john denton

ORLANDO - Under normal circumstances – remember those? – NBA coaches usually start tightening their regular rotations down to eight or nine players by the final stages of the regular season to set the stage for starters and stars to play big minutes come playoff time.

Depth among teams – a huge factor in success over the course of the NBA’s marathon-like, 82-game regular-season – is often greatly diminished in importance in the postseason.

These times now in the NBA, however, are anything but normal. With the NBA set to restart regular-season games in less than two weeks following a four-plus-month layoff, teams could dramatically expand their playing rotations to 10, 11 and sometimes 12 players as they work their way back into shape and try to avoid injuries. Such a move would be designed to try and keep star players healthy as they conclude a regular season and a postseason unlike any other in NBA history.

If teams’ rotations do indeed expand, that’s one area where the Orlando Magic figure to have a major advantage in the days, weeks and months to come considering how cohesive and well their second unit played late in the season prior to the NBA’s stoppage in play. The Magic’s hope, of course, is that their strong bench play will continue when they start playing ``seeding games’’ on July 31 (vs. Brooklyn, 2:30 p.m.) and potentially into the playoffs. With homecourt advantages killed out while playing at Disney’s neutral-site venue, many with the Magic feel there could be some lower-seeded teams stunning higher-seeded teams once the playoffs roll around in mid-August.

``I think it really works out for some of the lower-seeded teams because those higher-seeded teams won’t have the advantage and it’s going to be anybody’s game, really,’’ said Magic reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams, who was playing some of the best basketball of his NBA career before the NBA was shut down back on March 11. ``The teams that are locked in, focused and stayed in shape during the time off are the ones that are going to run off some wins. I think that there are going to be some upsets. I think people are going to try and jump on others early and really do some damage.’’

One of the primary reasons for Orlando’s promising 8-4 run prior to the stoppage in play – including a three-game winning streak to close – was the shot-in-the-arm type of play provided by a bench corps that greatly strengthened the squad. Led by the shooting of Terrence Ross, the playmaking of D.J. Augustin, the all-around grittiness of Michael Carter-Williams and the improved consistency of Mo Bamba, the Magic’s bench squad became one of the NBA’s most productive units over the final month of play.

From Feb. 10 to March 10 – a stretch of 12 games and eight wins for the Magic – Orlando’s bench ranked first in the NBA in 3-point makes per game (6.8), third in 3-point accuracy (41 percent), sixth in scoring (44.7 points per game) and fourth in blocked shots (2.3 swats per game). To put those numbers into perspective, that production was a big improvement over where the Magic’s bench ranked in the NBA for the season in 3-point makes per game (11th, 4.8), 3-point accuracy (20th, 33.7 percent), scoring (16th, 36.8 points per game) and blocked shots (fourth, 2.4 swats per game).

In Orlando’s final game before the stoppage in play – a stirring 120-115 win in Memphis – the Magic got 65 points off their bench with most of it coming from Ross (24 points), Carter-Williams (20 points) and Augustin (16 points). That effort helped the Magic become the first team in the NBA since the league started keeping statistics for bench players in 1970-71 to have three reserves score at least 15 points in three straight games, per Elias Sports.

Ross, for one, sees no reason why the Magic can’t pick right up where they left off as a bench unit despite being off for more than four months. For the season, Ross ranks eighth in the NBA in scoring among reserves at 14.7 points per game.

During the Magic’s final 12 games before the stoppage in play, Ross boosted his scoring output to 20.7 points per game while making 46.4 percent of his total shots and a whopping 47.2 percent of his tries from beyond the 3-point line. Similarly, Augustin (9.4 points and 3.9 assists) and Carter-Williams (8.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals) greatly upped their production over Orlando’s final 12 games prior to the stoppage in play.

``Personally, I think we look good,’’ Ross said following a recent practice. ``Guys are in a lot better condition than I thought we would be. A lot of guys, including me, are starting to get the rhythm back and are shooting the ball really well. As long as we stay with what we’re doing, I think we will be fine.’’

Carter-Williams, a driving force on the Magic squad that reached the playoffs last spring after he was signed late in the season, appeared to be on his way for another finishing flurry. He had 17 points, five assists and a steal against Minnesota; and 16 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal against Houston – both Magic wins in early March. Then, in the come-from-behind win over Memphis in Orlando’s final game before the stoppage, Carter-Williams did a little bit of everything with a season-best 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and two made 3-point shots.

``Obviously, I think back to how we were all in rhythm and how I was in rhythm myself and I wish we could have kept it going, but obviously there were bigger things on the table,’’ Carter-Williams said of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the NBA to stop play. ``I wasn’t too frustrated because it is what it is. I was of the mindset of, `What can I do to stay in shape?’ I hope to get back to that level again.’’

Bamba, Orlando’s second-year center who has spent the season backing up starting center Nikola Vucevic, just might have taken his game to another level by working to bulk up his body during the time off from basketball. With little else to do other than work out and work on his diet, Bamba took advantage of the weights in his apartment, and he also hired a chef to clean up his nutrition. The result was the formerly spindly Bamba adding 21 pounds of mostly lean muscle and bulking up from 231 pounds to 252 pounds. His hope is that his added bulk will make him an even bigger presence inside while battling other 7-footers.

``I feel as mobile as before, but it definitely took some extra work,’’ stressed Bamba, who averaged 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots in 14.5 minutes per night this season. ``Gaining 20-something pounds is no joke and you really feel it on your joints, but I had to get into the mentality of, `I’m going to have to run at this weight, I’m going to have to jump at this weight and I’m going to have to move laterally at this weight’ to feel good about it. So, I truly feel good at this weight now.’’

