If you checked the Eastern Conference standings this morning, who did you see up there with Boston, Milwaukee and Philly the expected powers in the East. It's the Orlando Magic sixteen and seven as we've passed the quarter mark of the regular season, and joining us on this special edition of this League Uncut, it's Magic coach Jamal Moseley next right here with Chris and I.
Welcome to this League Uncut rule of twenty four hour NBA News You, Chris Hans, It's time, work's time. It's so time. This League Uncut is.
Underway and on fire.
This should be a good one.
Everyone, welcome in to a special edition of this League Uncut with a special guest Chris and I. As you know, we just dropped a pod yesterday, but on this Tuesday we were given the opportunity to speak with one of the absolute newsmakers of the.
League so far this season. Who's Orlando Magic?
Awoke on this Tuesday at sixteen and seven, tied with Boston and Milwaukee. They hold the East's second best record, which I don't remember too many of us know it alls saying what happen before Halloween? And he also happens to be the reigning Coach of the Month in the Eastern Conference.
A hearty this league, uncut. Welcome to Orlando Magic coach Jamal Moseley.
Coach mos how.
I don't know how we talked you into this, but we are glad we did.
Because I love you both. So it's all good.
We will take it because not many people say that, especially out loud.
The early coach of the year favor. Right here, we have your hot coach. Coach, what do you just just tell me, man, just tell us about you're starting to people are starting to pick up on what your Lando Magic are doing, and just tell me, is this even a surprise to you? I have to be honest, coach, I didn't you know, I didn't.
I mean it honestly.
What Jeff and their group did, the ability to bring everybody back, you know, the same group, and then with the additions of Joe Ingles, who has changed our locker room in a lot of ways. But the continuity, the chemistry of the team, the jump we had a little bit towards the end of last year.
You can feel what the guys felt.
Uh they're confidence, their belief in each other and then walking in and adding you know, Anthony Black and Jet Howard and guys that just fit right into what we were doing. The character, the makeup, the defensive mindset. So it's the belief that this group has had. It's the belief that the organization has had in these guys. And you'll mind you it's early, but these guys are a tight knit group that they just believe in each other
and what they're doing. And our staff does an unbelievable job with each one of these guys.
As we're speaking to you, you guys just posted a very good win last night over Cleveland. And something else that happened when you woke up this morning. Top three defense, which is yet another element of this team's success that I don't remember too many of us so called experts touting would happen back in October when we were making preseason predictions.
So you tell us, how do you get a.
Young team to buy into defense like this young team has.
Well, we keep saying it.
We have guys that want to you know, you look at Jalen Suggs and what he's capable of doing.
Jonathan Isaac.
You know the defense that Franz Wagner and Paulo are playing that they you know, they took on this summer wanting to make take on that challenge of being able to sit down and guard. You got four guys that you know talk about making the All defensive team.
And you know then Jonathan.
Isaac, who's you know, possibly you know, being barring, you know, staying healthy, is you know he can get Defensive Player of the Year the way he plays. I think that you have guys that want to and then our system has guys that understand what we're asking them to do and they follow the game plan.
At a high level.
Coach, when you think about getting this opportunity, when you finally got an opportunity to be the head coach roaming the sidelines, call the shots a lot of times when you get that first opportunity, it's a situation where it's a rebuild. You're starting from the bottom, and you have to to make tremendous strides to even stay in that position with that organization or even move to a better position like you have to and and it's and it's
tough for a lot of coaches. Can you tell me the process for you when you did accept your Lando Magic job, because you know, again, no nobody thought you guys would be doing this right now, but just just just take it through the process you had.
Well, first, there's just a high high amount of gratitude for being given the opportunity, you know, from the Devas family, for Alex, for Jeff and John, just being able to, you know, given the opportunity to do it, you know, and someone believing that you know, you're capable of leading a group and leading an organizations as it happens, you know, you just lean on your mentors, you know what people have been through before you.
You talk to your peers who have been in situations.
Uh and and when you're talking about growth and building, it doesn't stop in my opinion, you know, whether we were sixteen and seven or seven and sixteen, it's still about the growth and development of each one of these guys. How do you help them become pros on and off the court? How do you help them develop the mindset for winning and learning how to win? Because I think people forget that in this league it's hard to win and you have to learn how to do it. So
that's what our mindset has been. And then our staff, who I will sing their praises, you know till I can't sing it anymore. They do a tremendous job with this group because they meet each guy exactly where they are, help them realize their potential and communicate with them the exact way and what we need to do in order for them to be successful.
