Orlando Magic’s clean slate begins with Steve Clifford

The Orlando Magic put in their first foundational piece this summer, starting their clean slate with new coach Steve Clifford.

Orlando Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman joked that he and general manager John Hammond had been circling around Steve Clifford for a long time.

Back in 2013, Weltman and Hammond interviewed Clifford for the vacancy with the Milwaukee Bucks. Weltman said Clifford blew them away with his preparation and passion about his approach to player development, game management and Xs and Os. They went for a second interview only to find out he had accepted the vacant position with the Charlotte Bobcats.

The two parties had to go their separate ways. Clifford built a somewhat successful five-year run, turning the team around and getting them to the Playoffs in his first year and two appearances in his five-year run.

Their paths crossed again in Orlando this summer, a place Clifford is plenty familiar with after his run as an assistant coach from 2008-12.

All the same character traits Clifford presented that day five years ago were still present. Maybe a bit older and wiser. But still looking to build and help a team grow.

Most of this is in the past. It will inform how Clifford directs his team for sure, but it does not always have a bearing on what he will do with this new team.

At least publicly, Clifford would not comment much on his new roster. Maybe there is not a whole lot to comment on.

Instead, he said he will approach everything as much as he can with a blank slate. As he does every season.

And that is what the Magic are right now a clean slate in need of direction.

"“There is a difference between being able to impact a player and just coaching him,” Clifford said. “I want to be able to impact each one of these guys in the right way. If you want to gain the right type of credibility so you can have the right impact on them and the type of partnership where the two of you come to a common place on how they have to play to play well and the team can function well when they are on the floor, I have to be up to speed and an expert on their game. I’m not that yet.”"

Weltman praised Cliffords’ great track record as a player development coach, his interpersonal skills and his ability to get teams to conform to an identity.

No matter what anyone says about Clifford’s record with the Hornets, no one could deny that those teams did not play a certain way. Clifford’s Charlotte teams were disciplined defensively and rarely made mistakes offensively.

Those Hornets were always a tough out.

That canvas Clifford will have to paint with though remains exceedingly unclear. Just as Clifford enters every season trying to have a fresh set of eyes on his players and his team — starting from scratch each year to implement his principles — this Magic team is also expected to take a major turnover.

Yes, several Magic players were in the room when the team introduced Steve Clifford to the media — including Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Isaac and D.J. Augustin. But whether any player on this roster is here by the time training camp opens.

Just like Clifford will look to approach his team with no pre-conceived notions, he may be looking at a team completely remade.

This is all a blank slate even if many of them stay. The one constant the team hopes will be this coaching hire. Something the Magic have lacked throughout this rebuild.

"“I think it’s crucial,” Weltman said. “Fifth coach in seven years and it’s very important that we start to establish our identity, create a through line and be able to build on something that doesn’t get turned over every season. That was a big part of what we were looking for as we went into this search. Someone we felt we could build and grow with and have a long life philosophically and organizationally with the team.”"

If the team is truly going to see a massive turnover in its roster, then Clifford will be part of writing that story. And his philosophies, his approaches and how he treats players will play a big role.

The Magic have long sought this stability. Clifford is someone who has typically been steady for the teams he has coached, building relationships to help players improve and helping set his team’s identity.

Those relationships are a big part of what Clifford has learned from his years in coaching. Each year changes and the league evolves, he said. A coach has to be able to evolve and adjust. Thus each year becomes something new. And players have to be able to trust the coach is guiding them in the right direction. Just as a coach has to explain to them what their role will be.

That was a mistake Clifford said he made last year with the Hornets. Charlotte’s defense notably slipped into the bottom half of the league after taking up a near-permanent residence in the top 10 his first four years (his team slipped out of the top 10 in 2017 after late-season injuries).

He said he took his defense for granted and focused more on building the offense in training camp. That ended up hurting his team. Clifford was willing to admit that mistake. And surely it will not be one he commits again.

But what he expects from his team will not change. He will expect the Magic now to have discipline on defense, attack the defensive glass and limit their turnovers. That was a common thread through not only Stan Van Gundy’s Magic teams but also his teams with the Hornets.

It was key to their success.

"“The key [in Charlotte] is the same key it will be here is committed players,” Clifford said. “The offseason is a time you get ready for training camp. The thing we have to concentrate now on is not our record last year. This is a total reset for every player. It will start with every player having a good summer.”"

If the Magic are going to turn things around, they are clearly going to have to start over. A restart in the team’s philosophies and approach. A restart with the coaching. And, perhaps a restart with the roster.

This is truly a blank slate now. Everything for the team seems up in the air as it did in the offseason. Except for one piece.

Next: Orlando Magic Memorial Day Mock Draft

The piece Weltman put in place Wednesday. The Magic have their coach to build their culture and lay that foundation.