With no Duhon, Orlando could be in a bind
With Chris Duhon going to New York, the Magic now find themselves in a bit of a pickle. Orlando was really hoping that the veteran guard would come aboard for $3.5 million, giving the team some room to add another role player. Now Orlando will likely turn its attention to Corey Maggette, the best player available with Orlando’s budget. However, it seems that San Antonio and Boston are front runners for Maggette’s services, and I really don’t think Orlando is pursuing him that aggressively. Now the Magic appear to be in a bind and G.M Otis Smith isn’t really instilling confidence in me. Read the rest of this entry »
Good and bad potential lurks in free agency for Orlando
For a team with just a mid-level exception and a veteran’s exception, Orlando certainly is going to make some noise during free agency. The Magic have reportedly shown interest in Corey Maggette, Chris Duhon, Mickael Pietrus, Anthony Carter, and there might be some more on the list. All have the ability to help Orlando, but Otis Smith needs to be savvy in his moves, because one wrong move could stunt the growth of the origination. Read the rest of this entry »
Free agency begins for Orlando
With the dust settling from the activity (or lack thereof) in the NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic will look towards free agency, which officially begins at midnight. Orlando is over the salary cap, so the team will have to be cunning in re-signing their own free agents, and using the mid-level and veteran’s exception to haul in new players.
I’ve already discussed potential free agents and what Orlando needs in past posts, but in the spirit of free agency evening (better than Christmas?) I’ll do a Cliffs Notes version, which is sometimes more entertaining anyways. Read the rest of this entry »
Orlando Magic: Better Safe than Sorry?
You know that old saying, “it’s better to be safe than sorry”. While I know there is a lot of wisdom behind those words, it doesn’t always hold true. This really can be the case in a competitive environment like the NBA. And after the Draft Thursday night, I wouldn’t be surprised if this was a philosophy Magic GM Otis Smith lives by….or at least does business by.
Now I’m not saying I’m disappointed in the Magic selecting Courtney Lee. I really like the pick and I’m interested to see how he’ll fit in. Granted, it was far too predictable, even with some of the players that slipped, and if Lee doesn’t eventually start, the pick is a failure. But that’s the decision they made, and I understand why. What I don’t understand is why that is the only thing that happened for the Orlando Magic on Draft night?
The question: How easy would it have been to just buy a second-round pick?
The answer: Pretty easy.
The reason I’m disappointed is that there were some quality players with plenty of potential that went in the second round. Florida Today’s John Denton asked the Magic why they didn’t get a second-rounder. Someone in the war room responded by saying “the cost was deemed to high to buy a second round pick”.
Do you know what that cost was? It was reported that teams wanted $200,000 to buy into the top half of the second-round and $150,000 for a late second-round selection.
That’s all?
Don’t get me wrong, I know $200,000 is a nice chunk of change, but not in the world of the NBA where they throw around cash in the way that a common man would pass on picking up a penny.
What makes this even harder for me to understand is that this is the same franchise that maxed out a nine-season one time all-star Rashard Lewis.
So again tell me why we didn’t buy a second-round pick?
It was known that the Magic were interested in D.J. White and Joey Dorsey. They ended up going 29 and 33, and that’s probably the best reason I can think of. But I would just like to imagine they made a strong effort to get an early second-round pick (#33 Dorsey, #34 Chalmers, #35 Jordan, #36 Asik, and #40 CDR). These are all players would have been a potential asset to the Orlando Magic, now, or in the future.
The risk was minimal. The potential was great. My only question is, why not roll the dice? It just doesn’t make sense to me.
My hope now falls onto the rest of the off-season. Will the Magic make a deal? I’m thinking no. More importantly, will they re-sign the right players? Will they make a splash in free agency?
The ball is in your court Otis Smith, what are you going to do with it?
