Magic veterans look to keep team engaged, focused in final weeks of season

As the Orlando Magic continue to work through the dynamics of their roster makeover, emphasis remains on player development and cohesiveness as the regular-season schedule grows shorter.

The goal is to play well and win games in the process, but the youthful Magic can benefit from the leadership and experience of veterans James Ennis, Gary Harris, Terrence Ross, Michael Carter-Williams and Otto Porter Jr.

Regardless of how those players fit into the Magic’s long-term plans, they likely will play an important role over the final 16 games of the regular season.

“I feel like myself, T-Ross, MCW, Bac, Gary, we can help them — all the young guys — have the right approach every game,” Ennis said. “I know it’s kind of tough playing these last games. I don’t know if we can make the playoffs or not, but it’s just our jobs to keep everybody engaged and just staying focused on the goals for our team and ourselves.”

The latter part of what Ennis said bears emphasizing.

Sitting 91/2 games out of eighth in the Eastern Conference, the Magic (18-38) normally would be harboring few thoughts about the playoffs. But this is no normal year, and Orlando still finds itself within reach — albeit a long one — from a spot in the play-in tournament as it trails 10th-place Toronto by 41/2 games.

Of course, the Magic would also have to leap over the Bulls, Wizards and Cavaliers to claim that 10th position and secure a spot in the play-in tournament.

But Orlando will have to overcome the inconsistency that has plagued the team lately to make a serious push. The Magic are 3-9 since the trades that sent Nikola Vucevic and Al-Farouq Aminu to Chicago, Aaron Gordon and Gary Clark to Denver, and Evan Fournier to Boston. The stretch included wins in Los Angeles against the Clippers and in New Orleans, close losses to the Nuggets and Pacers, but also lopsided losses to the Wizards, Bucks and Spurs.

And that brings us back to Ennis’ point about keeping the team engaged. As Magic coach Steve Clifford likes to say, the NBA — among other things — is about getting better. He wants his team to improve in the final weeks of the season and build on that work to set up next season. That requires playing with purpose — another Clifford axiom — and that purpose comes collectively as well as individually.

“I just want us to try to put 48 minutes together, where we’re good at both ends of the floor, we’re playing more purposeful basketball, and that is what we have to do so guys can grow,” Clifford said. “A big part of this last stretch, and not just for the younger players but particularly for them, is that guys improve and get better. And that can only happen if you’re playing the right way.”

Orlando has eight players 23 or younger, with two rookies — Cole Anthony and Chuma Okeke — in the starting lineup and a third — R.J. Hampton — getting fairly significant playing time. Their development is especially crucial considering they had no Summer League and a truncated training camp before being thrust into the NBA season because of COVID-19.

During Friday’s 113-102 loss to the Raptors, Anthony committed a third-quarter turnover — just his second of the game — and was met with encouragement from Ross, who essentially said to shake off the mistake and make the next play.

The kind of veteran leadership Ross showed can help keep emotions in check for a player like Anthony, who is especially hard on himself and expects a lot from his game.

During Wednesday’s 115-109 win over the Bulls in Chicago, Carter-Williams had just checked out of the game but called Anthony over to the sideline to share something he saw in the Bulls’ defense.

The Magic on Sunday will face the Houston Rockets, a team also in rebuilding mode. The Rockets traded Russell Westbrook just before the season started, then later sent James Harden to Brooklyn, P.J. Tucker to Milwaukee and Victor Oladipo to Miami in other deals. The Milwaukee trade brought former Magic point guard D.J. Augustin to Houston.

The Rockets (14-42), who own the worst record in the NBA, have lost five straight and are 1-9 in their past 10 games. They were 11-10 before enduring a 20-game losing streak that sent them tumbling to the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Sunday’s game tips off at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on Bally Sports Florida.

Orlando will play four of its next five games at home, with the Pelicans, Pacers and Lakers also set to come to Amway Center.

This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Roy Parry at rparry@orlandosentinel.com. Follow on Twitter @osroyparry