philrsquared
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@knickfan212 That is what I have read from all reports. Can't tell if Mike Woodson was right or if someone mis-tweeted that Felton was starting at shooting guard. That might be until Shumpert gets back.
@MTH I think we will see Ayon and Vucevic competing for that center spot all year long. Vucevic has more long-term potential (because of age). Ayon spent the majority of his professional career overseas. So I think Ayon knows who he is as a player. Vucevic could really be a part of the plan for the future (likely as a backup, but still a good piece).
@CollegeWolf Yeah, I don't think he will change. So much talent and potential wasted. I have no idea why things didn't work out for him in Miami. Another reason why these kids should stay in school and learn a bit more.
@Virginia Perkins Kobe certainly will not take what Dwight pulled last year in L.A. Unfortunately, Stan is enjoying his free time in Orlando. Not coaching the Magic.
@jtshoopsblog It might have been because I was young, but my memories of Horace Grant are a lot fuzzier. He was dealing with a nagging injury from the conference semis and was in there more for his defense. The loss in the 1995 Finals was more of Hakeem just destroying Shaq.
The other thing to remember about that Rockets team is that they were not a true 6-seed. I believe they had a few injuries early on in the season that really put them behind the 8-ball. Then they acquired Clyde Drexler mid-season for Mario Elie. They came back from a 3-1 deficit in the second round against the Suns too. That was not a bad Rockets team.
@jtshoopsblog The Magic are putting a premium on the draft, so they want to have as much information as they can. If Noel or Mohammad are deemed ineligible, they lose some information. I have a feeling Hennigan will tread lightly.
@Florida Fred I don't think you are in the minority. Most people recognize that Otis Smith is the one that got this team into this mess. A new GM is likely to bring in a new coach. Plus the Magic are all in with Dwight Howard... and Dwight and Stan seem to be a no go. It sucks.
@MattBostian I asked this question of a few people. For as few ping pong balls as you would get for being the last team out, you might as well take the extra money you get from the Playoffs and have virtually the same pick. Right now the Magic would pick 20th in the Draft. Most would argue there is not much of a difference between 15-25 in the Draft.
@Magician1378 Don't know why Wafer did not play. SVG expressed regret after the game in not playing him more. Don't know what good it would have done. the team just looked lifeless in general.
Duhon is still clearing up some things in "his house" as he describes it after his suspension. Don't really know what is up there. But Van Gundy wanted to give Ish Smith a look at the backup point guard. This was a good chance to do it. He played real well. Dribbles and freelances too much, but that might be what this second unit needs.
Game 6 of that series was one of the worst officiated games I have seen in my lifetime. The building was just as loud with hatred that night. Thanks for sharing the memory Eddy. There are far too many good memories in the O-Rena to recount. Still sad to see it go. I forgot to even look at the remains when I was down in Orlando this weekend. :'-(
@roberts1966 Otis is very much on the chopping block this summer too. He definitely has not escaped fault here. We will see what happens this offseason.
@MattBostian Yeah, it is all about how you define improved. And I think Ryan should be considered -- it takes something special to go from bench to starter like this. I am taking Greg Monroe. He has taken a lot of leaps this year and looks like a legitimate post player for the Pistons.
Probably it comes down to Anderson and Lin though. They have the raw numbers and buzz.
@JAYoung I think these are all very fair points. I think Stan's greatest shortcoming as a coach is one of his biggest assets -- his perfectionism. You can't blame a coach for feeling a little hesitant to go with lineups and players he is unfamiliar with when his clear object is to win a championship. There are not many teams that could win at the level the Magic want to win at with an assortment of young players.
It is not that Stan Van Gundy has any animus toward rookies or young players -- look at Courtney Lee -- he just does not have confidence in them to perform at the level he needs them to. He has more certainty of what he can get out of Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson than he does out of Earl Clark and DeAndre Liggins. If he had a full training camp and normal practice time, maybe things would have changed.
This is not to say that perhaps SVG should have tinkered with his lineup a bit or been more willing to try guys. He just doesn't have the comfort with some of the new players.
The real problem is that the roster is poorly built. There are not many players who can do more than one thing and the ones that can are underperforming.
@Sherrod I don't remember exactly how I voted (clearly I did vote for Reggie), but I definitely feel like his position on the list is really shaky. He was the best player on his team, but had just one Finals appearance (when he wasn't the best player on his team). Yeah, Jordan was there the same time, but you can't tell me Reggie was at the same level as Jerry West or George Gervin.
Miller had one elite skill. Probably the best shooter of all time. But I don't have a problem leaving him off a top 10 list. He was a fairly one dimensional player when you look at his career.
@RCognition Explain Courtney Lee then. Or J.J. Redick.
Players can earn Stan's trust. Younger players have a longer way to go than veterans, for sure. But it is not impossible. Not having any practice time is not helping guys like Liggins. Van Gundy does seem to like him a lot though. Will be interesting to see how the team handles him this summer.
@Magician1378 Yes, the only free agents this summer will likely be Anderson, Liggins and Orton. Nelson has an ETO, but I don't think he will exercise it. Liggins, I would expect to sign the qualifying offer the Magic will give him (for the minimum).
The stretch provision is still very theoretical. But it is going to play a role. I have asked some people about it, and nobody still knows how it will be used.
The stretch provision is a new tool in the collective bargaining agreement that allows teams to get out of bad contracts. What happens is you can waive a player under this provision and stretch out the cap hit over two times the remaining years plus one.
So, for example, let's say the Magic want to waive Jason Richardson after next season. He has 2-years, $12 million left on his deal. The Magic could stretch his cap hit when they waive him so that their cap hit is $12 million over five years instead of $12 million over two. That is $2.4 million per year rather than $6 million per year. Big difference in cap hit.
@Magician1378 Well, if the team is willing to go deep in the luxury tax, anything is possible. With the luxury tax kickers getting set to come in, though, I doubt the team wants to spend. It is going to be very difficult to acquire Williams. Orlando still doesn't have the assets teams want. If they are looking to get rid of Turkoglu next year they will have to dump him on someone (again, contract is much friendlier thanks to that non-guaranteed year in 2013-14).
Arenas' deal no longer counts against the cap. So that offered some relief. To get the max space, the Magic would have to renounce their free agents and maybe stretch the remaining deal on J-Rich and/or Glen Davis.
At this point, while it is possible to free up that cap space, the Magic are probably going to be looking at trades again. Should be active on the trade market around the Draft.
Magician1378 Monday night was definitely not Davis' night. A lot of things going on in his personal life.
He is still learning when the right time for him to assert himself offensively. The thing is, he has to be better around the rim more than anything. Someone has to get through to him and say your job is to rebound, don't even think about shooting.
MattBostian I get the feeling re-signing Dwight is going to come first. The second superstar comes second. This team just doesn't have the assets to swing that deal. 2013 is the year the Magic will have cap room again. ... potentially.