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| Dwight Howard Top Stories... |
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The Magic are poised to be one of the better upcoming teams in the East, and with a solid frontline (Dwight Howard and Milicic) and a couple of good, young point guards (Arroyo and Nelson), what Orlando really needs is a slasher swingman. If they're really, really lucky, Rodney Carney might slip to them at 11, but it's doubtful. If Orlando is serious about acquiring that type of player in this draft, they may need to move up and take Rudy Gay, who would pretty quickly turn Orlando's young core into arguably the league's best (which is hard for me to admit as a Chicago native). - Joel Brigham Swingmen. Orlando is very, VERY young, but it seems more cohesive than the Celtics, for example, another young team. So, their reported attempt to move up and get Rudy Gay is not a bad idea, cause it doesn't look like he'd set their development behind. The problem is, what are they gonna give up for that? And they have to make sure Gay is still available, cuz they need swingmen badly. Losing important pieces just to get in line to get Shelden Williams is not a good plan if all you're looking for is a back-up for Dwight Howard. - Adriano Albuquerque Orlando has done a nice job putting together a promising young roster and as such they can probably afford to draft the best available player. If that player happened to be a guard it is all the better for them and that is why rumors consistently have them looking to move up. A great, playmaking PG or a SG who spreads the floor well would accelerate the learning curve of both Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic. - Brian Robinson Dwight Howard was a blatantly obvious choice in the 2004 NBA Draft. This season most prognosticators confidently have J.J. Redick pegged as the Magic's choice at 11. BUT, how can we be so sure of this selection? Other than the fact Orlando needs a small guard in the worst way we cannot tell much about their draft plans. The Magic could easily look at the athleticism of a Ronnie Brewer or Rodney Carey and decide their talents would better serve the squad after looking at the free agents on their team. Likewise, if Brandon Roy is on the board you can consider him a Floridian. - Karl Schneider They need a shooting guard, period. Many have the feeling they'll go for Duke's J.J. Redick if he's there at No. 11, but they could also consider seven-footer Patrick O'Bryant, from Bradley. - Tracy Graven It’s hard to argue that the Magic should take anyone besides Duke senior J.J. Redick. When you draft a Duke player you know you’re getting a mature guy with a high basketball IQ. On top of that he’s one of the purest shooters college basketball has ever seen. He’s known for his killer instinct, hitting the big shot that puts his team over the top, and he works hard to constantly improve his game. This is exactly what a young and talented Orlando team needs to help them become a playoff team in 2007. - Bill Ingram More than anything the Magic need bench help with most of their future starting core in tact already. Considering this draft is being widely panned as a group of solid contributors but no clear-cut superstar, the Magic should have a good choice among the lottery candidates. Mario Kasun aside (please) the Magic should look to add a versatile, playmaking big man to their strict frontcourt of Tony, Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic, all of whom more or less stick to their prescribed position. The Magic need more speed too, with the slowing Grant Hill and the cement filled Hedo Turkoglu running with points Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo. The real prize biggies may be gone by the time O-town picks at the 11th spot and without a lot of tradable assets it looks like they may be staying put instead of trying to move up in the draft. Rodney Carney is an interesting look there, an explosive offensive player and irritating defender with great speed and quickness. Not a playmaker but could be the best player at that selection. - Darren Andrade Head Coach Brian Hill recently said in a recent NBA.com chat session that his team is looking for a perimeter shooter, or someone to play on the frontline. With the 11th selection in the draft, the Magic front office has several options in the perimeter shooter department. Rodney Carney (Memphis), J.J. Redick (Duke), and Ronnie Brewer (Arkansas) all should still be on the board when the Magic's time on the clock ends. When DeShawn Stevenson is your starting two guard, you can't pass up this talent in the draft. Although they do lack depth up front, they should be able to address that in free agency. The Magic have also reportedly been interested in moving up which would allow them to select Rudy Gay (UConn) or Brandon Roy (Washington). Either way, hopefully they have learned from the Fran Vasquez mishap, and do not select a foreign based player with their lottery