October 17, 2024 • 29 mins
Head coach Jamahl Mosley sits down with Dante, Jake, David, and George to discuss the mentality of the team, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's impact, and how the Magic can further develop.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome everyone to another edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
This one brought to you by the Forida Department of Transportation,
reminds you that fans don't let fans drive drugs.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, find
a sober driver or catch a ride service. Remember, drive
sober or get pulled over. Have a great night and
drive see. On the latest episode of Magic Pod Squad,
we catch up with the head coach of the.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Orlando Magic Jamal Mosley, and what a terrific conversation it was.
He recaps his summer, his busy summer, part of which
included working with Eric Spolstrauf and all the terrific coaches
that are part of Team USA.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
What he was hoping these.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Guys would work on the entire summer, some of the
changes in additions that they brought to their games. How
big is this year for guys like Powo ban Caro
Fronz Wagner, Jalen Suggs.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
The core the heart of his team.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
As we move forward, the addition of Contavious Caldwell Pope.
What has he brought to the Orlando Magic organization? Spirited
practices topic, hitians at every position. Coaches dream for this
Orlando Magic team as we go into season thirty six
of Orlando Magic Basketball. Enjoy our conversation with Magic head
coach Jamal Moseley on our latest installment of Magic Pod Squad.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
So those fawns long enough, they're Orlando Magic.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
This is Cole Anthony, this is Jennings Suggs, this is
Paulo man Carroll the Orlando Magic and you're.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Listening to the Pod Squad And welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Everyone to another episode of Orlando Magic Pod Squad. We
got Dante Marcatelli, David Steele, we have Jake Chapman, we
have George Golanze. That's all we can fit in here, Coach,
It's all we can. We have six more hosts lined up,
but this is all we can get in here.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Podcast with five people is usually pretty successful, right there.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
That's a big market for that is here.
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
What do you think of the new digs? We got
a new studio.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I mean incredible, right, you know, I love the green
screen so you can't tell.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
What's what's not behind it? We're looking at it behind them,
not right? You see the stuff back here? This is
stuff that is interesting.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Hey, I want to start with this before we get
into it. You have there's a different energy during the
off season, right, You're walking around this building and everybody's
kind of relaxed. Then you have training camp and it
ramps up a little bit. Then there's there's an energy
that George has during the preseason that kind of kicks.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Up a notch. Yeah, I've noticed that around the building.
You've noticed that it, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And then there's Mets playoff baseball energy that George has,
Right do you notice that? Like it's his pre season
energy and then playoff meta.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
To be fair, he hasn't seen it before because it's
been a while.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
It has been a while, but I hadn't seen that
energy before. It's been a little different. It was good,
it was terrible a couple days ago. It was really
good yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
What was it rough? A couple of days ago? And
then we're gonna find out what it's going to be
like pretty soon.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Here we're recording this before Game three, right, and I
just want to now, I was fine. I was keeping
to myself. I thought for the most part.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
No, he wasn't talking about the energy, about the serious
sweep andre were going. And we're in the middle of
a practice and he's sitting there and got his phone,
but he's paying attention to what's going on.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
It was actually that it was actually the game was
actually before the game, before the atonio.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So that makes it worse, but that's okay.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
I had my I had my AirPod in and I
had the phone.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
The game was on.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
It's a five o'clock start, so.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
If you needed something that wasn't gonna happen, it was.
He was not Joe.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Luckily, Joel was in Florida and Sano and Coach Mosley
says to me, wow, you are really not locked in
at all? And I pulled out my phone.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I said, no, I'm locked in.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
But then but then all of a sudden, you know,
we the Mets advanced to the NLCS and the Dodgers
advanced to the NLCS, and we're in the office here,
and unprovoked by me, Coach Mosley emerges from his office
and he says, hey, uh, you know you're we're playing
that you're playing the Dodgers. You want a little friendly wager,
which I did not expect because I didn't know there
(03:50):
was any ties with Coach Moseley and the Dodgers and
I said, yeah, sure, we're up. I'm up for whatever.
I'm feeling like we could beat the world right now,
what do you know? What do you? And then coach
Ergy But then Coach Bosley mentioned what the what the
wager was? And first he looked at me and he goes,
what was that? Was that a little too rich for you?
(04:11):
And I had remind and we were in different tax brankets,
and then uh, but what we have a we have
a wager going. I got the good thing is I
got the I got the socks going.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
To wow, wow, these are all there?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I'm all in doing socks. By the way, major
good luck are there.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Metsa are one of our training staff members.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
He gave me these right before, right out of his
clause game.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
What I like is you're matching pajamas.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, that would be good. That would be very good.
Do you have any team socks? Teams inquiring over the years.
Speaker 6 (04:43):
So I'm not a face painter, I'm pretty sure George is.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
David's a chess.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
He likes the chest paint you.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Right on his chest.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, I think there was that. There will be an
excitement for you if you can get to the World Series.
I think we can certainly say that there was an
energy in the building today. Coach, Right, so this is
on Wednesday. Why don't you let everybody kind of behind
the scenes of what happened in practice. You've had a
great training camp, you've had a great preseason, and the
guys are really the guys really had a lot of
fun today too.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, the guys had a great day today.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
The one thing we've been working on with them is,
you know, their level of communication, how they communicate to
one another real time on the floor. So they had
an in depth film session. I have to, you know,
preface it with that. Because of what happened, you might
think we're not practicing. So we had a good film Now,
we had a great film session. They do a great job.
