5 questions the Orlando Magic have to answer to finish the season

Is Steve Clifford the right coach?

The Orlando Magic are headed in a different direction than what coach Steve Clifford signed up for, so both sides have to reach an agreement on whether or not he is going to continue coaching this team.

Steve Clifford is not a perfect coach, but he is a good coach.

He took a team that missed the playoffs with the 18th best defense and with the same core made the playoffs the following year with the eighth-best defense with a 108.1 defensive rating.

The following year, with injuries with the team, kept a top-10 defense and made the playoffs once again. This season, the team slipped to 23rd, but this is due to even more injuries and trading away most of the key players.

Steve Clifford will continue to promote defense and the right way to play. The approach of no moral victories is different from previous coaches and is the right way to build a winning culture. But he will need help on the roster to help the young core translate those philosophies onto the court.

Clifford is a foundation-building coach and despite some perception that he does not like young players, it is simply his demands for the team to win and build the right way. Clifford has gotten a lot out of his teams and has played plenty of young players in positions they can succeed.

The Magic should keep Clifford moving forward.