That's to me, that's what it's about for this group of guys.
Well, look, no one here in Dallas is surprised. This was your last stop as an assistant coach before you got this job in Orlando. And Chris, you cannot understand sayes how love this man is in the Dallas Mavericks organization.
Dirk Noavitsky and Luke and Nelukah the.
Two faces of this franchise for basically twenty five years. I think if we had them on they would get into a pretty good argument about who is the number one Jamal Mosley fan. I mean, but you know you talked about winning, and I think an overlooked part of this is you guys went twenty nine and twenty eight last season after the five and twenty start, So it's not just like these last twenty three games. You guys have been playing five hundred ball for a while now.
How big a deal was that?
Last year to basically be a five hundred team for almost sixty games.
That was big, you know.
I think the guys started to realize the belief system and what it took. I mean, we were so close to that playing game, and I think those games hurt guys because they started to register like it was this one game or that one game that and that changed exactly where you could be, you know, in the postseason. And so having that being known, you know, the guys talked about it this summer, sitting down with Paolo Franz Mo Markel and just talking and saying, hey, listen, this
is what we need to do. You need to come out the gates the right way because you don't want your backup against it, you know, coming down later in the season. And each one of these guys has taken that on, the seriousness about what it means to be a team, and we say it as a group, we do it by committee, and these guys are registering that they're believing in it and it's a partnership with this group, and that's what the that's what they bought into.
Well.
I remember seeing you at euro Basket the summer before last season, and I remember you saying that you were like, no, we're going to make a run at a play in spot at the least. And I remember saying, man, does he really believe that? But obviously you you were not kidding. And then I remember Polo Bancaro right before his rookie season.
You guys played an exhibition game in Dallas, and I had the chance to talk to him, and I was excited to talk to him because I don't go see a lot of college games, but his one.
Year at Duke, my beloved cal State Fullerton.
Somehow, by the miracle of the draw, we got to play Duke in the first round, which has never happened is probably never gonna happen again. So I went all the way to South Carolina because I was not gonna miss the chance that we're actually playing Duke. So I got to watch him play this, you know, play his first college tournament game. And I remember when you guys were in Dallas, and I said, you know, you're going to.
Lose a lot as a rookie. How prepared are you for that?
Because obviously at Duke, you know, you lose one, two, three games a season, maybe five games a season, Like, how do you think he handled that last year and you know already you guys are a winning team in his in the Polo ban Caro era.
Well, he's a winner, and I will say it over and over again.
He is a big time winner and he's going to do whatever's necessary to help win games. And the great part about him walking in he had had so many the conversations, you know, knowing with Coach k other pros, how he was raised, knowing that it is a process. It was a process when he walked in that you know, you as a rookie, you're not always going to walk in and get your team to fifty wins. And what he registered in that was finding his space, finding how
he could impact winning within the team. And it was never you know, there's frustrating moments obviously, but what it did was it allowed him to see both sides of it, you know, not taking any of the wins for granted and knowing exactly what it takes in this league to try to continue to know, you know, rack up wins.
So since we're on Pollo Coach, let's go there.
Let's see if you can shed some light because that draft was one of the more stranger drafts to start a drafts like y'all, y'all had us stump like all right, now, so being so called insiders that we are, you know, somebody we tap in. We talked to a lot of people, you know, GM, coaches, agents, scouts, whatever. Right where y'all had stuff? Is us or like, can you now that we're some time or move can you shed light a little bit light on like how everything went down? Was
he your guy all along? Was it really a last minute decision? Like can you can you talk through that now? Because now ultimately it looked like it was the definitely the right decision.
Well, I think everyone talked about it.
There were so many options at that spot, you know, and I think ultimately there was just you know, there was back and forth. There was you know, there was studying of guys, information and whatnot, and like to the credit of you know, the front office, they did a great job of doing all the background of figuring out exactly what was the right thing and right fit for
this team. And you know, he he's a special individual, you know, I mean he does so many things well and who he is as a as a young man is even is even greater. So I think there's just a lot of factors that went into it. You know, I'm not going to give the secret sauce to what went behind it.
That's my way talking about it.
