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Orlando Magic News: Scott Skiles Leaves Magic With Several Questions

By Ernest Shepard
Published on: 23:30 PST, May 12, 2016

In a stunning turn of events, the Scott Skiles’ coaching tenure with the Orlando Magic lasted but one season.

NBA.com reports that Skiles has stepped down as head coach of the Magic after they finished with a 35-47 record. The Magic missed the playoffs yet again, extending their postseason absence to four years.

Scott Skiles seemed like a great fit for an up and coming Orlando Magic team, filled with young talent. He was expected to turn the fortunes around for a team that struggled after the bitter departure of center Dwight Howard in the 2012 offseason.

With his penchant for coaxing a hardworking attitude from teams with young or inferior talent, Skiles was supposed to keep the Magic within striking distance of the NBA Playoffs. For much of the season, he did as much. That the Orlando Magic fell short is not a surprise. What is surprising is Scott Skiles’ resignation after just one season. According to Complex Sports, Skiles quitting even caught a few players off guard.

Orlando Magic guard Evan Fournier displayed his shock in a tweet, which was too graphic to post but can be seen here.

Skiles did offer a statement regarding his departure.

“After much thought and careful consideration, I and I alone, have come to the conclusion that I am not the right head coach for this team. Therefore, effective immediately, I resign my position as head coach of the Orlando Magic. I realize this type of decision can cause much speculation. The reality though is in the first sentence. It is simple and true. Any other rumors are pure conjecture.”

It is unknown why Scott Skiles decided to back away from the position beyond that he felt he was not the right coach for the Magic. Who exactly the right coach for the Orlando Magic might be is one of the questions he leaves that need answers.

Now that Skiles is out as the coach of the Orlando Magic another vacancy is created, three questions must be answered:

  • Are they any star players on the Orlando Magic?
  • Is the Orlando Magic job a good one?
  • Who should coach the Orlando Magic?

There are some really good players on the Magic’s roster. It is tough to single out one player who is a possible NBA all-star, though. At the very least, there is a lot of potential on the team that finished nine games out of a playoff berth.

Players such as Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, and Elfrid Payton have tremendous upside. The quartet could become borderline all-stars if the Magic are to have a winning record while they are on the team.

Each player is under the age of 26. There is some time to work with this group. Problems arrive when identifying a budding star.

Victor Oladipo is an excellent player, perhaps a poor man’s version of the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade, but is he star potential? The same must be asked of Payton, Gordon, and Vucevic. Next season will be important to see which player, or players, can take the next step in their development.

Just judging from the current Orlando Magic roster, the vacancy is the third-best job available. That could drastically improve depending on the results of the upcoming NBA Draft Lottery. If the Magic were to somehow leapfrog teams to land a top-3 draft pick, that position becomes more attractive. If it does not work out in the Magic’s favor, there is no reason for doom and gloom. The young nucleus is good enough on its own to contend for the NBA Playoffs for the next two or three seasons.

As of now, the Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets posts are the best vacancies. They have established stars who are top-12 players in Paul George and James Harden. There is not a single person on the Orlando Magic roster who comes close to either of those two. Before it is regarded as a slight to the Magic players, keep in mind that the right coach can unlock the potential that is evident on the roster.

What needs notation is that Orlando is small-market team. Any coach who gets the job must be community oriented. Former Phoenix Suns’ coach Jeff Hornacek is the one confirmed candidate for the Magic’s job. He is also a leading candidate for the Pacers’ position. Hornacek had some success in developing players in Phoenix, a small market from an NBA standpoint, but how they bottomed out this past season cannot go ignored. That hiring would be a solid one, not spectacular.

Bringing onboard Frank Vogel or Mark Jackson would be a huge step in the right direction for the Orlando Magic.

Both Vogel and Jackson have led teams to the postseason. They have also guided stars during the early stages of their careers. Frank Vogel oversaw Paul George, while Mark Jackson had Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.

Like Jeff Hornacek, Frank Vogel and Mark Jackson took over young teams who had a ton of talent. Their results are just different in terms of playoff appearances.

Truthfully, the Orlando Magic would be fine with either of the three coaches leading the team. Who was perhaps the wrong choice for the Magic was Scott Skiles. The initial thought behind hiring him was ideal, but he has left them with little explanation. The Orlando Magic is the second NBA franchise he has done that to. The first being the Chicago Bulls.

While it is terrible for the Orlando Magic that hiring Scott Skiles did not pan out the way they hoped it would, he did leave the team in an upwards position. How far up they can go depends on who the Magic hire next.

[Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images]

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