Have Otis Smith Answer Your Question

[FlawlessVictory 26]

1. It seems Dwight's defensive dominance has sort of regressed this season, do you think him focusing so much at the offensive end (establishing post moves), practicing shooting free thows so much, and the many questionable calls by officials have played a part in this?

 

2. If the team continues to play as subpar as they have been lately (mainly defensively), are you looking to make any changes and if so what would be the extent of them?

 

Thanks.

 

Nick - Queens, NY......former Tampa resident.

[iddelen 7]

1 - Do you think the NBA should have more afternoon games so that people in Europe would watch them without walking like zombies for the rest of the day?

 

+100! I'm all in for more afternoon games or late evening games (so that you can wake up early and watch the game) but 7.00 pm (which is 1.00 am in Centrale Europe) is just killing me ...and my job.

[Agent Zero 1]

but 7.00 pm (which is 1.00 am in Centrale Europe) is just killing me ...

 

Say no more! Though it does make the games a bit more special to watch. At least for me.

[BALLclub 26]

- With Gil getting between 13 to 15 minutes a game the rotation is down to 8. .

considering D12 is "tech" prone, instead of players that wont see the ball why didnt you get a back up C?

- is 8 men rotation enough to get to the finals???

- do you think it was wise to lose Rashard at the (almost) end of his contract while trading Hedo who is more than used to his style of basketball?

- Why did you break up the team which got to the final, and lost it unfairly? (CLee's missed lay up, Fischer's last second prayer. etc etc.)

- Are you comfortable with the things you said after Hedo left?

- Are you in good terms with him now?

- Did you trade Gil for his so called trade value or did you honestly think he could mesh with the team?

 

Hawk. . .ISTANBUL

[Chase 209]

Chase- Orlando

 

What's your plans with J-Rich and the Magic? Will we see him for many more years to come in a Magic uniform?

 

Also, Boxers or Briefs?

[VCplusD12 91]

+100! I'm all in for more afternoon games or late evening games (so that you can wake up early and watch the game) but 7.00 pm (which is 1.00 am in Centrale Europe) is just killing me ...and my job.

The English Premier League has most of their games starting at 1/4 pm in the UK to have more visibility in Asian countries, the NBA would also benefit from having more games in the afternoon for us Europeans.

[Luke_FfS 248]

Answers are up. Some of our questions featured. Also some interesting quotes (No. No. Sarcasm.) :D

 

http://www.nba.com/magic/news/ask_otis_012110.html

[barnettej 263]

Question: Are there any plans for Fran Vazquez to play for the Magic? After all, he was a high pick and would be a good fit in Stan Van Gundy's system paired with Dwight Howard. – Erik, Charlotte, NC

 

Otis: "Sure. Those are the conversations we’re having now. His contract is up. There are a few things that are keeping us in limbo too. The CBA has been the main one, probably the biggest one for him. Then from there, you just negotiate out from there. But we probably started talking to him seriously about it few months ago. But how we do it, that remains to be seen."

 

 

WOO-HOO I made it...... LOL

[KillingInTheNameOf 63]

Question: Do you think Gilbert Arenas can ever return to his All-Star form? And what does he and the team have to do to get him rolling? – Josh, Maitland

 

Otis: “I don’t think it’s a matter of him turning into his All-Star form. I think it’s a matter of being comfortable in the system. Anytime you trade players during the course of a season it’s always difficult. And it’s equally difficult for point guards and for someone who is used to playing in one system and then playing for a totally different structured system. Every guy that we acquired in the trade is going to have some difficulties. “

 

 

This is along the lines of the question I would have asked, but I'm incapable of asking it w/o being sarcastic, & questioning the logic of an 80M back-up PG.

 

The answer is predictable fluff however. Rafer was an immediately fit & Arenas has been as well. The questions surrounding Arenas now & moving forward are 100% physical!

