The Orlando Magic continue to explore their options as far as who their next head coach would be and the latest on this is that Scott Skiles has now been elevated at the top of the list of head coaching candidates.
The Magic had a sorry season and eventually fired Jacque Vaughn who managed to lead the team to a dismal 27-57 record. With a young team that needs shaping up, it looks like the Magic have diverted their attention to defensive-minded coach who has been around.
Skiles has had previous head coaching stints with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks and his defensive wizardry seems to interest the Magic – probably a sign that Orlando will be focusing more on defense in the coming season.
Of course, Skiles is also expected to showcase his offensive knowledge. Skiles holds the NBA record for assists in one game with 30 and has been known to be a reliable point guard during his prime. From his credentials both as a coach and a player, it seems that Skiles could be in for a homecoming of sorts.
Tom Thibodeau was originally at the top of the list but apparently the Magic are getting impatient on the eventual divorce between Thibodeau and the Bulls. To date, there is still no word on the status of Thibodeau with the Bulls despite majority belief that he will be ousted soon.
The Magic have a solid core made up of Victor Oldaipo, Elfrid Payton and Nikola Vucevic and Skiles could help mold the young turks into competitive form on both ends for the Magic.
But the real deal here is that the Magic are looking to improve on the defensive end.
Last season, the team allowed an average of 101.4 points per outing and it seems that they want someone to bring down that points allowed output. Skiles could very well do something about that though it has to be made official first.
