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Jul 11

Magic acquire Gustavo Ayon from New Orleans

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Press Releases

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  at 12:46 pm

Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Via Orlando Magic press release:

The Orlando Magic have acquired forward-center Gustavo Ayon from New Orleans in exchange for forward Ryan Anderson in a sign-and-trade deal, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Ayon (6’10”, 245, 4/1/85) played in 54 games last season with the Hornets, averaging 5.9 ppg., 4.9 rpg. and 1.4 apg. in 20.1 mpg., while shooting a team-high .536 (140-261) from the field during his rookie campaign. He started in 24 games, averaging 8.3 ppg., 6.4 rpg., 2.0 apg., 1.38 spg. and 1.08 bpg. in 28.5 mpg. during that span. Ayon ranked in the top ten among all NBA rookies in field goal percentage (second), rebounding (fifth), blocked shots (fifth, 0.85 bpg.) and steals (seventh, 0.98 spg.).

Ayon led (or tied) the Hornets in rebounding nine times and in assists twice last season. He scored in double figures 11 times, including a career-high 16 points twice, the last time on Mar. 15 vs. Washington. Ayon also pulled down 10+ rebounds five times and recorded two double-doubles. He tallied a career-high 17 rebounds on Feb. 22 at Cleveland.

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Jul 11

3-on-3 roundtable: Examining the Ryan Anderson sign-and-trade to New Orleans

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Roundtables

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  at 11:33 am

Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE via Getty Images

On Sunday, Orlando Magic restricted free agent power forward Ryan Anderson verbally agreed to sign a four-year, $36 million offer sheet with the New Orleans Hornets. As a restricted free agent, the Magic had first right of refusal to match the offer and keep Anderson. However, Orlando felt the price tag on Anderson was just too much. But instead of losing Anderson for nothing, general manager Rob Hennigan executed a sign-and-trade with the Hornets, thus acquiring an asset in the form of 27-year old center Gustavo Ayon, who had a productive rookie year with New Orleans last season.

With Anderson gone and Dwight Howard also on his way out, whenever that is, it’s clear that — with the recent drafting of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn, as well as trading for Ayon — Hennigan is trying to replenish the Magic’s big men coffers with cost-efficient, quality talent.

With the help of Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post, Magic Basketball investigates whether or not Hennigan made the right decision in letting Anderson go.

Fact or Fiction: Hennigan made the right decision in not matching the Hornets’ offer sheet.

Evan Dunlap, Orlando Pinstriped Post: Fiction. Paying above the mid-level for non-stars has historically been a trap bad GMs have fallen into, but Anderson’s going to be worth what New Orleans pays him. Even if one accepts that playing alongside Dwight Howard made him more effective than he would have been otherwise — an easy premise to accept — his three-point stroke and offensive rebounding skill isn’t going to stay behind in Orlando.

Sean Highkin, Magic Basketball: Fiction. Here’s the thing: I’d understand not wanting to pony up $9 million per year for Anderson if Hennigan was truly trying to start with a clean slate. The problem is, he already re-upped Jameer Nelson. Not wanting to pay Anderson is fine in and of itself, but in concert with the team’s other offseason moves, it doesn’t make a lot of sense.

Noam Schiller, Magic Basketball: Fact. Anderson is a fantastic player, but he makes much more sense as the third-best player on a team with a defensive big than the best player on a team going nowhere. With too many useless veteran space gobblers to deal with, the Magic couldn’t afford splashing out on a luxury such as Ryan Anderson.

Fact or Fiction: Acquiring Ayon was the best possible result.

Dunlap: Fact. I suppose. If you’re dead set on not matching Anderson, and have no leverage with New Orleans because the Hornets know you won’t match if Anderson signs the offer sheet, then getting a productive big on a cheap contract is probably the best you can hope for. Ayon can play. 

Highkin: Fiction. I’m not sure about “the best possible result,” but Ayon is definitely a good acquisition for the Magic. He slipped under the radar for a lot of people playing a back-up role on a crappy Hornets team, but he posted pretty solid numbers per 36 minutes. If the Magic weren’t going to keep Anderson, getting back a productive player who saves a significant amount of money is nothing to be mad at.

