The Orlando Magic did a lot this offseason, including some things that earned plenty of criticism (yes, including my own). They've effectively turned a 12-deep team of young, talented players into a roster built with the present in mind — though winning is no guarantee.
Still, the hardest move to criticize was the hiring of coach Frank Vogel after Scott Skiles' surprise retirement. Vogel was let go by the Pacers because team president Larry Bird felt the locker room needed a new voice — even after an injury-riddled 45-37 playoff season.
Vogel now takes over the still-young Magic, who have a compelling front court thanks to the offseason additions of Serge Ibaka and Bismack Biyombo to go alongside Nikola Vucevic and Aaron Gordon. They played their preseason opener Sunday night, losing 102-97 to the Grizzlies, but they showed potential and versatility in their pairings.
Sporting News spoke with Vogel by phone last week about his impact on those decisions, his vision for the team and those players, as well as about his old team and one former player. What follows is a transcript of the interview:
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