Are the Magic TOO deep?
by RussL on Oct 29, 2009 3:10 PM EDT
67 comments
One has to wonder how everyone on the Magic's seemingly bottomless roster is going to find an adequate amount of playing time. Many NBA teams use an 8 or 9 man rotation. Once Lewis returns, the top 5 guys off the bench are Anderson, Barnes, Bass, Williams, and Gortat. Johnson's all but guaranteed to be the odd man out at this point, but you still have Redick. Is an 11 man rotation at all feasible long term? Does a talented individual get sat at the end of the bench just in case someone gets injured down the road? Neither seems to be a good answer at this point.
What are the other options?
It almost seems like its impossible to upgrade the Magic's roster from a talent perspective at this point. The players that Orlando has all fit extremely well into the system. It just doesn't seem very likely that the team could be made "better" by way of any trade right now.
Is it feasible to trade away some talent for financial reasons? That seems counterproductive for a team with the goal of winning a championship. It could also upset the chemistry of the team, as well as upset the fan base. Still though, it could be argued that the team has extraneous players, and something could be gained by making a move that would ultimately extend the team's championship window, and open up the possibility of a dynasty scenario.
While it may be premature to explore the idea, one has to wonder about scenarios surrounding Rashard Lewis. Yes he's an all-star. The Magic don't make the finals without him last year. He's extremely versatile, as he showed in the playoffs last year by being effective as a shooter, a post-up player, and a slasher at times. At the same time, he's earning the most money of any player on the team, with the ninth highest salary in the league. Most experts contend that he's overpaid. He's certainly proven that he's important to the team, but that doesn't change the fact that he's overpaid. It may be extremely early in the season, but the Magic look like they won't miss Lewis in the lineup very much. It certainly begs the question, could he be traded? Would it be possible to parlay his contract, in conjunction with someone else's expiring contract (Redick, Johnson) into someone like Brandon Roy (6yrs, $3.9mill per year)? Food for thought.
Then there's of course Gortat. The Magic caught the rest of the league off guard when they chose to match Dallas's offer. He's not eligible to be traded until mid-season, however he certainly has the talent to start for a good number of teams in the league. There's no doubt that he will be a valuable trading chip, should Orlando choose to explore such an option. The problem with Gortat is he's the only true backup center that the team has. They'd be forced to get another center in return, or else they would have to play small with Bass playing that position while Howard's on the bench. There are still certainly some possibilities out there though, such as a trade with Indiana for Danny Granger and 2nd year center Roy Hibbert.
Both Lewis and Gortat will both be important members of Van Gundy's rotation, unless something happens. What would seem to be more likely is a trade involving only some of the expiring contracts, such as the afore mentioned Redick and Johnson. The two of them together amount to $5mill in salary, so there may be some potential.
The question still goes back to whether or not being 11 deep is truly a bad thing or not. Is it a blessing, or is it wasteful? Will it win the Magic a title? Do the Magic NEED it to win a title? As with all things, only time will tell.
This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.
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Excellent write-up as always, RussL.
Everyone, rec this post please!
To answer your questions:
- I think what might happen, and this is purely conjecture, is that Redick may be the odd man out in the rotation. This is partly why I’ve been pushing for Pietrus to come off the bench (Barnes would start in this scenario) because he has the ability to back up the 2 and the 3, which would allow Stan Van Gundy to play Williams, Anderson, Bass, and Gortat off the bench for a 10-man rotation. I have a hard time seeing Van Gundy go with anything less than 9 guys, simply because of the talent on the roster. This isn’t last year.
- It’s never wasteful to have all this talent. There will be a time, especially against the likes of Boston, Cleveland, Los Angeles, and others, when having all these players allows Stan to pick and choose the best matchups out of his rotation. I think it’d be counter-intuitive to trade away talent when you never know when it’ll be needed.
- Will it win the Magic a title? Yes, it can. Do the Magic need it to win a title? Yes, the team does. We have to look big picture here.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
thought provoking indeed
me and my father were just arguing the point you made on who can become trade bait… rashard lewis was the peak of the debate, and a very valid debate it was…
as eddy brought up, why trade away talent when you dont know at what point your going to need it… while reading this article, one word has surfaced, which has been reiterated from rashard as well as multiple other players during the course of this offseason… SACRIFICE….
