Blogger Knows Best: Inside the Orlando Magic

Yours truly discussed the Magic with HoopsDaily.com. Check it out for my assessment of the season so far, which moves the team should make going forward, and more.

almost 3 years ago Evan Dunlap 6 comments 1 recs |

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Good stuff, Ben.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

Mannerisms of a young Bobby DeNiro, spent spanish wisdoms/in a whip with dinero, crime organized like the pharoah/I cream, I diamond gleam/High post like Hakeem, got a lot of things to drop/Brooklyn to Queens, I gotta keep my steam - Jay-Z

by erivera7 on Apr 1, 2009 2:50 PM EDT reply actions

Great analysis...

…Though you sound a bit too much like an apologist for Otis Smith’s mistakes. The Ariza trade and drafting of Vasquez were obviously poor decisions, though neither has been devastating to the team. (And, who knows, maybe we’ll salvage something from Vasquez eventually.)

You’re right, however, to point out those moves that have worked: Smith deserves great credit for resigning Nelson, trading for Altson, and drafting Lee. (And maybe trading for Lue, too, if only to free up time for Lee.)

Lee has been great, but he has a long way to go before he supplants Nick Anderson as the best non-#1 Magic draft pick.

by gift of the magi on Apr 1, 2009 3:27 PM EDT reply actions

I feel like I might have been a little easy on Otis, but then again, his recent resume is pretty solid

Third Quarter Collapse: An Orlando Magic blog at SB Nation

by Evan Dunlap on Apr 1, 2009 4:59 PM EDT up reply actions

Vasquez was a rookie mistake.

And I don’t get why people keep harping on the Ariza trade. Ariza wouldn’t play over Lee or Pietrus. In fact, if I were the Magic and I had Ariza, I’d deal him for Maurice Evans straight up right now.

Well, okay, I wouldn’t deal him for Mo Evans. We have Pietrus and Lee, we don’t need Mo Evans. But the two are basically equal players — Ariza is a slightly better defender, Evans has a reliable three. And of course one can play SF. But it’s not like it’s a huge talent gap; Ariza is Mattt Harpring minus half of his offensive game. And I liked Matt Harpring, but still.

by 3.3seconds on Apr 1, 2009 5:34 PM EDT up reply actions

Plus we were able to use Brian Cook to land Alston, so it wasn't a complete loss! ;)

by malars on Apr 1, 2009 6:20 PM EDT up reply actions

The Vasquez blunder was a blessing in disguise. Paved the way for the Rashard Lewis sign & trade.

Granted, there are other possibilities that could have occurred had GM Otis Smith made the “right” pick but no need to flesh them out .. the alternate universe would be complicated to explain.

All in all, I’ve been satisfied with the job Otis has been doing.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

Used to mix the wine with the lean/Now we sip soda with the Barre/20 inch blades on the car - Pimp C

by erivera7 on Apr 1, 2009 6:30 PM EDT up reply actions