Orlando Magic: 5 Best Stan Van Gundy Replacements to Keep Dwight Howard Happy

While Dwight Howard's saga is anything but complete, the Orlando Magic's future became a little more clear Monday with the organization firing head coach Stan Van Gundy and mutually agreeing to sever ties with general manager Otis Smith.

After the end of Orlando's season was derailed by allegations that superstar Dwight Howard had lobbied for his coach's dismissal (which Van Gundy eventually corroborated), it had become clear ever since that things were on the brink of collapse in this club's locker room.

Howard was eventually shut down on account of needed back surgery, and the rest of the Magic suffered through a ragged first-round series against the still-kicking Indiana Pacers. Nothing about Van Gundy's exit is surprising at this point.

The only remaining question is who will replace Van Gundy. There are more than a few guys who would do good work, but some make considerably more sense than others.

After all, the bottom line for this franchise going forward is simple: the best man for the job is the one for whom Dwight Howard actually wants to play. Successful track records and first-rate play-calling may be top priorities under normal circumstances, but keeping a franchise player in a Magic uniform has to be the first priority for a team still suffering from the fallout of a dysfunctional relationship.

There's still no guarantee Howard will stay, but finding the right fit to lead this locker room could go a long way in making that happen. 

Mike D'Antoni

Mike D'Antoni may well decide to take next season off, especially if the best available gig is a dysfunctional franchise at risk of losing its superstar. The once-lauded head coach has had enough of the melodrama after going from the New York Knicks' would-be savior to a well-paid scapegoat.

As unappealing as the Orlando Magic may be for D'Antoni, though, he would make quite a bit of sense from their standpoint.

Outside of Howard, the Magic's roster is littered with spot-up shooters who thrive in a run-and-gun system—including Jason Richardson, who played under D'Antoni in Phoenix. This may also be Orlando's best chance of landing free agent Steve Nash, the kind of legendary point guard who might just be able to convince Howard to stay a while longer.

Of course, it's hard to imagine how Dwight himself would fit into all this. Perhaps he can become a bigger, more dominant version of the Amar'e Stoudemire who thrived with D'Antoni. If the on-court chemistry isn't there, though, this would be a lost cause.

Steve Clifford

Sometimes the best choice going forward is the one right under your nose. But for all the merits of going with an in-house option like assistant coach Steve Clifford, it may not make sense in this particular situation.

Clifford was very much part of Stan Van Gundy's regime. In a world where Van Gundy was amicably retiring or otherwise going on to a better opportunity, maybe Clifford would readily step in. But with the the massively oversized baggage this locker room has to deal with, a fresh start may be in order.

To his credit, Clifford would understand the locker room dynamic better than anyone. Unfortunately, Orlando's problems run so deep that nothing short of a radically new direction may suffice—that, or an exorcism.

Patrick Ewing

Patrick Ewing is in an almost identical situation to Clifford—he coached under Van Gundy for five seasons and hardly qualifies as a new direction.

And while we know Ewing wants to be a head coach, it looks like he may be the favorite to take over the Charlotte Bobcats from Paul Silas.

As unthinkable as it may sound that Ewing would pass up a chance to coach in Orlando in order to secure a job with the dreadful Bobcats, it wouldn't be all that surprising. The Magic could be headed in the wrong direction, while there's nowhere Charlotte can go but up—especially if it lands the first overall selection in June's draft.

Nate McMillian

Though Nate McMillan was unceremoniously dismissed by the Portland Trail Blazers in March, he's still a well-respected coach who has to be among Howard's preferred candidates.

McMillan dealt with a lot of adversity in Portland, including catastrophic injury problems with the now-retired Brandon Roy and ill-fated Greg Oden. Orlando's problems might feel like a piece of cake in comparison.

On the other hand, McMillan may he a bit to hard-edged for Howard's tastes. If he wasn't able to get along with the guys in Portland, things could get ugly in Orlando pretty fast.

Brian Shaw

Bigger names aside, Brian Shaw may be the most likely candidate to take over in Orlando. He played for the Magic for three years and has a record of assistant-coaching success with the Los Angeles Lakers and now the Indiana Pacers.

No one has ever had anything but positive things to say about Shaw, and he'd probably still be with the Lakers were it not for the team insisting upon cleaning house amidst the transition from Phil Jackson to Mike Brown.

Shaw hasn't had the opportunity to prove himself as a head coach, but he's easily one of the best assistants in the NBA. His time may have come.

Honorable Mentions: Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan

File these two possibilities under Not Happening.

Nothing would make the media happier to be sure, but this would be a ludicrous move for either Phil Jackson or Jerry Sloan.

Unless the Magic have somehow found a way to retain Dwight Howard for the long term and bring in another superstar or two, Phil Jackson has absolutely no reason to be interested. If Jackson doesn't like what he sees on the New York Knicks' roster, it's hard to imagine what he'd like about Orlando's.

Meanwhile, Jerry Sloan probably can't help but laugh hysterically at the prospect of coaching a self-absorbed superstar like Dwight Howard after butting heads with Howard's buddy Deron Williams.