The Problem With Our Generation, Is That Our Future Isn't What It Used To Be
Never a bad thing
Being deep is never a bad thing and I think it is unlikely we will do a major move during the season that could potentially upset chemistry (barring major injury of course). I can foresee us playing 10-11 on nights like last night where we are simply ahead of the opponent by a bunch of points. Everyone played effectively last night, which is encouraging. Our 2nd unit is the one that built the lead initially. Our offense is so potent that we will be winning a lot of games by a lot of points.
Good question and analysis
Thinking about it, I’m having a hard time coming up with a feasible trade. Here’s my reasoning:
1. Our deepest positions are PF and C (counting Bass as either). We have either Lewis/Anderson/Bass or Howard/Gortat/Bass. All five guys would be starters on solid teams.
2. Our weakest position is either SF (assuming we don’t rotate Lewis there) or backup SG (sorry, JJ).
3. Given our PG situation, I’d prefer to carry three on the roster – I don’t consider Nelson particularly injury-prone, but his style of play lends itself to minor injuries. Having a backup and a backup to the backup are important to me.
4. Therefore, our tradeable assets are Gortat, Bass, Anderson, Lewis, Pietrus, Barnes, or Redick. Neither Gortat, Bass, or Barnes can be traded until December 15, thanks to the Free Agent rule. Thus, an early season trade will have to involve Anderson, Lewis, Pietrus, or Redick. I don’t believe most teams would be willing to pick up Lewis’ contract. Anderson is too valuable as Lewis Jr to trade, in my opinion, particularly at his rookie-scale salary. Therefore, a trade would involve Pietrus and/or Redick. Quite frankly, I don’t see a SG or SF I would reasonably expect us to get with the two of them as trade material that would make us a better team.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Remember injuries.
I hate to say it, I wish it weren’t true, but someone will get injured. It’s not an “in case” thing, it’s inevitable.
I mean, Pietrus always gets hurt. He may not get hurt this year, but let’s face it, he always gets hurt. And guess what? We can deal with that. Redick backs up Carter at the 2, the presence of Bass and Anderson lets us play Lewis at the 3 as much as we need, maybe we don’t have to bring Pietrus back before he’s ready like we did last year.
Nelson… well, I hope Nelson is okay, but he’s been injured more than once before. Remember how we basically lost the finals last year because we didn’t have Nelson at full strength? Well, we started the season with three point guards this year. Problem solved.
That’s the great part about all this depth — injuries may weaken us, but no one injury will put an unfillable hole in this roster. Of course an injury to Nelson or Dwight would be awful because it means we don’t have Nelson/Dwight, but we have the depth to maintain SOMETHING at their positions. (Carter might be the exception; if Carter is out, we’d presumably be looking to get 48 minutes out of Pietrus and Redick, which doesn’t sound great. And then that pulls Lewis down to the 3 for significant time, alongside Barnes, etc. Oh well, guess Carter can’t miss any games.)
Seriously, though, PF is the only position that’s really egregiously overcrowded. (Unless you count having two starting-quality centers.) And while I still don’t understand why we needed Bass, he’s a good player, and it’s a luxury we can afford.
He's currently two-thirds man, one-third amazing. Which, let's face it, is still a pretty good ratio.
I see Bass as valuable in two ways:
1. If Anderson had needed more seasoning or time to adjust to the Magic system, Bass would have been available.
2. Bass can play 4 or 5, so if any of our bigs go down, whether it be Lewis, Anderson, Howard, or Gortat, he can backfill their spot. None of our other bigs can fill both slots (Lewis can fill 3 or 4, but not 5).
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Sure, but Anderson has worked out, and now we're stuck with two really good backup PFs.
Stan has been… lukewarm at best regarding the idea of playing Bass at C. And again, without taking anything away from Bass’ talent, I would personally be inclined to give Foyle a shot first; he was surprisingly effective in limited minutes last year, and is definitely a bigger presence down low. (Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.)
Granted, I don’t think anyone expected Ryan to be this ready this soon. (Probably including the Nets.) And yeah, I’m sure having all these players will pay dividends eventually. (I mean, it kind of has already… we’d be in some real trouble these first ten games if we didn’t have Anderson and Bass to share minutes.)
He's currently two-thirds man, one-third amazing. Which, let's face it, is still a pretty good ratio.
Bass has surprised me with his quickness
he could easily play SF for us in a BIG linueup. So I wouldn’t trade him since he is so versatile.
