Coach Jamahl Mosley Says Orlando Magic 'Understands Winning'

Orlando Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley spoke about the team's roster building and the process over his three seasons at the helm.

ORLANDO - The Orlando Magic has been one of the best teams in the NBA to start the season, going 16-7 and winning nine straight games at home during that stretch.  

Orlando is currently second in the Eastern Conference and has wins over the Boston Celtics (17-5), Los Angeles Lakers (14-10) and defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets (16-9). Last season, it took the Magic 42 games until they got their 16th win. The progress Orlando has made is largely due to its young team improving rather than adding proven veterans outside of Joe Ingles. 

Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley credited the team's growth to the players President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman has drafted and their track record of winning.

"Jeff and those guys did a phenomenal job and his team to draft the high character [and] the high basketball IQ [players], and each one of these guys in this locker room has won at some level," Mosley said on the Orlando Magic Audio Network. "I think when you can understand winning, you know what you're asked to do. Whether you were the guy that scored 40 on your college team or high school team, but you also knew what winning took. Sometimes it's not scoring 40 Sometimes it's scoring 22 and getting 10 assists and getting a big rebound, that they can all understand that language."

Paolo Banchero made the NCAA Final Four with Duke in 2022.  / Mike Watters-USA TODAY Sports

Mosley credited his team's growth to how they closed out last season, going 29-28 after a 5-20 start. With that finish, he felt they saw their work pay off and that trusting in the process led to success.

"They heard what was being said," Mosley said. "They felt it being real because it was producing wins, and our process never changed from the moment we were 22-60. It hasn't changed since then to now."

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Orlando will look to continue its hot start to the season on Friday when they face the Celtics at 7:30 p.m. ET at the TD Garden.