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Orlando Magic: 5 Best Candidates To Replace Scott Skiles As Head Coach

By Gerald Bourguet

Mar 21, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles on the side line during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 21, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles on the side line during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /
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Now that Scott Skiles has resigned, here are the five best candidates to replace him as head coach of the Orlando Magic.

Orlando Magic
Mar 21, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles on the side line during the second quarter against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports /

It’s never surprising to see the NBA head coaching carousel spin unpredictably out of control, leaving us all dizzy trying to figure out when the ride will ever end. This season though, the game has a musical chairs component to it, with quality candidates here today, gone tomorrow and somewhere else the next day.

The latest casualty? Death by a self-inflicted wound, with Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles abruptly announcing his resignation Thursday morning in a statement released by the team.

Despite increasing Orlando’s win total by 10 games in his first season on the job, Skiles was reportedly unhappy and didn’t see eye-to-eye on with general manager Rob Hennigan on a number of issues.

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According to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Skiles wasn’t impressed with some of the team’s young talent — point guard Elfrid Payton in particular. The hard-nosed coach was “disenchanted” with the mindset of the modern NBA player and the highly criticized Tobias Harris trade reportedly had his fingerprints all over it.

Now the Magic are without a promising young swing forward AND their head coach. The unhappy Skiles has left Orlando in a bad place, but depending on who comes in to replace him, perhaps the front office can get its wish of returning to the playoffs sooner rather than later.

Here’s a look at the best candidates — starting with a few honorable mentions — for the job of coaching an Orlando Magic roster that’s bursting with potential, youth and defensive skill sets.

Next: Honorable Mentions

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