Orlando Magic Coach Jamahl Mosley Defines Success For Upcoming Season

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley talked about what he would consider a successful season.

ORLANDO - Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley is hoping for a successful third season in his tenure with the franchise.

But what exactly does that look like?

"I think it's what we've said from day one, are they growing, are they getting better, are they understanding the messages that we're sending and talking about as coaches," Mosley said. "To me, as a coach, that's what you want. You want guys to understand exactly what you're trying to teach. Are they carrying it over into the games, and have you created a culture where guys feel open enough to talk about the things that are happening in game, that they can hold each other accountable."

Mosley will be in his third season as the Magic's head coach when the 2023-24 season begins. He went 22-60 in his first season in Orlando, which led to it getting the No. 1  overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and eventual Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero. 

The Orlando Magic hired Jamahl Mosley to be the head coach of the franchise in July 2021.  / USA Today Sports

With Banchero on the roster, the Magic improved under Mosley, going 34-48 last season which was a 14-win increase. Now, Orlando's young core, headlined by Banchero and budding star Franz Wagner, has it's eyes set on a spot in the play-in tournament, and possibly the playoffs. 

Before Mosley was hired by Orlando, he had been an assistant coach for the Dallas Mavericks since the 2014-15 season. Preceding that, he spent eight years as an assistant, split between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Denver Nuggets. He never made it to the NBA as a player after a solid collegiate career at Colorado, playing professional basketball in a number of international leagues before retiring at 27 to start his career on the coaching side.

The Magic's season will begin at home at the Amway Center on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. with a matchup against the Houston Rockets.