ball junkie 277 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Orlando Magic (52-30) What they need: Efficient shot creators It was painfully obvious in the first round that Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas -- especially Arenas -- won't cut it as second options. Four years ago? Sure. But this is 2011. They're on the wrong side of their career arcs and not the threats off the dribble that they used to be. Richardson will leave for free agency, but the Magic are still saddled with $100 million due in the bank accounts of Turkoglu and Arenas. The Magic don't have any alternatives in-house. Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson are both overachievers who are valuable in their own right but nothing more than fourth options offensively. J.J. Redick took a step backwards this season, and still could expand his repertoire, but the Magic cannot count on him either How they get it: Find fountain of youth The Magic could blow it up again, but "it" is rubble anyway. We saw this season that there's no such thing as an unmovable contract -- interestingly enough, thanks to Magic GM Otis Smith -- but the stock of Arenas and Turkoglu has fallen so low that they're glorified sunk costs at this point. If this sounds like we're painting a grim picture here, that's because it is a grim picture. There are no easy answers here, but this is the bed that Smith made. They have no room to sign anyone in free agency and they don't have the positioning in the draft to pluck an instant contributor. Flexibility-wise, Smith is in a straitjacket, and his only hope is that Arenas and Turkoglu do their best Benjamin Button impressions or accept buyouts. Both scenarios are pipedreams. http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=haberstroh_tom&id=6477584 2 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waiting For That Day 49 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Off with Otis Smiths Head... How can you be given the green light and blank checks and put this unacceptable Top 5 overpaid roster of all of sports. And not produce more than the first round bounce dance... Jeez he had plenty of time to bring in the legit second option. Top 10 Wingman or Top5 PG or bust.... Otis *****ed **** up big time... This ain't no easy fix as there is no GM that can fix what this fool has done... And the first round bounce didn't help the cause.... Otis needs to be demoted to a Scout. Its gonna be a long 2 summers since we will see any Magic Ball due to the lockout and the way its heading... Im gonna miss Dwight in a Magic Uni... Thanks POTIS 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emory889 353 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 But....WE MADE A TRADE! Remember Junkie, that's what we had to do because we weren't going to win a "ship" with Rashard or Vince. Ironically enough, now we are saddled with two contracts that we likely won't be able to move and you are making threads about how horrible Gilbert and Turk's, two players you were huge on, contracts are. Then again, I haven't see "Go Magic! Go Turk!!" in any of your posts in a while so perhaps you got a nice dose of reality. The one thing I definitely disagree with in the article is the notion that JJ took a step backwards. I think he was one of the most consistent players on the roster. 3 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jareth Cutestory 678 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 TRADE EVERYONE NOT NAMED DWIGHT FOR ANYBODY UNDER 26. TRADE HEDO FOR ANY CRAP CONTRACT OF SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT TRADE ARENAS FOR SHARD BOOM OFFSEASON 1 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
30Assists 342 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 So.....basically the "way we fix the Magic" is......what? Watch it burn? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BMP 424 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Why is this a thread :svgsad: Everyone and their goddamn mother knows about this already, and it's not like it hasn't been posted around 1000 times by us in the last few months I wonder if it's because these things weren't discussed in a Ball Junkie thread. . . Maybe Ball Junkie has a serious desire for others to talk in his threads, which is why he makes so many of them, no matter how redundant they are. Perhaps Ball Junkie feeds on message board replies and posting in his threads only make him stronger!!! Noooo!!! It's too la- 7 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Waiting For That Day 49 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ LOL :popcorn: Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jareth Cutestory 678 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Why is this a thread :svgsad: Everyone and their goddamn mother knows about this already, and it's not like it hasn't been posted around 1000 times by us in the last few months I wonder if it's because these things weren't discussed in a Ball Junkie thread. . . Maybe Ball Junkie has a serious desire for others to talk in his threads, which is why he makes so many of them, no matter how redundant they are. Perhaps Ball Junkie feeds on message board replies and posting in his threads only make him stronger!!! Noooo!!! It's too la- THE CONSEQUENCES WILL NEVER BE THE SAME 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Captain Hi-Top 791 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 So, now we need ESPN Insider to recap half the threads on the first page of this forum? lol 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Butterfly 3 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 TRADE EVERYONE NOT NAMED DWIGHT FOR ANYBODY UNDER 26. TRADE HEDO FOR ANY CRAP CONTRACT OF SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT TRADE ARENAS FOR SHARD BOOM OFFSEASON LOL Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlawlessVictory 26 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Otis needs to be demoted to a cotton candy distributer. Fixed! 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
VCplusD12 91 Report post Posted May 4, 2011 Why is this a thread :svgsad: Everyone and their goddamn mother knows about this already, and it's not like it hasn't been posted around 1000 times by us in the last few months I wonder if it's because these things weren't discussed in a Ball Junkie thread. . . Maybe Ball Junkie has a serious desire for others to talk in his threads, which is why he makes so many of them, no matter how redundant they are. Perhaps Ball Junkie feeds on message board replies and posting in his threads only make him stronger!!! Noooo!!! It's too la- Well put, sir. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
