If you have watched the two games, then you already know they Magic have put together 4 good quarters of basketball and 4 quarters of bad basketball. What I see is a confused team that comes out of the locker room at halftime. The opposition comes out with a little more intensity and the Magic scramble, often forgetting what they have been practicing.

I have to say that I like what I have seen in the first half of the game. First, can we agree it is nice to see set plays run on offense. Players are passing the ball to the open location before the player is there to receive the ball. This is a sign of trust and execution. Players are beginning to trust their teammates will be there when they make the pass. Additionally, you can begin to see the results of practicing the offense over and over again. One thing I like about Brian Hill is that he will make sure his team executes perfectly. Secondly, has anyone else noticed how crisp the passes have been? For the most part, players are snapping the ball around instead of the lazy passing we saw last year.

On defense, I think the Magic have some room for improvement. Mostly, the big men are having trouble protecting the paint. While they did a little better tonight, only allowing 24 points, it was often wide open for dribble penetration. The one thing I have noticed an improvement on is the help defense. Players are rotating off screens and helping out each other fairly well.

All-in-all, I have to say I expected the Magic to win these two games. Although, losing two in a row to start the season does not have me up in arms yet. Withouth Keyon Dooling and Grant Hill, the Magic are just working on execution of what they have practiced so far. When they execute, they are looking very good. However, I don't feel they have 100% completely bought into Coach Hill's plans for them. When they do, I think we will see a very sharp Magic team.