court but actually defend at a high level um and and with that obviously there’s not you know you’re not going to find someone who’s on the jayen Suggs level of Defense but at the same time you need to be realistic about it and you can’t put yourself in a position where you’re playing four on five um you know so there’s a lot of things that you have to figure out and and weigh and and I think personality is a big thing and and being able to you know you talked earlier about watching jayen Suggs and the way he defends and being inspired by that to match that energy to match that effort um without messing up a good thing I think it’s clear that the current makeup of the roster can only go so far obviously they did Force the game seven and came real close to getting to the second round um but things need to change and and with that you know tough decisions are going to be made and and players have to figure that out and what not the front office has to figure that out but um yeah there’s a lot there’s just a lot to way and and figuring figur fing out who who fits well and not just in the basketball side but like I talk about with the culture like that’s that’s really important too you you you you talked you talked a little little bit about this you know you obviously don’t want to put too much weight in a seven game sample size because that’s a really small sample it’s against one specific opponent but how much should playoff performance and what works and doesn’t work in the playoffs go into the decisions this team makes you know there are there are some really good options out there um that I think that that that that a lot of magic fans are considering but players who have been inconsistent in the playoffs or players that could be targeted in the playoffs uh you know how much you know and obviously the goal at the end of the day is to win a championship like that’s that’s that’s what everyone’s striving toward how much does playoff performance and playoff impact play a role in who the magic Target it’s not it it’s not just about numbers yeah no I I think it is important obviously like as you said a seven game tble against the same team where you know you really understand what your opponent is doing each game and obviously some ad distance are made but not a whole lot um you know the biggest one we thought we saw with magic was Jonathan Isa going in and out of the starting lineup and whatnot but realistically you know the the Cavaliers and the magic figured each other out they knew what their strengths were they knew what their weaknesses were so um it’s not like an 82 game regular season where you’re in a bunch of different cities and playing against a bunch of different teams and whatnot but with that said winning at the end of the day is what decides things in this league like you know if you’re not gonna be successful um you know you’re if you’re a coach you’re gonna get fired right I mean look what Cleveland decided to do they they moved on from a coach and they beat the magic you know um that’s at the end of the day winning and success determines that’s kind of why you’re playing this I mean obviously you love the game you love the sport and you love your teammates you love the coaches but at the end of the day you have to be able to win games and um you know I think it’s it’s It’s Tricky right because on one hand you don’t want to say you know we shouldn’t give France a Max extension because of game seven um on the other hand there are players that perform better in the playoffs and um you know finding that that that type of player who can you know step up in the postseason and whatnot I think we were disappointed in what we saw from Harris that doesn’t mean he didn’t help the team or wasn’t impactful he just it’s tough when you’re not doing the one job you’re supposed to do on the court which is hit three so um you know find finding guys that can can lift players up in the playoffs is important um I think you you look at what Drew holiday is doing right now and how how big he’s been for Boston and and his some of his big plays on defense like he seems like that almost that missing piece right um so there are guys like that that you know step up in the right time and make big plays in the playoffs and that’s that’s what you need to to try and find yeah it’s it’s going to be it’s going to be a very interesting summer you know I think the magic could go in a number of different directions you know I like you know usually have a sense of like okay the magic need to Target this player it just feels like there’s like three or four guys and and and that that that could work but aren’t perfect fits and then of course there’s trades that could still happen and that that could be you know it’s G it’s going to be a very very busy offseason and will obviously be following it all here and and and with you as well um I want to close the show with this though you mentioned ear you mentioned at the very beginning kind of your first year on the beat and and and some of the differences and things you noticed with the NBA but what was kind of your you know your being your you know first year on the beat this whole even the whole NBA lifestyle being very new to you like I feel like I’ve been NBA in the NBA my entire entire life and my entire professional life for certain and so the 82 game schedule just feels very natural as intense as it is but what was what was your biggest takeaway being around this team for the first time and and kind and being your first year on on the beat in with the magic and in the NBA yeah it’s it’s it’s a long season but it’s a rewarding season um you know I think we got to the all-star break and there was 20 games left or whatever the number is and it was like wow we still we still growing and then we got over the hump there and it we got to the playoff it was nothing like I would say in like December it kind of dragged on a little bit for me as someone who hadn’t covered that long of a season coming