The Orlando Magic have their coach. . . but now they must wait.
The team announced it has hired San Antonio Spurs associate head coach Sean Sweeney as the team's next coach. But he will finish out the season with the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals first.
Until he is officially in the building and meeting with the team, everything Sweeney does is more theoretical. Nobody knows what his team will look like.
That will be the thing he has to define quickly: What is a Sean Sweeney team?
That was perhaps one of the bigger questions that president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman had to ask Sean Sweeney as they went through the interview process.
The Magic are trying to forge a new program with Sweeney and let him define what that is. Already the Magic are selling some sense of that direction.
"The first thing you notice with Sean is he has a natural intensity about him," Weltman said on a radio appearance with Game On on 96.9 The Game. "It's not something that he has to try to put on or impress you with, it's just there. He's very locked in and focused in his intensity. It underlies a lot of the way he delivers information and receives information.
"Through that, you can kind of create a throughline with players and teams. And really, I would say create a program. Are you developing a program where you can measure and define what it means to be a Magic player? I think Sean has the capability to do a lot of those things. He comes in as a rookie, but he has a lot of experience within his own set of circumstances. I think he has a ton of potential."
The proof will be in what he builds and how he builds it when he arrives. Everyone is still getting a sense of who Sweeney is and what a Sweeney team is.
That is clearly a vision he sold the Magic on. But everyone is still figuring out what that vision is and who that team is.
What is a Sean Sweeney team?
The Orlando Magic are not starting from scratch. Jamahl Mosley has left a solid foundation and has coached the team to be one of the best defenses in the league, even considering last year's slip down the rankings.
The Magic are not looking to reinvent the wheel. Their Sean Sweeney hire seemed to double down on the principles that have defined this team. They brought in a coach known for his defensive mind and his player development chops.
They see that as part of the project.
Undoubtedly, the Magic expect the team to take a step up back into the elite group of defensive teams this year. The Magic hired Sweeney for his defensive creativity.
But fans are hungry for offense too. And while Weltman said he believes most teams run stuff so similar that the real creativity in the league is on defense, he assured that Sweeney can coach the offensive end.
"It has been written that he has a modern approach," Weltman said in his radio interview on Tuesday. "I don't know where that came from, but I do believe that to be the case. He is going to caocoh players on both ends of the floor and surround himself with really creative minds. I think our guys will get better and our team will get better and I think we will establish a program which will allow us to continue to grow."
Weltman praised Sweeney's ability to break the game down into smaller portions to teach players. He believes that will help improve the team's execution on both ends.
The offensive philosophy will be somewhat similar to last year's offense.
Sweeney has said previously that he believes it is important for teams to get up the court quickly and the team should work to get the best shot quickly. That may hint to some more structure and intention within the offense.
But the Magic will still put an emphasis on getting up court quickly to score in transition or try to create cross-matches that create an advantage.
Weltman feels like Sweeney should not be labeled purely as a defensive coach. But undoubtedly, that is where his impact will be felt most.
What team will Sweeney coach?
With the coaching search finished, the Orlando Magic are turning their attention to how to improve the roster and give Sean Sweeney the team he can successful sculpt.
There are already plenty of rumors of what the Magic can do with some of their key players. But there is still the feeling that the Magic are hopeful that better health is their biggest improvement.
Orlando does not have a lot of resources to improve dramatically. The team does not have a first-round pick this season and has limited spending resources in free agency.
With a historically conservative front office, the Magic may be content to make some moves on the margins to improve the bench and hope for internal improvement, running back the same roster essentially.
"We like our team," Jeff Weltman said on his radio interview. "We've had this discussion before: We were a game away. You can say an injury away from maybe being in the second round. And who knows from there? It has been said several times throughout the season, the East is wide open. I think the East is highly competitive. I don't feel like there is a gun to our head to make these dramatic overhauls."
That does not close the door for the Magic making major moves if they come around. Weltman said the team showed it will be aggressive if it needs to be. Everyone acknowledges there are some hard truths coming.
Orlando has a lot on its plate beyond what a new coach can bring. The team surely sold a new coach on what is already on the roster as a starting point.
Everyone is eager to see what kind of team Sweeney will build. And how his program will be different.
