In my last article titled, "It's Time for a change," I wrote this about
Johnny Davis:
"Johnny Davis does
not deserve a contract extension. Magic GM John Weisbrod will keep his promise of
allowing Davis a full season to prove his worth as a coach, but ultimately, when it
comes time to take the next step, it won't be Davis who will be in charge. He
doesn't have the teaching ability or the respect of his players to turn this group
of players into an elite team."
Well, I guess the end of the season came a little early for now former head
coach Johnny Davis. I
truly believed that Magic GM John Weisbrod would keep his word and allow Davis a
full season to audition for a contract extension, but when a team loses six games
in a row, and the team's unraveling, it was time to relieve Davis of his duties.
It's never easy seeing someone get fired, and in an industry where
everything is magnified and reported all over the world, I actually feel a bit
uneasy. It's like seeing your best friend at work packing his stuff after being
fired. You've heard the rumors all week, but didn't really believe it until it
actually happened. You can't even look at him in the eye as he gives you a final
hand shake.
The fact remains, however, that the Magic were not going to reach its apex
potential under Coach Davis, and a lack of discipline and accountability ultimately
became his undoing.
It became evident that the players had tuned out Davis' quiet voice. The
one man who was supposed to take control of the Magic's spiraling situation was the
head coach. When he couldn't stop the bleeding, Weisbrod was forced to make a move.
So was this a good move for the team?
Well, yes and no.
The Magic certainly needed to make a coaching change, but they should have
waited until the end of the season. Unless the Magic are able to win six or seven
games in a row before the end the season, they will either miss the playoffs, or
stagger into it.
If they are able to stumble into a seventh or eighth seed, their playoff
run will be relatively short. There is no way that the current makeup of the Magic
can defeat the
Miami Heat or
Detroit Pistons in a seven game series.
No discipline.
No leadership.
The Magic are headed on a highway of disaster following a more than
promising start, and in a way, Davis' presence made situations worst. The longer he
was around, the harder it would have been for the next head coach to deprogram the
players.
Enter Chris Jent.
Not much is known about this former
Houston Rockets shooter. He had been
one of the silent partners of Davis' coaching staff, and now he has been given the
keys to the Magic. This is his first coaching opportunity, and he knows that baring
a miracle coaching performance, he has 18 games to show other teams what he can do.
The players need to rally around him and play the rest of the season with
heart, discipline, and focus.
As for Johnny Davis,
he will assuredly find another assistant coaching job in the distant future, but
his head coaching days are over. He is a wonderful person, and an even better man,
but his laid back, quiet demeanor will prevent him from ever regaining another head
coaching job. He is not a teacher or someone who holds players accountable for their
mistakes. He also lacks a defensive mentality. These are the essential qualities of
a successful head coach.
We certainly wish him nothing but the best, but it was time for a change,
and change is good.
