Hopefully the Nets were taking copious notes.
Beyond the usual lessons they can learn from losses, the Magic embody much of what the Nets hope to eventually become and provided them with an ideal rebuilding blueprint to follow.
They have a much different rebuild than the Magic, as evidenced by the Nets' 123-100 loss on red-hot Magic Friday night at Barclays Center, dropping them to 9-11 on the season. It was.
While the Nets are just starting to reset their organization, the Magic are starting to turn things around and find success.
Friday's loss ended the Nets' winning streak at three and gave the Magic their 10th win in their last 11 games despite being without star Paolo Banchero since early November.
“They were the best team overall and we just have to give it to them,” Fernandez said. “On both sides, they were making shots, being very physical, getting to the free throw line, doing a little bit of everything.
Franz Wagner paced the Magic with 29 points, 21 of which came in the first half. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points, including two 3-pointers to halt the Nets' momentum in the third quarter.
The Magic took the lead late in the second quarter, going on a 15-5 run to extend their lead to 12 points heading into halftime. The team then swelled to 20 points and started the second half on a 13-5 run.
“It gives confidence to the other players,” Fernandez said of the Magic's strong third quarter performance. “It wasn't just one focus for them today. A lot of their players played well.”
Dennis Schroder missed Friday's game for personal reasons, and the Nets felt his absence.
Ben Simmons was a more aggressive playmaker in Schroder's absence, attacking the rim and dishing out eight assists, but couldn't replace Schroder's scoring with just four points.
Without Schroder as their floor general, the Nets lost their identity. They entered the game averaging 40.9 3-pointers per game, but made just 29 on Friday, making 14 of them. They were also loose with the ball, committing 20 turnovers. The Magic turned those turnovers into 34 points.
“He's a very important guy,” Jalen Wilson said of Schroder. “Head of the Snake, he's been that guy all year long. The way he goes downhill and finds us, the way he goes downhill and creates his own shots, everything he does is different. He's very important to the way we play and to our team.”
Shake Milton led the Nets with a season-high 22 points. Tyrese Martin made his first career start with a 30-point outburst against the Suns on Wednesday, but he cooled off after that and finished with eight points. Wilson gave the Nets an early shock by making all three 3-point shots in the first quarter, but he remained silent after that, finishing with 11 points.
The Nets may have exceeded the lowest expectations for them earlier this season, but the Magic should be a true playoff contender in the Eastern Conference. It will take more than 20 games to close that gap.
But there are plenty of similarities that give the Nets hope.
Magic head coach Jamal Mosley, like Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez, was a highly respected assistant before getting his first head coaching opportunity two years ago. The Magic have focused on acquiring as much young talent and draft picks as possible, much like the Nets have done. Like the Nets, the Magic were near the bottom of the standings before starting over.
The Nets are 0-2 against the Magic this year, but they will soon see them up close again in a rematch in Brooklyn on Sunday.
“We have a day to rest, watch the game and learn from it,” Fernandez said. “And show up and be better.”
