It was clear when the Orlando Magic hired Scott Skiles in 2015, they were trying to strike a new path.
The team had gone through three years with an inexperienced coach in Jacque Vaughn, hoping to nurture the young roster. But the team found itself spinning its wheels. The Magic had not eclipsed 30 wins and made only small progress — going from 20 to 23 to 25 wins.
The team hoped that by Year Three of the rebuild, it would be ready to play more meaningful games. Even by modest timelines, the Magic thought they had enough to begin showing more tangible progress.