(05:32):
Our coaches do a great job of breaking down the
film for them. They discuss it amongst themselves exactly the
things that they see and how they can communicate better
with one another the things that they're seeing in the
real time scrimmage from yesterday. And then I, you know,
I offered the deal on the table. I said, hey, Franz,
if you make this half court shot, you guys can
go home.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Now I've been in the League for.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Eighteen years and going on nineteen. I think I don't
know that I've ever seen one shot being made to
where hey, the practice is done, Like there's been a
couple of times. Hey, everybody gets a shot to try
it and maybe that'll happen. Franz stepped up half court,
lined it up, took the jumper. As soon as and
(06:15):
I'm like it's going in, it dropped and it was
like everybody sprinted out. We probably had six guys bring
it in and say hey, everybody else was out of
the building, but it was.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
There was a lot of energy. But that tells me
a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
These guys have been working their tails off, so it
says a lot that they enjoy each other. They had
a great time and you know, everybody's high five and
Franz once he got back to the locker room kind
of as a thank you.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Easy to say that that's the loudest that this particular
building has ever been, I'd.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Say, yes, yeah, there was a level of excitement. Shook
the third floor shook.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, they were, they were, they were excited. It was
I mean, again, they've they've worked their tails off. You know,
it's not having the New Orleans game and being able
to get more practice time and trying to find and
what to do in the middle of that. So we've
had a few scrimmages which have been fantastic, and so
these guys have been working and so that's who they are,
that's what you know, that's what our coaches have pushed
them to do, and it's been fantastic with that.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
What are the extra challenges been with the New Orleans
game getting canceled and you haven't played a game and
what nine or ten days, you've got Philadelphia coming up
on Friday.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Yeah, we really looked at it as an unbelievable opportunity,
you know, because a lot of these teams are there,
are playing the games, but they're not playing.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The guys major, major minutes.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So I think for us, it's been able to go real,
live scrimmages. Everybody get in the line of conditioning that
they need. You talk about our defense and what we're
trying to do, and it's it's putting a challenge to
our offense and making our offense that much better because
you know the sets, you know what guys are running,
you know what you're trying to execute. And for us
to be able to still execute it the way we
(07:50):
have been says a lot about both the offense and
the defense together.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And I keep going back to.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
The communication that these guys are having with one another
when they're able to do it again each other every
single day. Now, there's some chippiness that's going to keep
coming because of that, But that's good, That's exactly what
we want.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
Are you starting to see kind of new roles emerge
from some of your veterans, maybe guys who you brought
in or some of the guys who you've developed.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
As far as that communication.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Goes, absolutely, I think KCP has been wonderful, just you know,
speaking of after yesterday's practice, he brought the huddle in
UH to talk to these guys about the scrimmage, some
things that happened during it, the way we have to
communicate with one another, and I think those are the
big pieces that, you know, what he brings to the table,
not just from his experience of playing and you know
(08:36):
the body of work, but his voice being able to
express that. Polo and Franz have been tremendous in what
they're asking guys to do and how they want to lead,
you know, this group and knowing the responsibility that they're
taking on, you know, as the stars of this team.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
How how have you noticed you you kind of touched
on it. Polo and Franz they now, you know, Franz
going into his fourth year and third year, I've noticed
from Afar that they have definitely been more vocal. They
both seem not that they weren't comfortable before, but they
seem to have a new level of comfort. Yeah, and
have you seen that?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I think it's when you talk about guys stepping into
who they are. I think a lot of times when
you step into the league, you're trying to figure out
your own space, your own place, how do you fit,
how do you fit on a team? And with this
group being so close, it's easy to just allow other
people to communicate and talk, which we do. But I
think now that they've emerged throughout our team as well
(09:32):
as the league, as these guys are are capable of
putting things on their shoulders to get you to a
next level, they feel and understand that responsibility. So they're
a lot more comfortable and the guys on the team
want them to do that, they need them to do that,
and they're okay and comfortable with them speaking up because
they've seen the body of work. They know how much
these guys care, and they understand how much they want
(09:54):
to win and help these guys get to a next level.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
I mean, you'd rather have it that way though, too right.
I mean that it's coming from them as opposed to you.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Absolutely, I really truly believe this.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And in any great team that goes far, that does,
you know, special things, is a player led team. And
then the other side of that is great players make
those around them great.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I don't know that.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
There's one team that you can say that has done
major things that the star of the team was the
one that was leading the pack, and I think we
have that with this group of group of young men.
Now we're all pulling in the same direction, wanting the
same thing and working together towards it. That's why we
keep emphasizing the communication, how you talk to your teammate,
what you're expressing, how you're trying to get it done.
(10:38):
And those two are doing a tremendous job along with
Jalen in that regard of what they're trying to communicate
to the team about what we're trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Kentavious was great. He pulled me aside. He said, my
friends call me Kenny. You can call me kavious.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Can you clear up what you call him? What do
you guys call Is there a nickname? Is a KCP?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Well, for over the years I've always called him k
CPU from when he's been in the league because that
was just what he was known as. And then now
all of a sudden we said, you can call him Canny.
I think it was you at one of the matter
you but like he wants to be called Kenny. That's
a shock to me, so I started, I'm calling them Kenny.
Now it'll mix between k CP and Kenny at times
during practices. It's Kenny more than anything, and he responds
(11:23):
to all of them.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
So should we ask him for on air purposes which
he prefers, or do you have any idea.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I'd probably ask him on air for on air purposes.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
That's probably good ideas he might he might like to
call him.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, yeah, his friends call him Kenny, but you want
to if he turns it over, you can call him
his whole name.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
But.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Full name J.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
You can call him Marj. Let me ask you about
the competition between players, because I'm watching the team scrimmage
in the preseason, j I and Pallo are matched up.
What does that do for Palo Banco that every day
he's pounding in there against Jonathan Isaac and vice versa
For Ji.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I think it is such a beautiful thing to watch.
It is making them both so much better. And you know,
you use the phrase, you know, iron sharpens iron, but
you talk about Ji, who you know ultimately can be
a defensive Player of the Year candidate going against you know,
an All Star, and every day it's making him better.
You know, the shots that he has to get, the
(12:24):
efficiency he has to have, the body and the size
that both of those guys have going against each other,
it's only making both of them just that much better.
Because I don't know that there's too many other defenders
out there like Jonathan Isaac, and the way in which
Polo is able to play and how he moves offensively,
I don't know that there's many guys like him, and
(12:46):
so I think it's just it's the best of both worlds,
you know, for this team and for each other.
Speaker 7 (12:51):
Coach, you've talked a lot in your time here about
consistency in your messaging to the guys now, and as
the father of an eighteen month old can attest to
the importance of consistency and messaging now with expectations and
with the playoff trip last year and trying to kind
of level up once again.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Does it change as.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Far as what you're messaging to them or is there
danger to that?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
No? I think we talk about embracing the expectations. That's
one big thing, but more than anything with this group,
as you're trying to develop something that's lasting a long
time versus just you know, a flash in the pan.
You want to talk about the process. Are you hitting
all the marks of the process of what we're trying
to do, the shot quality that we take, how we
(13:33):
want to defend. And this started when we first got here.
What was sustainable for no matter who we had on
the floor.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And now you know, you.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Talk about what Jeff and his group, Jeff Weltman and
his group have brought in with the size, the length,
the defensive minded, the IQ all those things now placed
together with you know, the things that we said, we're
sustainable both offensively and defensively. Now you're building something that
lasts a long time, and that's what we is more
important than just a quick hit and say, hey, we
(14:00):
did this for this moment. We want something that these
guys can hang their hat on for the next five
to ten years.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
With the group being almost the same throughout your tenure,
do you have to go back, like say, in the offseason,
kind of recap what you've said and make sure that
like you're not or either either staying consistent with what
you said, which you'd have to do with certain things,
or not doubling down on something that maybe you're like,
all right, well, I can't pull that card again, I
(14:26):
gotta try a new one.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
It's interesting, Yeah, with that with this group, you know,
they get tired of that same voice or the same statement,
and so that's why you focus on the process of
things more than you focus on just a word that
you said in that moment. And with us, you know,
I'll just take the defense for example. You know, we
want to protect the rim, we want to defend without filing,
we want to apply pressure, we want to contest all shots.
(14:47):
That's going to be who we are no matter what.
So you find different ways to say it, You find
different examples to say to say it in now offensively,
you know we want to attack the paint. You know
we've led the league, you know top five and free
throw attempts per game. You know you want to be
able to knock down feat set threes. Those are the
things we're going to constantly say because it's part of
who we are. It's just different ways to say. It
(15:08):
is very important, but it's still part of the process
of what we're trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
It's interesting and you know this, when we've talked about this,
you know better than anyone forty seven games last year.
You don't start this year at forty seven right now
that you're not going to sneak up on anybody. Everybody
knows who you are, playoff team and all that. So
for it to be a successful season, to get back
to the playoffs, to maybe potentially host the first round,
what in your mind needs to happen? What are you
(15:33):
stressing to this group right now?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It's a mindset shift.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I think it goes from thinking you can to believing
you are. And I think that's a big portion for
this group is that you know, you think you can
get there to playoffs. Like you talk about the year
we won thirty four games, it was close to the
play in we think we can get there. Then you
make the playoffs and you're like, Okay, we belong here,
and now it's like we belong here, but just know
the fact that we know we belong in this situation.
