tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9990936097085358412024-03-21T22:19:27.209-04:00I Like This TeamAnalysis of the Orlando Magic, Basketball, and Other TopicsChrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-87058795048111497242011-07-15T17:39:00.000-04:002011-07-15T17:39:20.509-04:00ESPN is Still Working Hard During the LockoutThough their stories are a little less newsworthy...<br />
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This lockout is truly affecting everyone.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-23059627648581812462011-06-21T22:54:00.005-04:002011-06-22T11:47:15.743-04:00Lockout: Owner vs. Owner<div style="font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><br />
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</span> </div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> As a a basketball fan the impending lockout looms large. The summer league has already been canceled, and there is sure to be a shortened NBA season as the owners and player's association butt heads over player compensation. Although the lockout is portrayed as a conflict between players and owners the origin of th</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">e lockout is the inherent competition among franchises.</span></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> A number of basketball teams are losing money and the owners are blaming bloated player salaries. The owners wish to create a more profitable environment by settling on a collective bargaining agreement w</span><a href="http://ambasketball.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/brandon-roy.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://ambasketball.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/brandon-roy.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 265px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 192px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;">hich would lower salaries across the board. What is usually ignored in this very convoluted situation is that owners choose how much they play their players. If they wanted to pay less for a player they could simply offer them a contract for less money. In fact, franchises are given i</span><span style="font-size: 100%;">ncentives to keep player salaries under the current salary cap, yet franchises continue to pay players to the point of financial ruin. The new collective bargaining agreement will become the league wide law which keeps compensation in check for all NBA teams, so no team will be able to shoot itself in the foot on a bad contract. So the real question is: Why do NBA teams make voluntary decisions to lose money? </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></div><a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> The Orlando Magic paid their players about 89 million dollars for the 2011-2012 season. Gilbert Arenas is the highest paid player on the team, at near 18 million dollars a year. Gilbert Arenas was one of the worst players on the Magic. He was out of shape bench player that disparaged the coach and made flimsy excuses for atrocious games. The reason Arenas can soak up a millions of dollars without contributing to the team was because, amazingly, acquiring Arenas and his horrible contract made sense for the Magic at the time he was acquired. Teams cannot be understood as a normal businesses, which pay their employees based on their contributions to team. Every single NBA team competes for the prestige of a championship, once a team gains a championship money pours in and any money spent on players is small change compared to new money gained from new sponsors, merchandise, and season tickets. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> Some teams are immune to these worries. The New York Knicks would make money if they won twenty games a a season. They are located in a big enough market that a ring is not necessary to establish their fan base. The New Orleans Hornets, on the other hand, need a legacy to attract a fan base. So, when teams compose their teams they desperately seek to remain relevant in the playoffs and eventually win a ring. That requires all kinds of teams to take chances with their players. If Gilbert Arenas happens to be the piece that catapults the Magic to a championship his worth to the team is greater than 20 million. If not, he becomes a black hole for the owner's money. Teams all over the league make the same bets with the likes of Rashard Lewis, Joe Johnson, Elton Brand, and Brandon Roy. Once these bets fail (as most will) teams lose money and franchises are imperiled. </span></div><div style="font-family: arial; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"> If the NBA is to spread beyond New York and L.A. it must allow other teams to take a gamble on a ring (it took Dallas 31 years and the third highest payroll in the NBA). The CBA has to allow for the existence of overpaid players. That is why the owners are pushing for a hard cap (a salary cap that cannot be broken) at a lower range (48 million was one rumored number). A new system would allow every NBA team to become a contender without threatening their existence.</span></div>Brianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12918595876512720341noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-20051416955312608622011-06-21T22:52:00.000-04:002011-06-21T22:52:36.232-04:00Gilbert Arenas Tweet of the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i51.tinypic.com/xc0jvd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="175" src="http://i51.tinypic.com/xc0jvd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Arenas truly is a modern day Aristotle.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-90540804096316484692011-06-20T15:31:00.000-04:002011-06-20T15:31:45.887-04:00Dwight Howard Fires Back at Annoying Fan Aficionado Chase MathewDwight Howard is usually seen as a mild mannered athlete who smiles too much to produce wins. Today, constant badgering from fans and the media about his upcoming free agency status resulted in Dwight firing back. Rather than a major news outlet, the victim of Dwight's frustration was a young Orlando resident and avid Magic fan, Chase Mathew.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.imgur.com/VFJ3U.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://i.imgur.com/VFJ3U.png" width="400" /></a></div>Now I personally know Chase Mathew from time on the Official Orlando Magic Message Board. I know he can be quite annoying at times. It's been unfathomable to see Dwight fire back at a fan, though. It's now very obvious how this entire process has impacted Dwight both mentally and emotionally. I wonder if the constant attention on the summer of 2012 is eventually going to push him away. Dwight has a right to be frustrated but he shouldn't fire back on a fan especially when you consider the amount of vague quotes that Dwight puts out into the public realm. He fuels some of this frustration by his own actions.