selection. - Matt Lowy 2 - Which players should they look to trade? The only piece with any trade value for the Magic is Grant Hill's expiring contract, but with all the young guns they're going to have to re-sign over the next few years, it may be more worthwhile to keep Hill on board and use the cap space for the future all-stars they've already got. Besides, Grant Hill is a great guy and would be a great mentor/locker room guy for the younger kids. I say trade no one; keep the roster together. - Joel Brigham There are really no players or positions on their roster that demand a trade. If they could move the contract of Grant Hill it may allow them fewer distractions and one less reminder of a rebuilding plan that failed very badly. - Brian Robinson Jameer Nelson, Darko Milicic, Keyon Dooling, and Hedo Turkoglu all had career years, so their value is as high as ever. The Magic are probably reluctant to trade any them unless they get higher value in return though because they've shown the ability to play well alongside Dwight Howard while still having potential. - Karl Schneider DeShawn Stevenson and Mario Kasun to New Orleans for J.R. Smith, an athletic '2' who's ready to go NOW, as opposed to Redick's arms being tired from packing veterans' bags (or shedding tears on court when the team loses). - Tracy Graven Hedo Turkoglu is the only player who didn’t seem to be entirely on board with the Magic’s game plan at the end of the 2005-06 season. As the rest of the squad seemed intent on making this Dwight Howard’s team, Hedo was still trying to steal the show with his own propensity for scoring. The best option would be for the Magic to get Hedo to buy in to what they’re doing and keep his dead-eye perimeter game in the lineup. If, however, Hedo won’t succumb to the inevitable dominance of Dwight Howard, the team would do well to shop him. - Bill Ingram Keyon Dooling may still have some value out there and hasn't been as good a fit in Orlando as he was in Miami, a questionable move on his part. Still, the combo-guard is good in spurts and had career highs across the board last season in 50 games. More intriguing is the ending contract of Grant Hill, who should be moved at the earliest date convenient to all. The Magic and Hill's loyalty to each other has been great and painful to watch but at roughly $15M per - and Hill's history of injuries- in terms of winning, it hasn't meant much. He is a hard-sell to anybody but similar to what Michael Finley did for San Antonio this season, Hill can help a contender (and come off their books in a big way next summer). - Darren Andrade The Magic were the busiest team at the trade deadline last season, and really let go all their ?bad? pieces of the puzzle. Team Captain Grant Hill is in the last year of his contract, and could possibly be trade bait. Hill is still upholding his injury prone image. Although the last two seasons have been better than the previous three, Hill has still missed extended periods of time. If Hill is still wearing the blue and white in October, a healthy start to the season could make him more marketable as far as midseason trade value. - Matt Lowy 3 - Which players should they look to acquire in trade or free agency? Extending Tony Battie was huge. He's a veteran big man with serviceable talent and who understands his role. If that hadn't have been done by now, I would say "re-sign Tony Battie," but they've already done that. So, again, the Magic shouldn't make any significant signings. - Joel Brigham Would Bonzi Wells disrupt the good chemistry this team has? Maybe. But he seems like a good fit. Al Harrington, Matt Harpring and DerMarr Johnson might fit better. To back-up Dwight and Darko, they could go after Melvin Ely, Jared Jeffries and Scot Pollard. - Adriano Albuquerque The same answer as above. They are a solid young team that doesn't have glaring needs. If they could add the veteran poise of Bobby Jackson or the playmaking of Speedy Claxton it could make for some exciting play with their two young big men. I could also see them looking for a mentor/role model for Dwight Howard and Darko. If they had a chance to move for PJ Brown or maybe even Juwan Howard as a role player it would make some sense. - Brian Robinson Considering half of Orlando's roster are free agents this year it is absolutely a defining year for the franchise. The good news is that many players will find playing with an emerging star such as Dwight Howard very enticing. The bad news is they really won't know much else about where the Magic are headed. DeShawn Stevenson, Trevor Ariza, Mario Kasun, and Anfernee Hardaway are not marquee names by any stretch of the imagination. Stacey Augmon and Bo Outlaw formed a vitally important veteran core, but they are also getting up there in age. None of them could be back next season and General manager Otis Smith has many more important decisions to make. - Karl Schneider I think the Magic are close to being set with what they have on roster, even if that still includes