The Magic hired Frank Vogel to be their head coach earlier today. Vogel will receive roughly $22MM over the next four seasons and the team is hoping he can develop its young core. The coach will inherit a team that won 35 games and has some nice pieces in place, but the current roster likely won’t yield one All-Star over the next few seasons.
Vogel compiled a record of 250-181 as the head coach of the Pacers. He also made back-to-back conference finals appearances in 2013 and 2014. He was able to interview for the Knicks vacancy before they offered the job to Jeff Hornacek and had he waited until next season to coach, he certainly would have garner interest among teams looking for a new head coach.
So that leads us to tonight’s question: Are the Magic a good fit for Frank Vogel or should he have waited for a better head coaching gig? Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the topic. We look forward to what you have to say.
22 million for a team with no expectations and a core of defensive players that fit his style ? Uh. Yeah he should have.
I felt like Vogel was a better fit in a couple of other spots, and I liked a couple of other candidates better for the Magic, but I think it should still be a good hire. I’m interested to see what happens in the draft, and what they do in free agency with their cap space after that Tobias Harris trade. If they don’t sign someone, that deal is even worse. What happens with Formier as a RFA? Then, they have to figure out the rotation b/c that has been an issue. Still, they have a really athletic core and they’ve been getting better, so this should be a big year for them
Yes, Vogel & the Magic are a great fit.. A group of young, high-energy guys who fit the profile of a defensively astute team, that just need development and patience (something Skiles didn’t have).. Vogel gets a nice payday, and with a background in Defence and Development, I don’t think there was a better fit to be honest..!?
Its a solid fit. Skiles did ok (+10 wins) and really helped Fournier and Oladipo make nice improvements; but Vogel is a clear upgrade and should make the Magic a playoff team (fingers-crossed).
I am curious as to what he’ll do with Vucevic, since Vogel is known to not play poor defensive bigs. The Magic will definitely need to sign a more compatible big (just in case he can’t make it work wit Vuc). Both Magic back up centers – and their most capable big defenders – Dewayne Dedmon and Jason Smith are free agents.
Another concern with Vogel is that his key weakness is the offensive end, and the Magic’s starting PG Elfrid Payton is absolutely horrible anywhere outside of the paint (.467 TS%).
Oladipo improved nicely under Skiles, reigning in his shot selection and staying focused on the defensive end – Vogel should take him to yet another level. Look for Oladipo to have a breakout season next year.
Aaron Gordon should also thrive under Vogel’s defensive schemes; and Skiles really helped Mario Hezonja’s defense, so he should also work very well with Vogel.
Perfect fit. Taking a solid core. Oladipo, Fournier and Vuc are just about peaking but will be solid players for the future. Payton can still improve. The sky is the ceiling for Hezonja and Gordon, they have star potential. Should be a fun team to watch.
He’s definitely an upgrade. Hopefully he can get the most out of this young roster, especially on the defensive end.