Should we be concerned the Orlando Magic’s coaching search is taking this long?
Doyle: I am not too worried about it. Give it another week or two and then I will take notice. I think the Orlando Magic need to get things settled by June. With the Draft around the corner, it will be super important for a coach to be in place by then. This job is not the most intriguing for the top candidates. I feel like the concern comes from how quiet Orlando has kept their search. Frankly, as long as the Magic hire the right coach, one that is popular among the fan base and pundits around the league, I will feel confident in the Magic’s front office.
Henderson: The Orlando Magic need to be concerned because the Draft is too close not to have a leader or direction. What if the Magic do not have a coach before the draft? That would be a disaster. The Magic have less than a month to select a coach before the draft, and I would imagine they would need to know who is the coach and system before selecting players. It is very important for a coach to feel comfortable during the Draft process so they will have faith in the players on the roster during their first year on board.
Rossman-Reich: I do not think fans should be overly concerned. But they certainly should be a little anxious. The lack of information has led to wild speculation and deep concern in the fan base. That is all a bit unfair. But that anxiety is understandable. The process is going to go however quickly it can go. Is this a sign coaches are not as high on the Orlando Magic’s job? Is this a sign Orlando is going after some big fish still that no other team thought they could get? We will have to stay tuned. If we go another week without a coach, then I might get a little concerned. If the hire does not really have much sizzle (the Kelvin Sampson hire was not one winning in the press), then we should be concerned. For now, patient anxiety is the proper response.
Scricca: I do not think it is a big deal until we start encroaching on the Draft. Like I said before, it is important to know the team’s infrastructure before betting on specific players to develop within your organization. At this point, I am assuming they are doing due diligence but that might turn to some anxiety if there is still no hire the first week of June.
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Racine: Yes, we should be concerned the Orlando Magic’s coaching search is taking so long. The candidates are there. I am concerned the Magic are not willing to pay its next coach a ton because Frank Vogel’s contract is still on the payroll for two more years. With such delay and rumors the Magic are interested in Houston Cougars’ coach Kelvin Sampson, I am not expecting a big name to get the job. Orlando Magic fans should forget about former Toronto Raptors’ Head Coach Dwane Casey.
Palmer: I do not see why it matters how long it takes. I mean, if they do not hire a coach in time to help prep for the Draft then it is definitely an issue. Look, I can only hypothesize why the search is taking so long. But I would have to imagine it is because the team is being extremely thorough and want to nail this hire. As long as they did not miss out on a guy they really wanted, timing does not really mean much.
Flynn: I am not so much concerned with the timeliness of finding a coach as I am with the reported rumors (granted there have not been many) of the coaches being considered. As I write this, Marc Stein of The New York Times has tweeted out the Magic are interviewing Steve Clifford and Kelvin Sampson is still being considered. Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel has reported that Jerry Stackhouse has not been interviewed as of a couple of weeks ago. Essentially, the timeliness alone does not concern me. But accompany that with the few reports we have been given draw concern the Magic coaching job is not nearly as desirable as we may have thought. I cannot help but wonder if four coaches in the last six years has something to do with it.