Schiller: Fact. Ayon definitely isn’t the best player the Magic could have acquired, but he’s the best value. He plays hard, is mobile, passes the ball extremely well for a big, and doesn’t step out of his range offensively. Furthermore, he only makes $3 million over the next two years, before he becomes a restricted free agent.

Fact or Fiction: Anderson is worth $9 million per season.

Dunlap: Fact. But that’s probably the most he should be paid. $10 million per season would have been pushing it. 

Highkin: Fact. That’s a perfectly reasonable price for a 24-year-old with his combination of size, three-point shooting ability, and rebounding.

Schiller: Fact. With the way this league is heading, a floor-spacing big man is a key ingredient to breaking down defenses. Anderson is the best of that bunch, and he throws in good rebounding and very low turnover numbers. His dependence on others scares me, but for Ersan Ilyasova money, he’s a steal.

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Jul 10

2012 Orlando Pro Summer League roundup: Day 2

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Media Logs

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  at 11:36 pm

Photo via Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic

Alton Clark of NBA Playbook is covering the 2012 Orlando Pro Summer League on behalf of Magic Basketball. This is Alton’s roundup of Day 2.

Pistons 79, Magic 74

BOX SCORE

  • On the second day of Summer League in Orlando, the Magic suffered their first defeat of the week at the hands of the Detroit Pistons. As a team, the Magic shot 1-for-13 from three-point range and lacked the fluidity on offense that was there on Monday. Despite this, there were still some players who stood out and took advantage of the opportunity to impress the Magic braintrust (general manager Rob Hennigan as well as assistant general managers Scott Perry and Matt Lloyd), which sat courtside during the game.

  • Six-foot point guard Kevin Anderson worked out his nerves from the opening game yesterday and had a great game off the bench for the Magic. Anderson pushed the ball in transition, was a pest defensively, and was one of the few Magic players who shot the ball well. The most effective part of Anderson’s game today was his dribble penetration. Anderson used his quickness to make an initial dribble move (in-and-out, hesitation, or crossover dribble) that put the first line of defense on their heels and opened up a driving lane down the middle of the floor. Anderson would penetrate just to the point where the defense collapsed and either pulled up for a jumper or floater, or kicked it out to the open man. Although his teammates weren’t hitting shots, Anderson showed he can get other players involved while attacking full speed.

  • In the first half, Kyle O’Quinn was a man among boys when it came to battling Detroit’s frontline. “KOQ” seemed like he had a personal vendetta against the No. 9 overall pick and center Andre Drummond. O’Quinn made sure Drummond felt him on every play both offensively and defensively. So much so that Drummond was visibly frustrated and started delivering extra pushes and elbows at O’Quinn after the whistle. When asked about it, O’Quinn stated, “The physical play is something I like. When you play physical like that, there’s no ticky-tack fouls, there’s nobody that’s going to get the upper edge. I don’t care who you are. You go [No. 1 or No. 60 in the draft]. It doesn’t matter. We like that kind of play. That was a physical game and I think it should be played like that sometimes.” O’Quinn was then asked by a member of the media if he knew that Drummond was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. O’Quinn gave a befuddled facial expression, widened his eyes and said, “Are you aware of it? It don’t matter to me.”

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Jul 10

“Dream Team” review: The Toni Kukoc game

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Commentary

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  at 10:55 am

Photo via US Presswire

LeBron James just dominated the NBA playoffs, won his first NBA title, and had the Finals MVP award for dessert. Dwyane Wade battled through injuries to average more than 20 points per game and earn his second NBA championship.

But what if the top item on the to-do list for the world’s best duo was to utterly destroy 2011 Heat draft pick and current Croatian player Bojan Bogdanovic in the upcoming Olympics?

Huh?