Magic coach Steve Clifford is hopeful that he will be able to get as much production from his bench as he did in the games just prior to the stoppage in play. He also thinks that the reserves will become more important than ever because of the unusual circumstances surrounding this NBA restart following such a long layoff.

In the past, Clifford has always preferred to use eight or nine players in games because those numbers allow playing units to find a rhythm together. Now, he’s willing to admit that he will likely have to expand his rotations to as many as 10, 11 or possibly even 12 players as teams try to avoid injuries and work their way into shape. That means, Clifford stressed, that others on the Magic’s roster, such as Wes Iwundu, Khem Birch, Gary Clark, Vic Law and B.J. Johnson, could see playing time from game to game off the Magic’s bench.

Also, the Magic’s depth and defense might get another boost if forward Jonathan Isaac is able to return to action. The nearly 7-foot Isaac, who is one of just two players in the NBA to rank in the league’s top 15 in blocked shots per game (2.44) and steals per game (1.56), is trying to come back after missing time since Jan. 1 with a sprained left knee. Isaac, 22 years old and a key building block for the future, has played well thus far in workouts, but the team has said that the talented forward won’t return unless he is fully cleared by the medical staff.

``I think (losing a player to the COVID-19 virus) is a part of it, and with the chance of injury, obviously, you have to be cognitive of that,’’ Clifford said of some of the factors that might cause the Magic to expand their regular rotation for the eight ``seeding games’’ and potentially the playoffs. ``I like playing nine guys because I think it makes a big difference, playing nine or 10. When you play nine, they can all get enough minutes to play well.

``But I don’t see us, by July 31st being able to play just nine guys, especially when you are going to play eight games in 15 nights,’’ Clifford said of the schedule ahead. ``I think there will be nights when you play 10 guys or 11 guys and everybody has to be ready. That might make it difficult to get to playing groups, which is always an important factor in our league. It will be as unique of a situation as anything that any of us have ever been involved with.’’

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

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Magic Could Expand Regular Rotation When Season Resumes

ORLANDO - While many of the 22 teams at Disney World for the NBA’s restart will be using the eight remaining ``seeding games’’ to play their way into shape before the playoffs, the Orlando Magic have no such luxury and know full well that their postseason fate could be determined by a fast start.

At 30-35 and eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Magic hit Disney World last week with a couple of definitive goals in mind: The eight regular-season games remaining will be their most defining ones of the season and they want to use them to hopefully make an upward surge in the East standings.

Even though there are a host of variables at play in this NBA restart – teams were off for more than four months, homecourt advantage has been virtually killed and players will have to get adjusted to playing before no fans – the Magic understand that excuses won’t fly when their regular season restarts on July 31 against the Brooklyn Nets (2:30 p.m., Disney Field House). Brooklyn, after all is the team just ahead of them in the standings at 30-34 and the Magic desperately want to overtake the injury-and-illness-ravaged Nets for the No. 7 seed.

``I would say that’s one of our main goals right now,’’ Magic forward Wes Iwundu said of his team wanting to overtake a Brooklyn team that certainly seems vulnerable with six players most likely missing because of injuries or illness. ``It’s about coming out from the start really strong. In practice, as a team, guys’ focus and attention to detail have been pretty good. Overall, Coach (Steve Clifford) has been pleased with us, so we’re off to a good start so far. We’ve just got to keep that momentum going into the season.’’

The Magic, the first team to report to Disney’s sequestered camp-style environment last Tuesday, held their seventh practice session on Thursday morning. Orlando has progressed to the point where Clifford is comfortable holding five-on-five scrimmages – a session on Thursday that included forward Jonathan Isaac on a limited basis, the coach said. Isaac, one of just two NBA players ranked in the NBA’s top 15 in blocked shots and steals a game, is attempting to make a comeback from a sprained left knee injury suffered on Jan. 1.

Point guard Markelle Fultz, who reported to the Disney campus earlier in the week, has yet to practice with the team as he must be quarantined for 48 hours before joining his teammates. Fultz, Orlando’s starter for 59 games at point guard this season, missed the Magic’s first five workouts because he was tending to a personal matter that was excused by the team. The team’s hope is that he could practice in the coming days.

Despite the continued absence of Fultz, Clifford has said he feels that his team is ahead of where he thought it would be at this point because of the intense amount of individual skill and conditioning work that the squad put in prior to venturing to Disney last week. It’s important to keep building on that momentum, while also avoiding injuries, Clifford said.

``Teams are different, and because now there is no homecourt advantage, those eight games, to a certain degree, can almost be an extended training camp for them. But, then, for teams like us who are still playing to get in, they are the most important eight games of the year,’’ said Clifford, whose Magic will play tune-up scrimmages against the Clippers (July 22, 3 p.m.), Lakers (July 25, noon) and Nuggets (July 27, 7 p.m.) to get themselves ready for the eight ``seeding games.’’

``So, we’ve got to get as organized as we can, as in rhythm as we can and that’s all you can do right now,’’ Clifford added. ``It’s definitely a different type of challenge and it’s going to be hard to know exactly where we are until we start playing.’’

Before the NBA was forced to stop play on March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Magic seemed poised for another late-season that could have allowed them to once again soar up the standings. Orlando won three in a row and eight of 12 prior to the stoppage in play and it had one of the league’s easiest remaining schedules (.468 combined win percentage of their original 17 remaining opponents).

Last season, the Magic feasted on an easy closing schedule and went 22-9 down the stretch to grab the East’s No. 7 seed. (Coincidentally, the Magic and Nets finished tied at 42-40 last season, but Brooklyn got the No. 6 seed by virtue of winning the season series. Orlando is already up 2-0 on Brooklyn this season and clinch the season series tiebreaker with a victory on July 31.)