from a college football beat right I mean I did Cover college basketball but that even is different um but with football you play you play a full college basketball season by mid December like that’s like that’s when we expect the rookie wall to hit yeah and and the rookie wall hit me I mean it there was a point where I was it was exhausting but it was rewarding you know going from City to City traveling as much as we did um I just had had so much fun um you know the biggest thing I always talk about is the access like the level of access like all colleges do things differently but bottom line there’s pretty much no locker room access so to be in an NBA locker room to be around these guys to see them be themselves um you know because they’re I think most of this team is who they are on the podium but at the same time they’re even more themselves in the locker room comfortable sitting down and whatnot um I think you’d agree with that so just to be around this group I think it was just a it was just a great group of guys I mean I can tell so many different stories you know I remember we were on the road in in in New York I was in the locker room and there’s just blaring music I don’t remember what song it was but it was some uh you know blaring rap music and it was a good song I couldn’t tell you what it was and Joe Engles was asking who’s who’s who M who’s play whose playlist is this who whose playlist is this and I and I turn to him he looks at me he goes that ain’t your playlist you know so so there’s just all these little moments um you know like that where I can think of a hundred different examples of you know we poke fun at each other and and obviously we’re not friends with them but we’re friendly with them and whatnot and creating these relationships and developing those relationships and talking with them intense moments you know I can think of you know after Jaylen sugs knee injury being in the locker room you know with Josh Robbins and I can’t remember her name but the NBA TV reporter you know we’re all hunched down on our knees and here he is in this in the leg compression uh suit almost sleeve the sleeve yeah yeah the leg brush and sleeve that you think of he has him on both legs and he’s just gone through this we thought at the time a major injury but it was still painful regardless and we’re talking with him on the locker room on the ground and what and like you could feel the intensity of the moment and whatnot so there’s just so many different moments that I can think of that were just so much fun um it was just an incredible learned experience I mean not just from a journalism side but from a LIF sty side like I thought the biggest thing I learned was just like you know when you’re hungry and you’re on the road and you’re from hotel to hotel you got you got to take care of your body like talk about mental health like that was a big test of of my me my mental right there so I grew so much in a number of different areas but um it was just a lot of fun I mean it really was just just talking with I I of course Joe engas is the jokester and we know mo and whatnot and but but getting to know frons and Pao and and Jonathan and Gary and everyone else in between it’s just a really mature group and it’s it’s a great group of guys and regardless of who comes back next year who they add into the fold you know we we know the type of player and the type of person that the magic want in the locker room and and that team was just really special so to be a part of that to be to be able to go to the playoffs let alone a game seven um my first year on the beat was just just an incredible experience I mean it was it was just awesome and I I really really enjoyed it and just um you know I can’t say enough about you and then the rest of the beat you know welcoming me in and helping me and giving me pointers even all the way up until game seven you know learning learning so much about everything so it was just a it was a great time yeah I mean I think I we’re all learning this was my first year traveling so learning how to you know book flights and and just deal with travel issues like you you know I I always I always tell people this like the difference between when I was a fan to when I was working with the team is I I gain so much more respect for the you know you don’t think about this because we all play 2K and like kind of take everything for granted um the you you gain a lot of respect for what the players go through the schedule is no joke like being having to do a backtack and get in super late like I felt it as a reporter and I’m not a finely tuned athlete but like i’ get back from a lot you know I I did them I did the Miami I did three backto backs in different cities back toback different cities and that is that I I can’t describe it I mean I I’ve told people throughout the season like I was lucky enough and fortunate enough to travel when I was a kid so I wasn’t intimidated by anir and I traveled covering UCF and whatnot but like backto backs different cities when we went to Chicago on the second night of a back toback after being in Brooklyn the night before I turned to Dan Savage in the third quarter I said man I’m I’m I’m I’m exhausted and I’m not even playing basketball and then we did two more of those back to backs I mean going back to back from Miami to Oklahoma City I know they’re on you know private planes and staying in five star hotels but that was grueling but at the end of the day it is the NBA it is extremely rewarding and and it’s so much fun and every game is so much fun like even though I talk about the length of the Season you know game 60 was just as much fun as opening night and and game seven of course was something I’ll ever forget so it was just a just a great year and a great team to be around yeah and look it it definitely helped that this year was one of the truly special seasons in Magic history like I like I I don’t want to undersell that like this this this is a team that I think we will