Almost five months after hiring Sean Sweeney as the 16th head coach in franchise history, Magic president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman believes the first-time NBA head coach has already changed the tune inside the Orlando locker room.
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Weltman, speaking on 96.9 The Game on Tuesday afternoon ahead of Wednesday’s regular-season opener against the Hawks, highlighted Sweeney’s ability to set high expectations, communicate those standards to the players and hold them accountable on a daily basis throughout the preseason.
“He’s got this group really already able to listen to any criticism that comes from any coach and even from each other,” Weltman said on the radio. “And that first layer of expectation — of nobody wanting to be the weak link — I think that’s already in place and it’s lead to some really intense moments in camp and some great communications. So, I’m really excited about what Sean’s already put in place. The players are really excited about it. If you’ve watched us play in the preseason, there’s a lot of work to do and I think we’ll get better every month.”
“But I think we already play a different style of basketball,” Weltman added. “His techniques and the way he has managed his own staff and put them in a position to communicate with the players so that everybody is receiving the same message — man, those guys work. They’re organized and they’ve done a great job through camp.”
Weltman also discussed the Magic and Anthony Black not reaching an agreement on a rookie-scale extension for the fourth-year guard, who enters his final season of his rookie contract.
By not signing an extension, the No. 6 pick in 2023 is headed toward restricted free agency in the upcoming offseason.
A restricted free agent can sign an offer sheet with any team, but the player’s original team can retain him by matching the terms of that offer. Black also could become an unrestricted free agent if Orlando opts not to tender a qualifying offer, which would then allow him to sign with any team.
Weltman was asked how close the sides got to reaching a deal ahead of Monday’s deadline.
“I don’t ever think in those terms. The answer is, I don’t know,” the Magic executive said. “Obviously it takes two sides to get to an agreement and obviously we weren’t able to do that. It’s not the only chance that we have, the way the NBA system is set up. But obviously it changes the math a little bit. The one thing I do know is, I know Anthony Black is a great person. I know he’s a super talented player and he’s got a bright future. He’s really competitive and he’s a great teammate.”
“So, we do the best we can do,” Weltman added. “We had substantive talks with his guys. Obviously, not able to get it done, but now it’s time to focus on the season. I know AB is locked in on helping the Magic win games.”
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Black was already ruled out Tuesday afternoon for Wednesday’s game because of a right ankle sprain he suffered during voluntary workouts in the lead up to training camp. Before Weltman’s radio appearance, Black said after practice he was feeling better but is day-to-day after he rolled his ankle in a way he hadn’t done before.
Sweeney added Wednesday morning that Black is “getting close” to a return.
“He’s been a full participant here, and we’ve just got to be smart and keep building, getting him ready as soon as we can,” Sweeney said at shootaround.
Weltman acknowledged that the Magic aren’t 100% healthy entering the season but said they’re “trending the right way.”
In addition to Black, the Magic were also set to be without forwards Noah Penda (right partially torn hamstring), Jonathan Isaac (left knee injury management) and Izaiyah Nelson (left ankle injury management) against Atlanta.
“The one more significant injury we have on the roster right now is Noah,” Weltman said. “His timeline hasn’t been determined yet but it’ll be an extended period. AB’s been working really hard to get back. We’ll just kind of wait and see how that ramps up, but he’ll be day-to-day. If not (Wednesday), hopefully shortly thereafter.”
Weltman elaborated on Penda, noting the work he put in over the offseason to drop from 260 pounds last season down to 236 when the French forward returned to the team facility this summer.
“I’m really disappointed for Noah,” Weltman said. “He’s worked really hard. He had one of the best NBA summers I’ve seen. He lost a lot of weight. His shooting is at a completely different level. We think he’s going to be a player (who) really impacts winning for our team.”
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Jason Beede can be reached at [email protected]
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What: Magic vs. Timberwolves
When: 7 p.m., Friday, Kia Center
TV: MagicTV 27/DAZN