(15:59):
Others know that too, and so your mindset shift has
to go from trying to prove that you're belonging there
till we are here in this moment, and now teams
are coming and recognizing that. So we have to know
you can't take any game lightly. And now we saw
that in the details of the difference between home court
and you know, not having home court, and those are
the games in the middle of the season that you
(16:21):
may be tired, you may be exhausted, and may be
a back to back, but that's an important game for
you to get and that's the mindset shift that you
have to have that changes with this group.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
You know, George mentioned just a minute ago a continuity
with regard to players, the coaching staff as well. Watching
you coach the team. It's been interesting for us observing
the first year with a young group. I felt like
you were really building relationships with people, and now you
coach them a little differently. Talk about how you've adjusted
(16:51):
the way you coach the guys from YR one to
now you're four.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Well, just coming in, you don't really know all the guys,
so you have to build the relationships. And I ultimate
we're in the relationship business, and so they have to
understand how much we care about them as people first
and foremost, and I don't think that will ever change no.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Matter what year it is.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
But now that they and we've had the same group
for so long, they already know how much we care.
And so now it's about how do you understand what
we're trying to accomplish because everything I say now it's
not a personal thing. It's because we have a process
in place of what we're trying to accomplish. And once
they can see that, knowing that there's care factor in
the background, now it's like, Okay, I know that this
(17:31):
is not.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
A personal thing.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
This is what we need to do to accomplish the
goals that we set forth for ourselves. So now it
is more of I wouldn't say hands off, but there's
a level of empowerment that we've given to our coaches
to be able to communicate to these guys what it
is they need to do. And then the other level
of empowerment to the players when they've said what they
(17:55):
want to do and how they want to establish doing it.
Now it's about them taking ownership in all of it
and then kind of stepping out of the way because
this is their journey and.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Moving into something great and.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They have to be able to experience that. If you
have someone that's constantly talking over them, not allowing them
to have a voice, it doesn't allow them to feel
what it is to be a great team because now
it's me saying it versus them feeling and experiencing it
like they did the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (18:22):
What did you learn about your team in the postseason
last year?
Speaker 3 (18:27):
A lot? I think there was. There were a ton
of lessons.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You talk about the resiliency that we talked about that
they had all year. You know, you're never out of
a game, and that was shown throughout the year of
how how much we fought to that final buzzer went off.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Then you go into the playoffs going to Cleveland down
two games, and you know most teams were you know,
most people are counting you out. And then it goes
back to that resiliency that this is not a group
that's going to quit. They're competitive, they're pulled together. There
was never a moment of pointing fingers or we're not there.
There's a level of belief to this group of how
(19:03):
good they can be. I think that showed up a lot.
And then I think now with you know, with the
words of you know, Fronz and Paolo and Jalen and
these guys, there's a want there's a want factor that
you can feel they want more. And I think that's
what was shown in that series, like they want more
and now they just had to go through the experience
of seven games and a playoff series to realize how
(19:25):
do you get the things that you want and the
work that you have to put in.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
How about your summer, jamal At, you had another summer
with USA basketball. Tell everybody that doesn't get to experience that,
which is nine percent of us, how is that experience?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
What is it like for you? What is it?
Speaker 5 (19:42):
I mean, what does it do you to be around
not only those players, but those other your peers too.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
I mean, I always talk about how grateful I am
for it, and like you said, it's it's not a
lot of people get to do that. So it's it's
a blessing to be able to do that and to
be around those coaches. First, it's the players that you
really get to see live real time and their work
ethic and how focused they were in the camp, just
what they were trying to have their focus and attention towards.
(20:10):
Is just watching Steph, watching Lebron, watching KD watching book.
These guys were all focused on something bigger than them,
which was great to see. But then you see the
work ethic behind it. And then for the coaches, it's
just it's interesting to see the level of one expertise
and confidence but in the same time a level of
(20:31):
humility and vulnerability. And it's sharing information, not caring where
it comes from, but we're trying to solve something for
all of us.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
How much information, though, is everybody willing to share? Right, because,
like you know, Eric Spolstro or Steve Kerr, like those
guys maybe don't want to Tylou.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
How open do.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
You guys truly get or is it just like, listen,
we're friends, I'm gonna help you, You're gonna help me.
I think we hold stuff back from Dante all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, And I could.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
See why, and I could see why you would. I mean, hey,
he might use it on the air, it might take
it from it. I completely understood. It's interesting for me
and with that group of coaches, I think there's just
such a level of confidence in what they've done that
we're all.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Willing to share information.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
And at the end of the day, you are as
good a coach as your best players tend to be.
And I think they all understand and know that, and
that the situations you're putting them in to be successful,
we get that. And so creating these friendships with these guys,
you do share a ton of information. And when it's
all said and done, did you prepare your team the
(21:37):
best way that you possibly could? And I think that's
what we all hang our hats on when it comes
to that there are no secrets in this game. I mean,
with everything going on, you realize there aren't many secrets.
Is just have you prepared your team to the best
of your ability to be in a situation to be successful?
And I think that's what we all realize, Like there's
nothing new under the sun when it comes.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
To this, isn't it your favorite When there's a scout
sitting somewhere by and they're trying to lean in and
hear Jamal or the other coaches call, and then they
don't hear it, and they're kind of like peaking up, Jamal,
look right word the other coach look arount me like
that's flop three things whatever, Like whatever the call is,
this guy's gonna swing this way, he's gonna It's.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Hilarious because they all know.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
They all know, like if you do your research, you
do your scout, and you have somebody at every game
you're writing down the call, you're writing down yell out
of play and sometimes I'll tell you, hey, this is
what's coming. And now, if you've done your job and
which we are in the game of relationships and development
and helping guys be successful, well, if we've developed our
players the right way, then they should be able to
(22:41):
make the read with however guy someone's defending them. That
means we've done our job, and the guys are doing
their job because they understand exactly how they're being played,
and that's the level that this group is moving to.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
And calling a play for Steph Curry doesn't exactly apply
to twenty nine other teams.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Correct, That's true without a shadow of a doun.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yes, you probably we don't know this, but all NBA
players think they should be out there forty eight minutes.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Yes, every player. Every player thinks they should play the
whole game. Right, that's happens, It's doubt. It is the
beginning of time.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Yes, But you've got an incredibly deep team and you've
got unbelievable position battles, which I think is a great
thing for a coach to have. You know, Anthony Black
is going to want to play Jet Howard, you have Goga,
you have Tristan, right, I mean this is going to
get it right. Corey Joseph is a proven veteran. Right,
You've got all these guys. Caleb Caleb right, Maybe this
feels like this is his turn. How are you viewing?
(23:31):
That will reveal itself to you as you go. Do
you have a plan going in? Obviously you do, But
what is your what is your approach?
