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Magic Choose to “Run It Back” With New Coach
The Orlando Magic saw their high hopes crash and burn in the 2025-2026 season with a crushing fold in a first round matchup with the Detroit Pistons they led three games to one. The response? Run it back. For those that are not basketball fans, “running it back” means the team just plays again. No need for changes. No big swings, just the same thing one more time hoping for better results.
The Magic did make one big change. They canned Head Coach Jamahl Mosley after five seasons that ended with three straight first round playoff losses. In comes Sean Sweeney, a first time head coach considered by many as a wunderkind NBA Assistant. “It’s been 21 years of preparation that has brought me here, and I’m ready for it,” Sweeney said at his introductory press conference. “It’s my job to take what’s been given here to me and do the best job I can.”
Sweeney brings a straight to the point style of communication. “There’s going to be an expectation that’s high,” and plans to mold the team to his liking by behavior shaped on values, building the team on the basis of character, competition, connection and the game. I’m not anticipating extra fancy after listening to his introductory press conference. “The better we play on offense, the better we defend. The better we defend, the better we play on offense.” Simple right?
Sweeney also says he has some tools to work with. “There’s obviously talent here,” adding that his memories of facing Orlando played a role in him taking the job. “Anytime we played Orlando, they were a hard-playing team. Competitive, tough.”
President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has basically left Sweeney with the same bunch that was unable to get the job done last year. Paolo Banchero is clearly a star, but his points per game dropped last season, and turnovers went up slightly. Weltman made no major changes, undeterred. “We are very excited about our team. We are very excited about our prospects,” adding that he believes in the young core of the team. “We like the team. We are eager to see how they look as coached by Sean.”
Franz Wagner is ready to go as well, after missing the final two playoff games against the Pistons with a calf injury. He did not have to play for the German national team this summer for the first time since he was drafted. Coach Sean Sweeney now has to get even more out of his two superstars. “How can you not be excited to coach everyone on this roster, but those two guys are standout guys in this league, and I’m excited to work with them.” He also has Desmond Bane returning, who had a stellar first season in Orlando and was by far the team’s most consistent and most available player.
Weltman made no moves over the summer to improve the Magic’s Achilles heel, shooting. The team finished 27th out of 30 teams in 3-point field goal percentage, and was abysmal in the final playoff games. Returning point guard Jalen Suggs shot 30% from the field and 24% from three-point range while making more than $30 million a year. Guard Anthony Black is in line for an extension the team is likely to give him, and he shot 32% from three. Jamal Cain was brought back as a three-and-D defender, but shot just 25% from three. The team also brought back Jonathan Isaac on a team-friendly deal. Isaac could barely get on the floor for the playoffs and was 18.4% beyond the arc. It doesn’t get much worse. The Magic also bring back Javon Carter, a player they picked up mid-season off the waiver wire from the Bulls.
How about a free agent? Well, the Magic did sign fan favorite Nic Vucevic. He’ll be 37 years old when the season starts and could barely get on the floor for the Boston Celtics in a first-round playoff loss to the Philadelphia 76ers last season. “Vooch,” as he’s known, took a minimum salary deal so that he could return to Orlando after several successful, albeit losing seasons with the Magic.
Now that you’ve heard all of the doom and gloom, what if Jeff Weltman is right? “We believe in this group” is his mantra. Speaking to ESPN during a Summer League game telecast, he said: “The stretches that we were able to provide ourselves with health, we performed at a pretty good level.” They did. What if the whole team can stay healthy? “Our guys are hungry,” Weltman says, now… “they’re eager to get back and run it back”. Do you believe in Magic?
