Wednesday’s Magic Word
- George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “There will be some reactionary backlash to the expensive pile of contract extensions and promotions that keep the Orlando Magic leadership team in play for a few more seasons. The ghost of Fran Vázquez will rise up from Spain. John Weisbrod will show up wearing a hockey mask. Little Penny will be there all alone, since Shaq bolted to Los Angeles to schmooze courtside with Jack Nicholson. A lot of stuff has happened since 1989 when the Magic were NBA newbies and won all of 18 games. When you’ve been in business that long, there’s bound to be some regretful hiccups. Steven Hunter, Jeryl Sasser and Reece Gaines come to mind. Frightening images, I know. But if you want to hold the Magic accountable for the bad days at the office, look around and gather a dose of perspective. This organization has bounced back from its mistakes, reinvented itself, and has been a bedrock of stability in a sport where complicated chaos is the first order of business on any given day.”
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Alex Martins and Otis Smith traveled parallel paths to get to where they are. They were born in Jan. 1964. They graduated from college in 1986. And, in 1989, they joined the Orlando Magic organization: Martins as director of publicity and media relations, Smith as a player. They’ll continue to work with each other — and coach Stan Van Gundy — for a while longer, at least. On Wednesday, Magic Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Weide formally announced that Martins and Smith have been promoted and had their contracts extended by one year to run through the 2012-13 season. Van Gundy has received a two-year contract extension through the 2012-13 season. [...] Martins, who has been elevated to the role of team president, will continue to oversee the team’s day-to-day business operations. Smith, who has been promoted to president of basketball operations, will handle the same duties he had as the team’s general manager.”
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy made a trip to Paris and visited Mickael Pietrus.
- General manager Otis Smith is still seeking a third point guard for the Orlando Magic.
- The Magic are willing to spend — for now: “Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Weide understands that his team could end up with the NBA’s highest payroll by the time the 2010-11 season ends. For now, he sounds OK with that — even if it means going further into the league’s punitive luxury tax. [...] Vander Weide indicated that, for now, at least, the team will do what it takes financially to make a run at the NBA title.”
- Dan Savage of NBA.com states that Orlando is committed to bringing a title to the City Beautiful.
- Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse: “As part of his two-year extension, Van Gundy will earn an estimated $4.3 million annually, putting him among the top 25 percent of coaches in the league. According to league sources, who confirmed his bonus clause, his contract is much like other NBA coaching contracts in that he will receive only a portion of it if the 2011-12 season is shortened because of the expected labor dispute. Although the Magic were unable to complete a potential trade earlier this summer that could have landed point guard Chris Paul of New Orleans — and they refused even to acknowledge the topic Wednesday — outside league sources confirmed that they indeed were willing to increase their future payroll significantly (i.e., taking Emeka Okafor’s bloated contract) to facilitate the deal.”
- The Magic are locked and loaded for the future with Van Gundy at the helm.
- Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA, according to one writer.
- Which players for Orlando thrived against the weakest defensive teams in the league?