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, we have a plan going in, and plans always change, sure,
because obviously certain things happened throughout the year. Injury happens,
then certain guys get to step in, some guys performing
at a high level when someone's not in those moments,
and so we evaluate it that way, but you do
have a plan to say, Okay, who has earned these
minutes and that's how we'll start, you know, the what
(24:01):
we're doing this year, and the guys that have earned
it will play and then as the year goes on,
things happen throughout it. But what has happened and you
guys mentioned it early with Paolo and Franz, they've emerged
as here's what's happening and here's how we have to
rely on you two. And so with that being said,
the people that are best fit around those two as
(24:23):
well as Jalen and wehn Dell and now Kenny is how.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Does that look as the year goes on?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
And it's going to change over time because teams are
going to start to pick things up and we got
to find different adjustments to make. But I remember hearing
Spoe say in a press conference, you know, middle through
the year, middle of the year, he was talking about,
you know, how is your somebody asked them about his
rotation and it changes all the time because of the
scenarios within the year.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
It's and that's going to be ongoing for us.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
You know, you'd like to have the certain stability of
going on, but The reality is it changes throughout the year,
and these guys have been accepting of that because of
because of the roles that they've been given, the responsibilities
that they have to this team.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
The team has been flying under the radar, I would say,
the last couple of years, you're on a radar. Now,
how does that change things with a young team too,
that now has expectations? How do you and the ballplayers
handle that?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I think we talk about it openly. You realize that
you don't want to ride the wave of hey, you
were good tonight, you struggled last night, you got to go.
You just stay the same. And it goes back to
what we were saying earlier about the process of things.
Are we following the process that makes us a good team?
And no matter what that looks like and how teams
come out to prepare for us, we have to keep
(25:39):
focusing on the way we're going about our business and
challenging ourselves because we're going to see some I mean,
the East is tough this year, and then we go
out west, you know, early on, So we've got to
make sure that we're preparing ourselves in that right way.
So it's more of that goes back to the mindset
piece that you're not trying.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
To show up.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
You have to say, Okay, we are here and we
belong to this in the space, but you still have
to prove it every night.
Speaker 7 (26:02):
This will be the last thing for me. I just
wanted to ask you about Jeded Howard and the approach
you've seen just going even going back to his rookie season,
the attitude he brought sort of knowing that he was
going to get his opportunity eventually, and then his offseason in.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
The preseason so far, I mean, he's been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
He's been in He was in the gym all summer,
and I think we saw that throughout the summer league.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
His ability to.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Play in Asceola with that group and get real games
at a faster pace usually than the NBA is because
those guys are fighting and scrapping and playing a different
style of basketball. But it was great for that game
to speed up for him there. And what we've seen
for him during training camp is just there's a maturity.
Take Carter, who works with him the most, is has
I mean, he's in the gym early, he stays late,
(26:43):
he comes in on days off, he's working both sides
of the ball, which I think is so important for
him to step into that realm. Like he's working on
his defensive closeouts, he's working on how to guard the
pick and roll, how to guard pin downs.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
He's watching Kenny, He's watching.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Gary, how they guard what they do. So growth has
been fantastic, And I just told them. We actually had
a conversation yesterday about like the future, you know, and
understanding that. I want that hunger, you want that desire,
you want that fight to be in it and never
lose that. I want you to be mad when you're
not in games because that's the desire and the fight
(27:17):
that you want to keep your guys to have, because
that keeps that competitive nature going every single day in camp.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Well, last thing, coach, you've got a couple of roster
spots open. You've got some two way spots. You don't know,
there might be guys on this roster now that could
make it. You might look elsewhere if you do have
the opportunity to bring one of these guys on the roster.
You've done it before. What is that like when you
get to tell a guy that they made an NBA roster?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
You know you always go back to guy's journeys and
for a guy to say he was with Oziola, he
was a two way, and then he's a roster spot.
There's no better feeling for that, because guys are that's
what they want. They want to say they made it,
they got an NBA contract. And for us to be
able to tell these guys that, it's rewarding again because
I said, we are in the relationship business and to
(28:02):
help someone start their journey that way is always a
great thing.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
That's fantastic. And and I guess you know, we have
another preseason game on Friday. We've got a couple of
Mets games in.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Between now, and it's good, hopefully just three. I think
what we've learned.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
The Dodgers are in that series too, right.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, you could. Just what we've learned is Joel is
a call away.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
I think Joel is a phone call.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Listen, I'm going to tell you right now at five
o'clock on Friday. I know we played Philly one time.
We played Philly seven, So you might not get anything
out of it. For the first half of the game.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
He's going to be quiet because it's going to be
a probably a blow.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
You better call your buddy Dave Roberts today today.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
No, No, I'm not going to come to bother him.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Friends with Dave though, right, you do know him? Yes,
that's right. I do to hear from you. That's that's
where that's where it all comes from.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
But where I always know it. I didn't know it
until until the matchup, and then I was.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
Well, they had you said it had been a while,
because then I like the Brewers, it would have been like, Okay, Milwaukee, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Yeah, where were you with Milwaukee?
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Yeah, just pitch away quiet.
Speaker 7 (29:07):
I know you spent time in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
No love for the Guardians. There's love there, all right.
I mean I know you're from Cleveland. Yeah, I know
you call them the Guardians speaking about not being there
for but hopefully that I wasn't saying anything. You guys,
you all root for whoever plays the Yankees. We all
root for them. Coach, this is great. We are excited.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
I know you feel the buzz in town absolutely. Nationally,
people are excited about what's happening here. Uh that that
stems from the job that you've done and what you're
building here, and it's awesome. We can't wait to get started.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I appreciate it this year. Thank you, I appreciate you all.
Thank you. That'll do it for another episode of Magic
Pod Squad
Welcome everyone to another edition of Orlando Magic Pod Squad.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
This one brought to you by the Forida Department of Transportation,
reminds you that fans don't let fans drive drugs.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
You've been drinking, don't get behind the wheel. Instead, find
a sober driver or catch a ride service. Remember, drive
sober or get pulled over. Have a great night and
drive see. On the latest episode of Magic Pod Squad,
we catch up with the head coach of the.
Speaker 2 (00:25):
Orlando Magic Jamal Mosley, and what a terrific conversation it was.
He recaps his summer, his busy summer, part of which
included working with Eric Spolstrauf and all the terrific coaches
that are part of Team USA.
Speaker 1 (00:38):
What he was hoping these.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Guys would work on the entire summer, some of the
changes in additions that they brought to their games. How
big is this year for guys like Powo ban Caro
Fronz Wagner, Jalen Suggs.
Speaker 3 (00:49):
The core the heart of his team.
Speaker 1 (00:51):
As we move forward, the addition of Contavious Caldwell Pope.
What has he brought to the Orlando Magic organization? Spirited
practices topic, hitians at every position. Coaches dream for this
Orlando Magic team as we go into season thirty six
of Orlando Magic Basketball. Enjoy our conversation with Magic head
coach Jamal Moseley on our latest installment of Magic Pod Squad.
Speaker 3 (01:14):
So those fawns long enough, they're Orlando Magic.
Speaker 4 (01:16):
This is Cole Anthony, this is Jennings Suggs, this is
Paulo man Carroll the Orlando Magic and you're.
Speaker 3 (01:21):
Listening to the Pod Squad And welcome.
Speaker 2 (01:24):
Everyone to another episode of Orlando Magic Pod Squad. We
got Dante Marcatelli, David Steele, we have Jake Chapman, we
have George Golanze. That's all we can fit in here, Coach,
It's all we can. We have six more hosts lined up,
but this is all we can get in here.
Speaker 5 (01:37):
Podcast with five people is usually pretty successful, right there.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
That's a big market for that is here.
Speaker 6 (01:44):
Right.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
What do you think of the new digs? We got
a new studio.
