This is the Orlando Magic team we were hoping to see. The team that beat the New York Knicks is the Magic team we expect all season long. And to be honest, fans should accept nothing less. This doesn't mean we should expect them to win a ton of games. In fact, we know they won't. But we should demand this team play smart and give 150% every night. And last night at Madison Square Garden, that's exactly what we saw.
Now can we depend on Cole Anthony to play like that when he's not at "home" in NY playing in front of his mom on her birthday? That's the real question.
The team we saw in the first two games of the season was horrid. They didn't look promising. They didn't look "young". They didn't look talented. They just looked horrible. And there were some questionable coaching calls, that may have cost the team those games.
If for the majority of the season, we get "team terrible" then it's going to be hard to keep ANY fans interested in this team. If we get the team we saw last night, then this team will win 30 games and find themselves in the playoffs.
Which is exactly what we're expecting of this team.