Coaching Moves

Scott Skiles is the new coach in Orlando.  Skiles is a legendary hardass but he's a well-respected man in the business, nails as a player and as a coach. The Magic are a young team, they probably need discipline and cohesion from the top down right now. Skiles seems like a pretty good choice to me. If he's successful tightening up this squad for the next 2-3 years, then the Magic could move on to a players' coach for the playoff push. Don't seem right but that's the business and Skiles knows exactly how it works; he's working the same side of the paradigm as the Magic management right now. The next phase is gonna be tough, they need a tough guy and they got one.

Thibodeau is out, Fred Hoiberg is in in Chicago. The rumors on this have been swirling for more than a year, right? It seems like Thibs was 'out' in Chicago numerous times in the last few years. Well, it finally happened. Is Hoiberg worth all this hubbub?  I got no idea.  Guess we'll find out. The Bulls are a conundrum: they spend roughly half the time underachieving and the other half overachieving. Good luck, Fred.

Where does Thibs go?  Apparently not New Orleans or Denver (and definitely not Orlando).  The rumor going around lately is that some NBA coach is going to get fired any minute--and no one sees it coming.  Lakers?  (Scott's just a well-paid caretaker, we all know that)  Suns? (Hornacek seems to be doing a good job but Phoenix sounds like a treacherous place, never know what management has up its sleeve)  Nets?  (I see no reason to fire the coach...but I see no reason not to)  Do any of these locales think they can lure Coach Thibs right now?  Yeah, I reckon the Lakers could afford to quadruple up Byron's severance package just to overpay the next guy and Thibs is good enough to be there so the marriage doesn't seem farfetched.