The NBA tried to keep strength of schedule in mind when remaking the slate for the restart. Thus, of the 22 teams now training at Disney World, Orlando has statistically the sixth-easiest schedule (a .551 combined win percentage of the eight foes). In addition to two showdowns against Brooklyn, the Magic will face six teams already in the top eight in their respective conferences. The Nets, who play just four playoff teams the rest of the way, have the third-easiest remaining schedule.

The difference between the seventh and eighth seeds could be enormous for the Magic on a couple of fronts.

First, climbing to seventh would allow the Magic to avoid a potential first-round matchup with the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, a historically dominant team this season that toppled Orlando in all four meetings previously. Toronto or Boston, two candidates for the No. 2 seed, have also had the upper hand on the Magic this season, but both would pose better matchups for Orlando.

Toronto has statistically the toughest remaining schedule, while Boston has the fifth-easiest slate ahead. The Raptors, a potential first-round opponent of the Magic for a second straight season, must play the Lakers, Heat, Celtics, Grizzlies, Bucks, Sixers, Nuggets and Magic in their eight remaining games. All eight of those teams are among the top eight in their respective conferences as of now. Toronto does get Orlando on the second night of a back-to-back set of games on Aug. 5 – a night after the Magic tangle with the Indiana Pacers.

Then, there’s this factor in the back of the minds of the Magic: If the ninth seed – the Washington Wizards in this instance – finish within four games of the eighth seed, a play-in series will be necessitated under a new NBA rule put in place just for the restart. The seventh seed, however, would be spared from such a scenario, giving the Magic even more incentive to climb in the standings.

Clifford, who guided the Magic to their first playoff appearance since 2012 last spring, wants his team to avoid a mindset of trying to ease back into the season because of the importance of the games to his squad’s playoff hopes.

``There’s a big difference between seventh and eighth because then there’s no chance of a play-in,’’ said Clifford, who recently called the upcoming schedule ``our most important eight games of the season.’’

``We want to be in the playoffs, that’s where it all starts and that’s what the regular season is for,’’ Clifford continued. ``So, being seventh versus eighth is a big deal because then you know for sure that there can’t be a play-in game.’’

D.J. Augustin, a veteran of 11 NBA seasons, feels that there could potentially be more upsets in the playoffs than ever before because of the uniqueness of this season. With teams having been off for four months and at different levels based on injuries, illness and conditioning points, Augustin feels lower-seeded teams such as the Magic could be in line to stun higher-seeded foes once the playoffs begin. After all, homecourt advantage – usually a massive factor in back-and-forth playoff series – will be null and void with teams playing in neutral environments on Disney’s campus.

``It’s going to be crazy because there are so many things that are going to go into it,’’ Augustin said of the expected chaos in the NBA restart to the season. ``We’re not playing in front of fans, which is very important for us as players because we feed off the fans. No homecourt advantage, everybody has been sitting out for three (months) and you don’t know who’s been doing what (in terms of staying in shape), so it’s going to be crazy. I know a lot of people have the Lakers and the Bucks favored, but it’s going to be crazy and wild and no one knows what’s going to happen at the end of this situation. I really don’t know what’s going to happen, but I feel everybody has a chance and an opportunity to do something special and surprise a lot of people.’’

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Moving Up to East’s Seventh Seed a Goal for Orlando Magic

ORLANDO - James Ennis III attended four schools while in high school in California, played for three college programs in four seasons and chased his hoop dreams to Australia and Puerto Rico before setting into an NBA career that has seen him play for seven franchises and get traded four times midseason.

One of six kids in a family that grew up mostly in poverty with a disabled mother, Ennis III is used to dealing with all kinds of adversity. However, when the Orlando Magic forward was recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, it threw him for quite the loop – both physically and emotionally.

``When I got it, I was like, `It’s always something for me!’’’ Ennis III said on Thursday – his first day back at practice with his Magic teammates after testing negatively for the virus and clearing quarantine. ``I always have a speed bump for me, but I talked to my mom and she said, `Everything happens for a reason. God has to stay with us.’ It was just (a mantra of), `One day at a time,’ and I was itching to get back. Now, I’m on the court, so it’s all good now.’’

The Magic got quite the personnel boost on a couple of fronts when Ennis III returned to practice on Wednesday, and standout point guard Markelle Fultz reported to Disney’s campus-like environment on Tuesday night. Fultz, the Magic’s starter at point guard this season for 59 games, did not initially travel with the Magic to nearby Disney World last Tuesday and missed the squad’s first five days of workouts and walkthroughs because of a personal matter that had been excused by the team. Fultz, who has averaged 12.1 points, 5.2 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals over 64 games, will be quarantined for a minimum of 48 hours before being allowed to rejoin the Magic on the practice floor – something the team is hoping will happen as soon as possible.

Orlando begins its three tune-up scrimmage games – against the Clippers (July 22, 3 p.m.), Lakers (July 25, noon) and Nuggets (July 27, 7 p.m.) – next week in Disney’s sequestered setting. The Magic are attempting to ramp up for the NBA’s regular-season restart-opener against the injury-and-illness-ravaged Brooklyn Nets (July 31, 2:30 p.m.). Brooklyn (30-34) is just a half-game ahead of Orlando (30-35) for the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are already 2-0 this season against the Nets and can secure the first tiebreaker over the Nets with a win on July 31.

Magic coach Steve Clifford has said that his team is somewhat ahead of where he thought it would be in terms of conditioning, sharpness and focus following a four-plus-month layoff from since the NBA’s stoppage in play on March 11. The squad practiced early on Wednesday after having an off day on Tuesday – not always a recipe for success, but the team powered through it and had a productive session, Clifford said.

