Don't expect a big splash by the Orlando Magic right now to replace former coach Doc Rivers, who was fired early Tuesday. The Magic have named assistant coach J ohnny Davis to take over for the rest of the season. It won't be the first head coaching job for Davis, who coached the Philadelphia 76ers in 1996-97 and finished 22-60. Davis has worked closely with Rivers in his four-plus years as head coach. It is uncertain what the Magic's plans are after this season. There are experienced, big-name coaches who happily would take the job this summ er, but fewer who would jump at it in midseason. Mike Fratello, Isiah Thomas, George Karl, Rudy Tomjanovich and Scott Skiles are awaiting their next NBA head coaching jobs, but the Magic will not look that far right now. Other assistants on Rivers' staff were Dave Wohl, Mark Hughes and Paul Pressey, whom Rivers recommended for the head-coaching position this summer with the Milw aukee Bucks. Terry Porter got that job instead. "It would be very difficult for a new head coach to put together a staff he want s at this point,'' said one NBA source, who has been a coach and front-office ex ecutive in the league. "The Magic probably will have to wait until this summer t o get the guy they want long range.'' From a public-relations standpoint, the most obvious choice to follow Rivers wou ld be Skiles, who remains one of the most popular players in team history becaus e of the all-out, floor-burn style in which he played during the early, expansio n years. Skiles, who compiled a 116-79 record as head coach of the Phoenix Suns for parts of three seasons, might be the only coach the Magic could hire who would receiv e a standing ovation when introduced the first time at TD Waterhouse Centre. Tomjanovich won two NBA titles with the Houston Rockets. Karl has been to the NB A Finals once (with Seattle) and twice to the conference finals with Seattle and Milwaukee. Thomas won two championships as a player with the Detroit Pistons, but he strugg led as a head coach with the Indiana Pacers. By waiting until after the season to pick a long-term head coach, the Magic woul d be able to expand their list of coaching candidates. No coach with experience would come without a multiyear deal. And most would insist upon bringing their o wn assistants, which is difficult at midseason. Most midseason coaching changes in the NBA usually go to an interim coach who already was an assistant there. Th e recent exception was veteran Hubie Brown in Memphis, who came out of retiremen t to replace Sidney Lowe after he lost his first eight games last season. Tim Povtak can be reached 为at [email protected]. --

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