Orlando Magic 'Building Something' in Jamahl Mosley's Second Season
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ORLANDO - On July 11th, 2021, Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley was hired for an organization searching for a tide shift.
Less than a month after taking the job, the first-time head coach entered the NBA Draft with a pair of top-10 selections for a team coming off a 21-51 campaign, selecting potential franchise cornerstones Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs.
Fast forward to present day and Mosley, along with those first-round picks, all enter their second seasons with a new level of comfort this time around.
“It’s always fun to note that [Mosley] was a rookie last year too,” President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman said. “He grew tremendously as someone who understands how to manage not just games but agendas, philosophies and we’ve worked really hard in employing a player development program.”
Despite posting a 22-60 record in his first season at the helm, Mosley felt confident in his roster pieces, retaining nearly every player from last year's team, including Gary Harris and Mo Bamba, who entered the summer as unrestricted free agents.
By re-signing these pieces, the Magic front office has shown trust and confidence in their roster amongst a league that constantly sees roster shifts.
“Last year was a very interesting year, but it was probably one of the most fun years I’ve had playing basketball,” Harris said at media day. “Just being around this group of guys and [Mosley]. They’re building something around here and it’s something that I definitely want to be a part of.”
In his 14 months as head coach for the Magic, Mosley has built a completely new roster that looks to avoid the same mistakes they made a year ago.
“I think we're just holding everyone much more accountable now,” second-year guard Suggs said at media day. “[Mosley] always says, ‘I'm going to hold your feet to the fire,’ don't take anything I say personally because I'm not going to take anything you say personally, but we're going to get better, as people, as players and coaches.”
The team begins its season October 19th on the road against the Detroit Pistons.
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