ORLANDO, Fla. – When the Orlando Magic hired Steve Clifford as their new head coach for the next four seasons, they did so with both the past and the future in mind.
Clifford becomes the fifth Magic head coach in the past seven seasons, as Orlando most recently fired former head coach Frank Vogel after two seasons. Now, the front office is looking for stability and continuity, as the Magic look to end their standing, six-season playoff drought.
“I think [stability] is crucial…” Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman said on May 30. “It’s very important that we establish our identity, create a through line and be able to build on something that doesn’t get turned over every season.
“So that was a big part of what we were looking for as we went into this search–someone we thought we could build and grow with and would have a long life philosophically and organizationally with the team.”
For starters, Clifford is a familiar face, as he was a part of the coaching staff that led the Magic through some of their most successful seasons.
He was first a part of the Magic’s staff as an assistant from 2007 to 2012. In that span, he helped Orlando to five playoff appearances, including a National Basketball Association Finals appearance in 2009 and an Eastern Conference Finals appearance a year later.
Clifford said those were some of his best years in the NBA.
“Great five years and, obviously, playing in a Finals was, you know, the most exciting year I’ve ever had in coaching in the NBA,” Clifford said at his introductory presser on May 30. “The next year, playing in the Eastern Conference Finals… Great group of players. Very professional. Very committed.
“You know, I loved working for [former Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy]. I loved the staff. And then, again, it started with ownership and their commitment. And then I think, again, it was just such a great energy level throughout the city and the organization.”
Since then, Clifford has been an assistant for the Los Angeles Lakers for a season and, then, took up his first head-coaching job with the Charlotte Hornets. He spent five seasons with the Hornets, leading them to two playoff appearances.
Clifford’s greatest learning experience as a coach outside of Orlando, though, came from his one season with the Lakers. When center Dwight Howard was traded to Los Angeles, Clifford went with him. He relishes his experiences watching players like shooting guard Kobe Bryant and point guard Steve Nash.
“You know, the year in L.A. was a great learning experience, to be honest,” Clifford said. “To have the opportunity to watch Kobe, watch Steve Nash, Pau Gasol and their interaction with the other guys, along with Dwight and Metta [World Peace], was one of the best years I’ve ever had in terms of learning and growing.
“I mean, when you’re around great, great players, there’s so much that you can learn that, you know, you can’t read about or, you know, see. That was one of my favorite years of learning.”
With all his newfound experience, Clifford returns to Orlando as a more-experienced coach. In his first season at the helm, Clifford led the then-Bobcats to the playoffs after Charlotte missed the playoffs in three-straight seasons.
His team was promptly swept by the Miami Heat in the 2013-14 season but made it back to the playoffs two seasons later.
For Weltman, Clifford transforming a perennially losing team into playoff team in his first season as head coach did not play a factor in hiring him. However enticing that highlight of Clifford’s career was, Weltman said the Magic are more focused on “the long haul.”
“For sure, a coach that can come in and impact the team will raise eyebrows. But what really attracted us is the long haul,” Weltman said. “And that’s just that Steve was able to establish himself as an upper-echelon coach…. The bottom line is when you play a Steve Clifford team, you have to beat them; they don’t beat themselves.
“And, over the course of five years, that’s what the real attraction was.”
The next step for Clifford is to get to know his players. He was quick to dismiss a question regarding the Magic’s timetable for a turnaround, as he said he needs to, first, get to know his players.
Clifford and Weltman will also work jointly to build the rest of the coaching staff.
“I don’t think you ever put a limit on a team. Again, I think I know some of these guys well. I’m no expert, right now, on our roster,” Clifford said. “That’s for these next few weeks. And that takes study and then coming up with a team game that will bring up the strengths of the best players and establish a way we can be good on both offense and defense.”
The Magic have a little more than three weeks to prepare for the 2018 NBA Draft that will be held on June 21 in New York City, New York. Orlando has the sixth-overall pick in this year’s draft.
For more on the Magic, as they build the rest of their coaching staff and prepare for the draft, follow Victor Tan on Twitter at @NDR_VictorTan.
To contact Victor, you can email him at vtan@newdayreview.com, or you can tweet at him.
