Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel eloquently deconstructs the candidacy of Shaquille O'Neal for the Magic general manager position in his latest column. Not only does his admonish the media for making Shaq's interest in the position far greater than it ended up being but he also gets in a dig at the future Hall of Famer for removing his name from consideration by stating "This is not a job I have an interest in pursuing." Bianchi says that's the equivalent of him stating he'd have no interest in pursuing Bill Simmons' gig at ESPN or in simpler Hoops Rumors terms, Paul Silas claiming no interest in coaching the 1995/1996 Bulls.
Bianchi says Brian Shaw is his odds-on pick as the most likely candidate to become the next head coach of the Magic. Shaw nearly succeeded Phil Jackson after his retirement from the Lakers last offseason but fell short of landing the job as Mike Brown beat him out for the position. The former guard spent the 2011/2012 season as Frank Vogel's associate head coach for the Pacers, who finished the regular season with a 42-24 record and kept the second round of the playoffs heavily competitive against the Heat.
Bianchi predicts it won't be long before Stan Van Gundy is once again sweating on the sidelines while drawing up plays in the huddle, especially when he's getting support from former top executives like Steve Kerr. "If I need a coach, I'm getting on the phone with Stan Van Gundy. He's one of the best in the league." Look for SVG to rebound with a team like Clippers or Trail Blazers if he's interested in coaching this upcoming season rather than settle for a lesser job with the Bobcats.