The season has not even begun, but the Orlando Magic players are already enjoying life with their new head coach Frank Vogel.
It should not come to a surprise former Orlando Magic coach Scott Skiles and his players did not get along. The Magic sputtered in the middle and end of last season and the player-coach relationship could have been a big reason for the team’s struggle.
Obviously, the Magic were not perfect last season. They had holes in their roster and injuries hit them at points during the season.
Skiles still did not put the team in the best position to win. Many of his mistakes came off the court. He avoided playing rookies after one mistake and had a reportedly rough relationship with starting point guard Elfrid Payton.
Now, a new leader has entered the fray. His name is Frank Vogel. The new head coach brings with him a winning formula and a defense-first attitude that fits this roster perfectly.
Vogel has shown he is not as tough as Skiles and the players are taking notice.
In an interview with Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel, Aaron Gordon explained the difference between Skiles and Vogel.
"“Coach Skiles was definitely controlling – controlling on both ends of the floor,” said Gordon. “Coach Vogel has let it be known that if we take care of things on defense then we’ll have more freedom on offense to be the players that we know we can be and make the plays that we know we can make. … He’s given us a long leash and we’re going to take advantage of it.”"
It does not come as a surprise the players felt restricted with Skiles. Skiles is a tough guy who has the “my-way-or-the-highway” mentality. Especially with such a young roster, the Magic were not ready for that kind of coach.
It seems the issues Skiles brought to the table, will not be an issue with Vogel. It is still early though.
Having one of the team’s best players all-in on Vogel is necessary. Players get coaches fired all the time in the NBA. One star does not buy in to the coach’s philosophy and the entire team goes down in flames.
That should not happen in Orlando. The players trust Vogel (at least right now) and that is going to be a big factor when it comes to the success of this team.
The Magic have the potential to make the playoffs this season. Vogel has the winning resume and the experience of developing young players to keep veterans and the youth happy. With the team fully supporting him, Orlando could make some noise this season.
Bianchi also caught up with general manager Rob Hennigan, who had this to say about the new coach.
"“It’s critical for a coach to relate to players. One of the unique qualities Frank has is that he has that really personable, easygoing ability to connect and communicate with players. He still coaches you hard, but he lets you know he cares about you, invests in you personally and looks at coaching more as a collaborative approach. I think in today’s NBA that goes a long way with players. They pick up on that and appreciate it.”"
In spite of winning over the locker room, Vogel and company still need to put wins on the board. The Orlando roster is loaded with questions and it will be a season full of growing pains.
Will the team be able to score? Will Gordon and Mario Hezonja develop? Is Vogel going to be able to bring his past success with him to Orlando?
Next: Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton wait impatiently on the sidelines
The first step to answering all of this questions is buying in. The Magic have done that.