It's Almost Time to See if Sean Sweeney Can Live Up to the Expectations

The Orlando Magic are set to usher in training camp with Media Day on Monday, and there are a lot of questions centered on what will be an important season for this group.

So much of what the Magic will be able to accomplish will start with Sean Sweeney, who enters the organization as a first-time head coach. Sweeney has a strong basketball acumen built over years of being an assistant with various organizations, and he has made a positive impact at all his stops.

Now, it is on him to be the lead voice. It is on him to manage rotations, manage personalities, and manage the highs and the lows of an 82-game season. It will not be easy, but there are plenty of people around the league who believe in him, and that belief starts with the organization.

On the latest episode of the Full Court Magic Podcast, I discussed the expectations for Sweeney with my colleague Andrew Cherico. Here is what I had to say:

"This is the type of new voice that will bring newfound inspiration for this team. It feels like this was the right direction to go, and you're correct: this was the guy the Magic wanted, so much so that they were doing interviews with him while he was preparing for the NBA Finals as an assistant with the Spurs. They were bugging this guy's line, but that's what you have to do to get who you want. Props to the front office.

I've been very critical of this front office, but props to them for having a vision and just making it all come together —for lack of a better term — for pursuing the guy and getting the guy that they want that they believe can lead this team. I think for Sweeney, it's going to be important because if you look at a lot of first-time head coaches, they end up with these teams that are perpetually tanking or really struggling. That's not the case for Sweeney. I don't know if he has a stacked deck, but he has a very talented team that's playoff-ready, and that brings a different set of expectations because now it is: what can you do in year one to help this team go even further? 

See, Jamahl Mosley had the benefit of a lottery team. Now, Sweeney needs to take the baton and take them even further. Not only that, he has to help rebuild a defense that went from top three in defensive rating to outside the top 10 last season. I believe they finished 13th, and an offense that's never really put it together, especially as a 3-point shooting team. Unfortunately for Sweeney, with the roster being largely the same, I don't want to say it's like teaching an old dog new tricks because a lot of these guys aren't even in their prime yet and there's still room for development, but it's going to be a challenge.

Getting the defensive identity back, making this offense more than what it has been, and really honing in on the weaknesses in order to turn them into strengths are going to be many of the challenges he will face. Another thing I'm curious about is how the communication has gone with the players over the course of the summer. We know about the immediate conversations he had upon getting hired, but how were things during Summer League? How is that rapport being built and those relationships being strengthened over the course of the last few months? In my view, I think Sweeney's going to have some growing pains.

I don't necessarily agree with the sources The Athletic has saying that he's going to be one of the better coaches right away. It'd be great for the Magic if he is, but I just feel like there are going to be some bumps in the road in order for him to be successful."

Want to see the whole episode? Click the link below!