``I thought they did a great job. An 8:30 a.m. practice for an NBA team is not normal, obviously, but we had good energy and we did a lot of contact today,’’ Clifford said. ``We played better and better. Practice after a day off is usually … it’s a little bit harder to get their bodies going. We got off to a little bit of a slow start, but after that they were really good, and the effort and the attitude were very good.’’

The effort and attitude improvements could have been a product of the high-energy Ennis III returning to the court. Orlando acquired Ennis on Feb. 6 from the Philadelphia 76ers, and the forward had an almost immediate impact on the team in a variety of ways.

After playing off the bench in his first two games with the Magic, Ennis III was moved into the starting lineup on Feb. 21. In his first 12 games with Orlando, the Magic went an impressive 8-4 while evolving into one of the league’s most lethal teams offensively.

``James has had a big impact,’’ Magic teammate Michael-Carter Williams said of Ennis, who has averaged 6.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 12 games with Orlando. ``He runs the floor great, he defends really well, and he picks up the pace of our team. So, he’s an important piece. He’s a great defender, he gets offensive rebounds and he does all of the little things out there that every team needs, and he knocks down the open shot. So, he’s a big part of our team.’’

Ennis III said he worked especially hard during the NBA’s stoppage in play – sometimes putting in two-a-day and three-a-day sessions – to make sure that he could continue making big contributions to the Magic once the season restarted. However, those workouts came to a halt some three weeks ago when he tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.

NBA players were tested on an every-other-day basis in the month prior to coming to teams coming to Disney. The stringent testing was done in an effort to identify those infected with the virus so that they could be isolated, treated and given time to recover before rejoining their teammates in Disney’s sequestered setting.

For Ennis III, all that he went through while battling the virus that has killed some 137,000 Americans was both scary and extremely taxing on his body.

``I had a headache for like four-to-five days and for the first 24 hours I was down and throwing up,’’ said Ennis III, who noted that he was quarantined in his own home to keep his family safe from potentially catching the virus. ``But now, my health is better and I’m just trying to get my wind up and get back in rhythm. My first scrimmage is next week, so I want to be prepared for that.’’

Ennis III said the support of his Magic teammates helped him get through a challenging time when he felt tremendous sickness, frustration and isolation.

``A lot of people reached out to me. I have a couple of good friends and I talked to Mike (Carter-Williams) a lot when I was down, Mo Bamba and Vic (Law),’’ Ennis III said. ``We have a (Magic players’) group chat and I kept interacting with everybody in there. I’m just happy to be back with the fellas on the court and the energy was good (on Wednesday at practice). That’s why I love being a part of this, because everyone is so determined.’’

Ennis III said that he is still somewhat feeling the effects of the COVID-19 virus and the rustiness of being off his feet while isolated for some three weeks. He is hopeful that with another week of practice with the Magic that he will be ready by next week when the squad plays its three tune-up scrimmages.

``I lost my wind and I’m rusty, honestly, so I’ve got to shake the dust off of me,’’ he admitted. ``By doing that, I’ve got to stay in the gym and do the little things to get my body back right and get my legs under me. I’m ready, I’m here, my focus is at 100 (percent) and I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get back to the ``two-weeks-James-prior-to-having-the-COVID.’’ I’m ready and I’m excited.’’

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James Ennis III Joins Team at Disney After Recovering From COVID-19

ORLANDO - Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings will host a virtual town hall meeting tonight at 6 p.m., featuring reserve Orlando Magic guard Michael Carter-Williams, that will be geared toward connecting with the county’s Generation Z community.

The event will feature a panel of Orange County Sheriff John Mina, Orlando Police Chief Orlando Rolon, Demings and Carter-Williams.

The Generation Z Edition Virtual Town Hall event is meant as a platform for local teens and young adults to voice their concerns on race relations, diversity, and inclusion.

Carter-Williams, who is in his second season with the Magic, was active in peaceful protests in the Central Florida community following the highly controversial death of George Floyd while in police custody in Minneapolis, Minn.

``I take these issues very (seriously) because they’re important,’’ Carter-Williams said. ``I’m happy that I was invited and I’m glad that Generation Z, teens and young adults, will be on the phone call just to discuss social injustices, diversity and social inclusion. I’m excited about it, excited to answer questions and hopefully I can bring this group closer together.

``I think everybody is in (agreement) that there is an issue here, so now I think it’s time to fix the problem,’’ Carter-Williams continued. ``I think a big issue is understanding, interacting with each other and asking the hard questions and discussing how you feel. If we get those feelings out and off our chest, we’ll be able to find room to grow. Then, maybe we can find some reasons why things happen and try to fix those things.’’

Carter-Williams recently participated in the Magic’s ``Walk With Us’’ video that asks for the community’s support in helping to stomp out racism in Central Florida while also attempting to enact social change to right injustices.

``I want to have everybody go check out our video that we made as a team called ``Walk With Us,’’ Carter-Williams said during a recent Zoom call with media. ``It’s a really inspiring video, and really heartfelt, and everybody should go and check it out.’’

Magic head coach Steve Clifford has had numerous talks with Carter-Williams about social injustices in the world. Clifford said the guard is serious about trying to create change that will be greatly impactful in the Central Florida community.

``He’s shown a great interest in being involved and rightly so, and he’s interested in working in the Orlando community,’’ Clifford said of the versatile guard. ``He is interested in keeping this conversation going about equality and the need to improve our local community with a positive change that’s needed. We’re not looking to do photo-ops; we’re trying to be involved in things that can bring sustainable change and meaningful change. We have a number of guys who are very serious about that, and I’d say he’s at the top of that list.’’

