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The Orlando Magic have been one of the surprising stories of this NBA season. With a 38-39 overall record, they're currently holding the No. 9 seed in the Eastern Conference. Some thought the Magic would struggle to find a rhythm, as there are several new faces on the team, but head coach Steve Clifford is thoroughly impressed with the way his players have came together.
In an interview with John Denton of Magic.com, Clifford shared one of the motivational messages he has tried to convey to his young players in recent days:
“I shared this with them the other day … when I was with Jeff (Van Gundy) and we went to Houston, he would tell players, `We can either use that as a crutch (or ignore it),” Clifford said.
The Magic have seven players who are 23 years of age or younger, but Clifford knows their potential:
“Bottom line, this isn’t college or high school where they’re younger players; these (NBA) guys are the best players in the world,” Clifford added. “I remember Van Gundy telling those guys, `There’s no rule that you can’t be really good in your first year together’ and it’s true.”
Orlando has played well in recent games. In fact, the Magic have walked away as winners in seven of their last eight outings, including Saturday night's 121-116 victory over the Indiana Pacers.
If the Magic are truly hoping to make the playoffs this season, they'll need to continue fighting in this same fashion. The Miami Heat are currently holding the No. 8 seed, but Orlando is just a half-game behind.
Orlando's next shot at inching towards the eighth seed comes on Monday night, when they'll travel to Toronto for a matchup against the Raptors.
