Good news: The head coach of the orlando surprised an all-time great player for…
Though the Orlando Magic had long since concluded their practice, work inside the AdventHealth Training Center was far from done.
Working with coaches, Paolo Banchero practiced his pick-and-roll reads, which involved shooting over a coach who would either drop to create a shot opportunity or hedge to force a drive. Every player and team practices these drills after a game to mimic what they might see in real life.
The location of the head coach was peculiar. In the drill, Jamahl Mosley attempted to body up the 6-foot-10, 250-pound near-certain future All-Star by fighting over screens. Rather than just granting his young star the latitude usual for these kinds of drills, he was calling for switches.
He was ensuring that Banchero turned in his work. And Mosley was working hard, too. He was drenched in perspiration as he made his rounds among the people still in the gym after Monday’s practice, stopping to talk to the media.
Mosley is on the court working with his players, while many head coaches are in their offices getting ready for a game. The developer that lies at the heart of Mosley’s identity, the assistant coach, may never be removed from him, even though his availability as a head coach has decreased.
It’s understandable why Mosley is so well-liked by players throughout the league. It’s understandable why the players have taken to him so well.
Thus, it should come as no surprise that the NBA named Mosley the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October and November, marking the first time the player has received this honor following a 14-6 start to the season, a nine-game winning streak, and a 12-4 record in November.
Cole Anthony stated, “He deserves it,” following the Magic’s practice on Monday, the day before the prize was formally declared.
What more is there to say? You witnessed our recent team performance as well as his coaching efforts. Nobody is more deserving of that award, in my opinion. That’s just my opinion. Mose is worthy of that. He’s performed admirably for this team. He does an excellent job of instilling these values in us while balancing many egos.”
After Steve Clifford led the team to the playoffs in March and April of 2019, Jamahl Mosley became the sixth coach in Magic history to win the award.
Since finishing 13-5 in the 2011 campaign, the Magic’s current hot start to the season is the team’s best start. Last year, Orlando needed until December 23 to secure its 13th victory. Mosley’s method is largely responsible for the team’s evident progress.
It’s a miracle that Orlando is currently ranked 14th in the league for offensive rating and fourth for defensive rating, as the Magic haven’t finished higher than 20th in either category since Dwight Howard was wearing pinstripes.
It seems reasonable to state that the magic has shown up sooner than anticipated. And the Magic are anticipated to push for the playoffs at this point. There has been a noticeable improvement in the atmosphere within the AdventHealth Training Center and Amway Center.
Clearly, the team is headed in the right direction. Furthermore, as this award would imply, Mosley has a strong chance of winning the year-end honor if the Magic keep up their current form and make it to the postseason.
Jamahl Mosley is the second favorite to win the Coach of the Year Award, according to FanDuel SportsBook, trailing only Oklahoma City Thunder coach Mark Daigneault, for the record and entertainment purposes only.
Everybody has praised Mosley as well. Following the game on Saturday, Mikal Bridges praised Mosley and Team USA’s collaboration.
