No more corporate spins. No more analyzing. No more projections of what the season might hold. The time for talk is over.
It's time to play ball. The 2005-2006 NBA season is upon us, and the
Orlando Magic, coming off a disappointing 36-46 season, take the floor against the
Indiana Pacers tonight and begin a mysterious journey.
The Magic have been described as a huge unknown in the East, with everyone unsure of how well this team will play. The
sky's the limit for this very talented, yet undisciplined group of players. The talent is definitely there, but the question has
always been the teams focus and ability to make simple plays. Every player is vital to the success or failure going into this
season.
The Magic chose not to make any big changes this past offseason, and essentially starts the season with the same exact
team that ended last year. That is both good news and bad news. The good news is, for the first time in years, the Magic stood
pat. There was no major overhauling this offseason as the Magic only added guard
Keyon Dooling, forward
Bo Outlaw (the return) and draft pick Travis Deiner to the mix.
On the bad side, other teams such as Cleveland, New York, Milwaukee, and the rest of the East, have all gotten better.
As a result, it's going to be a dog fight for the Magic to make the playoffs. For the Magic to achieve that goal, they must have
an injury free, perfect season where everything goes right. The wheels have already started to come off with
Grant Hill out until December and role players
Kelvin Cato and Dooling battling minor injuries.
For the Magic to be successful this season, they must play the right way. That means improving on the defensive end, and
trusting in new head coach
Brian Hill. With so many questions, let's take a look at your 2005-2006
Orlando Magic.
STARTERS Steve Francis - Until young star in the making
Dwight Howard is ready to take over the team, Stevie "Steve-O"
Franchise is still the face of the organization. With that said, Francis really has to grow up this season. So much rides on his
maturity. For all of Francis' talents, he plays with 90% emotion and 10% smarts. To lead the Magic to a playoff berth, Francis
must finally raise his basketball IQ. The Magic will only go as far as Francis will take them. Think Allen Iverson and the
Sixers. If Francis cannot improve on his decision making, cut down on his one on one tendency, and commit to playing better
overall defense, then the Magic don't have a chance of making the playoffs. However, if he can put this team on his back and
trust his teammates enough to pass up shots and opportunities for the greater good of the team, then the Magic might, just
might, have a shot. It all rests on his shoulders. One way or the other, look for an important year from Francis. Either he
takes a huge leap into the top 20 players in the league, or he'll completely self destruct, and take the Magic's playoff hopes
along with him.
DeShawn Stevenson - When I learned that
DeShawn Stevenson would be starting at shooting guard, no one was
happier than me. I've been hoping for a breakout season from this former high school sensation since he first joined the Magic.
He's shown flashes of brilliance here and there, but for whatever reason, he has yet to put two and two together. During the
offseason, Stevenson reportedly spent the entire summer in Orlando and worked on his game with coach Hill. He increased his
confidence and worked hard to gain the starting spot. He will, however, have to look over his shoulder, because he's got Dooling
breathing down his back. Also, with Francis playing time at the two at times this season, Stevenson will be a starter, but
probably won't see starters minutes. Nevertheless, I'm looking forward to a very solid season from Stevenson. Hopefully, the
coaching staff won't lose confidence in him.
Grant Hill - I've said the same thing about this guy for the past
five years, so instead of restating the obvious, I'll let last season's team outlook do the talking:
"Grant's playmaking ability should help ease the guard duties for
Steve Francis and
Jameer Nelson [insert Dooling]. In the end, much like the last four
seasons, the Magic's true success could all depend on one often-injured ankle."
Add to that a strained abdominal muscle, bruised shin, or any other injury he might develop over the course of the
season.
Dwight Howard - In about three or four years,
Dwight Howard is going to be one of the top ten players in the league.
Whether or not that happens in Orlando remains to be seen. For now, Howard is a 20 year old forward with raw skills on the
offensive end, but a monster on defense. Last season, Howard never got the ball. Guys like Francis and Turkoglu went away from
Howard even after he'd established good position in the post. As a result, the Magic were strictly a perimeter oriented team.
That will change this season under Coach Hill. Howard will see his share of scoring opportunities as the Magic play a more
balanced attack. He certainly has the tools and physical body to bang down low with the best players in league. Look for a huge
sophomore season of Amare Stoudamire proportions from Howard.
Kelvin Cato - Here's what I wrote about Cato during last seasons
team outlook:
"Cato's primary roles will be to rebound and block shots, yet he is the type of player who doesn't necessarily fill up a
stat sheet. He is a gritty player who does all of the little things needed for a team to win. In the Eastern Conference,
Kelvin Cato should provide the interior defense the
Orlando Magic surely need."