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 30, 2009 1:05 AM EDT up reply actions
His quickness shouldn't be surprising. Brandon is a supremely-athletic player.
Bass is capable of even guarding point guards if it comes to it.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
That's something I hope I never see.
Third Quarter Collapse: An Orlando Magic blog at SB Nation | Brandon Bass: "I just play hard."
That would be.. How should I say... BAD
lol
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 31, 2009 2:39 AM EDT up reply actions
Injuries
Will always come and go in a season. We’re almost uniquely placed to handle them.
JJ’s the guy I see getting squeezed when everyone’s fit. Unfortunately for him, it’s nothing we’ve not seen before.
As for Lewis, well, he won’t be tradeable until his contract is nearer the the last year and we’ll be lucky to get anything other than another shitty contract for him. Who’s going to want an aging forward with declining skills making max money under shrinking cap? Not many people, and they’re not going to give up much to get it…
the only scenario i see Lewis getting traded is if we get 2 bad players with bad contracts. Also they must be expiring dealsexpiring deals
I would check if the Sacramento’s Minn or Memphis of the league would be interested in him. They cant attract top notch talent to play for them anyway so why not dangle our All Star in front of them (plus they have cap flexibility)
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 30, 2009 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions
The problem there is finding someone worthwhile
Going back to my comments about SG and SF being the shallowest positions:
Sacramento: Francisco Garcia, Donte Green, Kevin Martin – only Martin’s really worthwhile, and he’s probably the best player on the Kings. Their only real bad contract is Beno Udrih, and I can’t see us taking a fourth point guard.
Memphis: Rudy Gay, Marko Jaric, OJ Mayo – maybe it would be possible to pry away either Gay or Mayo if Memphis feels they have no chance at re-signing both. The likely cost would be Zach Randolph’s 16 million dollar albatross. Lewis/Redick for Gay/Randolph? I’m not sure I’d do that deal, and somehow I don’t think Memphis would either (although it does work cap-wise).
Minnesota: Corey Brewer, Wayne Ellington, Ryan Gomes, Damien Wilkins – ugh, ugh, ugh, and ugh. Other than Jefferson and Love, there’s nobody on this team worth trading for. Jefferson wouldn’t be a significant upgrade over Gortat (if at all), and Love’s an expiring contract.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
I wouldn't want Gay anywhere near the city of Orlando.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
You've never been to the Parliament House have you?
They’se already here
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 31, 2009 2:41 AM EDT up reply actions
I meant the player.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I'm pretty sure he was kidding
I'm a girl.
by TheGiantSquid on Oct 31, 2009 3:47 PM EDT up reply actions
Love's not an expiring contract for two more years.
But I think the issue there is that he has a SMALL contract. He’s such a bargain at this point, there’s no way they’re trading him. (And while he’s one of my favorite young players in the league, he’s really best suited to a slower team than the Magic. Anyway, is another PF really what we need? Like, ever?)
And Jefferson would be a major upgrade over Gortat. I like Gortat too, but let’s not get carried away here. You can say he’s the worst 20-10 guy in the league… he’s not; Zach Randolph is, but you can say it. But the fact remains, anyone who can score 23 and 11 under ANY circumstances is a huge upgrade over Gortat.
Side note: exactly why is Jefferson any worse than, say, Chris Bosh? If you disregard Jefferson’s injury questions, I’d say the opposite — I very well might take him over Bosh, who (after all) is just Jermaine O’Neal minus the shot-blocking. Whereas Jefferson has some defensive issues, but he’s a truly innovative post scorer with an excellent eye for a rebound. He’s my first choice between those two every time, and if Yao is injured and we’re calling Gasol and Duncan PFs, he’s my no. 2 center in the NBA too.
He's currently two-thirds man, one-third amazing. Which, let's face it, is still a pretty good ratio.
Al wouldn't be a very good fit for the Magic.
Orlando just needs to continue it’s main philosophy of 4-out/1-in, that’s it.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Oh, yeah, he wouldn't fit with the Magic at all.
Just saying.
He's currently two-thirds man, one-third amazing. Which, let's face it, is still a pretty good ratio.
I feel like our teams equals two teams
Like Dwight + Nets + Warriors = Magic
Good Guys Don't use the reply button
Whar about Johnson?
