Smith A Hands-On GM

<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Magic will be without one of their most valuable pieces on their trip West -- for at least part of it, anyway.

General Manager Otis Smith will miss the last two games -- and that's almost like ironmen Dwight Howard and Tony Battie missing time. Smith was present for 78 of 82 games last season, and he figures to attend that many again.

Smith will leave the team to scout players in Europe. Normally, he is everywhere the team is. Games, practices and pregame shootarounds. On the road and at home. Always hands-on.

Magic fans, if you're wondering whether your GM knows the pulse of his club, well, he does. He not only takes its pulse daily, but gauges its temperature, heart rate and brain activity. In between those times, he contacts other execs, scouts, investigates possible trades, talks with agents and checks in with ownership, among other things.

This is not all that unusual in the NBA, although some GMs are more office-bound. "This is the only way I know how to do it, and that's to be around to let them know what I'm thinking so they don't have to guess. That's players and coaches," Smith said.

A forward on the original '89 Magic team, Smith is in his first year as GM after serving as co-GM with Dave Twardzik last season. He is affable, but a straight-shooter and deft problem-solver.

Recently, a representative from the players union was meeting with players after a practice. Smith was curious why point guard Jameer Nelson, returning from injury and taking extra shots, was still on the floor.

"You want me to get this right or go to the meeting? Which one?" Nelson said.

"Both," Smith said.

Nelson is the Magic's player rep, after all. He headed toward the meeting and returned to shoot. "I'm more concerned with them as people than basketball players," Smith said. "If they get the people part of their life straightened out, the basketball will take care of itself because that's what they know how to do. The people part of it, we take for granted.

"Some guys I beat up on, some I pat. With Dwight, it's growing up. With Jameer, it's leadership. It's every day with them."</div>

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<div class="quote_poster">d-money12 Wrote</div><div class="quote_post">i dont get that...can someone explain please?</div>

He's saying it's important for the players to have control of their lives off the court and he uses different techniques with the different personalities of the players to accomplish that.