So listen, that's why this group does such a great job of in the selection of who you know, who we who we pick up you know in the draft.
Let me let me ask you this.
So you guys are playing well, young guys will get a lot of credit they do.
They do a lot of work, heavy lifting. When you look at this team.
I try I try to like figure out, okay, who would be considered the leader, who would be probably the go to veteran leader. And obviously you know I got Joe Ingles there, Gary Harris. But is there a locker room presence where you have someone who's that designated leader on the team?
Is there anybody identified as that? Or is it collective?
It's a collective. I mean it really is.
Like one day it's Paulo, one day, it's Franz, one day it's Joe, one day, it's Cole, one day it's Moe Wagner.
Like one day it's one Dal one day it's it's Jalen.
Like these guys are so connected that no one takes it personal and we all realize that it's about the team. How do we accomplish what we need to accomplish. I mean, you see our sideline, It's like they're celebrating each other and that's the most beautiful thing to see. And it's not even just about the offense. It's like we're celebrating when we get stops and we get out and go.
And that's who this team is.
It's a partnership, it's a collective that and say it over and over again.
We continue to do it by committee on a nightly basis.
You know, when you think about young teams out there, most people will say the blueprint if you're going to go young is that you've got to have that designated your Donna's Haslam or even a Vince Carter during this hey day. I don't think you guys have somebody like that. So what's the secret if you're going to go young? Like, what do you think you need to have in place to make sure the locker room is intact?
Like I said, Jeff and those guys did a phenomenal job in his team. You have to draft you know, the high character, you know the high basketball IQ and each one of these guys in this locker room has won at some level. And I think when you can understand winning, you know what you're asked to do. And so whether you were the guy that scored forty on your college team or high school team, but you also
knew what winning took. Sometimes it's not scoring forty. Sometimes it's scoring twenty two and giving ten assists and getting a big rebound. That they can all understand that language. And again to the credit of us bringing all these guys back, they understand the message of each one of our coaches on what we're asking them to do. So it's not like we're having to, you know, say a different message to different guys coming in. They've heard it.
And in that last run of our twenty nine and twenty eight they heard what was being said, they felt it being real because it was producing you know, wins, And our process never changed from the moment we were you know, twenty two, you know, twenty two and sixty. You know, I think it hasn't changed since then to now.
Before we get to Frondz in his partnership with Paolo, because obviously that's a huge element of your success, you actually really early in this pod, you said that Joe Ingles has changed our locker room? How has he done that? And I mean, I guess he is the old head at this point that you're kind of leaning on, So explain that to us. How has he changed your locker room?
Well, by age and experience, he is the old head in the locker room, but he he says the right things, he lives the right things. And I think the guys have played against him enough and heard how much trash he talks, but is willing to back it up. And then when he walks in the locker room, he's doing the exact same thing. But it's all about winning. It's all about getting the best out of guys. The way he lives on and off the court, it's all it's true.
And the guys recognize and feel and see that, and they've seen his body of work. And so I think when you've seen somebody do it that you respect, and he's telling you this in the locker room, it makes it a little bit easier to buy into what's being said because it's also the same thing that each one of our coaches are saying to these guys.
He has quite the rep for trash talking. Does he trash talk the coach?
He's not afraid and yeah he's talking. He's definitely talking to the coaches too. But that's what who he is. You can't take away who he is, and you know, you embrace it and it's fun like this is this is that group they have. We have fun with each other, We communicate, we don't take each other, we don't.
Take it so seriously.
We get our work done and it's a great group to be around every day.
Coach, peel back the curtain a little bit. We know some of the best trash talkers in the league. Joe doesn't get a lot of exposure nationally for his trash talking. Can you give us a couple of trash token I mean trash talking commentary from Joe ingles that you can share. So people might have said to a teammate opposing player, you, is there anything that pops the head?
I specifically remember, and I won't give specific names, but we were playing pick up when he first got here and there was a turnover with one of the guys and he started talking. You know, oh yeah, see, that's what you're gonna do in the games. That's what you're gonna do in the games, and so it got under one of the players skin and next thing, you know, it was like it was back and forth, back and forth.
But what it did, and this is to players, but they don't realize it now lifts up your competitive edge and that's what was needed. And we already have guys that are competitive, but he lifts that up even more because now once you're under skin, now we're trying to go. And it was a beautiful thing to watch because that's what this group is now showing.
Even more so.