Magic play it safe, take Lee at 22
It was a surprise and it wasn’t. Going into the draft, all signs basically pointed to Orlando selecting Courtney Lee, the polished senior from Western Kentucky. When his name was called, I was happy with the 22nd overall pick but a little part of me was disappointed. Lee was a predictable selection for Orlando, but the pick didn’t dazzle, and maybe that is a good thing.
More notable, prominent players such as Kansas’ Darrell Arthur and Mario Chalmers, as well as young but raw bigs DeAndre Jordan and Kosta Kofous were available, but Orlando went with the guy they had their eye on to begin with.
The Magic have gambled in the past, most notably with Fran Vazquez three years. The 6’10” Spaniard still has yet to play an NBA game and he falls in line with recent gambles/busts in team history such as Steve Hunter, Reece Gaines, Jeryl Sasser and Curtis Borchardt (who turned in Ryan Humphries).
These gambles didn’t really pay off, so now the Magic take a guy who may not dazzle, but is virtually a sure thing. Lee is a pure shooter with experience and he can play solid defense. He basically is a can’t miss. He may never be an all-star, but Lee is a proven winner and leader, and is a good guy, which can take a guy a long way.
I will do a more in-depth profile about Lee in the coming week, but Orlando should be happy with Lee. The Magic needed shooting guard help, he fills that bill. The need a guy who can take players off the dribble, Lee can do that too. They wanted a guy who could fit in their system, well Lee shot 40% from behind the arc this past season. He’s not dazzling, but Lee fills a lot of holes for the Magic and he can contribute to a playoff team immediately…sounds good to me.
Final thoughts before the draft
Ok Magic fans, here is your final pre-draft article. My last opinions are coming out now, so you can either pat me on the back or call me an arse depending on what happens. Here is basically a breakdown of what to look for tonight…
Big or Small: Orlando needs to add depth at the guard and power forward positions, and the Magic are in a decent spot to do so. Shooting guard (or a combo guard) seems to be a little more of an immediate need, but where Orlando is selecting, the odds point to a forward.
The Magic will probably be in a position to grab Jason Thompson, who could be an ideal fit. Guys like Darrell Arthur, JaVale McGee, Robin Lopez, DeAndre Jordan or Speights could fall to Orlando as well. In a blogger team draft I did today, Kosta Koufos fell to Orlando and you bet I snatched him up.
Courtney Lee isn’t my top choice, but he will likely be Orlando’s. After Lee, Chris Douglas-Roberts is the only guard the Magic will take in the first round, unless a guy like Mario Chalmers falls. As I was writing this, Damien brought up the promise Orlando made to Lee, which isn’t a surprise at all.
J.J Bait: Will Redick be traded for another pick or to move up in the draft? It seems unlikely that Orlando will be willing to part with the sniper because of the potential hole that will be left at SG if Keyon Dooling and Mo Evans leave. If the Magic do trade him, they will need to bring in a guard through compensation or in this draft, or free agency, because the Magic could potentially be very thin at guard.
Will Orlando move up or down: Otis Smith seems to be saying no, and in all honesty, I don’t see it happening. I heard an Orlando/ New York rumor, but I believe there is little validity to it. I think Otis is confident where he is sitting and knows a guy like Lee or Thompson would make solid contributions right away.
Will Orlando trade to the second round: I’d say it is more likely to happen than not. A guy like Joey Dorsey or D.J White are guys that Orlando is reportedly high on, and both could represent great value in the second round. A lot of that will depend on what Orlando does in the first round.
Thoughts on moves made today: O’Neal to Toronto- Good, I’m glad, give them another lengthy, frail big man who Dwight can push around. They will have a better regular season record, no doubt, but if the Raptors play Orlando in the playoffs next year, they won’t be able to go small again, and those bigs can’t stop Dwight, maybe by getting him in foul trouble.
Richard Jefferson to Milwaukee for Yi and Bobby Simmons: The Nets are basically waiving the white flag, and I’m not sure how much Jefferson help the Bucks. Michael Redd and Jefferson will make a formidable wing pair, but can either be consistent enough to get the job done?
