Sean Sweeney could not get right to work when the Orlando Magic hired him in June. He still had to coach the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The Magic went out of their way to be respectful of his time and the Spurs' pursuit.
When Sweeney could, he dove right into the job of being the Magic's head coach.
The first step was not about any Xs or Os or strategic planning. It was connecting with players and giving them an early impression on who he would be and what he would expect of his new team.
Sweeney reached out to his new team fairly quickly. Surprisingly quickly.
Paolo Banchero said that right after Sean Sweeney got the job -- when he was still preparing for the NBA Finals -- Sweeney called him. Franz Wagner said Sean Sweeney talked to him weekly while he was still in Germany.
Sweeney certainly hit the ground running to make an impression on his new charges.
"It was great conversations from the jump," Banchero said at Media Day. "We had multiple long conversations. I got to pick his brain. He came to Seattle for a couple of days to work with me and meet with me. I really enjoyed spending that time with him. From there, it has been constant communication. He was telling me what he expects from me, asking me what I want. You can't ask for anything more from a new coach. Just excited to go to war with him."
The Magic have hit the ground running with Sweeney, with individual and informal workouts at the AdventHealth Center and around the country.
They got their first real practice with him Tuesday. That will be the first real chance to get to know what he is like.
But Sweeney clearly made a good first impression.
Players all spoke about his direct communication style and the clear expectations he has set for the team. Nikola Vucevic compared him to former Magic coach Steve Clifford, a coach who was all about the details and got the most out of the former and current Magic center.
As the Magic begin training camp, Sweeney has made a good first impression.
Sweeney's demeanor
It was fairly clear what kind of demeanor Sean Sweeney would bring from his introductory press conference.
He was fairly direct and deliberate in his answers then. It certainly seemed like Sweeney would bring a more focused and direct approach.
Teams typically hire the opposite in their new coach. It is not that Jamahl Mosley was precise or demanding. It is not that he did not have specific things he wanted to do.
But Mosley's style was designed for a rebuilding team that needed space to explore the canvas, make mistakes and grow.
Sweeney comes to a team that is trying to get to the next step and need some structure and direction are necessary to get them there.
"He's going to keep it real every single day whether you want to hear it or not," Jalen Suggs said at Media Day on Monday. "My favorite part about it is he appreciates you, he is going to let you know that he appreciates you beforehand by how he treats you and the daily interactions. But when it's time to share some truth with you and he's got to keep it real, he's very authentic with how he does so."
Players repeatedly praised this direct style.
Sweeney has not hidden from it either. He tells players exactly how he feels and exactly what he wants. That only adds to the intensity and focus of everything the team is doing.
That is what stands out about his approach. Everything is purposeful and direct. Sweeney does not hide what he is looking for.
Desmond Bane, a player who has been through a coaching change in Memphis before, said it was easy to tell that Sean Sweeney has been preparing for this for some time. Everything was structured for the team's success and to build his culture.
Everything seemingly has a purpose.
"The first thing that stands out is his communication style," Franz Wagner said at Media Day on Monday. "He is very direct, very honest and expects that of everyone else too. Other than that, I think our approach has changed a lot in the last couple of weeks. All the coaches are super organized, super intentional. As a player, it's really cool to come into the building and execute what they are telling you. I'm excited to see where we can take that approach."
Communication and detail have been the hallmarks of his preparation in the offseason to take over this team. Now the trick is putting it all on the court.
The on-court style
Of course, the approach is one thing. Everyone still wants to know how things will change on the court.
What is a Sean Sweeney team like?
The Orlando Magic will always start with defense. That is how this team is built and that is where Sweeney built a reputation with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks.
Paolo Banchero said after the team's first practice that there are tweaks defensively that he believes will help restore the team's defensive intensity.
Players have been previewing that there are bigger changes coming.
Desmond Bane said the team plans to play with more pace and movement to stress defenses. Players spoke about how Sweeney sat them all down to clearly communicate their roles.
The question is how this will all come together.
"He's militant. Not in a bad way. He expects us to do what we're told to do," Wendell Carter said at Media Day on Monday. "As a player, that's what you dream of and what you want. You want to be held to a standard, and, when you are not meeting that standard, to be told you are not doing that. He's a great communicator, very direct, which I really respect."
Jalen Suggs said it feels like a fresh start. The new staff is refreshing things for this team. They are implementing what they want to do and what they want to accomplish.
Sweeney is not stepping into a wholly new situation. This is a group that has some foundation to build on. They just need to rediscover that identity.
"I think we have already started to find out who we are," Sweeney said during Media Day. "We want to be a team that's got great competitiveness. We're connected. Our identity we are building every day. That is part of the standards that you set. We're going to be competitive, we're going to be tough and going to be connected."
But clearly Sweeney will change some things. And he has made a good impression on the team with his directness and detail.
Add us as a preferred source on Google