Is Scott Skiles An Early Coach Of The Year Candidate?

Since taking over at the start of the season, Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles has pushed the team in the right direction.

In many ways this NBA season has been wildly unpredictable already. We knew the Golden State Warriors would be good, but 22-0? No way.

For many others it’s been a tale of failing to live up to expectations, with everybody from the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets to the Milwaukee Bucks (9-13 and at the bottom of their division after making some noise last season) struggling for form.

Which makes what Orlando Magic head coach Scott Skiles has been quietly doing all the more impressive. Although we’re only in December, he’s made some small and big moves internally that has this team at 11-9 right now and in the playoff picture.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: Every NBA Team’s Mount Rushmore

Equally as important, he’s gotten a young team to believe in itself more and buy into defending as a team, which has led to the Magic pulling out close games they would have lost as recently as last year.

In fact, when you look at how many other teams have faltered out of the gate, can we say that Skiles is in the running for Coach of the Year at this early stage? Let’s take a look at some of the key decisions he’s made that bolster his case. At the very least, it will shine some light on the excellent job he’s done so far.

In previous stops with the Phoenix Suns, Chicago Bulls and Bucks, Skiles has improved the team’s defense while also leading them back to the playoffs. So far, a similar theme appears to be occurring in Orlando. With the league geared towards three-point shooting these days, a good place to start is with how the Magic are defending the all-important three-point shot this season.

Last year they ranked 29th in the league in made three-point shots conceded with opponents shooting 37 percent against them. A poor number, especially when you consider the young and athletic players on the roster at least capable of chasing shooters off the line. This year it’s shrunk down to 33 percent, a mark that currently has them seventh in the league in that category.

Building on that, teams shot 46.3 percent from the floor against the Magic last season (28th in the league). As of right now that number is 42.2 percent, which has them fourth in the NBA. Perhaps no two numbers paint a more simple picture that this is a team that is making big strides in stopping opponents from scoring.

Within those numbers there are more subtle changes that account for this team improving on the defensive end. Center Nikola Vucevic, known as a fantastic offensive big but lacking on the other end, is averaging 1.2 blocks per game. That’s a career high.

More than that, his defensive plus/minus when on the court is plus-1.8, also a career high (and miles better than the minus-0.1 of a year ago).

Beyond that, the Magic scored 95.7 points per game last season (25th in the league). So far this season that number has broken through the 100 mark (101.6, 12th in the NBA) while they’re now a top-10 outfit in team assists per contest (ninth with 22.4, they were 23rd last year with 20.6).

So even offensively the ball is moving more freely with the result being more points scored each night. Combine that with a much improved defense, and your team is going places.

Personnel changes have had an impact on the overall improved team play, and perhaps this is where Skiles should get the most credit for his time in charge so far. This is a young and hungry team eager to leave their losing days behind them. With some veterans added to that mix and no apparent troublemakers, getting them to buy into a system should almost be expected.

But bringing Channing Frye in from the cold has been a masterstroke for Skiles and one that has paid dividends already. Frye only appeared in only one of the team’s first five games, and looked a dead certainty to be moved before the trade deadline.

Then Skiles decided to suddenly reinstate him to the starting lineup (he’s started eight of the 15 games he’s appeared in) and play him about 15 minutes a night.

While his numbers don’t jump off the page, they don’t have to as he has become a specialist for this team. He was a key factor in the team recently winning five straight, with Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens comparing him to Kyle Korver in that he was a constant and consistent threat with his three-point shooting.

That’s proved true so far this season, Frye has has downtown mojo back and he’s shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc, the second-best mark of his career. He’s doing so while posting an effective field goal percentage of 58 percent, far and away a career high for him.

What he’s doing is giving his team concentrated doses of three-point shooting and leadership, and it’s working right now.

Of course in order for Frye to become a starter another change had to be made, and that was the biggest one of all so far, bringing Victor Oladipo off the bench. Given how Oladipo has been hyped as the future face of this team since day one and is a former second overall pick, that was a brave call to make.

But to the player’s credit he took the move on the chin, and has turned in some great performances since the move.

Skiles clearly knew he’d push the right buttons with Oladipo by moving him to the bench, and while he still sees starter’s minutes (averaging 33 minutes a game this season) the move has helped the team as a whole. That includes giving Evan Fournier more freedom to continue his breakout season, something else Skiles should get credit for.

Fournier was nothing more than a rotation player last season, and few would have cared if that had remained the same going into this year. Instead Fournier is averaging career highs in minutes (33.2), points (16.3) and Player Efficiency Rating (15.4), all while shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Skiles gave him the chance, and he has delivered in a big way.

These are some great reasons why Skiles should be a coach of the year candidate at this point in the season. As mentioned what also helps his cause is how other supposedly superior teams have struggled thus far as well. But already Skiles has developed a culture, defensive mentality and made some big and brave calls in terms of who plays and when.

Next: 25 Best Players to Play for the Orlando Magic

It has the Orlando Magic playing competitive basketball in the improved Eastern Conference. It has been noticed.