<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">It's a good thing Dwight Howard has broad shoulders. The whole franchise just jumped on his back. By trading veteran Steve Francis to the New York Knicks in exchange for Penny Hardaway, Trevor Ariza and their two expiring contracts, the Orlando Magic decided that the future with Howard -- however far off -- was brighter than anything they could build today. A season that began with a playoff promise will finish as an audition for those who will play in the coming years with Howard, their budding 20-year-old center/forward. "It was obvious we weren't getting it done with what we had,'' said Otis Smith, Magic assistant general manager. "That's disappointing, but it was time to do what was best for the future.'' The Magic went into Wednesday's game in New Jersey with the fifth worst record in the NBA -- having lost 11 of the previous 12 games. Although Francis has been their leading scorer, the Magic won only 53 of the 124 games that he played. By dumping Francis, who is owed more than $48 million over the next three years, and getting no financial obligations beyond this season, the Magic believe they will become a player in the free-agent market of 2007. It's the summer that the albatross contract of Grant Hill finally ends. In the meantime, though, it might be difficult to see the promise that Smith is promising. It's a plan shaping up very much like the one from 2000, when the Magic dropped $20 million below the salary cap so they could chase high-priced free agents. Although they most wanted Tim Duncan that summer, they still were lauded for getting Hill and Tracy McGrady. Hill, who was once one of the NBA's finest, never recovered from serious ankle problems that wrecked his career. McGrady blossomed into a star, but his unhappiness in Orlando led to the Magic's trading him in 2004 to Houston for Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato. All are gone now. The free-agent class of 2007 is expected to include Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis and Jamaal Magloire. The Magic actually could accelerate their quest for prime free agents by a year if they find someone this summer to take Hill and the final year of his contract. The trade of Francis has cemented their plans to rebuild once again. Last week, they traded Cato and a future draft pick to Detroit for 20-year-old forward Darko Milicic and 26-year-old Carlos Arroyo, a pass-first-shoot-second point guard who might be a good fit for Howard. Milicic, the No. 2 pick of the 2003 draft, never found a role on a veteran team in Detroit, but the Magic believe he can find one here. With playoff hopes dashed for at least this year and probably next, the Magic expect to add at least one high draft pick, such as Rudy Gay of Connecticut or Adam Morrison of Gonzaga. The 2007 draft pick that was traded to Detroit is protected if it is within the first five selections. "The things we've done might look frantic, but they are calculated moves,'' Smith said. "Our objective is to win a championship. Being mediocre isn't OK with me, with ownership, or with [Coach] Brian [Hill]. We're taking steps with a goal of winning a championship.''</div> Source
I expect him to fully break out in the last 10-15 games of the season and avg big time numbers during those. He will go through growing pains in the next 10-15 games, but he will eventually start to get it. It's so much fun watching this kid develop.