Grant Hill (in the final year of his $94 million deal) and his fragile state of being, so just chase Smith and shed some saddlebag players in the process. - Tracy Graven What the Magic need is a good veteran presence to help the development of this young team. Grant Hill would be the perfect choice, but the probability of him ever suiting up again seems to be less than zero. Bo Outlaw is the kind of guy who could be kept around for this specific purpose. Bobby Jackson might not be a bad choice, either. The core group in Orlando does not have any serious holes in terms of talent. All they need is a veteran voice to add some wisdom and experience to their mix. - Bill Ingram If Eddie Robinson ever got his head out of his ass he would be a real target for the Magic as a pine player with offensive spark. How about Keon Clark? Now wake up... Reggie Evans is the type of player that would be nice, a small forward/power forward type who inhales rebounds that can facilitate fast break opportunities for Orlando's core. - Darren Andrade This team is very young, and could use some veteran additions to balance out the roster. A slashing wing player would be effective, and Devean George (LAL) or Fred Jones (IND) would both fit well. This team could also use a strong defender (stopper) on the wing, and if they can ante up some cash, and sway Jared Jefferies from Washington, that would be huge. Whether or not the team keeps SG DeShawn Stevenson will be very interesting. - Matt Lowy 4 - Anything you would like to add? I want to see two thing from the Magic next season. First, play Dwight and Darko together. They've been separated most of the time, with Milicic on the second unit. I'd like to see some more of them on the starting line-up. Second, go back to the classic 90's look. Not just because they won most home games when wearing the throwback, but because it's a much more entertaining and beautiful uniform than their current. - Adriano Albuquerque It is hard to believe that the Dwight Howard draft pick has panned out so well. That was an incredibly gutsy pick and just about everyone questioned the decision when they passed on Okafor. In the end I would take Dwight Howard again without question. - Brian Robinson Overall, Orlando was only four games out of the playoffs. Potential as a franchise can only get you so far. Getting a player like Dwight Howard in their uniform was the toughest part. What they do from here will tell us whether this franchise has the ability to become something as special as Dwight Howard. - Karl Schneider The Magic will be 2006-07's most underrated -- and therefore -- most dangerous team. If they continue with the momentum that carried them to a near-playoff berth this last season, teams will have to watch and re-watch game tape to try and figure them out. They are my dark horse for next season. - Tracy Graven The Magic are easily the most exciting young team in the Eastern Conference. Even as someone who specializes in the Western Conference I can’t wait for next season to start just to see how this young group of players will come together. Dwight Howard is an outstanding player and an outstanding person. His leadership will take this team far – and most likely help them earn a playoff berth in 2007. - Bill Ingram The Magic are hard to figure out with no set style of play, at least not one they do particularly well. They finished out last season strong under a heavy youth movement and building on that will be key. There are always a healthy number of veterans in Orlando, just not always healthy ones. adding a young veteran leader that can stay healthy is vital for their progression. - Darren Andrade Orlando scared playoff contending teams at the end of last season as they won 16 of their last 22 games. Dwight Howard has wiped the word ?Kwame? from any doubter's minds and will be the leader of this young team next year. GM Otis Smith has shown he has the vision to bring this team back to playing in May. Jameer Nelson and Darko both are expected to continue the progress that they showed this past season. Darko and Trevor Ariza could be contenders for the Most Improved Player award. The Magic made trades for their future at the end of the season, and we should see strong results next season. Management has made moves to bring back the strong fan base they once had, and a strong off-season will only increase the hype in the land of the mouse. - Matt Lowy The Magic are in a very good position. All of their key talent - Jameer Nelson, Dwight Howard, Darko Milicic - are all around the same age and experience level, and they will have money to spend next summer. Well, they will unless they cash in on Grant Hill's contract now. If they do, look for them to acquire a scorer. Hedo Turkoglu is nice, but he's not really the answer. DeShawn Stevenson is a quality player as well, but with his size - and coupled with the size of Nelson - the Magic probably need someone bigger. - Jason Fleming |
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