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Subject: [Celtics' Stuff ] Rebuilding the Orlando Magic
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Mar 30, 9:03 PM

Rebuilding the Orlando Magic

Analysis by FLORIDA TODAY sports writer John Denton

ORLANDO-- Johnny Davis was asked about the Orlando Magic's position of
greatest need -- a play-making point guard or a shot-blocking center? -- and
the head coach answered as much with his actions as his words.
Davis playfully cocked his thumb behind his forefinger and pretended flipping
a coin into the air. Then, Davis, in all seriousness, replied, "How about
both?"

Such a reply speaks to the desperation that has engulfed a Magic team caught
in the throes of the most disappointing season in franchise history. This
season was supposed to be a celebration of the 15-year anniversary of the
franchise's creation. It was supposed to be a year when the Magic finally had
the pieces in place to win a playoff series for the first time since Shaquille
O'Neal bolted in 1996.

But instead, the season has been the equivalent of an 82-car pileup on the
freeway. There was the hideous 19-game losing streak that started at Game 2
and mercifully ended six weeks later. Head coach Doc Rivers was fired 11 games
into the season, and general manager John Gabriel was canned with 15 games to
play.

Tracy McGrady was named captain and was publicly contemplating retirement
seven games into the season. McGrady would later pour in a franchise-record 62
points in a March game against Washington, but that highlight was clearly
overshadowed by all of the losing.

"This has been most frustrating season of my career," said McGrady, whose
NBA-best scoring average has been rendered meaningless.

The franchise is assured of finishing with a losing record for the first time
in 12 years and there will be no playoffs this spring. So with an offseason
centered around reconstruction set to begin upon the season finale on April
14, we are now offering up a five-step plan to rebuild the Magic into a
playoff team.

Despite the bleakness of this season, Orlando is not that far away from
turning things around. Factor in the returns of Grant Hill and Pat Garrity,
the movement to the horrid Southeast Division, a high lottery pick and a
possible free-agent acquisition, and the Magic could be back in business this
time next season.

Here's how they do it:

1. Determine the value of the lottery pick. If the Magic finish with the NBA's
worst record, they are assured of getting no worse than the fifth pick in the
June draft. But anything out of the top three in this unspectacular draft will
be a disaster for the Magic. The made-for-TV lottery, held on May 26, will
determine the draft order.

Because there is no clear-cut franchise player of the ilk of LeBron James or
Carmelo Anthony in this draft, the Magic will most certainly explore trading
their pick. Scouts are divided on just how effective Connecticut's Emeka
Okafor can be in the NBA. He is a stellar defender and shot blocker,
undersized at 6-foot-9 and has a history of back troubles. There's high school
phenom Dwight Howard and 7-foot-5, 300-pound Russian giant Pavel Podkolzine,
two players with dazzling potential who likely aren't ready to help right
away.

Should the Magic get the top pick, they will try and measure its worth by
offering it around the league in a trade. Atlanta might be willing to bite on
a trade if it guaranteed them of being able to draft Howard, the Atlanta teen
who will be the first high school player selected. However, the Hawks have
little other than shooting guard Jason Terry to offer up in a deal.

"Obviously it's going to take some maneuvering to turn this thing around,"
Magic GM John Weisbrod said. "We've got 10 of these guys back under contract
and no cap room, so we're not in a greatly flexible spot. But we're going to
do the best we can. Depending on how the lottery goes, there's a lot of
leverage there if that goes well. And we want to use our middle-class
exception (a $5 million salary slot for free agency) as effectively as we
can."


2. Answer the Grant Hill question. The 2003-04 season is almost finished and
the Magic are no closer to knowing whether Hill's battered left ankle can
withstand the punishment of playing in the NBA. His hopes of playing some
games this season to simply secure that peace of mind were shelved last month.

The franchise has been held hostage by the break along the inside of Hill's
ankle for the past four seasons. Because his salary accounts for roughly
one-third of the Magic's payroll, the team has no room to make significant
upgrades.

The plan now is to put Hill through extensive drills this summer to see if his
ankle can withstand playing full-court basketball, whether he can do it on
back-to-back days and whether he can do it for an extended period of time.
Hill is willing to do just about anything to get back on the court, but seemed
to balk at the idea of him spending the entire summer pounding on an ankle
that may or may not breakdown again.

"Sixty days? I don't know about that," Hill said of one scenario where he will
be drilled by the team this summer. "What are they going to do, bring in nine
other guys? I'm going to work out and get myself ready before training camp,
but whatever happens happens."

If Hill's ankle is going to break down again, the Magic desperately need to
know prior to the start of the season. If Hill suffers another setback and is
forced to retire, his salary would come off the books following next season.
If he plays more than 15 games next season and then has to retire, Hill
wouldn't come off the cap until 2007.

