magicfan83

After not making the list, I have to post just to see what my post count is. Yes, the life bug hit me. Getting a new job, fiance, and deciding to go to grad school for some odd reason has tied up just about all of my free time.

"Carlos Arroyo can really help this team. Did you see what he did in the Olympics?" "We should bring back Brian Hill!" "Ariza could be our next McGrady!" "Brian Cook is a serviceable big that can shoot the 3 and give space to Dwight!" "We should trade Rashard Lewis for Arenas!" Side note: I miss SVG's press conferences almost as much as I miss winning basketball.

I really just wanted to type HWNSNBU and see what happens. Edit: Nice

Really, I'm surprised at their reaction. This is only the third piece of good news this franchise has had since March.

1. You can easily say the same thing about Lebron. He's only a year older and got some bad advice from his friends. Really, the only difference in how they have acted is that one is wearing a jersey that says "Orlando" on it. 2. Yes, I know I would end up rooting for him if he stayed. I would root for Lebron if he came to the Magic. But, Dwight is making it difficult. It would take some time to embrace him the way I have other players like Lewis, Nelson, Outlaw, Armstrong, Nick, JJ, Ryan and several other Magic players who showed some appreciation for what they have been given. 3. Obviously it has been a topic all year. People care, because Dwight is one of the 3 best players in the league, and where he goes greatly impacts a very popular sport.

Yes (but with a few exceptions). Dwight is the ring leader in all of this. And we fired the one consistent voice for maturity, accountability and drive. As much as I hate KG, he would likely be a good influence. Or Dwight gets pissy and picks up his ball and goes to Brooklyn. I hate the Celtics because they are dirty as hell. I hate the Heat because of one player who made one very public mistake that didn't hurt anyone (and in fact raised money for charity). The team I hate most depends on which group of fans I am around at the moment.

Penny did take a team with a big-man rotation of Ike Austin, Michael Doleac, and 73 year old Horace Grant to a tied-for-first place in the East 33-17 record in the lockout shortened season. We lost in the first round, but we drew a pretty terrible matchup against the Sixers that year - think Dallas and Golden State a few years back, when Dirk won the MVP and the Mavs won 67 games. Also, that team was coached by Chuck Daly, whom always seems to be forgotten when we talk about best magic coaches ever. That goes back to "best coach who happened to coach the Magic" vs "Best job coaching the Magic".

I'm not disagreeing with your overall point, Dwight is a better player than McGrady was, but you are severely discounting the impact Lewis had on our playoff run that year. There's a real chance we don't get out of the first round (we were down 2-1 against the Sixers, and were a Turk miracle 3 away from being down 3-1) without Lewis absolutely abusing Andre Miller in the post (they kept switching on the 1-4 pick and roll). We definitely don't beat a KG-less Boston or Cleveland without him. Not to mention the contributions of a still functional Turk, and the bench with Gortat, Pietrus, and occasionally JJ. McGrady, at least at the start of his career with the Magic, was an excellent defender - just on pure length and athleticism alone. He did nearly drag us to a win over the Pistons in a series by himself, the year before they won a title if I'm not mistaken (weren't they the #1 seed?). Then, of course, became the great curse of the Pistons, which has now been moved to the curse of the Celtics. To your last question, Lebron certainly carried a team to the finals by himself in Cleveland. Shaq, in his rookie year, took us one game from the playoffs (*****ing Pacers), the year after we won 21 games. His second year, we won 50 (Pacers again). His third, we made the finals. His 4th, we ran into the 72-10 Bulls. We had a thread about this a while back, but my order is: 1) Shaq 2) Dwight 3) Tie - Penny and McGrady

Where the organization screwed up, was firing Stan before Otis. It seems amazing to me that Otis would still have a job if he didn't stick up for Stan. Then, of course, wanting to interview Shaq. Thankfully, Otis and Shaq saved us from ourselves. I think everyone wanted a new GM. The price of the new GM was likely going to be Stan's job anyway, as new GM's like to bring in their own coach to put their own stamp on the franchise. So, basically, we were going to lose Stan. Of the remaining candidates (I'm not including Phil Jackson, because it stands a snowball's chance in Disney of happening), the best coach is Sloan. Of course, we are going to go with a coach who's number one skill is ass kissing instead.

The Spurs won the title in Duncan's second year. They were already a good team that through injuries fell into one of the best players ever. Yes, they have certainly done an excellent job through the years of adding talent around him as the David Robinson's, Robert Horry's, Sean Elliot's, and Avery Johnson's retired around him. They have done an absolutely amazing job finding quality talent late in the draft. Sometimes you need to get lucky, too.

The Spurs have done a great job throughout the years getting useful players with low draft picks. However, the biggest reason for their success remains Tim Duncan, and they were very fortunate to land the #1 pick to get him. The Spurs were already a perennial playoff contender, but lost David Robinson for the year and finished with the 3rd worst record in the league, won the lottery and drafted perhaps the best player to ever play his position.

Thank you, Shaq. You have saved this franchise from themselves, and a portion of our fans.

First, I will admit that I am both butthurt over him leaving, and I don't trust his personality to be GM. The reason that I'm against it is that being a GM and being a great basketball player are completely different skill sets. Sure, Shaq could certainly recruit free agents. No doubt in my mind about that. Being a GM is about much more than recruiting free agents. Can he negotiate with highly experienced agents? Can he shrewdly decide how much money is too much money to pay a player? Even when he truly likes the player? Can he successfully make trades and maneuver the rosters to create CAP space to use those recruiting talents? Does he have the patience and desire to be out on the road scouting high school and college players? Will he like the administrative stuff enough to work diligently on it? I know many that don't even like the idea of bringing him in the organization - or anywhere near it. I don't go that far, I wouldn't mind giving him a position within the organization. However, I wouldn't give him anywhere near that amount of power with a complete lack of experience. It would be a slap to the face of Adonal Foyle (and players and applicants like him), who has spent the last two years (and perhaps even some when he was still on the roster) learning the ropes, learning tricks of evaluating players, learning the actual business of running a basketball operation. Shaq's playing career and massive ego are not reasons enough to give him the job over the far more qualified candidates. Start him at Foyle's starting spot. Let him learn the ropes. But our current situation requires a GM that isn't getting trained on the job.

Wow. I'm struggling for words. I can vaguely understand bringing him back into the organization. As GM? You have got to be kidding me. I really can't possibly see Shaq in this role. I don't see him negotiating with players. I don't see him on the road scouting players. I don't see him having sleepless nights with 2 weeks to go until the draft. I don't see him poring over NBA rosters for ways to improve his team. I really don't see him handling the financial side of it. This is a job for those lawyer types who work 90 hour weeks to make sure all the due diligence is done. Not for the type of guy who routinely showed up out of shape to start the season.

Posts like these are why I still read this forum. Well done, sir.