FanHouse BobVanderweide

TEQUESTA, Fla. -- This looked like a Bad Boys reunion.

The NBA came from around the country Wednesday to celebrate the life and mourn the death of Chuck Daly, but nothing was more impressive than his collection of pallbearers.

It was the nucleus of his two championship teams in Detroit, the ones that transformed him from just another coaching lifer into a Hall of Famer and Olympic Gold Medalist revered by all.

Isiah Thomas, Joe Dumars, Vinnie Johnson, Rick Mahorn and Bill Laimbeer were at his side. The Bad Boy Pistons and their leader one final time.

"I think when you go through the things we did together, there is a bond that never breaks,'' said Laimbeer. "This was a sad time, but a time to celebrate who he was, and what he did, and how loved he was.''

[Update: That didn't take long -- the Orlando Sentinel reports that Hill was relieved of head coaching duties today, though he's expected to stay in the organization in some capacity.]

With any luck, Orlando Magic fans may soon learn the fate of their embattled head coach Brian Hill. Three weeks after team president Bob Vander Weide revealed that Hill's future was in question -- a statement which directly contradicted the vote of confidence given by GM Otis Smith earlier in the season -- the team is expected to finally make a decision, as Vander Weide is expected to meet with Hill sometime this week.

This has been a curious drawn-out drama, as literally nobody in the organization has publicly said anything about Hill's status for the better part of a month. Meanwhile, rumors have swirled around the University of Florida's Billy Donovan, because, you know, paying big bucks for a college coach to jump to the NBA has always worked out so well before.

Personally, I'm guessing the only reason Hill hasn't been canned already is because of some lingering organizational guilt about how his first go-round with Orlando ended up, with Hill losing a power struggle with Penny Hardaway. But to this impartial observer (not to mention this very partial observer), it seems clear that Hill's style of ruling with an iron fist is not what this young team needs.

This past season should have been about developing the young players at any cost, but instead the club barely got to see anything out of first-round pick J.J. Redick and still doesn't have a clue whether Darko Milicic is worth a high-priced extension. Yes, the Magic returned to the playoffs, but looking at things with a big-picture perspective, the season as a whole was probably a step back.

Previously on FanHouse:
NBA Coaching Guillotine: Brian Hill
Is Brian Hill Facing His Second Mutiny?
Brian Hill Tried to Leave Dwight Howard Behind
Magic GM Gives Brian Hill Dreaded Vote of Confidence