Orlando Magic’s youth will help Steve Clifford avoid Charlotte Hornets’ fate

The Orlando Magic hired Steve Clifford to accomplish what he did with the Charlotte Hornets. Their youth will help them avoid a similar stagnation.

They hailed him as a savior.

He rescued a franchise from the basement of league history and carved an identity for them. He helped return them to the postseason and gave the franchise a belief that big things were coming.

That first year with Steve Clifford, it took his team a while to grasp his defensive schemes. But then the light switch flipped. The team went on a tear to end the season and returned to the playoffs.

The question was what would happen next.

There are some striking similarities between the Orlando Magic’s first year with Clifford and his first year with the Charlotte Hornets.

Both teams were coming off franchise low points but had young rosters full of talent needing direction. Both developed into elite defensive teams in the league. And both went on strong late-season tears, peaking at the right moment to make the postseason.

The arrival in the playoffs was the reward in itself. But it meant nothing without a return trip and the establishment of something consistent.

The Hornets did not answer that question. They struggled with injuries and inconsistency and were good enough to stay in the playoff conversation. But they only went back once more before parting ways with Clifford.

The Magic have the same visions of building a consistent playoff team — and perhaps growing into more. But their return to the postseason feels far from guaranteed. Like those Hornets, it is hard to find someone who does not at least concede the Magic will be in that conversation.

Getting to that level is a testament to the foundation Clifford can build. Something he has done twice now.

But nobody is or should be satisfied with making the playoffs alone. There should always be a quest to do more.

When the team hired Clifford, there was an underlying fear his tenure with Orlando would be a repeat of his tenure with Charlotte. Some fans looked at Clifford’s record with the Hornets — five years, two playoff appearances — and did not come away impressed.

Of course, the Magic’s primary goal was to establish that foundation and prove their playoff run was possible. And that first goal was accomplished. It is this next goal that was difficult for Clifford to achieve.

And it is here where the team’s youth and depth will help differentiate the Magic from those Hornets.