Anthony Johnson is one of the Orlando Magic's resident journeymen, having played for 8 different teams in 12-year career, which includes multiple stops in Atlanta, Sacramento, and Orlando. But after the Magic's busy offseason, which saw six players depart and five new players come on, he's in the novel position of being a familiar face.
I asked Anthony to draw on his NBA experience and estimate how long it'd take for his new teammates to assimilate, both on and off the floor.
It'll probably take a while. You know...several months, 'cause those [new] guys gotta get used to playin' with a group of guys, they gotta get used to dealin' with a different coach, whereas the guys that are already here, we kinda know what to expect. So it's gonna take a while. But with that being said, all the guys that's here in this locker room [are] very talented, so hopefully we can jell a little bit quicker than normal. But it's gonna probably take a while.
As long as we're winning games, doin' that learnin' curve, we'll be good to go.
On the one hand, "several months" doesn't sound too optimistic. On the other hand, A.J.'s right when he says winning will solve a lot of chemistry problems. And the Magic are indeed talented enough to win quite often.