It sounds absolutely ludicrous (and won’t happen because Wade will miss the Olympics and the Heat no longer have the rights to Bogdanovic), but the same thing basically happened 20 years ago in the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Jack McCallum provides the details in chapter 31 of his new book “Dream Team,” which hits shelves today.

After Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen toppled the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1992 NBA Finals for their second straight championship, they headed to Barcelona determined to stick it to Toni Kukoc, a Croatian player selected by the Chicago Bulls in 1990.

The dislike of Kukoc stemmed from Pippen’s bitterness towards Bulls general manager Jerry Krause for failing to extend Pippen’s contract. Krause preferred to lure the Croatian kid to the Windy City. Jordan knew his sidekick was less than thrilled with Krause’s decision and shared the same desire to embarrass Kukoc in front of a worldwide audience in the summer of 1992.

That they did.

The box scores from the games in Barcelona merely confirm the team crushed all of their opponents. Their average margin of victory was 43.8 points per game. Individual stats were basically meaningless because the team distributed minutes, points, and everything else between eleven future Hall of Famers. Nevertheless, it is almost impossible not to gasp when you read the stats from the Dream Team’s initial meeting with Croatia:

  • Jordan and Pippen combined for 11 steals … in the first half.

  • Kukoc made two of the 11 shots he attempted and finished with seven turnovers.

McCallum’s interviews 20 years later shed light on just how insane the performance was to watch. Charles Barkley said, “Dude, it was scary what they did to Kukoc.” The book describes a performance so overbearing that Barkley felt compelled to make a gesture to his teammates to back off a bit. Knicks star Patrick Ewing offered a similar sentiment. “That was the best defense I ever saw Michael and Scottie play. By far.”

Oh, and by the way, these were the two best defenders in the world.

Read “Dream Team” by McCallum for many more stories behind the scenes with the team that changed basketball forever.

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Jul 10

2012 Orlando Pro Summer League roundup: Day 1

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Media Logs

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  at 12:40 am

Photo by Fernando Medina/Orlando Magic

Alton Clark of NBA Playbook is covering the 2012 Orlando Pro Summer League on behalf of Magic Basketball. This is Alton’s roundup of Day 1.

Magic 92, Nets 88

BOX SCORE

  • Andrew Nicholson was the top story from the Magic’s first Summer League game, debuting with 24 points and 12 rebounds (both game-highs) on 8-for-16 shooting from the floor. Nicholson scored the ball effectively in all three post areas (low, mid, and high). He was a physical presence on the offensive end and he put a lot of pressure on the Brooklyn Nets’ backline defenders. Nicholson stretched the floor with his outside shooting, which opened driving and passing lanes for his teammates. He was the best player on the floor and really showed the packed crowd at Amway Center’s practice gym why he was general manager Rob Hennigan’s first-ever NBA draft pick. The only drawback of Nicholson’s first professional game was that he committed six fouls. There is a “no foul out” rule in Summer League so Nicholson was not disqualified, but this is something to keep an eye for the remainder of the week.

  • Kyle O’Quinn was the low post defensive anchor for the Magic’s backline. Although the box score only credited him with two blocked shots, he altered many more and used his 6-foot-10, 240-pound frame to prevent his man from establishing ideal post position. O’Quinn was patient in the half-court and ran the floor well in transition. On one play, he forced the Nets’ 7-foot center Jeff Foote to catch the ball off the block, squared up and held his ground as Foote tried to back him down with two power dribbles, blocked both of Foote’s shot attempts, tipped the second block to his point guard Maalik Wayns, trailed the break, caught a dump-off pass from Wayns in full stride, and finished an and-one layup. That type of energy is going to be key for the Magic’s frontline and can even be contagious amongst the other bigs. O’Quinn brings a blue-collar mentality to the table and isn’t afraid to confront anyone.

  • Maalik Wayns played the role of distributor today and was a master at it. He had a game-high 10 assists and was reading the Nets’ defense at an extremely high level. As an undrafted free agent, one would expect to critique Wayns’ ability to run a professional team but he was as calm and poised as any point guard today. Wayns must continue to improve his outside shot and do a better job of containing his man off the dribble. He will be tested by talented point guards the rest of the week, like Brandon Knight of the Detroit Pistons, so the remaining games will truly show how composed of a player he is.

