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Orlando Magic general manager Anthony Parker joined the broadcast crew for a in-game interview during the Magic's Summer League match against the Philadelphia 76ers.
In this conversation he spoke about the hiring of coach Sean Sweeney as well as how the Magic are preparing to take a major leap next season.
"Before I say anything, I have to shout out David Steele, the voice of the Magic play-by-play, who announced his retirement yesterday. Man, I just want to say congratulations. He'd probably hate that I'm shouting it out because he doesn't like the attention, but I'm so happy that he was a part of Orlando Magic history. So congratulations to him.
But no, it's good to see our guys out here. I think [Jase] has gotten off to a fast start. You see him settling in, getting comfortable, understanding what he needs to do and where he needs to be—kind of avoiding the dead ends and playing confident, hitting his shot, and making all the hustle plays. Noah Penda is the same thing. The group is defending, getting out and playing, and playing the right way."
"First of all, we interviewed him during the playoffs, so he had a full-time job on one side. Just the amount of preparation he came in with, while knowing what he was doing in the playoffs, we were just so impressed with that.
The other thing is just the alignment—how he saw our roster, how he saw our team, and how we need to play to be successful. He aligned in that. He's intense, he's passionate, and he's a teacher. We've been really happy with what we've seen so far."
"When we're at our best, we are an elite defensive team. We win the possession battle, we're putting pressure on the rim, and then we're making the right plays and taking advantage of two guys converging on the ball. That's what we want to do.
As a front office, we believe our group has what it takes. More importantly, they believe they have what it takes. When we're whole, we're one of the better teams in the conference, and we just have to be more consistent with it."
"When you're in those big moments, you go through it as a team, you see that you have enough, and there's that belief—that changes everything. I think our group is coming into this year with that mindset, but we've got a lot of work to do. We've got to go out and prove it; we haven't done it yet. These guys are healthy, they're working hard, and they're going to put the work in."
"They're just a competitive group. They want to win, and they want to learn how to do it as a group. As you know, you have to go through the process. There are no shortcuts. The last couple of years we've done that, and we feel like we have enough. We've seen it in some of the bigger moments, and it's just about getting back to that point and doing it. These guys are putting in the work this summer, and we're going to carry that momentum and belief into this year. In a much-improved Eastern Conference, we have to go out and do it."
"I thought it was good last year. I don't think we had the heavyweights that the other conference has, but over the last couple of Finals, you've seen the best teams come out of the East and put up a fight. It's improved and it's going to be tough. But again, if we're healthy and we're whole, our group has a chance to play with anybody."
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In this conversation he spoke about the hiring of coach Sean Sweeney as well as how the Magic are preparing to take a major leap next season.
Opening remarks and congratulating David Steele:
"Before I say anything, I have to shout out David Steele, the voice of the Magic play-by-play, who announced his retirement yesterday. Man, I just want to say congratulations. He'd probably hate that I'm shouting it out because he doesn't like the attention, but I'm so happy that he was a part of Orlando Magic history. So congratulations to him.
But no, it's good to see our guys out here. I think [Jase] has gotten off to a fast start. You see him settling in, getting comfortable, understanding what he needs to do and where he needs to be—kind of avoiding the dead ends and playing confident, hitting his shot, and making all the hustle plays. Noah Penda is the same thing. The group is defending, getting out and playing, and playing the right way."
On what stood out about hiring Sean Sweeney as head coach:
"First of all, we interviewed him during the playoffs, so he had a full-time job on one side. Just the amount of preparation he came in with, while knowing what he was doing in the playoffs, we were just so impressed with that.
The other thing is just the alignment—how he saw our roster, how he saw our team, and how we need to play to be successful. He aligned in that. He's intense, he's passionate, and he's a teacher. We've been really happy with what we've seen so far."
On the team's identity under Coach Sweeney and aging another year:
"When we're at our best, we are an elite defensive team. We win the possession battle, we're putting pressure on the rim, and then we're making the right plays and taking advantage of two guys converging on the ball. That's what we want to do.
As a front office, we believe our group has what it takes. More importantly, they believe they have what it takes. When we're whole, we're one of the better teams in the conference, and we just have to be more consistent with it."
On building team camaraderie and carrying momentum from the playoff push:
"When you're in those big moments, you go through it as a team, you see that you have enough, and there's that belief—that changes everything. I think our group is coming into this year with that mindset, but we've got a lot of work to do. We've got to go out and prove it; we haven't done it yet. These guys are healthy, they're working hard, and they're going to put the work in."
On the hunger of the young core and navigating the process:
"They're just a competitive group. They want to win, and they want to learn how to do it as a group. As you know, you have to go through the process. There are no shortcuts. The last couple of years we've done that, and we feel like we have enough. We've seen it in some of the bigger moments, and it's just about getting back to that point and doing it. These guys are putting in the work this summer, and we're going to carry that momentum and belief into this year. In a much-improved Eastern Conference, we have to go out and do it."
On the landscape of the Eastern Conference:
"I thought it was good last year. I don't think we had the heavyweights that the other conference has, but over the last couple of Finals, you've seen the best teams come out of the East and put up a fight. It's improved and it's going to be tough. But again, if we're healthy and we're whole, our group has a chance to play with anybody."
Join the Community! Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news! It's completely free to join, simply by clicking the yellow button at the top of the homepage. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members. Download the free Roundtable APP and stay even more connected!
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