I liked him in the playoffs last year, but what about now? As the odd man out, he’s the one I would like to see traded, for his sake and ours. I’m sure he would like to play when his team is up by less than 30. If we could get a 12th man like we had years back (like Darrell Armstrong and Brooks Thompson in the 90’s), eager for any chance to play, rather than frustrated by the lack of minutes, I think it could be better for everyone.
I am the world's best basketball player! *
* Among those with no skills whatsoever
Well, Otis tried to trade Johnson in a deal for C.J. Watson but that deal never happened.
Given that Anthony has a small expiring contract, never know.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I'm still holding out hope for CJ Watson
WTF is wrong with GS.. they dont even play him. Its a bunch of BS. Why do that to a player you say you like? Especially a young player that need time on the court to improve.
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 31, 2009 2:43 AM EDT up reply actions
Because it's the Warriors, there's no explanation needed.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I think it's asinine to discuss trading Rashard Lewis.
He was an x-factor for the Orlando Magic last year during the team’s Finals run.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Its a moot point because his contract makes him untradeble
Its more of a “could the team afford to lose him” sort of thing. But yeah, not going to happen, can’t happen.
The size of his contract makes him untradeable
On top of the fact that we wouldn’t trade our 2nd/3rd most important player anyways. (It is semi-debatable who is more important him or Jameer).
Jameer, in my opinion.
We’ve already seen the Magic can deal with Rashard’s absence.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Also, its of great concern for the Magic to hold on to some of these great pickups they've made
Barnes is on a 1yr deal. Redick 1yr. Anderson 2 yrs. Pietrus 2 yrs. Thats something that has to be thought about – retaining those guys. Keeping three out of the four may in fact be more important than Lewis is himself – thats certainly a debatable point. But again, it doesn’t really matter since realistically Orlando has Lewis until the end of his contract.
I believe there's a team option for Anderson for a third year
Also, we’ll have the biennial exception next year (since we used it on AJ last year), so we’ll have the ability to re-sign or replace Barnes and/or JJ.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
Barnes better start getting it goin if he wants the BAE
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 31, 2009 2:45 AM EDT up reply actions
The option has been picked up.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
I thought they only picked up the 2010-2011 $1.6m option
There’s also a 2011-2012 $2.2m option that I don’t think they’ve exercised yet.
"When you make your final stand
I'll be right there
I'll never leave
And all I ask of you is
Believe"
That's what I was inferring to.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Fa sho! IMO he’s worth every penny of that bloated contract!
I know what Bo dont know.
by D-RAK on Nov 1, 2009 1:15 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Obviously after tonight...
Depth is a good thing (VC)
"Put it on Film" (not on the glass)
by chiefs_55 on Oct 30, 2009 11:22 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
simple but yet so perfect
rec
I probably know Judo! How many of you can make the same boast?
by Souwantmyname on Oct 31, 2009 2:45 AM EDT up reply actions
Simple Answer? No
We do not have too much depth.
Thoughts on JJ being the odd man out.
- With Hedo gone this team cannot look to the 3 for ballhandling. JJ and Carter are currently our only not PG ball handlers. Does this give JJ an edge for PT?
Thoughts on Lewis.
-Having a shooting 4 and a banging 4 in the rotation is a very nice complement; Lewis is a much better defender than Anderson. The relation? I don’t think that Bass will be the odd man out, and having Lewis over Anderson is a huge upgrade on both ends.
'Coach, Dwight is a nice guy. Dwight don't hit anybody. But Superman will knock the crap out of you.' - D12
The way Ryan has been playin he needs to start with Bass coming in for him, Shard needs to be at the 3 , Barnes comes in for him and at the 4 when we need the floor stretching, Pietrus comes in for VC, J Will for Meer, Gortat , for Howard and JJ can wear STUFF’s outfit until we find a taker or his conrtact runs out. Seems like if anyone were to get left out it would be Bass because he doesn’t fit our normal style and thus far his rebounding has not been impressive, his hustle, grit and midrange game are nothing short of amazing though.
I know what Bo dont know.
by D-RAK on Nov 1, 2009 1:31 AM EDT via mobile reply actions
Problem w/ Shard at the 3 is his defense
he defends the 4 relatively well, but 3’s in the league are a lot quicker.
For the present the Magic will probably go with the present roster, for all the reasons mentioned. And this is the beginning of a dynasty . As we have seen with Carter. Players can get hurt, beat up, need quality replacements. Gives Stan
lots of options. When the Magic are at full strength, we will win by 20 many nights. Because of the depth. What a differance from last year. It’s going to be a fun year to watch.