Speaker 4 (01:47):
I mean incredible, right, you know, I love the green
screen so you can't tell.
Speaker 3 (01:50):
What's what's not behind it? We're looking at it behind them,
not right? You see the stuff back here? This is
stuff that is interesting.
Speaker 2 (01:57):
Hey, I want to start with this before we get
into it. You have there's a different energy during the
off season, right, You're walking around this building and everybody's
kind of relaxed. Then you have training camp and it
ramps up a little bit. Then there's there's an energy
that George has during the preseason that kind of kicks.
Speaker 3 (02:13):
Up a notch. Yeah, I've noticed that around the building.
You've noticed that it, right, Yeah.
Speaker 2 (02:15):
And then there's Mets playoff baseball energy that George has,
Right do you notice that? Like it's his pre season
energy and then playoff meta.
Speaker 5 (02:24):
To be fair, he hasn't seen it before because it's
been a while.
Speaker 4 (02:27):
It has been a while, but I hadn't seen that
energy before. It's been a little different. It was good,
it was terrible a couple days ago. It was really
good yesterday.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
What was it rough? A couple of days ago? And
then we're gonna find out what it's going to be
like pretty soon.
Speaker 5 (02:38):
Here we're recording this before Game three, right, and I
just want to now, I was fine. I was keeping
to myself. I thought for the most part.
Speaker 4 (02:48):
No, he wasn't talking about the energy, about the serious
sweep andre were going. And we're in the middle of
a practice and he's sitting there and got his phone,
but he's paying attention to what's going on.
Speaker 5 (02:59):
It was actually that it was actually the game was
actually before the game, before the atonio.
Speaker 3 (03:04):
So that makes it worse, but that's okay.
Speaker 5 (03:07):
I had my I had my AirPod in and I
had the phone.
Speaker 3 (03:09):
The game was on.
Speaker 5 (03:10):
It's a five o'clock start, so.
Speaker 3 (03:11):
If you needed something that wasn't gonna happen, it was.
He was not Joe.
Speaker 5 (03:18):
Luckily, Joel was in Florida and Sano and Coach Mosley
says to me, wow, you are really not locked in
at all? And I pulled out my phone.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
I said, no, I'm locked in.
Speaker 5 (03:30):
But then but then all of a sudden, you know,
we the Mets advanced to the NLCS and the Dodgers
advanced to the NLCS, and we're in the office here,
and unprovoked by me, Coach Mosley emerges from his office
and he says, hey, uh, you know you're we're playing
that you're playing the Dodgers. You want a little friendly wager,
which I did not expect because I didn't know there
(03:50):
was any ties with Coach Moseley and the Dodgers and
I said, yeah, sure, we're up. I'm up for whatever.
I'm feeling like we could beat the world right now,
what do you know? What do you? And then coach
Ergy But then Coach Bosley mentioned what the what the
wager was? And first he looked at me and he goes,
what was that? Was that a little too rich for you?
(04:11):
And I had remind and we were in different tax brankets,
and then uh, but what we have a we have
a wager going. I got the good thing is I
got the I got the socks going.
Speaker 6 (04:20):
To wow, wow, these are all there?
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Yeah, I'm all in doing socks. By the way, major
good luck are there.
Speaker 5 (04:27):
Metsa are one of our training staff members.
Speaker 3 (04:30):
He gave me these right before, right out of his
clause game.
Speaker 6 (04:34):
What I like is you're matching pajamas.
Speaker 3 (04:37):
Yeah, that would be good. That would be very good.
Do you have any team socks? Teams inquiring over the years.
Speaker 6 (04:43):
So I'm not a face painter, I'm pretty sure George is.
Speaker 5 (04:46):
David's a chess.
Speaker 3 (04:47):
He likes the chest paint you.
Speaker 5 (04:50):
Right on his chest.
Speaker 2 (04:51):
Well, I think there was that. There will be an
excitement for you if you can get to the World Series.
I think we can certainly say that there was an
energy in the building today. Coach, Right, so this is
on Wednesday. Why don't you let everybody kind of behind
the scenes of what happened in practice. You've had a
great training camp, you've had a great preseason, and the
guys are really the guys really had a lot of
fun today too.
Speaker 3 (05:09):
No, the guys had a great day today.
Speaker 4 (05:11):
The one thing we've been working on with them is,
you know, their level of communication, how they communicate to
one another real time on the floor. So they had
an in depth film session. I have to, you know,
preface it with that. Because of what happened, you might
think we're not practicing. So we had a good film Now,
we had a great film session. They do a great job.
(05:32):
Our coaches do a great job of breaking down the
film for them. They discuss it amongst themselves exactly the
things that they see and how they can communicate better
with one another the things that they're seeing in the
real time scrimmage from yesterday. And then I, you know,
I offered the deal on the table. I said, hey, Franz,
if you make this half court shot, you guys can
go home.
Speaker 3 (05:52):
Now I've been in the League for.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
Eighteen years and going on nineteen. I think I don't
know that I've ever seen one shot being made to
where hey, the practice is done, Like there's been a
couple of times. Hey, everybody gets a shot to try
it and maybe that'll happen. Franz stepped up half court,
lined it up, took the jumper. As soon as and
(06:15):
I'm like it's going in, it dropped and it was
like everybody sprinted out. We probably had six guys bring
it in and say hey, everybody else was out of
the building, but it was.
Speaker 3 (06:29):
There was a lot of energy. But that tells me
a lot.
Speaker 4 (06:31):
These guys have been working their tails off, so it
says a lot that they enjoy each other. They had
a great time and you know, everybody's high five and
Franz once he got back to the locker room kind
of as a thank you.
Speaker 5 (06:42):
Easy to say that that's the loudest that this particular
building has ever been, I'd.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Say, yes, yeah, there was a level of excitement. Shook
the third floor shook.
Speaker 4 (06:51):
Yeah, they were, they were, they were excited. It was
I mean, again, they've they've worked their tails off. You know,
it's not having the New Orleans game and being able
to get more practice time and trying to find and
what to do in the middle of that. So we've
had a few scrimmages which have been fantastic, and so
these guys have been working and so that's who they are,
that's what you know, that's what our coaches have pushed
them to do, and it's been fantastic with that.
Speaker 6 (07:11):
What are the extra challenges been with the New Orleans
game getting canceled and you haven't played a game and
what nine or ten days, you've got Philadelphia coming up
on Friday.
Speaker 4 (07:20):
Yeah, we really looked at it as an unbelievable opportunity,
you know, because a lot of these teams are there,
are playing the games, but they're not playing.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
The guys major, major minutes.
Speaker 4 (07:29):
So I think for us, it's been able to go real,
live scrimmages. Everybody get in the line of conditioning that
they need. You talk about our defense and what we're
trying to do, and it's it's putting a challenge to
our offense and making our offense that much better because
you know the sets, you know what guys are running,
you know what you're trying to execute. And for us
to be able to still execute it the way we
(07:50):
have been says a lot about both the offense and
the defense together.
Speaker 3 (07:54):
And I keep going back to.
Speaker 4 (07:56):
The communication that these guys are having with one another
when they're able to do it again each other every
single day. Now, there's some chippiness that's going to keep
coming because of that, But that's good, That's exactly what
we want.
Speaker 7 (08:06):
Are you starting to see kind of new roles emerge
from some of your veterans, maybe guys who you brought
in or some of the guys who you've developed.