talk about in the same breath as the heart and hustle team as just one of the most beloved and fun teams to be around it was it was such a great group um it’s you know honestly like I asked a question earlier like my biggest concern next year is like they’re not going to be able to bottle this up like this isn’t this isn’t an Elixir that you can pass around and say okay this this is this is how it is it’s it’s it even even if you brought the same group back it’s the problem of more that Pat Riley talks about um it’s it’s really tough to replicate how special this group was and you hope that the magic can get close because they built a culture that that Fosters the this kind of camaraderie and this kind of spirit but you know mo vogner said it throughout the course of the year like this year wasn’t just about this year it was about three years of working together and like even poo said you know I I obviously missed you know poo said you know I missed that first year but like we’ve been building this for two years like there is just an incredible sense of ownership over what this team did and and if they can maintain and honestly like if they can maintain that that’s gonna help them grow and develop to to where they want to go because you know like let’s you know we can all be serious about this next year the goal is to get out of the first round um I don’t think anyone’s job is in Jeopardy if they don’t they’ll be in Jeopardy if they miss the playoffs but uh no one’s job is in Jeopardy if they don’t make it out of the first round but the goal next year is to be better than game seven to to get to get past that game seven hurdle like that’s that’s the bar that’s been set and and you obviously want to set that bar high and that’s that’s a good thing for this franchise is something that frankly hasn’t happened in this Fran with this franchise in a in a decade plus uh since since Dwight was last year so it’s an exciting as Jeff wman like to say it’s an exciting time to be a magic fan exciting time um very exciting times um Jason uh where can everyone uh if they don’t know where they can find you they should but where where can everyone find you um if they if they want to follow your coverage of the magic as as we get ready for this busy offseason yeah if you’re watching on video at the real Bey on Twitter right there below me or X I don’t know I still call it Twitter but uh at the real BD on X uh and of course Orlando sentinel.com you know you can find all my work just just I don’t know when this is going to go online but we’re close we’re approaching the draft approaching the offseason approaching summer league um but I’m I’m I’m already ready for next season I really am so orlando.com and at theal Bey on Twitter uh absolutely yeah the the early Olympics I think is actually Gonna Hurt You know it’s it’s gonna help frons like like everyone’s been asking me like oh I don’t want fron playing in the Olympics he needs some arrest I was like no guys don’t worry he’s he’s gonna have a month before the season starts after the Olympics as long as there’s you know no catastrophic injuries he’ll be fine um but the early Olympics you know late the late FEA G FBA World Cups the late FBA competitions help us with content uh through August and September because it gets it gets awfully lonely there um Jason uh it’s been awesome having you on the beat looking forward to obviously the draft free agency all that stuff you mentioned next season as well uh thanks for coming on and and we’ll have we’ll have you on again soon enjoy your layover at LAX thank you I want to thank Jason Bey for joining us on the show this month since the NBA season ended get us ready for the offseason talk a little about what we learned this season from the Orlando Magic hope you enjoyed the conversation too but that’s going to do it for us today I want to thank you all again for listening to today’s episode of Locked on Magic which find us on Twitter at you can find us on you can find us you can find me on Twitter Philip _ OMD subscribe to the podcast and apple podcast yet you’re tuned in him Google Spotify Odyssey all filmes podcast to your podcast enabled listing device for latest on the Orlando Magic be sure to check out orlandomagic daily.com you can find us there on Twitter at omaga be sure also to check out my patreon page Orlando magichub you can find that at patreon.com orlandomagic HUB for my player evaluations and even more magic content check that out again at patreon.com orlandomagic club and as always thank you for your support like I said our next episode of lock on Magic we will go into what’s going on in the NBA Finals we’ll have game one and game two to break down what lessons we can learn and other news around the league we’ll get to that on our next episode of lockon magic next week we will also do player evaluation for fron vogner what to make of his season another free agent uh discussion more draft discussion so much more coming up next week as we get deeper and deeper into the finals we’re going to touch all that next week but for now have a great weekend be sure to check out the lockon sports day 247 streaming channel for all the latest around the Sports World the best analysis from the local experts who know their team best you can find that on YouTube TV or Amazon Fire TV in the free Fire TV channels app check it out today locked on sports today but that’s going to do it for me today I want to thank you all again for listening to today’s episode of Locked on Magic for Orlando Magic daily lock on Magic this and Philip Rosman re we’ll see you again next time for another episode of lockon magic

It has been one month since we last saw Orlando Magic basketball. What did we learn from the Magic’s breakthrough season and what does it tell us about what comes next for the Magic? Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel joins the show to look back on a huge season for the Magic.

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