Orlando Magic: Breaking Down The Scott Skiles Hire

Scott Skiles

We’ll begin with Skiles, and for me the key thing here is that he has joined this team at the perfect time. The Magic were (And still are) in danger of getting stuck in a cycle of constant rebuilding that can be so difficult to get out of (Just ask the Minnesota Timberwolves).

So to me they’ve picked the right guy to bring them forward, but not bring them all the way. For me that’s the big thing here, I wouldn’t expect Skiles to be in charge in five years if, best case scenario, this team is aiming for the Eastern conference finals.

Just as he did with the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns over a decade ago, Skiles came in and took a team with playoff potential back to the postseason a couple of times. From there the teams had modest successes (The Suns beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the first round in 2000) before Skiles moved on and the teams went on to bigger and better things. Although both had deep playoff runs after he was gone but couldn’t get over the hump, it was the foundation that Skiles laid that helped to get them there.

For Orlando, this has to be what they hope will happen here. Turn already defensive stud Victor Oladipo and his backcourt partner Elfrid Payton into terriers on that end, while also trying to turn franchise center Nikola Vucevic into more of a rim protector. That should equal a playoff berth in the weaker East, and from there his job will nearly be done here. So it’s the right hire at the right time for me, a great fit.

Next: Could This Defensive Genius Have Done It Better?