So, as I mentioned before, Dirk Noovisky likes to tout himself as president of your fan club and the reason I mean your I think this was your first season you coached against Steve Nash in Brooklyn.
Yes, and he actually went to the game. A.
I don't remember him going to many games that didn't involve the Dallas Mavericks over the last twenty five years. And B I'm not so sure he wasn't rooting for the Magic over his buddy Nash's net.
So that's quite a compliment to you.
But he is also, of course a huge fan of the Wagner Brothers, and he asked me he demanded that I ask you about what it's like to coach those two and Mo Wagner. I'm eternally a fan of his because at that EuroBasket I mentioned he I was I was stranded and he helped. He shared an uber with me, so he's he's you know, I will never I will never forget that. But obviously Franz is the one who
gets the most notoriety. Tell us about coaching two brothers and what what that's like, and obviously the way they've impacted your team.
They're about winning, you know, obviously saw what they did this summer, and I think it's so great for them. They're about winning, They're about team. They're about figuring out ways to just make everybody around him better. High basketball IQs and just great character guys that they want to do the right thing by those around them. You know, Mo is a guy that brings a ton of energy to the team, but with a high basketball like you, trying to figure out ways he can you know, get
teammates involved. Franz has obviously emerged, you know, as the younger brother, but doing so many great things for this team, just being able to score, pass, His defense this year has been incredible. So I just think they just provide so many things to this team. But it's all about the team. That's the great part about both of them. They just want to do whatever is necessary to help this team keep rising.
I'm not sure ten fifteen years ago that you know, we would have seen a team so willingly put the ball in the hands of two forwards.
Like you guys have.
How quick did you see that Franz and Paolo were gonna be able to play off each other?
So well, well, it happened early on, you know, in the year when we had a bunch of injuries, and so a lot of it was that they end up having the ball in their hands and being able to coach different guys that were, you know, point forwards in a lot of ways, you could see it. And so having both of them being able to handle make decisions make the guys around them better. And I'll keep going
back to it. They have such high basketball IQs. It makes it easy because they're willing and wanting to always make the right basketball play, and that's you know, sometimes that's rare, but you have two guys that they're always trying to make the right play for the team.
Coach, Have you had to talk to have you had to have a conversation with your team about this the success that your guys are having right now, and then what comes with the attention and then ultimately expectations.
I don't know. Maybe so young teams, they.
Start to feel themselves, they may start acting a different way. Have you had to have conversations with your team about just how to handle this new found attention and success?
Yes, you know to answer that in one statement, Yes we have because we understood like what we're capable of doing, but you have to go and prove it. And with this team, it's never changed. Like what we were about, like every single night, we're going to compete. You know, we're gonna we're going to detail our work and then we're going to cover for each other defensively, and then we're going to share the ball offensively, and we're going to do it with a sense of joy and enthusiasm
for the game, for our fans, for this organization. Like we've said that from day one. We had to talk last week about the outside expectations and what that is is you embrace the expectations that people have for you, but you also hold yourself to a higher standard. So it shouldn't come as a surprise if you believe in each other, if you believe and the work that you've put in on a daily basis, and listen, people are
going to say good and bad. You have to stick with the people in this building and the people that care about you and the people that are supporting you on a regular basis, and those are the voices that you listen to and just stick with the same consistent work.
Would you say this team because because again you know, you go over the predictions before the season, people didn't have Orlando Magic high on the list. Is this the team a team that rush is off of being counted out? Or do you think you guys are just playing and just building on the continuity that you guys had last year?
Like what is it?
I think it's a combination of both, But I really do believe it's more it's leaning more on the side of the continuity and the chemistry we've had, knowing what we're capable of. And I think when you start to realize the work that you've put in and how much the coaches care about you and all the things that you've done, that now you see it turn and you win some of these close games and you recognize what
you're capable of doing, then that starts to hit. With the belief system and the trust and the confidence and young guys, with the level of confidence that this group has, you know, it's it's a beautiful thing to see because it's what they all deserve and it's what they've worked towards.
I guess, though you could also say, and look at it, it's a great problem to have managing If managing success is a problem, then I'm guessing that's a problem you would have signed up for if we if we were talking on October twenty second or twenty third.
I will I would we would all have signed up for that to help these guys understand exactly what it means to be successful and to take it all and stride.
