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Lakeland Magic name general manager, head coach

By Philip Rossman-Reich

TORONTO,ON - APRIL 24: Anthony Parker #18 of the Toronto Raptors plays against the Orlando Magic in game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 24, 2008 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images)
TORONTO,ON - APRIL 24: Anthony Parker #18 of the Toronto Raptors plays against the Orlando Magic in game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals on April 24, 2008 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Claus Andersen/Getty Images) /
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The Lakeland Magic have begun to take shape as the Orlando Magic named Anthony Parker its general manager and Stan Heath its head coach.

The Orlando Magic’s G-League team is beginning to take shape as its inaugural season prepares to tip off in November.

The Magic announced former Magic scout Anthony Parker will serve as the team’s general manager and former South Florida Bulls coach Stan Heath will serve as the team’s head coach for the 2018 season.

These are the first permanent staff members who will help shape and sculpt the Lakeland Magic this coming year. With Jeff Weltman taking over as president of basketball operations and the team located a short drive away in Lakeland, the Magic figure to use their G-League affiliate much more.

Finding good leadership is important to help the team manage its role as a development wing and as a competitive team. The Magic have selected a general manager with extensive NBA and scouting experience and a coach with extensive college coaching.

"“With Anthony (Parker) and Stan (Heath), we have established solid basketball leadership for our G-League team in Lakeland,” Weltman said in a press release. “Having our G-League team closely aligned and in unison with the parent club is vital to our success. Bringing Anthony and Stan on board to guide those operations and lead that group will be of great value to us.”"

Parker spent the last five years with the Magic as a scout. He used his extensive experience playing both in the NBA, where he played nine years including one with the Magic, and playing overseas, including famously with Maccabi Tel Aviv where he won two Euroleague titles.

The team publicly credited Parker with putting together the Magic’s Summer League roster this summer. While the Magic did not reap the benefits of that team, that Summer League team featured four players who would go on to sign either a two-way contract or another deal with a NBA team. That is a very successful group of talent for a Summer League team.

It speaks to Parker’s eye for talent and putting together a young team. That is the exact approach the G-League team will need as it builds its roster.

Stan Heath will be the man leading the team from the bench.

Heath has been a head coach for the Kent State Golden Flashes, Arkansas Razorbacks and South Florida Bulls. He guided each school to at least one NCAA Tournament appearance. He reached the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 2002 with Kent State.

As a head coach, he has a 209-206 record (50.4 percent win percentage). He has spent the last two years as an assistant coach with the Boston College Eagles. He was also an assistant coach with the Michigan State Spartans under Tom Izzo before becoming a head coach at Kent State.

The Lakeland Magic’s roster is still a bit of a mystery. But Weltman said the team plans to use the G-League extensively. It is possible rookies Jonathan Isaac and Wesley Iwundu will spend some time playing in the G-League. It is also possible the Magic could use one of their two-way contracts on Khem Birch if he does not make the team’s opening night roster.

Next: Jonathan Isaac gets rookie advice from Shaquille O'Neal

The Magic will have a lot of options to use with this team. The team’s base now is set with its general manager and head coach in place. That will be where the Lakeland Magic can start growing from.