Welcome Guest [Log In] [Register]
NOTE FROM THE FORUM OWNER:

We had a long, enjoyable run, and I would like to thank every Orlando Magic fan who contributed to our small community on the web. This message board will be left online as an archive into the thoughts and minds of a group of Magic fanatics who lived through a 21-win season, the drafting of Dwight Howard, and an eventual NBA Finals appearance. You can also visit the original MagicMadness Forum at http://orlandomagic.proboards.com.

Special thanks to our Staff Members: Black and Blue, MAGICMANEVAN, and NYCMagicFan!

MagicMadness
Forum Owner
Add Reply
Dwight: #3 Center/ Magic: #3 in East
Topic Started: Sep 24 2007, 09:36 PM (450 Views)
MAGICMANEVAN
Member Avatar
#1 Magic Fan
Staff Members
http://cbs.sportsline.com/nba/story/10369601/rss
Quote:
 
Position rankings: Centers

3. Dwight Howard, Orlando: When he entered the league, there was a fear a nice kid like Howard would be too passive to dominate inside. That's laughable now. He's still working on his consistency, but he has turned up the volume significantly as he has grown up. Expect him to own the paint much more often this year; he's poised to become the league's most prolific rebounder.

Just to let you know. Dwight was ranked number 2 last season by this same writer. But hes gotten better and this year he was dropped to #3 in the rankings as you can see. :rolleyes:
---
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/columns/stor...ht&lid=tab6pos2
Quote:
 
"Who made the best moves in the East this summer? Let's rank 'em"

3. Orlando Magic

They ensured that Dwight Howard will not be leaving Central Florida early like Shaquille O'Neal. They beat out Sacramento for Stan Van Gundy to bail themselves out of the Billy Donovan disaster. They were also the only top-eight team from the East to make a major move, with most of the big action coming from lottery teams: Boston, Charlotte and New York.

Add it all up and the Magic clearly had one of the East's better summers. Yet you can't help asking one question: Is Rashard Lewis an automatic All-Star in the East? He obviously should be for almost $120 million, but let's do the math. Lewis is a big forward who can move and score effortlessly, but he's never been a defensive or rebounding force. If we're adhering to the positions used on last season's All-Star ballot, how does Lewis crack a top five in the East that features LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal and the new Boston tandem of Pierce and Garnett?

With memories of Shaq's 1996 departure still so fresh, Orlando clearly felt it had to do something spectacular to convince Howard to make a long-term commitment to stay. The Magic indeed went on to secure Howard's signature on a contract extension and saved themselves on the coaching front with Van Gundy after the coup of swiping Donovan away from Florida backfired, moves that ensured Orlando's placement up here in spite of the Lewis debate. But that debate will continue indefinitely because the Magic, after all the cash splashed on Lewis, still have some significant roster vacancies after the exits of Darko Milicic and Grant Hill and with a backcourt that remains suspect. For almost $120 million, Lewis will be expected to help Howard and Van Gundy immediately lift the club into the top half of the East, but that's no given. So the biggest winner from Orlando's busy summer, at this point, has to be Tony Dutt -- the agent who got Lewis that deal.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
MagicMadness
Member Avatar

Administrator
I'm a little surprised they have us as high as #3 on best moves made over the summer. A couple of other reports had us lower, and the fact that we're still shaky at some positions hurts us, IMO.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Black and Blue
Member Avatar
Have You Hugged Your Van Gundy Today?
Staff Members
I'm not surprised they had us that high, simply because there really was a lack of blockbuster moves this offseason. Besides Boston and us, most of the big moves involved teams resigning players (which is unsexy to the sports writers). Our team was just more active than most.

-And BOY did it result in more TV time! I mean, you will barely be able to flip the channel without seeing the Magic on this upcoming season!
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ben Q Rock
Member Avatar
3QC
Yeah, one national TV game. We played more national games last year, I think. So we add the best free-agent available, and somehow that makes us less interesting. I don't get it.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
MAGICMANEVAN
Member Avatar
#1 Magic Fan
Staff Members
Ben Q Rock
Sep. 26 2007 04:24 PM
Yeah, one national TV game. We played more national games last year, I think. So we add the best free-agent available, and somehow that makes us less interesting. I don't get it.

There is just more big name players on bigger name teams. We just have to prove it on the court because no one will give the Magic anything, the guys just have to produce wins to get on TV more.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
Ben Q Rock
Member Avatar
3QC
Tom Ziller of Sactown Royalty, writing for BallHype, just finished the NBA Festivus: Southeast Division. He has us finishing first in the division and fourth in the conference.

Quote:
 
The Airing of Grievances
[....]
Orlando also added an overpaid scorer and a new coach. Except their overpaid scorer is REALLY OVERPAID -- like, in a year or two he'll be the Barry Zito of basketball -- and their new coach has tons of experience. Behind the Wallace extension, hiring Stan Van Gundy is probably the best move any Southeast team made this summer. Of course, SVG wasn't Orlando's first choice. Otis Smith tried to bring in Billy Donovan (and succeeded for a minute), a young college coach whose biggest strength at Florida has been recruiting (a skill not so important in the pros). The Donovan episode almost got SVG to Sacramento, which would have left Orlando with... Jim O'Brien? Sam Vincent? Reggie Theus? Nonetheless, success prevailed and Orlando got clearly the best veteran coach on the market. Joy of joys.

Then Smith decided to ensure SVG would never get another free agent to work with again. Rashard Lewis is a good player, a fantastic scorer. He is not a $20 million per year player. Even next season -- the first and smallest year of the deal -- Lewis is among the 20 highest salaries in the league. [....]

But at least Orlando did something. I'd love to dissect the big moves middling Miami and Washington made... except they didn't do anything crazier than release James Posey and Calvin Booth, respectively.[....]


There's more Magic-related stuff in the rest of the article, but I won't quote any more of it. You should check it out! It's funny and Magic-positive.
Offline Profile Quote Post Goto Top
 
« Previous Topic · Orlando Magic Locker Room · Next Topic »
Add Reply