How Unlikely Floor-Raiser Cory Joseph Propelled Magic Back to Playoffs

ORLANDO, Fla. – Cory Joseph knows his way around the postseason.

Coming out of college after one season at Texas, he'd hit the jackpot with his landing spot: a 2011 first-round draft pick of the San Antonio Spurs, who were in the midst of a run of, eventually, 22 straight postseason berths.

Although the eager, 20-something-year-old guard seldom saw the floor his first two seasons, he was becoming rich with firsthand accounts of what making – and succeeding in – the playoffs takes. Then, in his third year, San Antonio's "defibrillator" played a more sizable role in the Spurs' fifth-ever title victory.

Joseph's title win with San Antonio was the second in a seven-year stretch of consecutive playoff appearances. But since the 2018-19 Indiana Pacers flamed out in a four-game, first-round sweep at the feet of Boston Celtics, the Toronto-born guard hasn't been back.

Until this year, that is.

Joseph, now 33 and a 14-year pro, is the most seasoned veteran in the Orlando Magic's locker room. And, he's a late-blooming, unsung hero who's helped propel the Magic to their second consecutive playoff series.

"It's amazing, man," Joseph said in the Magic's Kia Center locker room, reflecting on his longevity in the league. "I'm blessed."

That longevity was threatened as soon as a year ago, when the Golden State Warriors traded Joseph and nearly $6 million in cash considerations to the Pacers. The two teams also swapped second-round draft choices in the deal.

Only, Joseph never suited up for Indiana. He was waived to make room for James Johnson's signing, and while the Pacers made a surprise trip to the Eastern Conference Finals, Joseph kept his head down in case another deal came.

"Golden State, we didn't have the best year," Joseph said. "Traded. Waived. You've just got to stay mentally locked in. I was there training."

Then, last summer, the Magic came calling.

"Orlando took me in, and I feel great," Joseph said. "I feel at home. I love the fans; they've been amazing to me. The organization has been amazing to me, and I'm just trying to get out there and play as hard as I can to repay them for what they did for me."

Signing Joseph filled the Magic's 15th-and-final roster spot. With an abundance of young guards on the roster ready to contribute, his outlook for playing time to begin the year was, at best, marginal. Knowing this, he was prepared to embrace the role of veteran leader in one of the NBA's youngest locker rooms.

As injuries mounted, thought, Magic coach Jamahl Mosley began running out of places to turn. After not logging significant minutes until nearly Christmas, Joseph's share of minutes sporadically saw an uptick throughout January. Then, March came.

Usual starting guard Jalen Suggs, who'd been out but was anticipated to return from injury before the postseason, was suddenly lost for the year. Fill-in starter Cole Anthony needed time off his feet – literally – after laboring through a foot injury, and Orlando wanted to keep Anthony Black as the second unit's lead ball-handler.

That meant that on March 4 vs. Toronto, the Magic inserted Joseph as the spot-starter for the spot-starter. It was his first time cracking a first five in over two calendar years.

Orlando liked what it saw – so much so, that since March 13, Joseph has been the Magic's starting point guard in every game of significance.

The team went 11-5 in March and April when he was in the starting lineup, then also won Tuesday's Play-In game.

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"Cory stepped in right away when his number was first called, when guys were out, and he elevated our team from the first game he played," said Paolo Banchero after Tuesday's Play-In victory over the Atlanta Hawks. "Just his calming presence and the way he's able to get guys the ball in spots that they know they like, and he's always talking, he's always communicating. If something doesn't go right, he's not just going to let it be. He's going to go to you, come to you and figure it out on the spot.

"Having a veteran like that with a young team," Banchero continued, "it helps more than anyone really knows. Sometimes as a young team, maybe you wait too long to figure something out, and by the time, you're already down. He just addresses things as they happen."