The Orlando Magic's final game of the 2005-06 season against the
Indiana Pacers was a microcosm of their entire season. They dug themselves into a
hole, but left themselves within striking distance. Their deficit got bigger until at some point midway through the third
quarter when they made a wild dash to close the lead and compete for a win. Unfortunately, the Magic couldn't come up with a
victory in the end.
Despite the loss, the 16-6 flourish to close the season gave the Magic a buzz and a confidence that the team hasn't
had at the end of the season since they prepared to face the Detroit Pistons in the
2003 Playoffs.
Dwight Howard and
Jameer Nelson are the unquestioned leaders of the team.
Darko Milicic turned into a nice surprise, traded from the prison
of the Detroit Pistons bench for minutes off the Magic bench.
Carlos Arroyo energized the team both in the ticket sales
department and on the court giving the team a much needed change of pace off the bench.
Not to mention all the cap room the Magic freed up for the summer of 2007 by trading away the unfriendly contract
of Steve Francis to the hapless
New York Knicks.
The future does look bright for the Magic. The 2006-07 season though, will not be a wasted season. The goal is very
simple: make the playoffs. It doesn't matter what seed, it doesn't even matter how far they advance - although
Dwight Howard would claim a title.
The summer saw very little changes. The Magic lost starting guard
DeShawn Stevenson and replaced him with
Keith Bogans. Not an improvement by any means, but the
two players are very similar. Bogans brings the same defensive skills that Stevenson had, maybe a little better. But,
Bogans is a better three point shooter than Stevenson. However, Bogans doesn't have the driving ability that Stevenson
possesses.
In the draft, the Magic acquired
J.J. Redick and
James Augustine. Redick was the best shooter in college, but
how will that translate into the NBA? The Magic desperately needed a three point shooter and Redick fulfills that need.
Reports from training camp show that Redick has not lost that touch from the outside.
The reason a player like this slipped to the Magic at 11: the rest of his game. The offense is there, but
Redick lacks size and speed. How will Redick fare when he isn't the focal point in the offense? How will Redick play
defense against bigger stronger opponents. Redick is not a starter on any team, but he will be an asset off the bench, which
appears to be a very strong one for the Magic.
In the starting lineup is of course
Dwight Howard. Howard had a very strong summer playing with the US
National Team in the World Championships of Basketball. Although he didn't get many minutes, Howard started many of the
games and was clearly the best defensive big man on the very talented team. Howard was opportunistic scoring points, but when
he did get the ball he seemed to have a better idea of what he was doing. Most importantly, Howard improved his free throw
shooting and shouldn't be a liability from the charity stripe as he was last year.
From the US team, Howard seemed to gain a sense of what a young leader has to do, playing alongside
LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. He and
Jameer Nelson are both under 25, but have formed a bond that
should help them lead this team.
Nelson will be the starting point guard for the Magic. He and Arroyo make a nice one-two punch. Nelson showed last
year that he can overcome his size and experience and be an effective NBA point guard, pushing
Steve Francis out of the starting lineup towards the end of his
Magic run.
Despite Nelson's size, he showed last year that he can be a pesky defender and effective scorer and distributor.
Nelson is an underrated player in the NBA that just simply outworks everyone else on the court.
Arroyo makes a strong case to challenge Nelson, but he is better suited off the bench. Arroyo is a change of
pace guard that can get the break started. His energy off the bench late in the season made the difference in their playoff
charge. Before Arroyo's arrival, the bench - and the TD Waterhouse Centre - were dead. After his arrival, the scoring went
up and the team started winning. His play off the bench will be very important to their success.
Hedo Turkoglu came off of a career season last year. He
found a way to complement his three point shooting with a developing post game and an ability to drive to the basket. He
became a reliable scorer late in the season. The addition of Redick and Bogans should give him more comfort beyond the
three point line.
The big acquisition of last season was that of
Darko Milicic. Darko's shot blocking and perimeter game really
boosted the Magic, showing glimmers of why he was selected with the second pick of the draft in the legendary 2003 draft.
Milicic's development will be the most important key for success this season. Many experts predict him and Howard
to combine to form an unstoppable inside-out big man combination. In the World Championships, Milicic seemed to show
this progression leading Serbia & Montenegro in scoring and rebounding. He was more aggressive on offense and defense.
Hopefully, it translates to the NBA in the fall.
Tony Battie, for the moment, is still the starter at power
forward. Battie doesn't put a lot of points in the stat book, but he does a lot of little things well. He takes pressure off
of Dwight Howard in the low post and can hit the outside jumper.
Milicic should figure to replace him in the lineup if he plays extremely well on both sides of the ball sometime in the
middle of the season. Battie's veteran leadership, however, should still be an important piece for the Magic.
The Magic's biggest question mark is at the shooting guard position. The current platoon includes
Keith Bogans,
Grant Hill,
Keyon Dooling, and
J.J. Redick. All have advantages and disadvantages.
Hill, coming off of an injury plagued season due to a sports hernia, seems to be healthy again. The cloud of doubt
about his health may push him to the bench, but his talent when he is healthy is starter quality. When Hill is in the game
good things happen because he has such a deep understanding of the game. Hill can still score the ball and once he gets the
confidence again to attack the basket, he is a dangerous player.
Dooling is better off the bench. He plays good defense and a lot of energy into the game. He has some turnover
problems, but like Hill has a point guard mentality to the shooting guard position.
Bogans is an adequate starter. He doesn't have the offensive skills to be a great shooting guard, but he can score
in bunches. Redick cannot compete defensively with starting shooting guards, but is a good weapon off the bench.
The offense seems to be set for the Magic. They'll need Howard to become the leading scorer from the low post and
average above 20 points and 10 rebounds. This should be manageable for the third year player. Nelson needs to continue
scoring at his comfortable pace. Turkoglu has to be a consistent scoring threat. Anything they can get from Hill would be
great. Turkoglu's and Redick's three point shooting will help spread the ball and open lanes for Nelson, Howard and Milicic.
What's missing from this team is a strong defense. The Magic struggled with defense last year and it has been their
main weakness for a long time. Howard's and Milicic's low post presence and shot blocking will lighten the load on the
perimeter defenders, but the perimeter defense is still not championship quality. If the Magic are going to have a
successful season, it will start on the defensive end of the floor.
The Magic must make the playoffs this year. There should be no other goal. With the money they have in the offseason,
a playoff appearance could convince somebody that the future is bright and that
Dwight Howard can be a good center piece. With
Vince Carter and Andres Nocioni, among others, available in the
summer, a playoff appearance will go a long way to signing a marquee free agent in the offseason.
The Magic should win 40-45 games this year. They've made improvements, but now they have expectations and they
aren't just playing for fun like they were at the end of last season. Injuries are always a question with this team - Hill
has been hurt; Dooling had his foot problems last year; Redick was a question mark at the beginning of training camp;
Nelson had a serious injury last season and suffered a concussion colliding with Howard in training camp; and Turkoglu
has that mysterious ailment.
They have enough talent and potential to be able to overcome this and reach the playoffs as either the sixth or
seventh seed.