Well, expect pretty much of the same the same this season, but keep in mind that Cato is in a contract year. Injuries
derailed his season last year (as it seemingly does every year), and once Cato went down early, the Magic, and their defense,
were never the same. I want to expect big things from Cato, but given his history, I'll settle for a simple, solid season.
BENCH PLAYERS Hedo Turkoglu - I think it's safe to say that out of all
the players this season, Turkoglu will be the most consistent. You already know what you're going to get from the Turkish
forward. Solid three point shooting. A few slashes to the basket per game. One poster dunk attempt per game, and horrible
defense. It's really not rocket science, but Turkoglu will have another typical season.
Keyon Dooling - When the Magic announced that they signed
Keyon Dooling to a three year $9 million dollar contract, my immediate
reaction was, "why." Needless to say the Magic overpaid for the career backup point guard (especially when you consider that the
Miami Heat was offering about $700,000 and the
New Jersey Nets around $1 million per). Nevertheless, Dooling's signing was a
positive. He's part of a logjam in the backcourt, and as a result, Coach Hill has been playing him exclusively at shooting
guard. Not a bad decision considering that he's averaged less than 2 assists per game in his five seasons in the league. Dooling
is essentially a poor man's franchise, who will top three great plays with several bad ones. At the end of the day, Dooling will
prove to be a pretty solid contributor for the Magic off the bench.
Bo Outlaw - Cue the western music. It's so great to have big
Bo back in Orlando. He, along with
Darrell Armstrong, is the most popular player to ever play for the
franchise. On the court, he brings solid defense, zero offense, and a chuckle every time he hits the free throw line. He was
another solid, not to mention cheap, pickup to help improve the team's defense. He's also a great locker room presence and avid
video game player. His contribution this season will always be a positive.
Jameer Nelson - The forgotten man. You really have to feel for
a guy like Nelson. At the end of last season, it looked like he was the teams point guard of the future. Suddenly, with the
signing of Dooling and the drafting of Travis Deiner, Nelson went from the starting point guard to huge mystery. How many
minutes will coach Hill give him this season. With Francis back at point, and Stevenson and Dooling sharing minutes at the two,
there doesn't seem to be many minutes left for Nelson to play. Besides Diener, however, Nelson is still the teams best ball
distributor, and should find some quality minutes somewhere in the rotation. If the coaching staff has any confidence in him,
he'll have a pretty decent second season. If not, he'll be chatting with Diener at the end of the bench all season.
Pat Garrity - Last season, Garrity was about as effective on the
court as a student government president in junior high school. With former head coach
Johnny Davis' insistence that the Magic push the ball up the court every
time up the court, that left little minutes, or opportunities for Garrity to find his niche. He is a shooter in a half court
set, and with the Magic's half court schemes rivaling only the
New Orleans Hornets in terms of effectiveness, Garrity contributed very little. This
season, Coach Hill believes the team will play better in the half court (as if they could get any worse), and that should create
opportunities for Garrity. With a steady diet of pick and pops, Garrity can help spread the floor and provide easy baskets.
Tony Battie - See the same comments on
Kelvin Cato. Big man in a contract year looking to get that last big
paycheck. He's a steady professional and never hurts you when he's on the court. A good rebounder and shot blocker, and has a
little nasty streak. A good pickup two years ago, and hopefully we'll continue his steady play.
Mario Kasun - My sleeper pick to have a breakout season this
year for the Magic. Last season he played pretty well early, but when the Magic got into the playoff race, they cut his minutes.
Once the team was finally out of contention, they decided to give him minutes again. Kasun is a big body who can rebound and
actually has a little post up game. If Coach Hill gives him the minutes, look for Kasun to surprise a lot of people. He just has
to stay out of foul trouble.
(Still not convince? Look at it this way: At least he's years better than
Andrew DeClercq!)
Terrence Morris - Francis' new best friend will be on the roster until
Stacey Augmon returns. He's a good cleanup guy, who doesn't help or
hurt you. He's just another body who doesn't necessarily need shots.
Stacey Augmon - The lotion thrower is out till mid-December,
and even when he comes back, won't provide anything other than good defense every third game.
Travis Diener - Could end up being the teams best true point guard in a few years. He has all the intangible and
qualities to be the next
Scott Skiles. For now, however, the Magic should send him to the NBDL
so he can at least work on his game, instead of sitting in a suit all season.
Fran Vazquez - Could have provided good weak side defense, shot blocking and overall hustle. Too bad he'll be playing
in Spain for the rest of his career.