Dynasty is a strong word...
The Magic are guaranteed to be a contender for the next 3 years. After that, its contract time for Jameer and Vince (and Bass). Can the Magic re-sign their big guns? I suppose a championship or two between now and then will help matters. But the year after that, its Dwight and Shard time. I dunno that the Magic re-sign Shard, at least not without a significant paycut on his part.
But who knows, he may well be extraneous by then. There are so very many things that can happen in a 4 year timespan ;)
I guess the bottom line is, if the Magic manage to keep Jameer and Dwight, and get a reasonable amount of development from their other players, there are a lot of good things that can happen.
Well I think the original question is answered
The Magic are playing today without Lewis, Carter, or MP. They still have just enough depth to compete.
Things happen I guess. Its good to be prepared.
Three days ago, I said the following.
“Carter might be the exception; if Carter is out, we’d presumably be looking to get 48 minutes out of Pietrus and Redick.”
Does 45 minutes out of Redick count? Follow-up question: can I call them, or can I call them?
He's currently two-thirds man, one-third amazing. Which, let's face it, is still a pretty good ratio.
Dynasty?
A dynasty requires:
1. Minimum two championships to enter the conversation
2. A long tenured coach with an effective game philosophy
3. A championship-minded hall-of-famer
4. Smart GM/ownership
5. A healthy fanbase
Let’s try to win a championship first.
A trade now would be like touching up the Mona Lisa in Photoshop.
The team is not perfect, but we now have a perfectly flexible roster that would be foolish to mess with. Down the road, though, I can see where we might want to move Carter and Lewis for some first round picks and upside talent. Having a good mix of veterans, high potential youngsters, and reasonable contracts is how you build for the long-term.
I trust Otis Smith to handle the personnel movements. It remains to be seen what this group can accomplish on the court, championship-wise, but this team looks to be built for a back-to-back with some re-tooling after 2011.
At that point, maybe we can start talking dynasty….
The List
I like it.
The pieces are set for championship runs over the next two years. The ’11 season will see Otis mining the league for another elite NBA wing, unless VC is playing at a max player level and we pick up his team option.
'Coach, Dwight is a nice guy. Dwight don't hit anybody. But Superman will knock the crap out of you.' - D12
by Eyriq the Red on Nov 3, 2009 1:53 PM EST up reply actions
Can we enjoy what has been put together for this season for a moment?
Rashard may be considered overpaid but he fits in a system and his salary is within the team’s financial plans. So under that criteria, he’s not overpaid. Secondly, this team was put together to win a title. Every player on that roster knows that and those that signed like Barnes and Bass knew what they were walking into. So if JJ or AJ have problems with this, they should just put up with it until the summer. From what I see, it doesn’t seem like either of them do. The team is 3-0 and things look very positive. I’m enjoying what I see and I’ll have to pass on the food for thought atm.
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
by KingJafi on Nov 2, 2009 1:37 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
Exactly what I was thinking.
I’m enjoying what the Magic have put together immensely.
Not trying to discredit the thoughtful discussion this has created, but I’m happy we have all this depth, very happy.
The only time when having too much depth is a problem is when players aren’t happy, which happens when they haven’t bought into a system, or there isn’t a system at all.
SVG has a system and his players have bought into it. As Jafi said, they all know they are here to win a championship.
by thermodynamic on Nov 3, 2009 1:28 AM EST up reply actions
And they all genuinely get along.
Don’t underestimate what Jameer’s ‘Building Magic’ week has done for team chemistry.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Ah but is everyone happy? Is everyone going to be happy when someone's stuck on the bench?
I don’t think AJ’s too happy right now. What if JJ stops getting playing time all of a sudden when ‘shard gets back – he’s asked for a trade before.
I don’t say that intending to be pessimistic, but its something you have to think about.
It totally is something you can think about. But I don't think it is the case this season.
What more could AJ want? More minutes on a team like OKC? At this point in the guy’s career, I’m pretty sure he wants to be a part of a championship team. He’s been to the Finals a couple of times and has come up short. To ride the pine and step in and contribute when needed is probably fine with him. Especially considering he’s been living in Orlando for a few yrs now. I highly doubt the guy wants to up and move to play more and lose.