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-66142130081896871592011-06-20T11:44:00.001-04:002011-06-20T11:52:22.419-04:00Chris and Jareth's Early Morning Rambling<span style="color: blue;">Jareth:</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;">So in my opinion</span> Otis Smith has to make some sort of move. I don't buy this "no move is a big move" BS. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Dwight wants to win NOW.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">Chris: </span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Otis is just pulling his normal secrecy act. He's saying that he's not looking for a deal so he doesn't lose any leverage in his talks. We need to trust all of the sources who say he's working his *** off trying to improve the team. If he doesn't make a trade its because he couldn't come to terms on a deal, not because he didn't want to move anybody. I'm thinking we might wait until after the draft so we can trade our 2012 pick.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Though i think we could announce the trade on draft day.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><div style="color: blue; margin-bottom: 0in;">Jareth:</div><div style="color: blue; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="color: blue; margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">I just want something to happen on draft day. Going into the lockout with this roster isn't good. This amnesty thing has got me torn. Say it is just the luxury tax that comes off the books but not the salary. Alot of guys who everybody assumes will get cut might not. I mean does Atlanta really cut Joe Johnson, their best player to save money off of the luxury tax?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">Chris:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">That's not how amnesty clauses work. The last time an amnesty clause was implemented by the league it was in response to changes to the luxury tax system. If the league changes how the salary cap works in the new collective bargaining agreement, an amnesty clause will effect both the luxury tax and the salary cap. I don't think Atlanta would cut Johnson though.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;">Jareth:</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">ZachLowe_SI Zach Lowe <br />
Austin Walton, Andrew Goudelock's agent, says he expects Goudelock to be a first-round pick: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/3faqzmx">http://tinyurl.com/3faqzmx</a><br />
21 minutes ago</div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"> <span style="color: black;">Maybe this is why we canceled his workout.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: red;">Chris:</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Maybe. That's interesting that he's moved up so far. He's got an elite talent in his three point shooting so this doesn't surprise me. I'm still holding out hope that E'Twaun Moore falls to us in the second round. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">He's super intelligent. He's lead purdue far into the ncaa tournament a bunch of times despite not having Robbie Hummel. He can score, hit 40% from three, and defend. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div><span style="color: blue;">Jareth:</span><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">David Lighty, I really like that kid. I think he could be that hustle/glue guy from the 2nd round. He just seems like a smart player. If he's there and the Magic doesn't take him i riot.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">Chris:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">It depends on who's available at #53. If we take Moore or Jimmy Butler over Lighty, I wouldn't care. I also really like Jereme Richmond though probably not over Lighty. Richmond is young, athletic, and raw as a player. He's only a freshman and has a lot of potential on the defensive end. Just looking at guys who are projected in the bottom 15 of the draft, my list is 1. Moore 2. Lighty 3. Goudeluck 4.Diante Garrett 5.Hopson 6. Richmond. The rest of the guys around there don't really fit in with what the Magic should be looking for. Wow, DraftExpress has moved Marshon Brooks all the way up into the top 15. His stock has shot through the roof since the Portsmouth Invitational.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;">Jareth:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;">Guys like Richmond scare me. It's not like he was defending all worldly players. Give me Hopson over him. </span></span>Brooks might end up being a lottery pick. Even a bigger bust now if he fails.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: blue;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span> </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Redick/Bass to NY for Fields/Balkman/1st who says no? I thought Fields was untouchable to be honest but it seems like NY hates defense and hustle. Redick could be nice in D'antony's system. He could help take pressure off Amar'e and Melo with his three point shooting.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Billups/Redick/Melo/Amare/? That team could make some noise.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><span style="color: red;">Chris:</span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: right;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: red;"><span style="color: black;">I would do that from the Magic's perspective. I wonder if NY would be up for including that pick. If you remove the first I think the Knicks definitely do that deal. </span></span>Once Anthony came to NY, Fields was very ineffective. Ball movement stopped and Fields' stock is really low right now. He did nothing in the playoffs. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">NY could use a Redick type of guy too. They need to spread the floor. Plus, there's no worry about JJ playing in MSG. He can handle that pressure.</div><br />
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<span style="color: blue;">Jareth:</span><br />
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One thing is certain. Otis has to make a move. He has to show Dwight that the organization is listening. With a chance of there not being a season, Otis has to give Dwight something to look forward to. A piece to a puzzle. If not, things can get rough moving forward. <br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-22297421461017870882011-06-14T16:34:00.002-04:002011-06-14T17:28:22.805-04:00Gilbert Arenas Tweet of the Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i51.tinypic.com/28v95on.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="148" src="http://i51.tinypic.com/28v95on.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><a href="http://twitter.com/#%21/agentzeroshow/status/80690729445359616">Link here</a><br />
