The Orlando Magic expect the four players for whom they traded over the weekend--that'd be Gilbert Arenas, Earl Clark, Jason Richardson, and Hedo Turkoglu--to be available tonight when they take on the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena, reports Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel. All four have joined the team taken their physicals, and no roadblocks are expected. However, due to uncertainty about whether the players Orlando traded had taken theirs, the Magic did not have practice today, as involving the new players in that would have violated the NBA's rules.
This development is not unexpected, as coach Stan Van Gundy said after his post-game press conference on Saturday, making his way to a private hallway at Amway Center. I had already switched my voice recorder off, however, so I cannot provide you a direct quote on the subject.
I do have Van Gundy's exact words about the challenge integrating the four newcomers presents for him, particularly on the defensive end. "My concerns are with the defense. That takes a lot more time," Van Gundy said. Later, he followed up with, "There is a lot to cover and not a lot of practice time. We have to get the defense in and the big thing is getting the new guys into a defensive mentality."
Van Gundy has yet to announce a starting lineup.