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A point guard collected a defensive rebound and pushed the ball upcourt. Mario Hezonja sprinted forward, too, received a pass and rose for a shot from the right wing, just beyond the edge of the 3-point arc. The shot swished through the hoop.

The Magic produced too few plays like that last season.

The 3-point shot has never been more popular or more important in the NBA than it was last year, with teams firing treys at record rates. But the Magic didn’t benefit from the trend. Although they launched a competitive number of attempts, they finished among the league’s worst teams in treys made and 3-point shooting percentage. If the Magic don’t improve from long range this season, it’s difficult to envision them making a significant jump in the standings.

“We’re not the best shooting team in the league,” Vogel said. “But we have guys who can knock down shots when we’re executing the right way on the offensive end and exercising good shot selection. And that’s got to be the goal.”

Hezonja’s 3-pointer Thursday exemplified the kind of shots Vogel and his assistant coaches want more often. No defender covered Hezonja in transition, and recognizing that, Hezonja called for the ball. The point guard, training-camp invitee Kalin Lucas, hurled the pass so adeptly that Hezonja caught the ball and elevated for the shot in one smooth rhythm.

Just how important 3-pointers are to the Magic this season can be seen simply by looking at their training-camp practice court. Coaches have affixed blue masking tape to the floor to create four rectangles on each side of the court: one on each wing outside the 3-point line and one in each corner beyond the 3-point line. Vogel said he wants his players to occupy those rectangular spots and space the floor. Hezonja made his 3 from the right-wing rectangle.