Orlando wants to bring back the ‘swag’ from the All-Star break

The Orlando Magic are focused on resetting their mindset as they return from All-Star Weekend.

Orlando (28-25) opens a four-game road trip Thursday night against the Sacramento Kings (12-44) at 10:00 p.m. ET. After a few days away from the game, the star forward Paolo Banchero said the team’s priority is to regain his edge — and his confidence.

“It’s vital, it’s super important,” Banchero said at practice on Thursday. “Our energy has to be right, our bite has to be right, and we just have to be ready to come out and play so I’m excited.”

The The Magic are entering the final stretch of the regular season looking to solidify their postseason position. With 29 games remaining, Banchero stressed the importance of the upcoming trip.

“We’ve definitely put together some great games here on this trip, get some wins and just get ready for this pressure … we’ve got to win some games, we’ve got to put ourselves in a good position for the postseason, so that’s where we’re going to fall.”

Paolo Banchero, Jamahl Mosley stress identity and focus as the Magic begin a second-half reset

Along with the wins and losses, Banchero pointed out that identity and cohesion as defining factors for the second half.

“Just playing together, you know, figuring out how we want to play (and) what kind of team we want to be and yeah, just taking it one game at a time with a singular focus and doing whatever we have to do to win,” he said. “I think that’s the main point, whatever it is, we have to win, so the guys have to be ready to rise to the challenge.”

Banchero added that the break provided an opportunity to recharge mentally.

“Oh yeah, definitely just finishing, training, conditioning and then you know just taking time to relax and enjoy the sun and the beach and stuff – a little bit of peace and quiet was nice, so you definitely took time to just mentally reset, but at the same time preparing for this last half of the season, it’s a huge part of the season right here, so you’ve just got to be ready to go.”

Head coach Jamahl Mosley echoed that sentiment, describing the outage as a “total reset” while emphasizing that attention to detail must remain consistent.

“It’s one game at a time and I think with Sacramento it’s just understanding what this building is and how they play and their freedom to play and how they attack the basket, go downhill, one-on-one basketball, but they have guys that can really score,” Mosley said. “And so we have to make sure we commit to our defense, understand our game plan and focus on that side of the ball more than anything.”

Moritz Wagner emphasizes the daily standard of entry into the final section

Mosley said the intensity of the workout reflects a renewed focus.

“It’s just starting a complete reset,” he said. “I think the ability to step away from the game for a while and realize how much you value it, what you’re able to do versus what you have to do, and these guys came back with that joy and that focus today in practice.”

He emphasized that the standard of the team cannot vary.

“I just keep putting in the work,” Mosley said. “Our day-to-day work ethic has to be spot on. . . . Our standard has to be set night in and night out. But again, every game is going to be different, but the way we play shouldn’t adjust.”

Center Moritz Wagner emphasized the importance of staying present.

“Well, we’ve got 29 games left, day by day,” Wagner said. “Don’t look too far ahead, kind of stay in our little bubble and just try to grind out enough wins to get into the playoffs.”

As the journey begins, the Magic aim to pair renewed energy with disciplined execution – and take their “swag” with them.