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Gilbert Arenas is the most entertaining person to follow on Twitter.Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-999093609708535841.post-89787490162670597112011-06-14T16:16:00.000-04:002011-06-14T16:16:03.539-04:00The Direction of the Franchise<i>Everybody's got plans... until they get hit.</i> <div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">-Mike Tyson</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">When <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/coaches/vangust99c.html">Stan Van Gundy</a> joined the Orlando Magic in June of 2007 he devised a plan to build around <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/howardw01.html">Dwight Howard</a>. This plan revolved around ball movement, defense, and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5a4z_QWOAQY">three point shooting</a>. His philosophy was that the three point shooters would spread the defense and exploit double teams. If the defense wanted to double Dwight, the ball movement of the Magic would punish the opposition by hitting open threes. If teams refused to double team Dwight, he would punish them in the paint.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">During the summer of 2007 free agency period (along with early season trades), the Magic added <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/lewisra02.html">Rashard Lewis</a>, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/e/evansma01.html">Mo Evans</a>, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cookbr01.html">Brian Cook</a>, and <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gortama01.html">Marcin Gortat</a>. Shooting Guard <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/boganke01.html">Keith Bogans</a> also became a prominent part of the rotation. The Magic played a “small” lineup of Dwight at center, Lewis at power forward, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/t/turkohe01.html">Hedo</a> at small forward, either Evans or Bogans at shooting guard, and <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nelsoja01.html">Nelson</a> at point. The success was immediately apparent as the team exploded, winning 14 of their first 17 games to start the season. Their final record was 52-30, good enough for first place in the southeast division and a short trip into the second round. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"></div><a name='more'></a><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Although the team was “hit” hard in the second round by the Detroit Pistons (4-1 series that was never really competitive), management never deviated from the plan to surround Dwight with defense and spread the floor with shooters. New additions of <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/leeco01.html">Courtney Lee</a>, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/p/pietrmi01.html">Mickael Pietrus</a>, <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/battito01.html">Tony Battie</a>, and <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/johnsan02.html">Anthony Johnson</a> all fit into the team's MO. Lee and Pietrus were <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEwf9uj8d0I">athletic</a> players who bought into Van Gundy's system and excelled at defending the opposition's top wings. Tony Battie was able to play alongside Dwight without clogging the lane and back up the center position as well. His mid-range game allowed the Magic to spread the floor on offense without giving up size. The result was arguably the franchise's most successful season ever. The team won 59 games and it's first NBA Finals game in franchise history. They were “hit” hard by the Lakers in the Finals and that's when management began deviating from the plan.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The roster transformed from a group of guys who all filled a well defined role, played hard on both ends of the floor, were efficient shooters, and had personalities that weren't bigger than the team in 2009 to a much different group in 2011. The 2010-2011 roster was defined by players who wanted to operate outside of the team structure set by Stan Van Gundy. The team focused on offense at the expense of the defensive side of the floor, despite poor efficiency on either end. The team's offense wasn't so much a strength as it was a mind set (the team wasn't better off by focusing on offense, it's just what the players wanted). Instead of a cohesive unit of players with a well defined role the team was an erratic group of individuals who couldn't be counted on in a game to game basis. Dwight was the only constant (as he has been his entire career). The result was a major step backwards in the growth of the team and a frustrating first round exit.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The franchise is sitting at a fork in the road. Their short term goals are all based around resigning Dwight Howard during July of 2012. They have two directions they can take in achieving this goal. The first direction is to burn the '11-'12 season and rebuild. They do whatever it takes to acquire draft picks and expiring contracts in order to benefit from an excellent draft and free agent class. This is the most logical direction to take as it would allow the team to get younger and significantly more talented in an extremely short amount of time (relative to how long it usually takes for a team to rebuild). They could give up on their championship dreams for a season (or two, most likely) in order to open a window for a championship for the following 5 or 6 years. The problem with this path originates from Dwight Howard. He wants to win now and doesn't want to waste a year of his prime. If he's not on board with this strategy then it's going to push him out of Orlando. The second path is to try and acquire a solid 7 or 8 man rotation that could get Orlando back into championship contention if only for one season. This would mean mortgaging future drafts and young assets in order to acquire the most talent possible. There have been signs that point to the team taking this path. Names being thrown around in rumors are Carlos Boozer, Nicolas Batum, Brandon Roy, OJ Mayo, JR Smith, Tayshawn Prince, Caron Butler, Stephen Jackson, Josh Smith, and many more. Between now and July 1<sup>st</sup> is important for improvement as nobody knows how the new collective bargaining agreement could change the structure of player salaries and the ability to make trades or sign players. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Magic fans need to hope Otis Smith is able to acquire essentially a whole new rotation of players who can play as a cohesive unit that can cover its weaknesses and succeed in a variety of ways (players who can absorb hits from the other team and stick with the game plan). The Magic need players who can score, defend the perimeter, and are above average in their athleticism. Everyone on the roster is available for trades. Well, everyone except for Dwight Howard. Once again he is the only constant on this team, but for how long?</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
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</div>Chrishttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12224257256834311148noreply@blogger.com0