After days of rumors, the Orlando Magic have made it official: Jamahl Mosley will be named the franchise new head coach. The Orlando Magic HQ team gives their instant reaction to the news on our first round table discussion.
What are your thoughts on the decision for the Magic to hire Jamahl Mosley as the new head coach?
Kieran Patel – “Magic fans, there’s really no way of denying it. This hire is exactly what we needed to boost our offensive development and speed up the rebuild process. While Mosley was not the number one option on most people’s list of favorites, he undoubtedly will turn out to be effective from the jump. His time as a player overseas along with his relative youth as a head coach makes it easier for our guys to learn under an experienced mind. Something Magic fans should certainly take note of is his strong relationship with Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who has always given Mosley extremely high praise for his coaching work. When generational talents such as Doncic can credit a coach for their player development, you better believe this hire was a home run for Orlando’s youthful squad. We might not look to become a “win now” team this season, but perhaps by the season after Orlando could see themselves in a comfortable playoff position after our young guys develop properly under Jamahl.”
Jay Serrano – “While the fanbase seems mixed on the hire, I for one am excited to see him get to work. Mosley has a reputation around the league of player development and really connecting with his players and holding them accountable, which is something they teamed seemed to lack with Clifford as the head coach. The most ringing endorsement came from Luka Doncic when he was quoted “He’s got the things needed for a head coach” following a victory against the Knicks in April in which Mosley stepped in for Rick Carlisle as Head Coach. Welcome to the Magic Kingdom Coach Mosley!!! #MagicTogether”
Luke Scotchie – “I’m a huge fan of this hire. Mosley knows how to connect to players, he allows them to play to their strengths, he’s a fantastic leader, and he trusts his guys. More often than not, it felt like Steve Clifford tried to force players to play into his system, which stifled the developments of many of our young guys (especially Mo Bamba and Chuma Okeke before the trade deadline). Mosley wants players to succeed in the ways they know best, especially offensively, which will help them become the best players they can be. I’m very excited for the future of Orlando with Mosley leading the way. Great job from Weltman and Hammond.”
Al Grullon – “Jamahl Mosley is definitely not a name I had in my top 10 coaching candidates list when the Magic started looking for a new head coach. That is not to say he is not a solid candidate, I simply did not know enough about him. After doing some research on him in recent days, I have embraced the idea more and more. Based on what I know, coach Mosley is well liked in the locker room, players respect him and he is all about player development. On top of that, he has plenty of experience as an NBA assistant coach and he has learned from three solid NBA coaches — Rick Carlisle (Dallas), Byron Scott (Cleveland) and George Carl (Denver) during his time on the bench. Mosley is a defensive minded coach, which fits the current build of the Magic roster. I was hoping for the Magic to hire an offensive minded coach, but I believe Mosley will run a freestyle offense that will bring out the best in the young players. I am hoping he adds a coach or two to his staff that are offensive minded to compliment his strong defensive skills. I continue to fully trust the Magic front office and I am doing the same here with the decision to hire Mosley as the new head coach. I will support him and wish him nothing but the best as our new head coach.”
Anthony Velez – “It’s not Penny, it’s not Becky Hammon and it’s definitely not Kenny Atkinson, but who we hired is probably the only coach in the league that could slap Luka Doncic across the head and get away with it. He is also one that checks all the boxes the front office and fans alike have been looking for to lead the Magic into the future. Coach Mo, a former player, is a younger coach (42) who is an elite communicator and has the ability to connect to his players, a toughness that would hold players accountable and the patience to work through a rebuild while primarily focusing around developing our younger guys. For those who are not familiar with Coach Mo or have concerns around his lack of head coaching experience, just know from the feedback across the league and specifically from the Mavericks organization they would tell you we got a good one.”