And the Magic select…
It’s tough to gauge what a team with the 22nd overall pick will do in the draft. There are so many different scenarios and variables that I am having a difficult time predicting who Orlando will take in the first-round, as I’m sure many Orlando fans are as well. We all might have our favorites (mine is Brandon Rush, but I doubt he’ll be there) but it will be the Magic brass that will determine who will be wearing blue. In order to clear things up for readers and myself, I am going to put a percentage list of which players I think have the best chances of winding up in Orlando. 100% means it’s a foregone conclusion, 0% means it will be impossible, but for the sake of time I will only be concentrating on guys that are realistic selections at 22. Read the rest of this entry »
Orlando second-round preview
The other day I went over possible first-round targets for the Magic and today I will touch on second-rounders. Orlando doesn’t technically have a second round selection, but there is a very good chance that Otis Smith will acquire a pick from Seattle or Portland, both of whom hold onto the 32nd and 33rd picks, respectively. Here are the options Orlando has if it does trade into the high second-round… Read the rest of this entry »
Hoping For “Magic” in the Draft
So the draft is this Thursday? I hate to say it, but I’m not that thrilled. I’ll watch it regardless, because basketball is basketball, and there is always hope. Plus, there is usually a surprise or two which can make the first round interesting.
As for the Orlando Magic, I’d like to see them “make a splash”, unfortunately I’m just expecting one (pick) and done.
I know I’m just being pessimistic based on the past. And there’s the fact that I’m not overly confident in our scouting, especially as it relates to having the No. 22 selection.
But like I said, there is always hope. My hope isn’t that the Magic draft a shooting guard, point guard, small forward, power forward, or center. At No. 22, my hope is that the Magic draft a guy who can come in, play, and contribute. Who might be that player?
So far the most common names mentioned have been Chris Douglas-Roberts, Courtney Lee, and Brandon Rush.
Otis Smith is rumored to be a big fan of Rush. But unless Orlando trades up, this will never happen, as he’s projected to be long gone before #22.
Courtney Lee on the other hand could be around, and would be a nice fit for the Magic. However, some have him going as early as #17, but if he is still available, I expect the Magic to pick him.
Lastly, there is Chris Douglas-Roberts. He’s expected to be available, mainly because he hasn’t looked great in his workouts. I wouldn’t pass judgment on him based on his workouts though; he has a solid inside-outside game.
Other notable mentions:
Joey Dorsey, Robin Lopez, Darrell Arthur, Jason Thompson, Marreese Speights, JJ Hickson, and Mario Chalmers
After mentioning all of those names, I wouldn’t be shocked if none of their names were called when Orlando is picking. There have been too many times throughout the years where I’ve been left saying “who”? You know, David Stern calls the players name, and you can just hear in the commentators voice and tell that they are scrambling to find out who in the hell was just drafted. The good news is most of those picks seemed to happen when John Gabriel was in charge. And despite the bitter to no results of from Fran Vasquez and J.J. Redick, I think Otis, David, and Stan will pick somebody who will help this team.
In the end, I have no illusions or wild expectations for this pick. I don’t expect the guy to come in and start. I just hope the pick is a guy who can come in and contribute.
For a detailed breakdown of Orlando’s likely 1st round candidates, check out Brendan Sonnone’s article: Orlando first-round preview.
Orlando first-round preview
With the NBA Draft looming on Thursday, the Orlando Magic are preparing to do something they haven’t done in the entire history of the franchise; make a solid selection with a pick in the 20’s. The talent pool seems pretty decent from picks 20-30 (Orlando selects at 26) and even good at 30-40, where Orlando will likely trade to. So with two selections in a strong part of the draft, the Magic have a legit shot at taking some impact players who could fill the holes for Orlando, namely shooting guard and power forward. With this in mind, I will share with you my view on Orlando’s potential draft prospects in the first round, and I’ll hit on second rounders tomorrow. Read the rest of this entry »
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