- The Orlando Magic have a lot of decisions to make in the near future: namely the futures of general manager Otis Smith, head coach Stan Van Gundy, Dwight Howard, Ryan Anderson, J.J. Redick, and Jameer Nelson.
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel lists the top 10 issues that the Magic will be facing as they head into the offseason.
- Orlando tried but didn’t have enough left in the tank to pull out a win in Game 5 against the Indiana Pacers, losing by the score of 105-87 after entering the fourth quarter with a 71-69 lead.
- The Magic have a lot of questions they need to answer with regards to free agents-to-be like Anderson. Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post has an excellent breakdown of Orlando’s current roster outlook as the offseason looms.
- Finally, the NBA is rid of an anticlimactic first round playoff series between the Magic and Indiana Pacers.
- Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie: “And, really, it was great to see Jameer Nelson back. Even 5 1/2 months into the season he still looks out of shape, but he managed 27 points on 21 shots and didn’t turn the ball over in 39 minutes. We’ll have much more on the Magic later on Wednesday, and we want to keep this Pacers-heavy, but it was a welcome return, Jameer. If only for a night.
- More from Dwyer: “On paper, with Van Gundy’s voice being treated as reverently as it should be, the Magic should have a chance at the conference finals, or even NBA Finals, all over again in 2012-13. That’s what overachieving is all about. Especially when you have Dwight Howard. But especially because they have Dwight Howard, Stan Van Gundy probably won’t be there next season.”
- Orlando struggled to get to the free-throw line in the playoffs without Dwight. That is no surprise, given that Dwight accounted for 10.6 of the Magic’s 19.0 free-throw attempts per game during the regular season.
- ESPN Stats & Information: “After losing the series opener, the Pacers dominated the series against the Orlando Magic. In the clinching game, they outscored Orlando 18-0 in fast-break opportunities and 46-22 in the paint. For the series, they held a 69-13 advantage in fast-break points and outscored the Magic by 76 points in the paint.”
- for Orlando, a decision on Dwight’s future will be made sooner rather than later. The question is will Dwight commit long-term with the Magic or will he finally get traded? Stay tuned.
- Adonal Foyle is on Orlando’s radar as a possible successor to Otis Smith as the team’s general manager.
- With a win in Game 5 against the Magic, the Pacers completed the “gentleman’s sweep”.
- Rob Mahoney of CourtVision suggests that people should not come to snap judgments with regards to Ryan Anderson’s offensive struggles in the postseason.
- A look back at Orlando’s rollercoaster season.
- The Magic earned a D+ for their effort against Indiana in Game 5, thereby getting eliminated in the first round for a second consecutive season.
- David Aldridge of NBA.com: “Orlando will not have a repeat of this past season, however; Howard will be dealt in the offseason if the Magic determine he does not want to stay long-term. Several teams, most notably the Nets, want him.”
- Hedo Turkoglu and pizza.
May 09