Courtskils

If Lewis comes here the Magic will not have Darko. Carter is a possibility because you may convince him to sign less than a max deal. Anyhow if you want any free agent scorer not named Darko then Turkey man is bye-bye.

This weekend, I spoke to the family of one of the Magic execs. Word is Carter and Orlando have had great unofficial conversations and he is thrilled about an opportunity to play with the Magic. He was ecstatic about the hiring of Billy D. and the type of tempo he would play. He also said resigning Darko was a priority but not the most important factor. They figure worst case scenario is Darko will leave via sign and trade. Yes the Magic can match any offer but they have a max number in mind and would likely work a deal if a team offered him more. With Billy D. possibly out of the picture, I do not know it would affect the discussions. I have never posted a rumor and never would unless I had a valid source. I get a lot of inside info on Carter as I am connected to some of Carter's family and friends. I usually choose not to share it but I thought it might be good to pump some positives out there given the Donovan scenerios. Carter's mothers has a fiance that is a long time resident of Daytona Beach and an ex-NFL player. His son is Carter's personal assistant and one his best buds. Wherever Carter goes, he goes and he is also from Daytona Beach. Carter also still keeps in contact with all his friends from high school including former professional football players TT Toliver and Joe Giddens (notice I did not say NFL) among other friends. Carter may make more money somewhere else but there is much more than money. His lifestyle and quality of life would without a doubt be better in Orlando. He also respects that the Magic is a class act organization with the type of players they recruit. Also if Carter signs an extension with New Jeresy it will be about 3 years at $50 mil. When that times up his big paydays are likely over. If he takes less from the Magic and a longer contract he most likely will not lose money in the long run.

Someone needs to go to RDV and give updates on an arrival of Stan Van Gundy, to see if these rumors are true.

Attention: Every potential candidate has found how to work Otis. Talk about championships, your player relationships, it's not about you, and your work ethic. Otis let the cat out of the bag and the next coaching candidate has the tools to snatch the job. It's always great to know the questions before they are asked. I still state they need someone who has the same philosophy, not just a smooth talker. His name is Bill Laimbeer. I still don't understand why this guy is rarely mentioned.

Attention: Every potential candidate has found how to work Otis. Talk about championships, your player relationships, it's not about you, and your work ethic. Otis let the cat out of the bag and the next coaching candidate has the tools to snatch the job. It's always great to know the questions before they are asked. I still state they need someone who has the same philosophy, not just a smooth talker. His name is Bill Laimbeer. I still don't understand why this guy is rarely mentioned.

I wrote it. In 200 posts, I have never written a rumor so you can take it for what its worth. I grew up next door to one of the Magics execs and ran into his father. I also happen to be from Daytona and play ball with a lot of Carter's old friends. I am not saying the Carter signing is a done deal, but I am stating the talks are all positive.

I don't care about the PR nightmare going on right now. The important factors are if the players would like Donnovan. There are currently 12 players under contract and Billy mentioned he knew many of them personally. Time for Redick, Nelson, Howard, Ariza, Arroyo etc. to pick up the phone and tell him how excited they are for having him as coach.

Vince and Darko's information came from a source of a family member of a Magic exec. I do not have any info on what Carter thinks about Milicec. What I'm stating is the Magic's top priority is to sign a scorer not Darko. If the Magic ever came out and said that, do you think Darko would want to play here. By stating Darko is top priority and he is a vital part of Orlando's future, it helps in his recruitment efforts.

If Donavon's contract was officially terminated, you would not see his photo on the front page of the website. This would be false advertising and the Magic would face potential lawsuits. In that case, I do put some blame on the Magic. They should of went over all Billy's reservations about the position before making an offer. The hiring only took a few days from initial conversation. That two days told me one thing, though. Billy wants to coach in the NBA. A decision that big doesn't happen that quickly unless you have already been thinking about it.

If Donavon stays it won't be too hard to control the PR madness. First, state the reports were blown out of proportion. Next, ensure the extra time ensure the Billy is here for the long run and without a doubt is the best move. Otis Smith and Billy D. are both smooth talkers I'm sure they'll make it all ok.

This weekend, I spoke to the family of one of the Magic execs. Word is Carter and Orlando have had great unofficial conversations and he is thrilled about an opportunity to play with the Magic. He was ecstatic about the hiring of Billy D. and the type of tempo he would play. He also said resigning Darko was a priority but not the most important factor. They figure worst case scenario is Darko will leave via sign and trade. Yes the Magic can match any offer but they have a max number in mind and would likely work a deal if a team offered him more. With Billy D. possibly out of the picture, I do not know it would affect the discussions. I have never posted a rumor and never would unless I had a valid source. I get a lot of inside info on Carter as I am connected to some of Carter's family and friends. I usually choose not to share it but I thought it might be good to pump some positives out there given the Donovan scenerios. Carter's mothers has a fiance that is a long time resident of Daytona Beach and an ex-NFL player. His son is Carter's personal assistant and one his best buds. Wherever Carter goes, he goes and he is also from Daytona Beach. Carter also still keeps in contact with all his friends from high school including former professional football players TT Toliver and Joe Giddens (notice I did not say NFL) among other friends. Carter may make more money somewhere else but there is much more than money. His lifestyle and quality of life would without a doubt be better in Orlando. He also respects that the Magic is a class act organization with the type of players they recruit. Also if Carter signs an extension with New Jeresy it will be about 3 years at $50 mil. When that times up his big paydays are likely over. If he takes less from the Magic and a longer contract he most likely will not lose money in the long run.