Carter-Williams said he has been extremely impressed with the hands-on effort that Clifford has had in trying to help enact social change in Central Florida. In addition to leading the way in getting Magic players to wear T-shirts asking fans to vote for change in their upcoming elections, Clifford recently joined an Orange County citizens’ taskforce that is aimed at trying to help enact social change that will ensure justice for all.

``Everybody knows that Coach Cliff is a great guy – on and off the court, he’s great,’’ Carter-Williams said of the coach he’s now played for in Charlotte and Orlando. ``I’ve been close to him a long time now. It’s great to see him become an advocate for everybody and being heavily involved. It speaks the type of person that he is, and I’ve grown closer to him from this. We’re able to talk about other things than just basketball. He’s doing a lot of things off the court, and we really appreciate it. It just builds more chemistry with all of us. If we’re talking about real-life matters, then it makes the on-the-court stuff easier to discuss. Just us talking to him off the floor, it builds our relationship on the floor.’’

Despite a making a position change and having to battle through a variety of shoulder injuries, Carter-Williams has become a vital part of the Magic’s regular rotation for a second straight season. Last season, Orlando signed Carter-Williams in mid-March and he was a driving force on the Magic squad that reached the playoffs for the first time since 2012. In addition to averaging 5.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists in 12 regular-season games, he had eight points, six assists, five rebounds and a steal in Orlando’s Game 1 defeat of Toronto in the first round of the playoffs.

This season, the NBA’s stoppage in play hit just as Carter-Williams – a former Rookie of the Year award winner in 2014 – was playing some of the best basketball of his seven-year NBA career. In the Magic’s final regular-season game prior to the stoppage in play – a 120-115 win in Memphis on March 10 – Carter-Williams had 20 points, three rebounds, two steals and two 3-pointers to key a second-half rally.

In previous games against Houston (16 points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal), Minnesota (17 points, five assists and one steal) and Miami (10 points, three rebounds and two steals), Carter-Williams played well in place of the injured Evan Fournier and helped the Magic put together their best extended stretch of the season.

For the season, Carter-Williams has averaged 7.2 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals as a valuable member of the Magic’s second unit.

Now, following a four-month break from NBA basketball, he knows he must try and recapture the same sort of rhythm and flow that he had in early March when he helped Orlando win three in a row, six of nine and eight of 12 games.

``Obviously, I think back to how we were all in rhythm and how I was in rhythm myself and I wish we could have keep it going, but obviously there were bigger things on the table,’’ Carter-Williams said of the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the NBA to stop play. ``I wasn’t too frustrated because it is what it is. I was of the mindset of, `What can I do to stay in shape?’ I hope to get back to that level again.’’

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Michael Carter-Williams to Participate in Virtual Town Hall on Race Relations, Diversity, and Inclusion

ORLANDO - Off days, at least in the NBA, aren’t always what the wording might imply.

Even when NBA players are ``off’’ from a day of practice, most will still get in sweat sessions of some kind by either getting up hundreds of jump shots or working in the weight room for a short burst of time. Coaches, meanwhile, often chuckle at the notion of an ``off day’’ during the NBA’s marathon-like season as they often use their time away from the practice court to hold meetings, self-scout via video review or plan for future practice sessions.

On Tuesday, the Orlando Magic were scheduled to get their first ``off day’’ since beading to the Disney World campus environment last Tuesday. Following a 48-hour quarantine period, the Magic held practice sessions for five straight days and also had nightly walk-throughs in the ballroom of their hotel to focus on defensive alignments.

Magic head coach Steve Clifford, who has worked at the NBA level the past 20 years, has found that teams function best when working in four- and five-day bursts. He feels that Tuesday’s off day will come at a perfect time for a Magic squad that has worked hard to be focused and better themselves during their first week of being sequestered at Disney.

Clifford said he’s been delighted with his team’s focus, attention to detail and willingness to work in practice. He feels the squad made great strides following two days of full-contact, five-on-five scrimmaging on Sunday and Monday.

``I think we’re farther along than I thought we would be, and I think their attitude and approach have been terrific,’’ said Clifford, whose Magic will start another five-day stretch of practices on Wednesday. ``It’s different (practicing following a long layoff), but in terms of our guys’ attitude, effort and the way that they have practiced, I couldn’t be happier.’’

While players are very restricted in what activities they can participate in as the NBA hopes to do everything possible to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, one option made available to players is free rounds of golf at Disney’s many golf courses. Golf, after all, will allow players to be competitive, while also socially distancing from others in their group.

Golf has become a new hobby that several Magic players, such as Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon, Mo Bamba, D.J. Augustin and Michael Carter-Williams, are looking forward to taking part in on Tuesday – after they get in their ``off-day’’ work on the basketball court, of course.

``Tuesday, fingers crossed, I think we’ll be off, and any time that I get after I get off the court after I shoot around, I think we’ll head out to the course and play,’’ Bamba said. ``I’m not too confident in any of my teammates’ golfing abilities, but we’ll hopefully have some fun.

``The best golfer on the team? It’s really a tossup because I haven’t really seen too many guys play, but hopefully we can get out there,’’ Bamba added. ``The only person that I’ve really played with was (Carter-Williams), and we were about the same (in terms of golfing ability). I’m going to leave him as the best, though.’’

Bamba, who used his time over the break from basketball to add nearly 21 pounds of lean muscle and bulk up to 252 pounds, said he had to be fitted for personalized golf clubs before playing the sport. At 7-foot tall with a wing span that extends some 7 feet and 10 inches in length, it’s not as if Bamba could simply play comfortably with a standard set of clubs. That’s a lesson that former UCF standout, current Boston Celtics center and close friend Tacko Fall is about to learn, Bamba said.

