Monday’s Magic Word
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The [Orlando] Magic still will be looking for a point guard — just not Paul. Smith said the team will sign a third guard soon to back up starter Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon. “We’re still throwing some names around,” he said. The Magic currently have 12 players under contract. [Otis] Smith said forward Stanley Robinson, the Magic’s second-round pick who has a non-guaranteed contact, will join center Daniel Orton, the team’s first-round selection, on the training-camp roster as well as two or three other free agents who’ll practice with the team. Training camp opens Sept. 28 at the new Amway Center.”
- Chris Paul is staying put, for now at least.
- Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie takes us back in time: “I remember Tracy’s second year in Orlando, and his back issues in training camp. Most, including myself, chalked it up to him being out of shape. He hardly looked like a weight room demon, and he had begged out of countless practices early in his rookie year with the same sort of sore feet that every one of his training camp teammates were suffering through. But the Magic were concerned. Doc Rivers, especially, broke through my dubious tone. He mentioned something about how, yes, every person on the Magic’s roster had been going through out of shape-type pains. But when it’s a 22-year old complaining about a bad back, you tend to pay attention. Doc was right. And Tracy was right to complain. And that issue isn’t going away, especially nine years later.”
- David Aldridge of NBA.com: “Can’t give Orlando a great offseason grade for only matching an offer sheet on [J.J.] Redick. But the Magic are in much better shape than most of the teams on this list. Nobody else has Dwight Howard and almost nobody else has quality big man depth like Orlando, which can bring Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass off the bench. But the Magic have some decisions to make. Should they pull the trigger and deal Vince Carter for the likes of Gilbert Arenas, or package Nelson and some of that big man depth and try to get Howard a Pau Gasol-like second? Or should Orlando stand pat and give a team that was playing the best basketball in the league — until meeting Boston — another chance to get back to the Finals?”
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post chimes in on the significance behind Paul’s meeting with the New Orleans Hornets: “I suppose only Chris Paul and his inner circle know for sure what he’s really up to. The Hornets’ intentions are much clearer: to keep Paul at nearly any cost; they still won’t go over the luxury tax to bring top-grade talent aboard. But Chris Mannix consulted several GMs who made “strong” pushes for Paul, and said “[the] Hornets [are] not at all interested [in trading him].” As for the Magic? The meeting’s outcome doesn’t figure to affect their interest in him one way or another. If they pry him from New Orleans, fantastic. If not, they still have one of the league’s best teams, from top to bottom, along with an elite coach and an ownership group willing to spend. There are worse predicaments.”
- LeBron James wants Paul in the Western Conference. I wonder why?
- According to some, the Orlando Magic don’t want to take on Emeka Okafor’s contract.
- Bethlehem Shoals and Tom Ziller of NBA FanHouse conjure up a trade possibility for the Magic including — you guessed it — Okafor: “As of now, this one’s been debunked; it’s only on the list because, so the winds whispered, it was on the list. Presumably, Orlando’s displeasure with Jameer Nelson, and the presence of Dwight Howard — who is big, exciting, and deserving of a super-pal — makes the Magic a logical destination, if not a real possibility. Here’s how it would go down: Paul, Okafor, and the expiring Darius Songalia (why not) go to Orlando, Hornets get back Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, Mickael Pietrus, Daniel Orton, and yeah, picks. I guess the Magic would be excited about this, right?”
- The day has come for Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal to take a paycut.
- Did you know that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were some of the best producers against above-average NBA defenses in 2010? Mark that down as one more reason to fear the Miami Heat. If it’s any consolation, J.J. Redick fared well against better-than-average defenses. Marcin Gortat, too. On the flipside, a few Magic players feasted on subpar defenses.