He was number 4 on my list or I guess 3 (if you don't count Coach K) behind Iavoroni, Laimbeer. He is a great motivator, builds great rapoir with his players and is a winner. I don't think he is the best X's and O's guy out there and might take him a while to adjust but hopefully he will place a good staff around him. The best thing is he does not have a first round pick so he will not be tempted to bring in his players a la Rick Pitino. I'm sure Redick, Howard, Ariza and the rest of the young guns are excited. If there is one thing Donavon is great at, it is recruiting. I would lock Darko in at resigning now. Donavon will bring a lot of talent into Orlando, who wouldn't want to play for this guy. He has a great reputation as a players coach.

Not Stan Van Gundy, Bob Hill, Dennis Scott or any other coach that has campaigned the Magic for an interview. Think how bad the organization would look if they hired a coach after that put a public call of interest. If you are interested in the job, you don't have to make a public announcement. There are exceptions however: Names like Coach K, Rudy T., and maybe even Larry Brown. Only coaches at the top of their industry have enough respect for a GM to give them a shot. I still state Bill Laimbeer is the best hire, but I have a feeling the Magic will end up with someone like Terry Porter or Brian Shaw. If Smith becomes to picky he might end up having to coach the team himself. I hope the Magic have something up their sleeve. When coaches are hired in most cases the best go first.

Not Stan Van Gundy, Bob Hill, Dennis Scott or any other coach that has campaigned the Magic for an interview. Think how bad the organization would look if they hired a coach after that put a public call of interest. If you are interested in the job, you don't have to make a public announcement. There are exceptions however: Names like Coach K, Rudy T., and maybe even Larry Brown. Only coaches at the top of their industry have enough respect for a GM to give them a shot. I still state Bill Laimbeer is the best hire, but I have a feeling the Magic will end up with someone like Terry Porter or Brian Shaw. If Smith becomes to picky he might end up having to coach the team himself. I hope the Magic have something up their sleeve. When coaches are hired in most cases the best go first.

Bill Laimbeer

With Iavoroni gone, my list is now: 1) Laimbeer 2)Coach K (which is a pipe dream) 3) Billy D. 4) Carlisle, I still have to wonder why he was let go in Detroit.

My top choice to coach the Magic is Iavaroni, not my only choice. My dream choice would be coach K. Another good choice is Bill Laimbeer. One of the Magic's biggest criticism's is a lack of mental toughness. If anyone could show the Magic the ropes it would be Laimbeer. Laimbeer was a better basketball player than most remember, during his prime Laimbeer gave the Pistons 17 pts, 12 rebs. Laimbeer also hit over 200 3's in his career. He also was the centerpiece in the pick 'n roll offense the Pistons displayed. Many people claimed Laimbeer was a thug, I however believe he was smart. He played mental games with the opposition and many times came out on top. He even had his own video game, Bill Laimbeer's combat basketball. Laimbeer was a winner, helping the Pistons to two championship along with making 4 all-star appearances. Laimbeer's life after basketball is interesting as well. He started a successful company which is now ran by his brother and he kept up his X's and O's as a Piston's broadcaster. He accepted a coaching assignment for the WNBA and in his first season took a team that finished in last place (9-23) to a league best (25-9) record along with the WNBA title. Laimbeer made several personnel changes, which proved he not only had a vision for his team but also proved he had an eye for talent. He guided the team to playoff births in both 2004-2005 before leading the Shock to their second championship in 2006. I know many people will argue, the NBA is different from the WNBA, but Laimbeer has shown uncanny leadership abilities. He

I slowed down my posting because I think everything became a broken record. There was really nothing much to talk about until a decision was made about Brian Hill.

Bill Laimbeer is the best coach on the market with NBA playing experience.

After watching the press conference yesterday, it

Now that the Brian Hill bashing can stop please posts some positive thoughts about Hill and give him some credit. Here's to you Brian Hill for leading the Magic to their first ever finals appearance. Here's to you Brian Hill for raising over $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis. Here's to you Brian Hill for being a great a member of the community.

quote: , one good era? penny nick shaq? who cant get them to the playoffs? Im not moranic , you need to watch the games better. He was the moran! Look i'll lay off of him now that he is gone. But I have season tickets and not like most people do but 2 lower bowl seats and they arent split with anyone. I pay good money to go to EVERY game and have sat in pain for 2 years! I too have season tickets and was very frustrated with the coaching, but Hill was not losing intentionally. Everyone on this board has a chance to show some character after all the bashing. I agree with RichNBA, Hill taught defensive lessons that will hopefully last with these players throughout their careers.

quote: Johnson

Use the other 1000 posts to bash Brian Hill, just one dedicated to some of the good things he did. I think the guy gave his best effort, if you, me, or anyone else would have done things differently, that's fine. At least give the guy credit for trying

Now that the Brian Hill bashing can stop please posts some positive thoughts about Hill and give him some credit. Here's to you Brian Hill for leading the Magic to their first ever finals appearance. Here's to you Brian Hill for raising over $3 million for Cystic Fibrosis. Here's to you Brian Hill for being a great a member of the community.