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Orlando Magic Daily Podcast Episode 87: Meet Steve Clifford with Locked On Hornets

By Philip Rossman-Reich

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 13: Head coach Steve Clifford of the Charlotte Hornets reacts to a call during the second half of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 13, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 13: Head coach Steve Clifford of the Charlotte Hornets reacts to a call during the second half of a NBA game against the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center on March 13, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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It has been a week since the Orlando Magic hired Steve Clifford as their next head coach. What will he bring? We asked Locked On Hornets all about him.

The Orlando Magic finally made their coaching decision, hiring Steve Clifford to take the helm.

It was a long, drawn-out search for sure. The Magic were struggling to find the precise coach they needed to lead their rebuild and bring the team back to respectability.

It has been a rough six years for the Magic. Clifford will be the team’s fifth coach in seven years. As much as the poor roster decisions, unfulfilled draft picks and bad trades, the lack of coaching stability has hurt the team.

Orlando has been searching to find the right coach to right the ship, but really the problem may have started from the very beginning. The team never had its culture or identity established. In that way, Jacque Vaughn is the “original sin.”

And Orlando has never been able to recover from it. At least, not while the team was still looking to make forward progress and (eventually and foolheartedly) push for the Playoffs.

In that way, this hire from new management in president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman feels like a bit of a restart. Clifford very much seems to have a clean slate in front of him. Especially with the expected changes the team will make to its roster in the offseason.

Whether Clifford is the right guy is the big bet the Magic are making.

Reaction from fans has been mixed. The negativity from the initial hiring has died down — pro-Clifford sentiment seems to have nudged ahead during his press conference. Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks raved about the Magic’s hire on the Woj Pod last week.

So what are the Orlando Magic getting exactly?

In his five years with the Charlotte Hornets, his teams established a defensive identity. They finished in the top 10 in defensive rating each of his first three seasons. Clifford’s Hornets also limited their own mistakes. As Weltman put it, everyone always knew they played a Clifford-coached team.

This is what the Magic hope they are getting.

But still, those lingering doubts remain. Things in Charlotte did not work perfectly. He only made the Playoffs in two of his five years as a head coach. And the offense was relatively pedestrian and stagnant, relying heavily on Kemba Walker‘s isolation scoring brilliance.

To get a better idea of what is in store for the Magic from Steve Clifford, I spoke to Walker Mehl of Locked On Hornets. He would know better than anyone else what the Magic might expect from Clifford as a head coach:

On This Episode:

  • How the Charlotte Hornets are moving on from Steve Clifford with James Borrego
  • Steve Clifford’s development record with the Hornets
  • How young players grew thanks to Clifford’s continuity
  • How the Orlando Magic fit Clifford’s defensive identity
  • What went wrong with the Hornets this year

Be sure to check out Locked On Hornets on iTunes. You can also follow Walker on Twitter @WalkerMehl.

Next: Orlando Magic Offseason Manifesto: Predicting the Magic's type

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