The Orlando Magic saw a potential power vacuum at the top of the Eastern Conference and cashed in all of their chips. Making a blockbuster trade to bring in Desmond Bane to fix their shooting woes, it seemed like a match made in heaven.
But while the star shooting guard held up his end of the bargain in Wednesday’s play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers, the team seems to be heading in the wrong direction. After a disastrous showing against the 76ers, many NBA observers called for Orlando to fire head coach Jamahl Mosley.
Magic HC Jamahl Mosley Is Officially On the Hot Seat
Entering the coaching ranks more than two decades ago, Mosley started as a player development coach before holding an assistant coach position for nearly 15 years. Then, he finally got his big break in 2021, when he took over the Magic.
It took them a couple of years, but Mosley found a good recipe with Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner as his star players, taking Orlando to the No. 4 seed in 2024. A first-round loss ended their year, but it seemed like the team was set up to be a force in the East for many years.
Unfortunately, in the two years since, it seems like they have regressed quite a bit. Last year, the team won just 41 games, won in the play-in, and then got demolished in the first round in five games.
This season, while they won 45 games, they were once again in the play-in as the No. 8 seed. Facing a Sixers team without Joel Embiid, it should have been relatively easy for them to get a win. However, no win comes easy to the Magic, as they just recently lost to the depleted Boston Celtics without Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Nikola Vucevic, Payton Pritchard, and others on the final day of the regular season to lose the No. 7 seed.
Against Philly, Orlando delivered a disastrous offensive showing and scored just 97 points. Outside of Bane, who had 34 points on the night, no one could get it going. Banchero, in particular, had a rough game with just 18 points while shooting a measly 7-for-22 from the field (including 0-of-5 from deep).
Immediately after the game, the anger towards the team was palpable. NBA observers were blown away by the lack of creativity and competence on offense. As Tony Jones of The Athletic exclaimed, “Mannnnnnnnnn, Orlando runs awful offense…..Their sets are flat-out awful… bro, it’s jarring to watch”
Going a step further, NBA analyst Keith Smith added: “The least creative offense in the entire league. And that’s including the 10 teams who didn’t give a crap about winning a game for at least the last couple months of the season.”
Chris Vernon of The Ringer, for instance, went the sarcastic route: “Im not a coach but I feel like Orlando would find more success if players moved. At all.”
Im not a coach but I feel like Orlando would find more success if players moved. At all.
— Chris Vernon (@ChrisVernonShow) April 16, 2026
PFSN’s Alex Kennedy joined in on the vitriol.
“The Magic’s offense is so hard to watch,” Kennedy wrote. A large swath of the NBA community believes the only solution for Orlando is to embrace change.
“How do the Magic not make a coaching change this offseason?” Adam Kauffman of ESPN Radio wrote.
Brad Larson believes the Magic need to fire Mosley and president of basketball operations Jeff Weltman after such a disappointing season.
“High likelihood the Magic get blown out by Charlotte. Kinda fitting end to I think the worst season in franchise history. Almost need it to completely clean house. Mosley is obvious, but [Jeff] Weltman has to go [too], it’s critically important he’s gone,” he wrote.
Soon, Kennedy revealed the replacement he had in mind. “What a disappointing season for the Orlando Magic. Call Taylor Jenkins TOMORROW. I’m intrigued by what this Magic team could look like with a better head coach and a real offensive scheme.”
Jenkins, the former Memphis Grizzlies head coach, led them to 56 wins and the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference in 2021-22 before being fired rather unceremoniously. He has long been viewed as one of the best coaches available and a solid fit for Orlando.
His experience and proven track record could make all the difference for the Magic. Moreover, he would also be reunited with Bane, whose career took off under his system.
It remains to be seen how the season ends for the Magic. Friday’s play-in game against Charlotte will give them an opportunity to at least continue their playoff streak. But the problems that this season has exposed are hard to overlook, regardless of the next game’s results.
It will be interesting to see how the organization proceeds once this season comes to an official end.
