Clifford applauds players as they wait for NBA to resume
Orlando Magic coach Steve Clifford has kept busy with film study — on his own team as well as potential playoff opponents — and staying in touch with players and staff during the NBA hiatus brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
But Clifford is ready for the NBA season, on hold since March 11, to resume.
“It’ll be great,” he said Tuesday during a telephone interview with the Orlando Sentinel.
Moments before the interview began, Clifford was on a call with one of his players.
He said most of them are anxious for a decision to be made on restarting the season.
“These guys are ready to roll,” Clifford said. “They just can’t wait to get back in the gym.
“I can’t wait either.”
Clifford and his team — as well as the rest of league — should know when they can resume team workouts.
The league’s Board of Governors is expected to vote Thursday on a return-to-play proposal from commissioner Adam Silver.
The league has set a return target date for July 31, and multiple reports have indicated the most likely format will involve 22 teams playing at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney World.
In the meantime, the Magic will continue their voluntary individual workouts.
The team opened its practice facility for the workouts on May 14 and the response has been positive, Clifford said.
“We’ve got a good bunch of guys. I think they’ve
made a good commitment,” Clifford said.
While Clifford applauds and appreciates the workouts, he also acknowledges they can’t replace full-team practices, with the 5-on-5 play and physical contact that go with them.
“Guys will work hard now. I trust our guys,” he said. “I think they’ll do whatever they can do. Being on the court every day for 45 minutes to an hour is a good thing to do, but obviously it’s a long way from playing 5-on-5.”
Because head coaches are not allowed to attend the workouts, Clifford remains in constant communication with assistant coaches as well as Magic high performance director David Tenney and head strength and conditioning coach Nathan Spencer.
Clifford said the two seem “very pleased” with the workouts.
“I think the first week was a little bit difficult [for players],” he said. “The conditioning is a factor but also it’s their rhythm and feeling the ball in their hand and their skill level. Even as talented as these guys are, when you go a few days and you’re not able to shoot, it takes a little bit to get that back.”
The NBA limits the number of players at a practice facility to four per workout session. Two can be working out on each end of the court, while the other two can utilize the weight and/ or training room.
For the Magic, that means players can get in conditioning, strength, core and flexibility work, Clifford said. He said players have made strides in strength training under the direction of head strength coach Nathan Spencer.
“Nathan’s terrific and he’s been pleased with how the guys have worked in the weight room,” Clifford said.
You can certainly count Mo Bamba in that group. The second-year center has added nearly 30 pounds during the hiatus, but most of it appears to be muscle.
Assistant coach Mike Batiste works with Bamba and called Clifford after Bamba’s first voluntary workout.
Batiste was impressed with Bamba’s work and told Clifford that Bamba “looks good” and feels the additional pounds have been “good weight.”
“You know, sometimes when guys gain weight, it’s not always good weight. Mo was able to do it, and he did it in a way that his body fat didn’t go up a great deal either,” Clifford said.