I and you know this because I know you've reminded me. I have not yet been to Orlando since you since you have taken this job, but that I will be rectifying that in a matter of days. I will be in Orlando for the G League Showcase, and I have circled I think you guys are playing Miami a week from tomorrow and so I will I look forward to that. But people who I've been to Magic games lately keep telling me that the crowds have really picked up, really loud.
The building is packed.
What are you seeing from your vantage point from the atmosphere.
The atmosphere and the vibe is so fantastic.
And I'll say it over and over again, our fans are so much a part of this growth with this group.
They've connected with them.
I mean, the energy in the in the arena is big time, and you know, our record at home, you know, you know reflects that because there's been games that this crowd and this energy has willed us too.
You know.
I think it's it's so great to have the excitement that this city has right now for this group because they deserve it, and they're just there's so much a part of this group which is which is exactly what we've wanted and needed, and the organization is embracing all of it, just like these young guys are embracing all of the expectations that are coming.
Yeah, because I know this is only your third year there, but from from what I gather, it's been it's been a while since the Magic have had crowds like you guys are drawing right now.
Well, I'm going off what we have right now, and it's been fantastic to feel this energy and the support like our fans.
Honestly, I think they are absolutely amazing.
Coach of the Month trophy do you keep that out or do you throw it in a closet and it's not to be looked at?
I think I know the answer, but I want to hear you say it.
Doan you know the answer?
That trophy ultimately, and that award is more and always about the players and the staff members and what they do for this group, Like that's what it's about.
Coach.
My last question to you, I want to get your take on the n season Tournament, but in particularly the point differential. We've seen that cause some friction here and there between a couple coaches couple teams. Some coaches believe it's a good idea. Some coaches believe that it can kind of jeopardize the integrity of against the unwritten rule of palin on. What was your stance on on the point diferential implement it in the end season tournament formatt
would you suggest something different? Did you like it and Lastly, the unwritten rule about scoring anyways in the last, you know, last juncture of the game.
What's your take on those two?
You know, I really think the league is going to try to do its best to clean any of it up and make the changes that are necessary. And I go, if you know the rules and you're playing by the rules of this game in this moment, then you played by the rules of this game in this moment. And I think that was a big portion of it because
everybody knew the rules. Now, obviously there's a piece to that in that final game when you also know the point differentials of other teams going in, that may be something to look at where you don't know what you need and so you can't chase it. I think that may be something to look at, But overall, like, if you know there's a point differential in play, then that's what you're that's what you're going by, and I think that's part of what it provided.
You think it's just heat the moment.
Because all the coaches knew the rules going in, they understand how important it is for the point differential, you know, to be in place. Why do you think some still had a problem once it was implemented against them.
Oh, you know, I think it's ultimately it's competitive nature.
You know, it's competitive nature. You get in the middle of a game and you don't want to lose a game, and so you look at it as you know, some people talk about the respect of the game, and you can see that side of it, and but you also see the other side of you know, the rules of what this the tournament is, and so I think you have to look at both sides, try to understand both sides, and that'll be something I know that the league will
look at. They'll they'll find a way to communicate with the coaches, the players and organizations about what is exactly expected. And I think it was great for the league, I really do. I think it was great for fans, it was great for players, and I think it was an overall it was a very good thing for everybody to be able to be a part.
Of Jamal Moseley, coach of the Red Hot or Land Magic, We are so glad we were able to catch up with you and add you to the pantheon of head coaches. You know, we are nearing our one year anniversary of the show. We've had Mike brown On, We've had ty Lewon, We've had Darvin ham On, and now we can say we've had a visit with Jamal Moseley, coach of the sixteen and seven Orlando Magic.
Wishing you continued success for the rest of the season.
And yes, I look forward to my return to Central Florida.
Have not been there since the bubble.
It'll be good to get you back down here.
I'm gonna be there next week. Out of your dog, out of your doghouse.
Thank you, I appreciate you. I really truly am grateful. Those are some great names to be mentioned with, So thank you, Thank you, coach. Appreciate y'all.
All right, everyone that will do it for this edition of this league uncut, our profuse thanks to Magic coach Jamal Moseley for joining us in the middle of the work week. And please remember, as always, if you haven't already rate review, subscribe to the show. Chris and I will be together tonight for Lakers at Mavericks in Dallas, and we'll be getting together soon for another pod. Talk to you soon, everybody.