Orlando Magic: 5 takeaways from the 2018-19 NBA season
By Luke Duffy
2. They have the right head coach
The Magic brought in Steve Clifford last summer, making him their fourth head coach since 2015. All that upheaval was detrimental to the growth of the young players on the roster, but there were question marks hanging over Clifford as well.
Although he had a good reputation and was responsible for getting the Charlotte Hornets back to the postseason in his previous role, there were question marks over his health and if he was the kind of inspiring choice that could bring about long-term success.
Clifford answered all of those questions brilliantly, instilling a work ethic in his players that was infectious while leading the Magic to a 42-40 season. Not only was this their first campaign above .500 since 2011-12, it was also a whopping 17-win improvement on last season — the biggest jump in the league.
Readers asked for this, and here it is: a comprehensive report card for the Orlando Magic. Here is @TheAthleticNBA’s detailed look the team’s 2018-19 season, with evaluations for each player, the coaching staff and the front office: https://t.co/v05HoQPzRP
— Josh Robbins (@JoshuaBRobbins) May 6, 2019
This also led to a Southeast Division title — something that fans don’t care about, but was nice for the team to hang its hat on after a turnaround year. So not only did Clifford win everybody over quickly with how he went about his job, there’s also no question that he should remain in charge for some time yet.
The players listen to and respect him, and he’s gotten the best out of guys like Isaac and Iwundu. Even Michael Carter-Williams, who was as good as out of the league, revived his career under Clifford as he turned a couple of 10-day contracts into sticking around for the rest of the year.
Clifford was also smart enough to build around Vucevic’s offensive skill-set, which got them through the regular season without a superstar. Another summer working with the group he has, as well as some new additions, will put the Magic right back in the mix again next season. Clifford won’t allow any slippage, which is all the proof needed that he is the right man for the job.