The Magic are trying to figure out whether last season's disappointment was more the result of a coaching problem or a roster construction problem.

While Orlando largely stuck with its core heading into this season, the franchise is hoping the firing of coach Jamahl Mosley and hire of Sean Sweeney is enough to vault the team into the upper echelon of the East.

Sweeney appears to be making a strong first impression. Veteran center Wendell Carter Jr. praised Sweeney's "championship habits" ahead of the season, indicating he sees no ceiling for the Magic with the new head coach.

Here's what Carter had to say, plus a look at Sweeney's background.

Wendell Carter Jr. praises Sean Sweeney

Carter told ScoopB.com that Sweeney has brought "championship habits" to Orlando.

"The group that we have here, these guys want to win. They’re going to do whatever it takes to win, and I think a guy like Coach Sweeney coming from coaching at the highest level, playing for a championship, understanding what it looks like and what it’s not supposed to look like," Carter said. "You mix those two things together, you have a recipe for a chance to shock the world. When you have a team who’s willing and able to adapt to what championship habits look like, and then you implement those championship habits, the sky’s the limit."

Carter admits it takes buy-in from everyone to reach those lofty goals, but he's confident the Magic have the right core to compete in the East.

"You can think that the East is too loaded for us now, but at the end of the day, it’s still five guys on each team who have to lace up and go out there and win the game, and I like us against anyone," he said.

Sweeney is a first-time head coach, but he has coached in the NBA Finals twice. Here's more on his background.

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Sean Sweeney coaching timeline

  • 2011-13: Nets (video coordinator)
  • 2013-14: Nets (assistant coach)
  • 2014-18: Bucks (assistant coach)
  • 2018-21: Pistons (assistant coach)
  • 2021-25: Mavericks (assistant coach)
  • 2025-26: Spurs (associate head coach)
  • 2026-present: Magic (head coach)

There is one caveat to Carter's comments: Sweeney hasn't won a championship as a coach, though Carter did say Sweeney's experience includes "coaching for a championship."

Originally a video coordinator under Avery Johnson with the Nets, Sweeney worked under Jason Kidd in Brooklyn, Milwaukee and Dallas for a total of nine seasons. Sweeney also spent three seasons on Dwane Casey's bench in Detroit, and he earned the role of associate head coach under Mitch Johnson in San Antonio last season.

Sweeney has twice reached the NBA Finals, as he was on the Mavericks' staff in 2024 and the Spurs' staff in 2026. Both of those teams lost, but Sweeney knows what it's like to be in a winning environment.