Former Washington Wizards head coach Randy Wittman might be a solid fit for the young Orlando Magic, who have a coaching vacancy
40 percent of NBA coaches have lost their jobs this season and the Washington Wizards were a part of that statistic.
While teams like the Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves had their eyes set on a particular coach, the rest of the teams all went through a lengthy process.
During that process, plenty of new faces, familiar retreads and college coaches are interviewed for a shot to lead one of the 30 greatest basketball teams on the planet.
Believe it or not, Randy Wittman has already been rumored to have been in that select, prestigious cast of people.
Wittman, who led the Wizards to consecutive appearances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals and a .500 finish this past season despite a ridiculous amount of injuries, has patched up his damaged reputation by having some success in the nation’s capital.
Coaches like Wittman have a tendency to creep back into the league and take advantage of opportunities when they were never even initially considered for the gig.
Wittman was never actually hired by the Wizards – he took over for the late Flip Saunders in 2012 on an interim basis – but ended up having a four year head coaching career.
Today it was announced that Scott Skiles, who took the head coaching job from the Orlando Magic last year, resigned as head coach of his team.
Skiles reportedly didn’t like the direction of the team and disagreed with general manager Rob Hennigan on several fronts, so instead of continuing he decided to quit.
Now the Magic will join the Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers and Houston Rockets on a quest for a new head coach.
Frank Vogel and Jeff Van Gundy are probably the best well-known coaches available, but there are four vacancies. The other spots will likely be filled by coaches with experience.
The Magic are a young team that failed to take advantage of early momentum this past season.
Skiles’ team had been playing above .500 basketball and were right in the middle of the NBA Playoff picture, but slowly fell down the standings and missed the postseason.
After news of Skiles’ resignation became public, Hennigan spoke about the qualities he wants in the next coach:
"Hennigan said the Magic have not been in touch with any candidates for the job, and Martins said late Thursday afternoon the Magic would spend the next 24 hours outlining the qualities of a potential hire and creating a list of prospective candidates. But Hennigan stated the Magic will seek a coach who places “an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor.”"
Before the Wizards wanted to implement an offense based on increased pace-and-space, the team was one of the best in the league defensively. Wittman instilled a sense of accountability and the players bought into his system.
For three straight seasons, the Wizards donned a top-10 defense. While that went away this season due to personnel and identity changes, much of the Wizards’ success on the defensive end of the floor could be attributed to Wittman.
If the Magic are considering coaches who place “an emphasis on the defensive end of the floor,” then Wittman should be considered.
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There is an issue, though.
Wittman is one of the most stubborn coaches in the NBA and that prevented the Washington Wizards from developing their younger players, which is a primary reason they chased Scott Brooks, a known player developer.
The Magic have a very young core that needs to develop and I’m not certain Wittman would be a great fit in that regard.
Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo, Aaron Gordon and Evan Fournier are all in their early 20s and need to elevate their respective games.
On the flip side, though, Wittman’s reluctance to give young players a chance to actually play might end if he joined Orlando.
The players that Wittman failed to develop – Otto Porter, Kelly Oubre, Kevin Seraphin, Chris Singleton, Jan Vesely and others – had veteran players ahead of them in the rotation.
The Magic’s best players are all young and Wittman would be forced to play them. Plus, you would hope that Wittman learned from the mistakes he made in Washington.
Given the success Wittman had in Washington, it’s safe to say he will likely be considered for other head coaching jobs very soon. His name has already been linked to the Knicks and Pacers, and it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets an interview with the Magic.
In many ways, Wittman and Skiles are very similar. They prefer having a roster that’s built around veteran players and they value defense. The rosters both coaches led are similar too. Payton and Oladipo have the potential to become one of the best back court duos in the Eastern Conference – just like John Wall and Bradley Beal.
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If the Magic are looking for a dedicated coach who’s going to hold his players accountable, Wittman will at least be considered for the gig. As the situation develops and the Magic compile their list of coaches, Wittman should be a name that sparks some interest.