Speaker 3 (08:14):
As far as that communication.
Speaker 4 (08:15):
Goes, absolutely, I think KCP has been wonderful, just you know,
speaking of after yesterday's practice, he brought the huddle in
UH to talk to these guys about the scrimmage, some
things that happened during it, the way we have to
communicate with one another, and I think those are the
big pieces that, you know, what he brings to the table,
not just from his experience of playing and you know
(08:36):
the body of work, but his voice being able to
express that. Polo and Franz have been tremendous in what
they're asking guys to do and how they want to lead,
you know, this group and knowing the responsibility that they're
taking on, you know, as the stars of this team.
Speaker 5 (08:51):
How how have you noticed you you kind of touched
on it. Polo and Franz they now, you know, Franz
going into his fourth year and third year, I've noticed
from Afar that they have definitely been more vocal. They
both seem not that they weren't comfortable before, but they
seem to have a new level of comfort. Yeah, and
have you seen that?
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Absolutely?
Speaker 4 (09:11):
I think it's when you talk about guys stepping into
who they are. I think a lot of times when
you step into the league, you're trying to figure out
your own space, your own place, how do you fit,
how do you fit on a team? And with this
group being so close, it's easy to just allow other
people to communicate and talk, which we do. But I
think now that they've emerged throughout our team as well
(09:32):
as the league, as these guys are are capable of
putting things on their shoulders to get you to a
next level, they feel and understand that responsibility. So they're
a lot more comfortable and the guys on the team
want them to do that, they need them to do that,
and they're okay and comfortable with them speaking up because
they've seen the body of work. They know how much
these guys care, and they understand how much they want
(09:54):
to win and help these guys get to a next level.
Speaker 5 (09:56):
I mean, you'd rather have it that way though, too right.
I mean that it's coming from them as opposed to you.
Speaker 3 (10:02):
Absolutely, I really truly believe this.
Speaker 4 (10:04):
And in any great team that goes far, that does,
you know, special things, is a player led team. And
then the other side of that is great players make
those around them great.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
I don't know that.
Speaker 4 (10:16):
There's one team that you can say that has done
major things that the star of the team was the
one that was leading the pack, and I think we
have that with this group of group of young men.
Now we're all pulling in the same direction, wanting the
same thing and working together towards it. That's why we
keep emphasizing the communication, how you talk to your teammate,
what you're expressing, how you're trying to get it done.
(10:38):
And those two are doing a tremendous job along with
Jalen in that regard of what they're trying to communicate
to the team about what we're trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (10:47):
Kentavious was great. He pulled me aside. He said, my
friends call me Kenny. You can call me kavious.
Speaker 3 (10:56):
Can you clear up what you call him? What do
you guys call Is there a nickname? Is a KCP?
Speaker 4 (11:00):
Well, for over the years I've always called him k
CPU from when he's been in the league because that
was just what he was known as. And then now
all of a sudden we said, you can call him Canny.
I think it was you at one of the matter
you but like he wants to be called Kenny. That's
a shock to me, so I started, I'm calling them Kenny.
Now it'll mix between k CP and Kenny at times
during practices. It's Kenny more than anything, and he responds
(11:23):
to all of them.
Speaker 6 (11:24):
So should we ask him for on air purposes which
he prefers, or do you have any idea.
Speaker 3 (11:28):
I'd probably ask him on air for on air purposes.
Speaker 4 (11:30):
That's probably good ideas he might he might like to
call him.
Speaker 3 (11:35):
Yeah, yeah, his friends call him Kenny, but you want
to if he turns it over, you can call him
his whole name.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
But.
Speaker 3 (11:43):
Full name J.
Speaker 6 (11:44):
You can call him Marj. Let me ask you about
the competition between players, because I'm watching the team scrimmage
in the preseason, j I and Pallo are matched up.
What does that do for Palo Banco that every day
he's pounding in there against Jonathan Isaac and vice versa
For Ji.
Speaker 4 (12:02):
I think it is such a beautiful thing to watch.
It is making them both so much better. And you know,
you use the phrase, you know, iron sharpens iron, but
you talk about Ji, who you know ultimately can be
a defensive Player of the Year candidate going against you know,
an All Star, and every day it's making him better.
You know, the shots that he has to get, the
(12:24):
efficiency he has to have, the body and the size
that both of those guys have going against each other,
it's only making both of them just that much better.
Because I don't know that there's too many other defenders
out there like Jonathan Isaac, and the way in which
Polo is able to play and how he moves offensively,
I don't know that there's many guys like him, and
(12:46):
so I think it's just it's the best of both worlds,
you know, for this team and for each other.
Speaker 7 (12:51):
Coach, you've talked a lot in your time here about
consistency in your messaging to the guys now, and as
the father of an eighteen month old can attest to
the importance of consistency and messaging now with expectations and
with the playoff trip last year and trying to kind
of level up once again.
Speaker 3 (13:08):
Does it change as.
Speaker 7 (13:09):
Far as what you're messaging to them or is there
danger to that?
Speaker 4 (13:12):
No? I think we talk about embracing the expectations. That's
one big thing, but more than anything with this group,
as you're trying to develop something that's lasting a long
time versus just you know, a flash in the pan.
You want to talk about the process. Are you hitting
all the marks of the process of what we're trying
to do, the shot quality that we take, how we
(13:33):
want to defend. And this started when we first got here.
What was sustainable for no matter who we had on
the floor.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
And now you know, you.
Speaker 4 (13:39):
Talk about what Jeff and his group, Jeff Weltman and
his group have brought in with the size, the length,
the defensive minded, the IQ all those things now placed
together with you know, the things that we said, we're
sustainable both offensively and defensively. Now you're building something that
lasts a long time, and that's what we is more
important than just a quick hit and say, hey, we
(14:00):
did this for this moment. We want something that these
guys can hang their hat on for the next five
to ten years.
Speaker 5 (14:05):
With the group being almost the same throughout your tenure,
do you have to go back, like say, in the offseason,
kind of recap what you've said and make sure that
like you're not or either either staying consistent with what
you said, which you'd have to do with certain things,
or not doubling down on something that maybe you're like,
all right, well, I can't pull that card again, I
(14:26):
gotta try a new one.
Speaker 4 (14:27):
It's interesting, Yeah, with that with this group, you know,
they get tired of that same voice or the same statement,
and so that's why you focus on the process of
things more than you focus on just a word that
you said in that moment. And with us, you know,
I'll just take the defense for example. You know, we
want to protect the rim, we want to defend without filing,
we want to apply pressure, we want to contest all shots.
(14:47):
That's going to be who we are no matter what.
So you find different ways to say it, You find
different examples to say to say it in now offensively,
you know we want to attack the paint. You know
we've led the league, you know top five and free
throw attempts per game. You know you want to be
able to knock down feat set threes. Those are the
things we're going to constantly say because it's part of
who we are. It's just different ways to say. It
(15:08):
is very important, but it's still part of the process
of what we're trying to accomplish.
Speaker 2 (15:12):
It's interesting and you know this, when we've talked about this,
you know better than anyone forty seven games last year.
You don't start this year at forty seven right now
that you're not going to sneak up on anybody. Everybody
knows who you are, playoff team and all that. So
for it to be a successful season, to get back
to the playoffs, to maybe potentially host the first round,
what in your mind needs to happen? What are you
(15:33):
stressing to this group right now?