  • With Ryan Anderson acquired by New Orleans in a sign-and-trade, the Magic will need one of their bigs to be a consistent three-point shooting threat. Although it was only one game, Justin Harper didn’t lack confidence in his outside shot and knocked down two three-pointers with relative ease. Harper also hit a few mid-range jumpers on pick-and-pop situations. With Nicholson and O’Quinn battling in the post, it is imperative that Harper develops into a legit outside shooting threat to keep defenses honest.

  • Al Thornton was really the only bright spot for Brooklyn today. In the first half, he was over-penetrating and trying to create on his own. In the second half, he let the game come to him and was reading the defense. He got out in transition for some easy buckets, which gave him confidence in his mid-range game. Given the intimate setting of the practice court, you can hear practically everything from press row and Thornton made a huge mistake that is unacceptable for being one of the few NBA veterans on the floor. On the final possession for the Nets when they were down 91-88, Nets Summer League coach Popeye Jones called a timeout and drew up an elevator screen at the top of the key for Tyshawn Taylor. Thornton was one of the screeners, but obviously did not make enough physical contact with Taylor’s man to free him up for a clean look. Taylor attempted to drive and missed a layup, which essentially ended the game. Thornton helped Taylor up off the ground and said, “I forgot the play, dawg. My bad.”

  • This week, Magic fans have been hearing MarShon Brooks’ name in Dwight Howard trade talks. Thankfully, after his performance today, the latest trade rumor has Brooks going to the Los Angeles Clippers in a four-team deal instead of Orlando. To Brooks’ defense, today was his first time primarily playing the point guard position at the NBA level. But Brooks struggled at doing the one thing that he does best — creating his own shot off the dribble. Anyone that has followed Brooks’ career knows that he can score with relative ease, so today should be viewed as an anomaly.

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Jul 09

Figuring out a post-Dwight Howard roster

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Analysis

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  at 11:56 am

Marc Serota/Getty Images

Somewhere between the Van Gundy firing and the word “blackmail,” it became abundantly clear that Dwight Howard probably isn’t coming back to Orlando next season. This has gone on for too long, with too many superlatives thrown about in the process, and with Dwight’s loyal downright bizarre opt-in episode in March, the Magic have been afforded with a rare second opportunity to play the trade market instead of just watching their superstar leave in free agency.

The future of the rest of the roster, however, is very much in flux. Ryan Anderson has been signed-and-traded for Gustavo Ayon, J.J. Redick got his no-brainer of a guarantee for next season, and Jameer Nelson is fresh off a new, questionable 3 year deal, but their long-term prospects are still completely dependent on the new direction that will eventually be chosen by general manager Rob Hennigan. With Hennigan as much of an unknown as any other portion of the roster, any speculation –- even the kind that shrewdly points to Hennigan’s OKC background and the supposed Presti Teardown Blueprint -– is incredibly premature.

In the meantime, it will be Hennigan’s responsibility to devise a course of action, and subsequently put either an effective or an abjectly horrible team on the floor. And that sort of squad will consist of a completely different make-up than what Magic fans have gotten used to. Howard’s mere presence on the floor significantly alters the style of play of his teammates, and yet, Orlando’s entire roster is working with the market value of Dwight’s teammates. On a team looking at major changes, these disparities between Dwight-inflated value and Dwight-less production can be exploited to bump up from a 32-win team to a 39-win team –- or, conversely, to trade a secondary player for a better asset that will further help a rebuild.

Having said that, here is a look at Orlando’s seven rotation players from last season, and the way they played both with and without Dwight. I set the cut-off at 50 games played, thus conveniently absolving myself of the responsibility to acknowledge Quentin Richardson in now-former head coach Stan Van Gundy’s rotation. So without further ado.