As for JJ, yeah he might not be happy with the reduced time. But he’s a free agent in the offseason I believe and at this stage he’ll make do of his PT and use it as leverage to a get a solid restricted deal. He’s actually better off playing on a team that will be watched by a lot of GMs this season, albeit at reduced time. On the other hand, as a competitor I really doubt that JJ has a problem with being on a team that could possibly win it all. If the Magic win, it only makes JJ’s hype/cred/attractiveness better than if he was playing for Sacramento or Golden State or whatever. Look at Devean George and Derek Fisher…two guys whose careers would of been non-existent after entry level deals if it weren’t for the fact they played on championship teams. The list goes on and on for bench warmers on championship teams that make a career out of a title…Buechler, Madsen, Kapono, Elie, Vujacic (unfortunately he might be on that list and he probably will have a longer career than we all want to see because of last season).
So…this season I don’t see the problem you are pointing out…which I agree is a valid issue that happens with deep teams. As thermo points out, these guys buy into a system…its like they are brainwashed at this point. As Magic fans, that can only be a good thing!
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
I hope this holds true
I just remember Gortat expressing some displeasure about the Magic matching Dallas’s offer. No doubt he was fine with the money, but he wants playing time – he wants to fight for a starting spot. At least, he did over the summer. Ultimately, he’ll probably be happy with a chance to bring home a title.
JJ’s in an interesting situation right now, because he’s in a contract year. Sure he’s on a team thats going to get a lot of coverage… but does he want coverage of him sitting on the bench?
Personally, at this point I think JJ helps the team more than Barnes does. I hope to see him get a shot at some more time even after Lewis comes back…
We'll see.
For Barnes I just think it is a matter of chemistry and confortability. Once those two reach their peak, he will be just fine and will prove to be a valuable pick up. JJ will still get plenty of time on the court as long as he keeps producing. With the team built the way it is, we should see a lot blowouts which would send stars to the bench early and JJs in during the 4th quarter. Like D12 said, all personal goals went out the window this year. The only goal is a championship now. When the game is in hand, expect the starters to come out for rest and to reduce the risk of injury. Also Stan is a big fan of the +/- so who ever gives him the best differential will still see plenty of time.
Life's too short. Be a fan. Orlando Magic, Arizona Cardinals,Tampa Bay Rays and of course "the U"! What a winning combo.
Who can blame Marcin, though?
That’s just a natural athlete’s reaction, to want to play more.
Again, I haven’t seen any problems while I’ve been at practice and in the locker room. Everyone on the team enjoys each other’s company, genuinely gets along, and that’s it. I think people’s obsession with trying to stir controversy or dissent is played out. The leadership structure in Orlando is so defined, so precise, and Dwight/Jameer make it their duty to include everyone in on the fun off the court, that unhappiness will rarely occur.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Don't get me wrong
I’m not one of those who’s obsessed with stirring controversy or dissent… I’m looking at two things really:
One is “what could go wrong?” I do that because I’m a natural pessimist ;)
The other is, I look at it from almost a fantasy basketball perspective – ie, if the Magic were my fantasy team, what would I be trying to do? Of course, this is the real world and things like chemistry and loyalty play a huge role :)
I hear you and I understand the concern.
I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.
"The second unit is kind of crazy because the second unit is only white guys." - Marcin Gortat
Remember Troy Hudson btw?
In his contract year with the Magic, Mr. Hudson was the king of garbage time and got himself a pretty contract and starting position the next season on another team. That Magic were a first round playoff team back then too. So imagine JJ’s exposure if the Magic go deep once again.
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
You just have to look at Gortat
Managed to get the MLE from 12 minutes a game on a Finals side.
If JJ shows the ability to play D, pass the ball and hit shots, even in limited minutes, and we make a deep playoff run, he’ll get the exposure he needs to get a decent deal.
by eltharion_doa on Nov 4, 2009 11:15 PM EST up reply actions
Keep in mind...SVG has the ability with this roster to match his opponent's lineups.
If these guys gel no matter who’s on the court, that can prove lethal for the other team. So JJ might be getting PT simply because he matches up better on a particular night than say Barnes. AJ on the hand probably will only see mop up time.
Spreading that Calgary Flames, Montreal Expos, The U, and Orlando Magic love.
Clearly the Magic aren't deep enough. Lets sign more players.
but seriously, i’m about done with ankle sprains.
by RussL on Nov 9, 2009 12:09 AM EST reply actions 1 recs
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