Orlando Magic Believe This is Their Year

Magic Believe This Is Their Year
By: Alex Kennedy

While the large Eastern Conference Champions banner hanging from the ceiling of the Orlando Magic's practice facility celebrates last season's trip to the Finals, it serves as motivation more than anything.

A framed picture of Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson watching from the bench as the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated their title on the Magic's court hangs in the team's training room.

These little reminders of just how close Orlando came to winning the championship last season were placed throughout the facility to ignite a flame in the players. The atmosphere in Orlando is different than ever before. The goal is to win a championship and anything less will be considered a failure.

"We're not satisfied at all," said point guard Jameer Nelson. "You have to win a championship to feel satisfied. And then win another. We're a good team but we're not a great team yet because we haven't won a title."

Each day, the players are reminded of the task at hand.

"From day one, when I looked around and saw the pictures of the championship trophy on each locker, I knew I was in a different place," said power forward Brandon Bass, who signed with the team this summer. "This is my kind of team. I chose to come here because I'm all about winning. This organization is all about winning. This is a championship caliber team."

Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis still cannot escape the constant reminders of how close their team came. "Every day I wake up and I think about what happened. Every day I get a reminder when I turn on the TV. I look at ESPN, first thing I see is Kobe [Bryant], putting up the championship sign. You think about it then and I haven't stopped thinking about it since we lost. I put some of the moments away, but losing something when you're so close, it hurts and you don't want to go through that experience again," said Howard.

"Anytime I turned on the television or went online looking for updates over the offseason, I would see the Lakers holding up that trophy. That definitely keeps the fire burning," added Lewis.

But that is in the past and the players know that this could be their year. "Everyone is talking about it, even the new guys. 'We gotta win a championship, we gotta win a championship.' It's what everyone is saying. We don't want to just be successful, we want to win it all," said Nelson.

During Monday's media day, the word championship was uttered by every single Magic player at least once. Each one of the new acquisitions made it clear that they came here to help this team raise the banner that Orlando really wants in their rafters. "Last season we couldn't get it done but this year the task at hand is to win a championship and we feel we can do that," says point guard Anthony Johnson.

But even with the focus on winning a title, the Magic still feel as though they're the underdogs.

When asked how the team would adjust to no longer playing the underdog role, Dwight Howard interrupted, "We're still underdogs. We have to embrace that role because that's the role we've been given."

While the players feel they've been thrust into the role of underdog, it's one they are willing to embrace.

"It's good that people are counting us out already, that takes pressure off of us and we like the underdog role," said forward Matt Barnes, who signed this offseason. "I've been an underdog my whole life."

Last week, Paul Pierce made headlines by saying that the Boston Celtics would once again be the team to beat if they stayed healthy. "That's cool, he can think that all he wants," said Bass with a laugh.

"That's fine with us. He can take the target and place it right on their back. That's great," added J.J. Redick.

"Everybody has their own opinion. We don't get into talking through the media. We know, and everyone knows, what we have and we feel that it's enough talent to win a championship," said Nelson.

Orlando is ready to move on from their loss in the Finals last season and take down anyone who stands in their way. Two seasons ago, the Los Angeles Lakers watched the Boston Celtics celebrate on their home floor and used it to fuel their championship run last year.

The Magic are confident they can continue this trend and are more determined than ever.

"Since I've been in Orlando, we haven't gotten the respect we've deserved," said Lewis. "If you're not picking us for the championship, that's fine with us. We'll just shut a lot of people up."