Speaker 3 (15:35):
It's a mindset shift.
Speaker 4 (15:37):
I think it goes from thinking you can to believing
you are. And I think that's a big portion for
this group is that you know, you think you can
get there to playoffs. Like you talk about the year
we won thirty four games, it was close to the
play in we think we can get there. Then you
make the playoffs and you're like, Okay, we belong here,
and now it's like we belong here, but just know
the fact that we know we belong in this situation.
(15:59):
Others know that too, and so your mindset shift has
to go from trying to prove that you're belonging there
till we are here in this moment, and now teams
are coming and recognizing that. So we have to know
you can't take any game lightly. And now we saw
that in the details of the difference between home court
and you know, not having home court, and those are
the games in the middle of the season that you
(16:21):
may be tired, you may be exhausted, and may be
a back to back, but that's an important game for
you to get and that's the mindset shift that you
have to have that changes with this group.
Speaker 6 (16:29):
You know, George mentioned just a minute ago a continuity
with regard to players, the coaching staff as well. Watching
you coach the team. It's been interesting for us observing
the first year with a young group. I felt like
you were really building relationships with people, and now you
coach them a little differently. Talk about how you've adjusted
(16:51):
the way you coach the guys from YR one to
now you're four.
Speaker 4 (16:54):
Well, just coming in, you don't really know all the guys,
so you have to build the relationships. And I ultimate
we're in the relationship business, and so they have to
understand how much we care about them as people first
and foremost, and I don't think that will ever change no.
Speaker 3 (17:08):
Matter what year it is.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
But now that they and we've had the same group
for so long, they already know how much we care.
And so now it's about how do you understand what
we're trying to accomplish because everything I say now it's
not a personal thing. It's because we have a process
in place of what we're trying to accomplish. And once
they can see that, knowing that there's care factor in
the background, now it's like, Okay, I know that this
(17:31):
is not.
Speaker 3 (17:31):
A personal thing.
Speaker 4 (17:32):
This is what we need to do to accomplish the
goals that we set forth for ourselves. So now it
is more of I wouldn't say hands off, but there's
a level of empowerment that we've given to our coaches
to be able to communicate to these guys what it
is they need to do. And then the other level
of empowerment to the players when they've said what they
(17:55):
want to do and how they want to establish doing it.
Now it's about them taking ownership in all of it
and then kind of stepping out of the way because
this is their journey and.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
Moving into something great and.
Speaker 4 (18:06):
They have to be able to experience that. If you
have someone that's constantly talking over them, not allowing them
to have a voice, it doesn't allow them to feel
what it is to be a great team because now
it's me saying it versus them feeling and experiencing it
like they did the playoffs.
Speaker 7 (18:22):
What did you learn about your team in the postseason
last year?
Speaker 3 (18:27):
A lot? I think there was. There were a ton
of lessons.
Speaker 4 (18:31):
You talk about the resiliency that we talked about that
they had all year. You know, you're never out of
a game, and that was shown throughout the year of
how how much we fought to that final buzzer went off.
Speaker 3 (18:42):
You know.
Speaker 4 (18:42):
Then you go into the playoffs going to Cleveland down
two games, and you know most teams were you know,
most people are counting you out. And then it goes
back to that resiliency that this is not a group
that's going to quit. They're competitive, they're pulled together. There
was never a moment of pointing fingers or we're not there.
There's a level of belief to this group of how
(19:03):
good they can be. I think that showed up a lot.
And then I think now with you know, with the
words of you know, Fronz and Paolo and Jalen and
these guys, there's a want there's a want factor that
you can feel they want more. And I think that's
what was shown in that series, like they want more
and now they just had to go through the experience
of seven games and a playoff series to realize how
(19:25):
do you get the things that you want and the
work that you have to put in.
Speaker 5 (19:29):
How about your summer, jamal At, you had another summer
with USA basketball. Tell everybody that doesn't get to experience that,
which is nine percent of us, how is that experience?
Speaker 3 (19:41):
What is it like for you? What is it?
Speaker 5 (19:42):
I mean, what does it do you to be around
not only those players, but those other your peers too.
Speaker 4 (19:47):
I mean, I always talk about how grateful I am
for it, and like you said, it's it's not a
lot of people get to do that. So it's it's
a blessing to be able to do that and to
be around those coaches. First, it's the players that you
really get to see live real time and their work
ethic and how focused they were in the camp, just
what they were trying to have their focus and attention towards.
(20:10):
Is just watching Steph, watching Lebron, watching KD watching book.
These guys were all focused on something bigger than them,
which was great to see. But then you see the
work ethic behind it. And then for the coaches, it's
just it's interesting to see the level of one expertise
and confidence but in the same time a level of
(20:31):
humility and vulnerability. And it's sharing information, not caring where
it comes from, but we're trying to solve something for
all of us.
Speaker 5 (20:40):
How much information, though, is everybody willing to share? Right, because,
like you know, Eric Spolstro or Steve Kerr, like those
guys maybe don't want to Tylou.
Speaker 6 (20:49):
How open do.
Speaker 5 (20:50):
You guys truly get or is it just like, listen,
we're friends, I'm gonna help you, You're gonna help me.
I think we hold stuff back from Dante all the time.
Speaker 3 (20:58):
Yeah, And I could.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
See why, and I could see why you would. I mean, hey,
he might use it on the air, it might take
it from it. I completely understood. It's interesting for me
and with that group of coaches, I think there's just
such a level of confidence in what they've done that
we're all.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Willing to share information.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
And at the end of the day, you are as
good a coach as your best players tend to be.
And I think they all understand and know that, and
that the situations you're putting them in to be successful,
we get that. And so creating these friendships with these guys,
you do share a ton of information. And when it's
all said and done, did you prepare your team the
(21:37):
best way that you possibly could? And I think that's
what we all hang our hats on when it comes
to that there are no secrets in this game. I mean,
with everything going on, you realize there aren't many secrets.
Is just have you prepared your team to the best
of your ability to be in a situation to be successful?
And I think that's what we all realize, Like there's
nothing new under the sun when it comes.
Speaker 5 (21:58):
To this, isn't it your favorite When there's a scout
sitting somewhere by and they're trying to lean in and
hear Jamal or the other coaches call, and then they
don't hear it, and they're kind of like peaking up, Jamal,
look right word the other coach look arount me like
that's flop three things whatever, Like whatever the call is,
this guy's gonna swing this way, he's gonna It's.
Speaker 3 (22:17):
Hilarious because they all know.
Speaker 4 (22:19):
They all know, like if you do your research, you
do your scout, and you have somebody at every game
you're writing down the call, you're writing down yell out
of play and sometimes I'll tell you, hey, this is
what's coming. And now, if you've done your job and
which we are in the game of relationships and development
and helping guys be successful, well, if we've developed our
players the right way, then they should be able to
(22:41):
make the read with however guy someone's defending them. That
means we've done our job, and the guys are doing
their job because they understand exactly how they're being played,
and that's the level that this group is moving to.
Speaker 7 (22:51):
And calling a play for Steph Curry doesn't exactly apply
to twenty nine other teams.
Speaker 3 (22:55):
Correct, That's true without a shadow of a doun.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yes, you probably we don't know this, but all NBA
players think they should be out there forty eight minutes.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
Yes, every player. Every player thinks they should play the
whole game. Right, that's happens, It's doubt. It is the
beginning of time.
