Magic practice notebook: E'Twaun Moore close to returning

After two days off to celebrate the Christmas holiday, the Orlando Magic returned to Amway Center on Thursday to practice for Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons.

Here's a look at the stories that developed on Boxing Day.

Moore close to returning

Magic guard E'Twaun Moore has missed the team's last two games with a thigh bruise he sustained in a recent practice. Jacque Vaughn said that Moore could return to game action soon, noting that the Purdue product will be a "partial practice participant" Thursday. "He's getting there." Orlando's coach could not say whether he would play Friday, however.

In 26 appearances, including three starts, Moore is averaging 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game on 41.3 percent shooting form the floor and 37.9 percent shooting from three-point range.

Cleaning up

Vaughn said that he hopes to "clean up some things offensively" in Thursday's practice "and talk about what's good and bad for us a little bit." He mentioned that "being more precise" is the goal, and specifically talked about players taking the proper routes in the team's offensive sets.

"You get game slippage," Vaughn said, "where you first introduce a play, this was the exact route you were supposed to take, and then you get in the game and you don't take that exact route."

The coach said he has yet to install his entire offense, partially because the team has only had Tobias Harris, its leading scorer a year ago, available for seven games. He's also working to "subtract" sets that "don't give us what we want" offensively. As the season progresses, he will continue to tailor the playbook to meet his team's strengths and weaknesses.

Vaughn is pleased with Harris' "rhythm." The third-year forward is averaging 16.3 points, seven rebounds, and 2.3 assists in his last three appearances.

Davis coming around

Magic big man Glen Davis said he's not happy with his progress since returning from a broken bone in his left foot, an injury which required two surgeries and cost him 60 games bridging the 2012/13 and 2013/14 seasons.

"I'm getting there," Davis said. "Spurts of the New York game I felt a little bit like I could make a difference, but my rhythm and everything, it's getting there. Especially my shot and in the post, my post-up game. So I'm getting there."

Davis scored 20 points in Orlando's last outing, a 103-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday. He shot 9-of-21 from the floor and also corralled seven boards. The veteran big man said the key to returning to form is continuing to get repetitions in practices and in games.

One positive sign is that Davis isn't playing as self-consciously. "I'm not thinking about my foot as much anymore now, especially when I'm in the paint or when I'm doing something, it's starting to get second nature to me," he said. "You just gotta keep going."