Glen Davis

ORtg DRtg Net TRB% TOV% TS% USG%
Dwight Off 105.2 106.6 -1.5 15.1% 13.2% 50.4% 22.1%
Dwight On 95.7 97.2 -1.5 11.9% 12.6% 40.4% 16.9%

 

To the naked eye, Big Baby thrived as a starting center and an offensive focal point with Howard out of the picture, averaging 19 points and nine rebounds in the Indiana series. Indeed, the numbers show us a similar picture. Taking Howard out of the lineup coincided with a huge bump in Baby’s usage rate, True Shooting percentage, and rebound percentage, with the only negative coming with a slight bump in turnovers. As for team performance, the expected is once again the truth, as Orlando played much better offensively and much worse defensively with Davis alone instead of Davis and Howard together.

It’s not hard to understand why this is the case –- Davis seems to think he is a decent mid-range shooter, but he is horribly wrong in this regard. Pairing him with Dwight pushes him out of the paint, where his strong build helps him gain position and his surprisingly agile feet lead to a nice little array of moves. Indeed, we can see that Davis shot virtually the same number of mid-range shots with and without Howard, but his shots in the restricted area nearly tripled with him working as an offensive center, with his success rate on those shots going way up as well.
 

Dwight On Court Dwight Off Court
Shot Type – Detail FGM FGA FG% FGM FGA FG%
Restricted Area 27 58 46.6% 89 147 60.5%
In The Paint (Non-RA) 12 29 41.4% 20 54 37.0%
Mid-Range 35 115 30.4% 40 117 34.2%

 

Davis’ value is much higher as an undersized center than as a roaming power forward; with Dwight on the team, he was more of the latter, which caused a major hit in his production. That Orlando traded for him because Dwight wanted to play with him shows us once again Dwight’s skill at putting together a roster, but he wasn’t wrong in the sense that Davis is a productive player. He could certainly be the sort of guy who can give the team a lot once Dwight leaves, although the new head coach, whoever he may be, will have to think of a way to compensate for his size defensively.

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Jul 09

Hornets acquire Ryan Anderson in sign-and-trade

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News

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  at 12:24 am

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Via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Ryan Anderson has reached agreement with the New Orleans Hornets on a four-year, $36 million contract in a sign-and-trade deal that will send backup center Gustavo Ayon to the Orlando Magic, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

As a restricted free agent, Anderson intended to sign an offer sheet from the Hornets that the Magic didn’t want to match. Orlando then decided to negotiate the sign-and-trade.

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Jul 06

The case for trading Dwight Howard to the Lakers

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Commentary

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  at 10:37 am

Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images

The Orlando Magic are going to trade Dwight Howard sometime between now and the start of training camp in September. That much is clear.

Where Otis Smith’s regime made a habit of making franchise-altering decisions based on what they thought would please their mercurial superstar, new general manager Rob Hennigan seems to want no part of the charade. Dwight is effectively gone, and everybody knows it. The deal that Hennigan takes to move him will tell us a lot about his vision for the franchise, and Howard’s two most high-profile suitors embody the dichotomy between the win-now approach and that of tearing the entire thing up and starting over.

There’s always the outside chance that a team like the Rockets or Hawks will swoop in with an offer, but for all intents and purposes, it’s pretty safe to assume that Howard will tip off the 2012-13 NBA season either as a Brooklyn Net or a Los Angeles Laker. It’s common knowledge that he prefers the former destination.

However, looking at the packages the two teams can offer, it’s tough to argue that it’s not in the best interests of the Magic organization for Howard to wear purple and gold. Orlando won’t reap the rewards of this move right away, and fans will likely be in for two seasons of middling to outright bad basketball. But if Hennigan wants to wash his hands of Howard and Smith entirely, it’s the only way to go.

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Jul 05

Magic to guarantee final year of J.J. Redick’s contract

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  at 5:18 pm

Via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

Orlando plans to pick up $6M option on final year of J.J. Redick’s contract, league sources tell Y! Sports. Magic have until week’s end [to fully guarantee his contract].

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