 

 

 

Question: Are there any plans for Fran Vazquez to play for the Magic? After all, he was a high pick and would be a good fit in Stan Van Gundy's system paired with Dwight Howard. – Erik, Charlotte, NC

 

Otis: "Sure. Those are the conversations we’re having now. His contract is up. There are a few things that are keeping us in limbo too. The CBA has been the main one, probably the biggest one for him. Then from there, you just negotiate out from there. But we probably started talking to him seriously about it few months ago. But how we do it, that remains to be seen."

 

 

As much as people dispise Fran for leaving Orlando at the alter, he wasn't ready, and probably would have washed out considering how much he struggled in Europe. He's actually turned the corner and the timing is perfect in terms of need & ability to contribute. But, the CBA, & looming lockout, make it very difficult to imagine Fran finally making the jump considering his value there.

[Sabian Jackson 0]

The English Premier League has most of their games starting at 1/4 pm in the UK to have more visibility in Asian countries, the NBA would also benefit from having more games in the afternoon for us Europeans.

 

Whats with the negative rep for this comment? Its both true and a relatively good business strategy. I personally would love both saturday and sunday games to be played earlier. Also agree that it ruins a job having to stay up that late.

[Secretly Space Jesus 670]

Whats with the negative rep for this comment? Its both true and a relatively good business strategy. I personally would love both saturday and sunday games to be played earlier. Also agree that it ruins a job having to stay up that late.

 

It might make more sense for weekend games, but it's completely impractical for several reasons during the week.

 

Despite the NBA's growing popularity abroad, teams still make the bulk of their money locally, via ticket and merchandise sales and local media contracts.

 

Trying to have games in the mid-afternoon becomes a non-starter for both the local media outlets and the teams themselves, since attendance isn't as sure a thing at 1pm on a Tuesday as it is at 7pm, and the local media outlets hate it because fewer people being home means worse ratings. National media outlets won't touch it because a soap opera on ABC or a rerun of Supernatural on TNT is likely to get better ratings than the game would since, again, most of the people who'd watch the game will be working.

 

In order to really make that process work, you'd have to do it with a good team in a city with a large enough population to guarantee a sell-out regardless of the time of day and you'd have to broadcast the game on a network like ESPN or one of its affiliates that wouldn't necessarily have anything scheduled for the time slot that could beat it.

 

Keep in mind too that you wouldn't have to JUST beat other shows in that 1pm timeslot; you'd have to prove that the additional foreign viewership would offset the loss of domestic viewership. Right now, I doubt that's possible for any team. It's certainly not true for a mid-market like Orlando.

[Sabian Jackson 0]

It might make more sense for weekend games, but it's completely impractical for several reasons during the week.

 

Despite the NBA's growing popularity abroad, teams still make the bulk of their money locally, via ticket and merchandise sales and local media contracts.

 

Trying to have games in the mid-afternoon becomes a non-starter for both the local media outlets and the teams themselves, since attendance isn't as sure a thing at 1pm on a Tuesday as it is at 7pm, and the local media outlets hate it because fewer people being home means worse ratings. National media outlets won't touch it because a soap opera on ABC or a rerun of Supernatural on TNT is likely to get better ratings than the game would since, again, most of the people who'd watch the game will be working.

 

In order to really make that process work, you'd have to do it with a good team in a city with a large enough population to guarantee a sell-out regardless of the time of day and you'd have to broadcast the game on a network like ESPN or one of its affiliates that wouldn't necessarily have anything scheduled for the time slot that could beat it.

 

Keep in mind too that you wouldn't have to JUST beat other shows in that 1pm timeslot; you'd have to prove that the additional foreign viewership would offset the loss of domestic viewership. Right now, I doubt that's possible for any team. It's certainly not true for a mid-market like Orlando.

 

Just so you know, I did say saturday and sunday, but thanks for the inside knowledge. Besides, part of the reason it may not be very popular abroad, or the fact that they get the bulk of their money locally is because its so difficult for other nations to enjoy the action. Sure its a risk, but the world is a much larger market than one country. I'd say its worth the risk for the weekend to have earlier games.

 

(also, just so you know, the EPL (English Premier League) holds the vast majority of its games only on a weekend, so the fact that you mention during the week is largely irrelevant in this discussion)