``I was able to get some clubs made for me right before my rookie year and they told me that it was almost impossible,’’ Bamba joked. ``I remember Tacko called me a couple of days ago and I was like, `I see (Celtics forward) Jayson Tatum getting out there (golfing) and he looks like he’s good, so you’ve got to get out there with us.’ He said, `Yeah, I’m going to get some clubs made,’ and he said it so nonchalantly and I was like, `Bro, you don’t understand. You are 6 inches taller than me and they couldn’t figure (making clubs) out for me.’ ’’

For the nongolfers, Disney has also offered NBA players the opportunity to go fishing in some of the hundreds of lakes spanning its massive property. That’s exactly what Magic teammates Jonathan Isaac and Wes Iwundu have planned for Tuesday in an attempt to get themselves out of their rooms and think about something other than basketball for a day.

``I think me, a couple of other guys, (forward Gary Clark) will try to go fishing,’’ said Isaac, who recently caught a trophy-sized grouper off Clearwater Beach. ``I went fishing for the first time over break while I was rehabbing and I enjoyed it, so I’m going to try and get out there and fish. I’m not really on the golfing scene yet, so I’m going to get out there and fish and maybe meet up with some guys and hang out.’’

Added Iwundu: ``All we’ve got right now is each other, so we’re trying to plan to maybe go fishing. Just come up with whatever we can, man, to just kind of run the resort, bide time and not be in the room so much. We’re fortunate to have some activities to do and have games to play so that it’s not 100 percent bad in the bubble.’’

As for Clifford, a grinder even by lifer coaching standards, said his ``off day’’ won’t get him much time away from basketball. And he’s just fine with that after having nearly four months of off time while the NBA season was delayed.

``I’ll just plan for the next week,’’ Clifford said matter-of-factly. ``We’ll just (plan) the next five days (of practices). We’ve done two-a-days here basically every day since we’ve been here and (the players) need a day to themselves, so we’re going to take a full day off.’’

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Magic Players Plan on Exploring Recreational Activities on Disney Campus on Off Day

ORLANDO - Once thought to be out for the season because of a serious knee injury suffered on Jan. 1, Orlando Magic forward Jonathan Isaac said it feels surreal to be competing again and given something of a chance at returning because of the four-month layoff in the NBA season.

``I feel like it’s a movie,’’ Isaac said on Monday after going through his second workout with contact in three days with the Magic. ``Getting hurt, and then having this long pause and being able to work on my leg and my game, and now I’m back with the team and in the bubble. So, I feel good about it and I’m glad that we had this little break, but sorry for all of the effects of the coronavirus.’’

Isaac, a nearly 7-foot forward whom the Magic consider to be one of their cornerstone pieces for the future, continues to make progress toward a potential return for the NBA’s restarted season. Isaac, one of just two players in the NBA to be in the league’s top 15 in both blocked shots (2.44) and steals (1.56) per game, suffered a posterior lateral corner injury and a bone contusion to his left knee in a win over the Washington Wizards on Jan. 1. Isaac, 23, suffered no structural damage to the knee, but he proceeded to miss the next 30 and was presumed to be out for the season with an injury for the second time in his three-year career.

However, the four-plus-month delay in the NBA season – from March 11 to July 30 – has given the eternally optimistic Isaac hope of a return. The Magic, 30-35 and currently in position to return to the playoffs for a second straight season, have steadfastly said that they will proceed cautiously with a talent such as Isaac and they will only allow him to return if he is fully cleared by the team’s medical staff.

``First of all it’s great just having him around because he’s a great person, a great teammate and he’s a guy who brings a lot of positives to your group even when he can’t play,’’ said Magic coach Steve Clifford, who had assistant coaches Mike Batiste and Rick Higgins scrimmage with Isaac with contact on Saturday. ``In terms of, `Will he be ready?’ I don’t think we’ll know that for, whatever, two-to-three weeks. You know, he’s not able to play five-on-five yet. He’s made great progress, he’s a terrific worker, so I couldn’t say enough good things about him. It’ll be difficult to know for a couple more weeks if he’ll be able to play.’’

Isaac, who has steadily progressed through the rehab process while going from a cast, to a brace to running freely, likes how his body has responded to the process of trying to return fully. Like any sort of rehabilitation process, Isaac said he’s had his good days and bad days, but he is pleased with where he stands now some 17 days prior to the NBA season restarting.

``I feel good, my body responded well and I’m back doing some more contact (on Monday),’’ Isaac said via a Zoom call with media. ``I played a little bit (on Monday), running up and down and stuff, so I feel good and I’m getting there, day by day.

``I’m optimistic,’’ he added later. ``I have no reservations in my mind about (a potential return). If I’m ready to play and if I get the clearance, I’m ready to go. That's pretty much where I'm at. We’re taking it day by day. I’m listening to our front office and the guys that are working with me each day to get there. So, I’m just taking it one day at a time. But I feel good. I’m getting there.’’

A possible return by Isaac could do wonders for a Magic squad hoping to pass the injury-and-illness-ravaged Brooklyn Nets in the standings for the No. 7 seed. Not only would that allow the Magic to play either Toronto or Boston instead of likely top seed Milwaukee in the first round of the playoffs, it could help them avoid a potential play-in series just to qualify for the postseason.

Following a breakout second season in the NBA last year, Isaac made major strides early on this season in terms of becoming a dominant defender. He had at least one blocked shot in 30 of the 32 games he played in and at least one steal 22 times. He blocked two or more shots 23 times, including a career-best six blocked shots on Nov. 6 at Dallas. He also notched his career-best in steals this season by swiping the ball away seven times against Milwaukee on Dec. 28.