Speaker 2 (23:11):
Yes, But you've got an incredibly deep team and you've
got unbelievable position battles, which I think is a great
thing for a coach to have. You know, Anthony Black
is going to want to play Jet Howard, you have Goga,
you have Tristan, right, I mean this is going to
get it right. Corey Joseph is a proven veteran. Right,
You've got all these guys. Caleb Caleb right, Maybe this
feels like this is his turn. How are you viewing?
(23:31):
That will reveal itself to you as you go. Do
you have a plan going in? Obviously you do, But
what is your what is your approach?
Speaker 4 (23:38):
Well, we have a plan going in, and plans always change, sure,
because obviously certain things happened throughout the year. Injury happens,
then certain guys get to step in, some guys performing
at a high level when someone's not in those moments,
and so we evaluate it that way, but you do
have a plan to say, Okay, who has earned these
minutes and that's how we'll start, you know, the what
(24:01):
we're doing this year, and the guys that have earned
it will play and then as the year goes on,
things happen throughout it. But what has happened and you
guys mentioned it early with Paolo and Franz, they've emerged
as here's what's happening and here's how we have to
rely on you two. And so with that being said,
the people that are best fit around those two as
(24:23):
well as Jalen and wehn Dell and now Kenny is how.
Speaker 3 (24:28):
Does that look as the year goes on?
Speaker 4 (24:30):
And it's going to change over time because teams are
going to start to pick things up and we got
to find different adjustments to make. But I remember hearing
Spoe say in a press conference, you know, middle through
the year, middle of the year, he was talking about,
you know, how is your somebody asked them about his
rotation and it changes all the time because of the
scenarios within the year.
Speaker 3 (24:48):
It's and that's going to be ongoing for us.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
You know, you'd like to have the certain stability of
going on, but The reality is it changes throughout the year,
and these guys have been accepting of that because of
because of the roles that they've been given, the responsibilities
that they have to this team.
Speaker 6 (25:04):
The team has been flying under the radar, I would say,
the last couple of years, you're on a radar. Now,
how does that change things with a young team too,
that now has expectations? How do you and the ballplayers
handle that?
Speaker 4 (25:18):
I think we talk about it openly. You realize that
you don't want to ride the wave of hey, you
were good tonight, you struggled last night, you got to go.
You just stay the same. And it goes back to
what we were saying earlier about the process of things.
Are we following the process that makes us a good team?
And no matter what that looks like and how teams
come out to prepare for us, we have to keep
(25:39):
focusing on the way we're going about our business and
challenging ourselves because we're going to see some I mean,
the East is tough this year, and then we go
out west, you know, early on, So we've got to
make sure that we're preparing ourselves in that right way.
So it's more of that goes back to the mindset
piece that you're not trying.
Speaker 3 (25:56):
To show up.
Speaker 4 (25:57):
You have to say, Okay, we are here and we
belong to this in the space, but you still have
to prove it every night.
Speaker 7 (26:02):
This will be the last thing for me. I just
wanted to ask you about Jeded Howard and the approach
you've seen just going even going back to his rookie season,
the attitude he brought sort of knowing that he was
going to get his opportunity eventually, and then his offseason in.
Speaker 3 (26:14):
The preseason so far, I mean, he's been fantastic.
Speaker 4 (26:16):
He's been in He was in the gym all summer,
and I think we saw that throughout the summer league.
Speaker 3 (26:20):
His ability to.
Speaker 4 (26:21):
Play in Asceola with that group and get real games
at a faster pace usually than the NBA is because
those guys are fighting and scrapping and playing a different
style of basketball. But it was great for that game
to speed up for him there. And what we've seen
for him during training camp is just there's a maturity.
Take Carter, who works with him the most, is has
I mean, he's in the gym early, he stays late,
(26:43):
he comes in on days off, he's working both sides
of the ball, which I think is so important for
him to step into that realm. Like he's working on
his defensive closeouts, he's working on how to guard the
pick and roll, how to guard pin downs.
Speaker 3 (26:55):
He's watching Kenny, He's watching.
Speaker 4 (26:57):
Gary, how they guard what they do. So growth has
been fantastic, And I just told them. We actually had
a conversation yesterday about like the future, you know, and
understanding that. I want that hunger, you want that desire,
you want that fight to be in it and never
lose that. I want you to be mad when you're
not in games because that's the desire and the fight
(27:17):
that you want to keep your guys to have, because
that keeps that competitive nature going every single day in camp.
Speaker 2 (27:24):
Well, last thing, coach, you've got a couple of roster
spots open. You've got some two way spots. You don't know,
there might be guys on this roster now that could
make it. You might look elsewhere if you do have
the opportunity to bring one of these guys on the roster.
You've done it before. What is that like when you
get to tell a guy that they made an NBA roster?
Speaker 4 (27:41):
You know you always go back to guy's journeys and
for a guy to say he was with Oziola, he
was a two way, and then he's a roster spot.
There's no better feeling for that, because guys are that's
what they want. They want to say they made it,
they got an NBA contract. And for us to be
able to tell these guys that, it's rewarding again because
I said, we are in the relationship business and to
(28:02):
help someone start their journey that way is always a
great thing.
Speaker 2 (28:06):
That's fantastic. And and I guess you know, we have
another preseason game on Friday. We've got a couple of
Mets games in.
Speaker 3 (28:12):
Between now, and it's good, hopefully just three. I think
what we've learned.
Speaker 6 (28:16):
The Dodgers are in that series too, right.
Speaker 3 (28:18):
Yeah, you could. Just what we've learned is Joel is
a call away.
Speaker 4 (28:22):
I think Joel is a phone call.
Speaker 5 (28:25):
Listen, I'm going to tell you right now at five
o'clock on Friday. I know we played Philly one time.
We played Philly seven, So you might not get anything
out of it. For the first half of the game.
Speaker 3 (28:34):
He's going to be quiet because it's going to be
a probably a blow.
Speaker 5 (28:37):
You better call your buddy Dave Roberts today today.
Speaker 4 (28:40):
No, No, I'm not going to come to bother him.
Speaker 3 (28:43):
Friends with Dave though, right, you do know him? Yes,
that's right. I do to hear from you. That's that's
where that's where it all comes from.
Speaker 5 (28:48):
But where I always know it. I didn't know it
until until the matchup, and then I was.
Speaker 4 (28:53):
Well, they had you said it had been a while,
because then I like the Brewers, it would have been like, Okay, Milwaukee, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 5 (29:03):
Yeah, where were you with Milwaukee?
Speaker 3 (29:05):
Yeah, just pitch away quiet.
Speaker 7 (29:07):
I know you spent time in Cleveland.
Speaker 3 (29:08):
No love for the Guardians. There's love there, all right.
I mean I know you're from Cleveland. Yeah, I know
you call them the Guardians speaking about not being there
for but hopefully that I wasn't saying anything. You guys,
you all root for whoever plays the Yankees. We all
root for them. Coach, this is great. We are excited.
Speaker 2 (29:26):
I know you feel the buzz in town absolutely. Nationally,
people are excited about what's happening here. Uh that that
stems from the job that you've done and what you're
building here, and it's awesome. We can't wait to get started.
Speaker 3 (29:35):
I appreciate it this year. Thank you, I appreciate you all.
Thank you. That'll do it for another episode of Magic
Pod Squad
Host
Dante Marchitelli
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