Tag: Jamahl Mosley

We knew this wasn’t going to be a …

We knew this wasn’t going to be a season in which a very young team would win a bunch of games. With that in mind, how do you as the team president judge this season? Was it a success?” Jeff Weltman: “Yeah. I think we accomplished a lot of our goals. We established a way of working and I’m going to say that was in large part due to our head coach (Jamahl Mosley) and coaching staff, who just did a great job keeping our guys elevated, and believing, and every day, man, every day, Mike, just showed up. If you’d of seen us practice at any point in the season, regardless of record, you would just be amazed at the spirit, and the energy, and the belief, and the togetherness that was felt throughout the whole group – on the court, off the court, organizationally.

Franz Wagner, Magic have high praise for Sixers superstar Joel Embiid

Franz Wagner and the Orlando Magic are blown away by Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid.

Philadelphia 76ers superstar big man Joel Embiid is considered one of the league’s best players. Despite standing 7-feet and being a center, he does things with his handle and his ability to step out and shoot jumpers that guards can do.

During Philadelphia’s four-game win streak, Embiid is averaging 34.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5 blocks. He is shooting 60.5% from the floor and 53.3% from deep on 3.8 attempts per game. Those are incredible numbers as he has thrown the Sixers on his back.

As Philadelphia prepares to visit the Orlando Magic on Wednesday, the star leader of the Sixers clearly has the respect of the Magic. Rookie Franz Wagner had high praise.

“He’s probably the best big in the league, offensively and defensively,” said Wagner. “I think he’s a really great two-way player. He can do anything on the court so it’s gonna be really hard to stop him. Obviously, that’s part of our game plan tonight to focus a lot on him.”

Magic coach Jamahl Mosley was also in awe of what Embiid can do considering his size out on the floor.

“Just his versatility,” said Mosley. “What he’s able to do at his size and shooting the 3, post-ups, tough, and double teams, or single coverages, just reading the game, just his versatility is something that’s incredible. He’s a hard guard night in and night out.”

In Philadelphia’s win over the Magic on Nov. 29, Embiid was held to 16 points on 4-for-16 shooting with 13 rebounds and five assists. Orlando used Wendell Carter Jr. and Mo Bamba to bother him, and the Sixers needed Seth Curry to step up and close the game.

“Wendell did a great job on him last game, but, like I said, he’s a superstar so you just gotta try to do your best and Wendell always does that,” Wagner added. “We just gotta give him some help and, hopefully, we win the game.”

As Embiid and the Sixers prepare for this matchup on Wednesday, they are going to have to be able to make sure the big fella is ready for a combination of Carter Jr. and Bamba. The two will present challenges for him.

“It’s great that those guys take on the challenge,” Mosley stated. “Wendell did a great job in his minutes, Mo did a great job in his minutes, and the different styles of how you have to play him. One of our young men has to use his length, the other is using his physicality and his speed. We just talk about understanding the gifts that you have and how do you use those in order to stop what he’s trying to do out there.”

The Sixers and the Magic will tip off at 7 p.m. EST from Amway Center.

This post originally appeared on Sixers Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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Magic head coach Jamahl Mosley humbled by outpouring of support

Players like Luka Doncic and JJ Redick have been among those to congratulate Mosley after becoming the head coach of the Magic.

Jamahl Mosley on Monday expressed his gratitude and appreciation for the outpouring of support he has received since becoming the head coach of the Orlando Magic.

The Magic named Mosley their head coach on Sunday after an extensive hiring process in which they interviewed around a dozen candidates. Mosley spent the past seven years as an assistant coach under Rick Carlisle with the Dallas Mavericks.

Mosley arrives in Orlando highly regarded for his ability to develop and connect with players. He first began in player development and advance scouting with the Denver Nuggets in 2005 before becoming an assistant coach for three years with George Karl.

He was an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2010 to 2014.

“Jamahl has a unique set of abilities,” Magic president Jeff Weltman said. “He has an amazing interpersonal skill set with anyone and it stems from his compassion as a person. He is a great listener. He cares and wants to get involved in people’s lives.

“He is a true coach. He wants to make you better. Where we are is a perfect fit. Jamahl will come in and improve our players. They will know that everything he does is for and about them and as they get better, we get better.”

Stephen M. Dowell/Orlando Sentinel

Mosley previously interviewed for several head coaching vacancies in the past and was even said to be a finalist for the Washington Wizards’ position. The trajectory of the Magic, as a team in a rebuild, appealed to Mosley and he ultimately believed Orlando was the best fit for him.

The hiring of Mosley was met with praise from around the NBA. Current and former players Luka Doncic, JJ Redick and Richard Jefferson offered their support for Mosley as did Karl from their time together in Denver.

He was viewed as a strong candidate due to his longevity as a coach and rise through the ranks. His path resonated with those that know him, and the first-year head coach expressed his gratitude for all of the positive messages of support.

“It is super humbling,” Mosley said. “As a coach, all you want to do is make people better. You want to help people reach their potential. I’m only doing my job, that’s the way I look at it. When you see it is the result that people are happy you have done your job, it is extremely humbling. I’m seriously grateful for each and every single person that has reached out and said positive things.”

Mosley will inherit one of the youngest rosters in the NBA after the Magic traded veteran players Nikola Vucevic, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier. He called the change of leadership an exciting time for the organization as it continues to grow on and off the court.

The team will add to its young core in the draft this month; it holds the fifth and eighth picks. The organization will hope to tap into Mosley’s ability to build relationships and hold players accountable to help the players reach the next level.

After grinding for several years as an assistant coach, Mosley will have the opportunity to lead an up-and-coming group the same way. If the Magic can experience anywhere near the same level of success Mosley did, they could be in for a bright future.

This post originally appeared on Rookie Wire! Follow us on Facebook!

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