"If we can't get through this summer and determine if we have a player or no
player, could it be very detrimental? Absolutely," said Magic president Bob
Vander Weide. "We need to know if we have a second All-Star next to Tracy. We
have to start taking significant steps on that."


3. Decide whether it's Juwan Howard or Drew Gooden. One of the burning
questions heading into the season was whether Howard, a natural power forward,
and Gooden, a natural power forward, could coexist. The answer would seem to
be a definitive no since Gooden has been reduced to being a bench player most
of the season, while Howard starts. But Gooden said the two were never really
given a chance.

"I think it could have worked if given a better chance," Gooden said. "But
that wasn't my decision. I still think it could work in the future. I'd like
to try it again."

Gooden was inserted into the starting lineup last week at small forward, a
position he has worked hard at so that he can get on the floor more. But Davis
doubts that Gooden will ever be successful at the small forward slot and
sounds as if either Howard or Gooden will have to go before next season.

"If we use both of them at the same time, then we have no legitimate center
and most nights we need a center on the floor," Davis said. "It can only work
if Drew plays (small forward) and I don't think he is a (small forward). Or it
would work if Juwan plays (center) and I don't think he's a (center)."

And if the Magic draft Okafor, it would only further clog up things at the
position. Expect the Magic to shop Gooden extensively this summer.


4. Back up the promise to spend more money. Part of the reason that the Magic
are in this predicament is because of their thrifty spending the past four
years. Orlando could have kept Ben Wallace, the centerpiece of the 2000
sign-and-trade for Hill in 2000, but refused to match the contract that
Detroit paid him. Wallace, of course, became the game's preeminent defensive
player.

The Magic also backed off of paying point guards Troy Hudson and Darrell
Armstrong each of the past two seasons. Hudson went to Minnesota and blossomed
into a potent bench scorer. The Magic also decided Armstrong was at the end of
the line physically and refused to give him a long-term deal. But the team
sorely misjudged Armstrong's worth in his leadership skills and on-court grit.

Vander Weide says owner Rich DeVos is committed to spending the money
necessary to put a winning product on the floor.

The Magic rank 21st in the NBA in payroll this season at $47.6 million. The
reasoning that Orlando is one of the NBA's smallest markets just doesn't fly
now considering what Portland ($84.3 million), Sacramento ($69.5 million) and
Memphis ($58.2 million) are spending on their teams.

Spending the $5 million a year on a free-agent big man this summer is a must.
Also, the Magic must avoid the practice of the past two seasons of filling out
the last four roster spots with rookies and minimum-wage veterans. The team
must be willing to sign veteran players that can provide much-needed depth and
leadership.

"We're coming into a phase where there will be that opportunity to spend
more," Vander Weide said. "I think you can't be at the bottom (of the NBA's
payroll scale). We were really moving forward and we're pretty good spenders,
but we were prudent. We had a plan. That plan, being somewhat tied up (with
Hill's injury), was a little difficult to create change. But now we're coming
into a new area there."


5. Decide which is the position of greatest need: Point guard or center? Both
are areas of great need for the Magic, but Weisbrod and Davis actually
disagree to some extent on this one.

Said Weisbrod: "My personal opinion is that it's point guard. I know we have
been talking about bigs for such a long time and it's not like that problem is
solved or any less pressing, but everything sort of ends and begins both
offensively and defensively with the point guard position. I'm so accustomed
to hearing people say, 'We need big guys, we need big guys.' Well, we need a
point guard, too."

And here's Johnny: "Second shots have just plagued us all year. In addition to
that, we've had too many times where guys have just driven down the lane on us
without any consequences. So we need more of a defensive presence on the
inside, for sure. In my mind, I don't think we've had a
shot-blocker-slash-rebounder here since Ben Wallace walked out the door."

Boston center Mark Blount, who pounded the Magic for 28 points and 21 rebounds
four weeks ago, is a free agent this summer and might be looking to leave the
Celtics. Chicago also might be willing to part with the disappointing Eddy
Curry or Tyson Chandler. Adonal Foyle and Michael Olowokandi might also be
available this summer.

As for the point guard slot, Weisbrod has made it clear that Tyronn Lue will
likely be used as a reserve next season. If Weisbrod gets his way, the Magic
could target Saint Joseph's star Jameer Nelson or high school star Shaun
Livingston in the draft to play point guard. Other established NBA point
guards such as Philadelphia's Eric Snow, Seattle's Brent Barry, Atlanta's
Terry and Miami's Rafer Alston could be had for the right price.

Contact Denton at jd41898@xxxxxxx
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