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Steve Clifford brings nostalgia, but he must carve his own path

The Orlando Magic are rightfully cautious with nostalgia.

The last time they welcomed a coach back “home” was with Scott Skiles. It provided a nice boost for fans and put some shine on a difficult situation. Skiles got the most out of a young team to get them to a 19-13 start. But his hard-driving ways and evaluation of the Magic’s roster differed from management.

He was a true nostalgia hire. Someone who never meshed well with the overall vision of the team and then pushed the organization to change course completely — above both management and coach.