Isaac also set a new high in scoring (25 at Indiana on Nov. 23) and equaled a high in rebounding (13 at Toronto on Nov. 20).

For now, though, the only numbers he is concerning himself with are the ones that determine his percentage of making a successful return this season for the Magic. Regardless of his fate, Isaac said he will make himself a positive force for the Magic this season.

``Rehab, honestly for me, was a grind and I had to have the right mindset every day to get myself out of bed and to work,’’ said Isaac, who averaged 12 points and 6.9 rebounds in 32 games this season. ``I tried my best to attack (rehab).

``I try my best to lean on my faith, and just trust God in that in everything He has a plan for my life,’’ added Isaac, who recently got engaged to his longtime girlfriend. ``I know exactly where I’m at, and nothing happens by accident or by chance. I try to always have the mindset that I can either get bitter or better, and I choose to always try to get better. It is frustrating maybe on the day-to-day when you’ve got to get up and you don’t feel like it and push and grind, but it’s also rewarding to try and get better every day.’’

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Jonathan Isaac Taking It Day By Day

ORLANDO - Like many people quarantined to their homes and unable to stick to their regular exercise plans for several months, Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba packed on the pounds during his unexpected time off from March to June.

The major difference, however, is that Bamba’s added weight was very much by design and a concerted effort to make him a stronger player in the post while doing battle with other behemoth NBA centers. And whereas ``the COVID-19’’ often playfully refers to other’s amount of unwanted flab added during the worldwide pandemic, Bamba believes – and body-fat index tests confirm – that much of the 21 pounds he packed on over the past four months is lean muscle.

For a formerly spindly, rail-thin 7-footer who has had trouble adding weight most of his life, Bamba needed to dedicate himself fully to the project of bulking up. Whereas his original goal was to get from 231 pounds to 240 pounds, Bamba changed that goal to 250 pounds and got as high as 258 before settling in at 252 after restarting full-court basketball drills.

``It was something that I had to work at every single day, and I had to make myself uncomfortable,’’ said Bamba, who hopes to keep lifting and eating enough to try and keep his weight slightly higher than 250 pounds during the grind of the NBA season. ``I had to wake up a few times at 3 and 4 o’clock in the morning just to get some extra calories and an extra fill. I had to wake up early to get that extra, big breakfast. It was definitely uncomfortable at first, but as I got used to it, it definitely got a lot easier.’’

Bamba, the No. 6 pick of the 2018 NBA Draft who is in the midst of his second season, is hoping that the added bulk will help him earn added minutes and be more effective for the Magic going forward. Orlando practiced on Monday for a fifth straight day and continued to prepare for its three exhibition games and, ultimately, the eight ``seeding games’’ that will begin on Aug. 31 for the Magic.

The Magic will face the Clippers (July 22, 3 p.m.), Lakers (July 25, noon) and Nuggets (July 27, noon) in sequestered scrimmages at Disney in hopes of ramping up for the restart opener against the injury-and-illness-ravaged Brooklyn Nets (July 31, 2:30 p.m.). Brooklyn (30-34) is just a half-game ahead of Orlando (30-35) for the seventh-seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic are already 2-0 this season against the Nets and can secure the first tiebreaker over the Nets with a win on July 31.

On Monday, Magic head coach Steve Clifford raved about the progress that his team has made through five days of work outs. The Magic, who arrived at Disney last Tuesday and began practicing on Thursday following a mandatory 48-hour period in quarantine, have spent five sessions on the floor doing scrimmaging and skill work and five nightly walk-through sessions in the ballroom of their hotel focusing on mostly defensive alignments.

``I think we’re farther along than I thought we would be, and I think their attitude and approach have been terrific,’’ said Clifford, whose Magic will use Tuesday as a rest day before starting another five-day stretch of practices. ``It’s different (practicing following a long layoff), but in terms of our guys’ attitude, effort and the way that they have practiced, I couldn’t be happier.’’

Bamba, 22, hopes to be a big part of the Magic’s push toward a second straight playoff berth for the Magic when the NBA season restarts. After seeing his rookie year cut short by a stress reaction in his left foot in the 2018-19 season, Bamba made noticeable strides prior to the stoppage in play in terms of playing with more aggression offensively and battling better on the defensive end in the post. Over 60 games prior to the stoppage in play, Bamba averaged 5.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots in 14.5 minutes per night behind starting center Nikola Vucevic.

Bamba scored a career-high 15 points twice earlier this season – Nov. 25 at Cleveland and Feb. 26 at Atlanta – making five of five 3-point shots against the Cavs and three of four 3-pointers versus the Hawks. For the season, the sweet-shooting Bamba has connected on 46.8 percent of his tries overall and 35.7 percent from 3-point range.

Not satisfied with production that he thinks can grow dramatically in the coming years, Bamba looked to make some major personal improvements during his time away from basketball. Establishing a daily routine and hiring a personal chef to dramatically change his eating habits, Bamba said, were two of the biggest keys to making progress in terms of building strength and adding bulk.

``My entire mentality the whole time that we were quarantined was, `Gain an inch every day,’’’ Bamba said via a Zoom call with media. ``So, literally, it took every day of going through it to get where I am. It took changing my diet, intense workouts and leaning onto the Magic Strength and Conditioning staff to provide a plan for me.

``I didn’t have anything to do at home and they brought in, literally, half the weight room, and I didn’t have anything else to do but to lift,’’ said Bamba, who brought a stationary cardio bicycle with him to Disney to work out between Magic practice sessions. ``I got a chef early on, like midway through March, and since then I’ve been eating like five-to-six meals a day and lifting for an hour or an hour-and-a-half.’’

Magic center Khem Birch, who has taken turns handling the backup center position the past two seasons while Bamba has battled occasional foot injuries, notices a difference already in the strength left of the formerly skinny big man.

