Five Head Coaching Candidates Who Could Replace Scott Skiles In Orlando

Orlando Magic v Phoenix Suns
Getty Image

Scott Skiles delivered shockwaves to the NBA world on Thursday morning when he unexpectedly resigned as head coach of the Orlando Magic.

Everyone, including the Magic, appeared to by blindsided by the decision. Skiles is a demanding head coach whose style has worn thin on past teams, but there was nothing to suggest that Skiles had worn out his welcome in Orlando. The Magic improved by 10 wins under Skiles’ watch in 2014-15 and their young core made positive steps in development.

Skiles’ resignation makes Orlando one of the more interesting coaching vacancies in the league.

Between Victor Oladipo, Elfrid Payton, Mario Hezojna and Aaron Gordon, the Magic have a young, talented slab of clay in need of molding. Development should take precedent over winning games, which gives a potential coach the opportunity to teach and experiment with strategy and lineups. That philosophy should factor in to the Magic’s coaching search, because the next few seasons are crucial to their ability to open up a title window for the first time since Dwight Howard’s departure.

Here are five coaches the Magic should consider.

Frank Vogel

Vogel’s tenure in Indiana was also cut short unexpectedly when Larry Bird decided to move on from the winningest head coach in Pacers history. Vogel’s ability to craft a defensive scheme around players with varying skill sets should pique Orlando’s interest. Nikola Vucevic rebounds like a maniac, but he struggles to defend the rim. With Oladipo, Payton and Gordon playing major minutes, Vogel should be able to craft a defensive scheme around Vucevic’s deficiencies. He somehow guided Indiana to a top-three defense with Monta Ellis chasing butterflies in his starting lineup.

More importantly, Vogel could play a critical role in Gordon’s development. Paul George was nothing more than a nice three-and-D wing in the early stages of his career. Vogel helped guide George through the obstacle-laden path toward becoming a star. Gordon has the highest potential of anyone on the Magic’s roster. His development will put a ceiling on how high Orlando can rise.

Jeff Van Gundy

Van Gundy has spent nearly a decade away from the coach’s seat, but he may be itching to get back in the league. If you’ve ever heard a Van Gundy broadcast, it’s evident that he loves to teach. Orlando needs a coach who has patience and loves to teach because young players make constant mistakes in the NBA. Moreover, Van Gundy isn’t afraid to experiment with new strategies or lineups. Although he hasn’t been in the league for several years, it’s pretty clear through his numerous broadcast rants that he has a number of crazy ideas and isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of modernity within the NBA.

Ettore Messina

In 2014, Messina was hired as an assistant with the Spurs after a decorated career in the Euroleague. Messina is considered to be a brilliant mind by many around the league. He loved playing an uptempo style with his Euroleague teams, which would suit Orlando’s personnel. The time he’s spent within the Spurs organization should give Messina the tools to implement a healthy culture for this young Orlando team. It also presents a low pressure situation for Messina to adjust to the daily grind of being an NBA head coach, much like David Blatt’s situation with the Cavs before LeBron’s second decision.

mike d'antoni
Getty Image

Adrian Griffin

Griffin is currently an assistant on the Magic coaching staff. He would be an internal hire that could maintain a level of consistency from last season. Griffin spent five seasons learning under Tom Thibodeau in Chicago after a nine year career as a player. His defensive principles would do wonders to improve the Magic’s 17th-ranked defense. With experience as both a player and coach, Griffin would bring a steady hand to the Magic.

Mike D’Antoni

D’Antoni works as an antidote to Scott Skiles. If the Magic want to shift in a completely different direction then D’Antoni is their man. He’s a revolutionary offensive coach who would instantly raise the Magic’s offensive prowess. Payton may not be the ideal D’Antoni point guard, but his athleticism and playmaking ability would shine bright in an uptempo system and Gordon could function as a new age Shawn Marion. This Magic team would be insanely fun to watch. If Orlando wants to sell tickets and create some buzz, D’Antoni is a candidate to look out for.

×