Can Sean Sweeney win in Orlando
- quansmith33
- May 31
- 2 min read
The Orlando Magic have hired their new head coach, Sean Sweeney, and the answer can the first-time head coach deliver. I covered the Magic this past season, and after watching them quit on Jamahl Mosley, blowing a 3-1 lead in the first round. Orlando has already put itself in a hole by giving up the farm (draft picks) for Desmond Bane last offseason, and it had a mediocre regular season to show for it. For the new head coach, there's no rebuilding here; it's about improving and maximizing a core of Pablo, Franz, Jalen, Desmond, etc.
Rebuild the culture
I think any head coach of a sports team needs to build a new culture after the previous regime. Sean, he needs to watch Disney+ to win the franchise games. He must get the franchise's best player, Pablo Banchero, committed to winning and getting the role players involved. He must preach offense and remember he has Franz Wagner, which will help. A locker room that comes together stays together, and that was missing last season, which is why the Magic was so underwhelming.
What will free agency look like?
The Magic have a very expensive roster, their core of Pablo, Franz, Jalen, and Desmond. Figuring out how to build a roster around them is going to be interesting. If there's one thing Orlando needs a point guard to run the show, and might need another big with Moritz Wagner's free agency looming. In the second cap apron era, they might have to get pennies on dollars with hope for value.
Future outlook for the Sean Sweeney Era
Sean Sweeney will have pressure to try to turn around a young team that already feels like it has hit the ceiling. Yet there's still promising talent, and in the East, it doesn't take much to be competent with the right decisions. I think Orlando can be better than last year's iteration, especially if they can commit to the offense end, which is something they struggled to do. I can't say Orlando will be title contenders, yet they almost certainly can push for a top-six seed next season, which I am predicting. Maybe they will be better in the postseason since they haven't won a first-round series in a decade. The front office will give him some time, yet will Sean Sweeney ride the Magic to success or be the latest to have his Disney+ subscription canceled?
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