Orlando Magic Must Accelerate Coach Search
The Chicago Bulls are holding Tom Thibodeau hostage. Despite their seeming interest, the Orlando Magic appear ready to move on to other options.
The biggest decision the Orlando Magic have to make this summer — the one that will shape the future of the franchise as much as anything — is who takes the lead chair and becomes the team’s head coach. There have been a lot of names thrown around and the pickings have been a little slim.
Reading the tea leaves, it seems the Magic are focusing intently on Tom Thibodeau. They seem willing to give the house, although K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune reported that intense interest might be overstated.
Ultimately, though, the decision with Thibodeau rests in the Bulls letting him out of his contract. They will want compensation and can hold him somewhat hostage as the Magic or some other team comes up with a compensation package just to talk with him.
Like everyone else, there is some urgency for the Bulls to have their coaching situation settled for the same reasons the Magic.
Then comes Johnson’s latest report that Thibodeau might rather sit the year out rather than be held hostage:
Reported yesterday that Magic interest in Thibodeau has been overstated. Could be Bulls or bust, as in take year off. Stay tuned.
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) May 23, 2015
And then came the news from Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, reporting Scott Skiles emerged as the favorite for the Magic, in perhaps a sign the Magic are done waiting.
This seems to be an ever-evolving story. One that will continue to wind throughout the next few weeks, culminating hopefully before the NBA Draft takes place June 25.
The report Thibodeau could be willing to stay in Chicago or sit out the year rather than be held hostage by this increasingly untenable situation could just be a ploy to push the Bulls into movement faster. It may be a way to inform the Bulls they may not get anything for him if they do not make a decision quickly.
Magic CEO Alex Martins has already said the Magic will be deliberate with their coaching search. There is no set timetable for making a decision.
And the Magic—although it has largely gone unreported—have to be making contacts with other coaches.
The reports the public do have include a Des Moines report the Magic have reached out to Iowa State head coach Fred Hoiberg, a supposed favorite for the Bulls possibly open head coaching position. Marc Stein’s reports the Magic’s list includes Scott Skiles and former Kings coach Mike Malone.
And, of course, the report Skiles is the favorite among those two.
The meat of Stein’s report from the other day is that Jeff Van Gundy could be interested in taking the Pelicans’ open job.
This is all to say, with the news Scott Brooks is planning on taking a year off rather than take any of the available open jobs (again, could be a bargaining ploy to get his job sooner rather than waiting for Thibodeau or it could be genuinely sincere), the prospects for head coaches is somewhat drying up.
Martins is not willing to give a timeline publicly — nor should he in this silly game of negotiation chicken. The Magic are pretty well known in the last three years to take this decision carefully and do thorough background research. They are going to be carefully vetting all the candidates available to them to make sure they get the right guy.
Thibodeau is still the best coach (supposedly) available. If he is considering the Magic, it would be silly not to wait on him and see if a deal can be struck. Thibodeau is the kind of coach that could make the Magic’s current roster instantly better — potentially Playoff better — just on his mere presence and ideas.
There does not seem to be any other coach available that can do that. The rest of the coaching candidates do not have the same mojo about them. They are all much more considerable risks or stop gaps and also-rans that go through the coaching carousel every few years.
Skiles, for instance, has gained generally negative response among fans. His record as a coach is a mediocre 443-433 overall and he has made the Playoffs in seven of his 13 seasons as a head coach. His teams made it out of the first round twice in those seven appearances.
Skiles’ tenures with Phoenix, Chicago and Milwaukee have had very similar characteristics—his teams play tough, hard-nosed defense and then he wears into his players, preventing them from taking the next step.
With Skiles it seems everything is pretty well known. Maybe the Magic are satisfied with just getting to the Playoffs, accepting the fact they will have to search for a new coach in three or four seasons again.
This decision is incredibly important for this team. It could set the team in the right direction of building toward winning a championship, cap it off at mediocrity or cause the whole thing to reset.
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What this news suggests more than anything else, however, is the Magic are done waiting. They are looking to move forward sooner rather than later. They can no longer afford to wait and are looking to push the issue to resolve the coaching issue.
That might mean Scott Skiles is the best option available. And if the team wants to move forward quickly, then they should go with the best option available.
Thibodeau may not be that if he cannot otherwise get out of his contract or the Bulls are going to hold him hostage for a first round pick. And the pickings seem slim as someone has to fill the job.
Skiles might be the best available—the best of bad choices.
That is not reassuring. But neither is heading into the Draft — a Draft and offseason where the team desperately needs to establish and refine an identity and build a clear direction with their acquisitions—without someone in the lead chair.
Anything still seems possible. But time is running out.
The Magic appear done waiting and are ready to move forward.