A number of hours earlier than their franchise-altering evening, the Orlando Magic made a uncommon change.
Jeff Weltman, president of basketball operations, was scheduled to be the Magic’s on-stage consultant at Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery.
But earlier than it began, nevertheless, coach Jamahl Mosley instructed Weltman he was “feeling a little lucky” and requested if he might change him on stage — a novel swap. Weltman agreed.
How a lot did that influence the Magic in the end profitable the lottery and securing the No. 1 decide within the NBA draft for the fourth time in franchise historical past?
As Weltman put it, “it didn’t hurt.”
The Magic fell within the draft lottery the three earlier occasions that he has been the consultant.
“I haven’t been very good at this,” stated Weltman. “It’s funny. Coach was feeling lucky, we let him roll the dice and tonight he’s the coach of the year.”
The dangerous fortune additionally predated Weltman’s 2017 arrival in Orlando. The Magic profitable the highest decide within the June 23 draft ended a development of staying at or falling from their pre-lottery positioning of their earlier 14 tries courting to 1993.
After ending the 2021-22 common season with the second-worst document, Orlando entered Tuesday tied with three different groups for one of the best possibilities of getting the No. 1 decide (14%) but in addition had a 59.8% probability of falling exterior the highest three.
There wasn’t a singular fortunate attraction Mosley introduced with him that made him imagine the NBA draft lottery misfortune that surrounded Orlando for nearly 20 years was going to finish.
Rather, it was a collective of latest occasions that made the 43-year-coach imagine it was the Magic’s flip to get fortunate.
Three individuals near Mosley had birthdays on Sunday: His oldest son, CJ; Orlando assistant coach Nate Tibbetts; and Magic guard Cole Anthony.
Mosley additionally attended a memorial service for a mentor on Sunday, the daddy of considered one of his closest buddy.
“Figured we got people looking out over us trying to make sure we get that No. 1 pick,” Mosley stated.
If there was a singular good luck attraction for the Magic inside McCormick Place, it might have been Cole DeVos — grandson of former Magic proprietor Rich DeVos and son of Magic chairman Dan DeVos.
Tuesday was Cole’s first time attending the draft lottery in individual.
“I was giving Jeff a hard time, like ‘maybe it’s a good thing that we have Jamahl up there because you were up there in the past…and we haven’t had the best of luck the past few years’,” Cole stated. “Having Jamahl up there, we had a couple of good luck charms. I felt good. The past few years I’ve been nothing but nervous, but walking in the building I felt good.”
Cole wore his grandfather’s watch, which was handed all the way down to him when Rich died in 2018, for the primary time throughout Tuesday’s lottery.
“I was actually thinking about putting it in a case,” Cole stated. “[Tuesday] felt like the right day to put it on for the first time. I know he’s looking down ecstatic for us and happy for this organization. This team was his pride and joy.”
That similar pleasure was felt by the Magic’s on-site contingent, with Orlando’s entrance workplace staying in Chicago for the remainder of the week for the draft mix that began Wednesday.
Orlando has the chance to regulate its future by including one other the highest prospect to its younger core that would embody a number of former lottery picks (Jalen Suggs, Franz Wagner, Mo Bamba — a restricted free agent, Wendell Carter Jr., Jonathan Isaac, Markelle Fultz) and first-round picks (Anthony, Chuma Okeke, R.J. Hampton, Moe Wagner) from the final 5 years.
“You walk into this situation with a group of young men that actually through an 82-game season,” Mosley stated. “They can talk about that experience and help the new group coming in getting to that next level.”
This article first appeared on OrlandoSentinel.com. Email Khobi Price at [email protected] or comply with him on Twitter at @khobi_price.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com