For a team that has been out of the main storylines in the NBA and far out of the playoff picture for much of the last decade, it sure seems like the Orlando Magic are getting a brighter spotlight this offseason.
That is not for any moves they have made or new players added to the team. It is the growing excitement for a team on the rise and the internal development growth everyone expects.
Talent matters, of course — and Team USA director Grant Hill certainly recognized that in recruiting Paolo Banchero onto the World Cup team — but there is something else cooking and it sure feels like Team USA is trying to tap at least partly into the Magic’s success.