``I think he outweighs me by like 30 pounds right now; last year, I think I outweighed him and now he outweighs me, so he’s definitely stronger out there,’’ said the 6-foot-9, 230-pound Birch. ``He’s bigger and he’s able to maintain his strength, but also have that athleticism.’’

Bamba, who has one of the longest wingspans in NBA history at 7 feet, 10 inches, agreed that he’s been able to maintain the nimbleness that made him something of a unique player because of his massive length and agility.

If the added weight helps Bamba become a better defender – both in the post and when moving laterally on screen-and-roll plays – it could create a scenario where Clifford uses both him and Vucevic on the floor together at the same time. Such an experiment just might give the Magic a lethal dynamic because both Vucevic and Bamba shoot the ball well from the perimeter. However, those lineups failed miserably last season when Bamba was an NBA rookie and clearly a much different physical specimen in terms of strength, bulk and confidence. Now, he clearly isn’t lacking in anything in those areas.

``I feel as mobile as before, but it definitely took some extra work,’’ Bamba stressed. ``Gaining 20-something pounds is no joke and you really feel it on your joints, but I had to get into the mentality of, `I’m going to have to run at this weight, I’m going to have to jump at this weight and I’m going to have to move laterally at this weight’ to feel good about it. So, I truly feel good at this weight now.’’

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Mo Bamba Packed on Serious Muscle Mass During Shutdown

ORLANDO - With hopes of bringing about social change and ultimately ending racism in Central Florida and beyond, nearly two dozen members of the Orlando Magic – including Chairman Dan DeVos, CEO Alex Martins, President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman, head coach Steve Clifford and standout players Nikola Vucevic and Markelle Fultz – participated in a powerful video asking others seeking equality for all to, "Walk With Us."

The 98-second video opens and closes with passionate chants of, ``Walk With Us! Walk With Us! Walk With Us!’’ In between, 22 members of the Magic organization recite lines demanding equality for all, calling for change in how African-American people are treated while also asking others to rise up and be vocal about the issue.

Near the end of the video, dozens of names of people killed at the hands of police or civilian vigilantes – such as George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others – scroll across the screen and ultimately form the words, ``BLACK LIVES MATTER.’’ Videos showed Floyd being killed in Minneapolis as police officers restrained him and cut off air to his body with a knee to the back of the neck, while a jogging Arbery was shot by two civilians who pursued him in a vehicle.

Since Floyd’s death on May 25 and subsequent protests around the nation, the Magic have taken a leadership role in trying to enact change in how African-Americans are treated by police officers, government and others in the Central Florida area. The Magic recently held a ``Town Hall’’ virtual meeting where staffers listened to stories of racism and abuse from leadership members of the NBA, and many of the Magic employees also shared their own personal experiences with social injustice.

The Magic’s players, coaches and Basketball Operations staff also took part in an interactive Zoom call with voting rights activist Desmond Meade – Executive Director of the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition – and felt collectively that one of the ways that they could enact social change would be by pushing others to get out and vote in the coming months.

Meade led the successful effort to pass a 2018 state initiative that restored voting rights to 1.4 million Floridians with prior felony convictions. In 2019, Time magazine named Meade as one of the ``100 most influential people in the world,’’ and Magic players were obviously moved by his push to get more people voting in local, state and national elections that could potentially bring about change in terms of social injustices.

Upon reporting to the nearby Disney World campus on Tuesday for the restart of the NBA season, Magic players, coaches and staffers wore black T-shirts that read, ``GET OFF THE BENCH, GET INTO THE GAME, VOTE.’’ Martins, the Magic’s CEO, said on Wednesday that the public response to the T-shirts was so favorable that the organization might soon make the shirts available for purchase by fans.

``The NBA has told us at every turn – including (Tuesday) at (Disney) orientation – how important it is to use this (NBA restart) forum as a platform to address social injustice and racism,’’ said Weltman, the architect of a Magic team that is in line to reach the NBA playoffs for a second straight season. ``That can take on a lot of forms, and we all know that. But Desmond (Meade) really resonated with our guys. That’s the impetus for the shirts.’’

In the ``Walk With Us’’ video, DeVos, Weltman, Martins and Linda Landman Gonzalez, the Magic’s Vice President of Social Responsibility, take turns saying the words, ``We fully embrace our responsibility to create lasting change … to change from within … to have uncomfortable conversations … and to acknowledge history.’’

Then, Magic reserve guard Michael Carter-Williams asks basketball fans and others in the community to, ``Walk With Us.’’

Magic assistant coach Tyrone Corbin and forward Al-Farouq Aminu follow with demands of, ``We have to do better than this!’’ and ``We must do better than this!’’

Point guard D.J. Augustin and Carter-Williams say that the community must, ``use this platform … for something bigger than basketball,’’ as chants of ``Black Lives Matter’’ fill the void.

Magic players Wes Iwundu, Vic Law, Gary Clark and B.J. Johnson then ask for change, ``from Parramore,’’ ``to Eatonville,’’ ``to Tallahassee,’’ and ``to Washington, D.C.’’

``Walk With Us,’’ Lakeland Magic President Shelly Wilkes and Magic center Mo Bamba then ask.

Near the end of the video, Lakeland Magic General Manager Anthony Parker, Vucevic and Fultz state that ``It’s time to come together … to end racism … and to confirm that Black Lives Matter. Clifford then informs fans, ``Your voice matter.’’ Finally, Augustin, Vucevic and Aminu powerfully ask fans, ``Walk With Us! Walk With Us! Walk With Us!’’

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Magic Release "Walk With Us" - It's Time to Come Together

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