"The Core 05/06" Wiesbrod has stated the "core" of the team that WILL NOT BE TRADED. He doesnt think that it would be benefical to turn the team upside down again (12 new faces), and that we have a playoff core waiting to explode, just need certain changes. The core that will definatly (as it stands) that will play next season is: C - Battie / Kasun PF - Howard SF - Hill / Hedo SG - Francis / Stevenson PG - Jameer Personally I think thats a awsome core. From 1 - 3 we have 5 excellent players, that between them could post up a rediculous ammount of numbers. It is also a very threatening offense in the fact that we bring on 2 threats in hedo and stevenson, meaning our backcourt is always going to be a threat against anyone, creating alot of miss matches. The front court is going to be moulded around Howard, we will look to bring in a good center, many are talking either about a dynamic under rated center, a draftie or a trade for a capable defensive center. Battie and Kasun I am sure will be bench players, but both offer a good presence on the boards, can score (between them looking at maybe 10pts+ and 15rebs a game) This leaves these as trade bait: Hunter (IF resigned) Barrett (IF resigned) Jones (IF resigned) Christie Cato Garrity Declerq Augmon (IF doesnt opt out or retire) This is good, the only player I dont really want to see go is Barrett as I think he has alot of potential, I hope we do either resign and keep, or resign and use to get a better trade. Cato and Christie are very very very valuable, as both are expiring contracts, not only that, but big contracts, gold dust to some teams. I can see a good 2 for 1 (and picks) coming for those 2. What we need around that core is another back up PG (Darrell Armstrong please), a starting center (battie would do well, but I'd like a bigger player) and a good back up PF.
I think the Magic will improve next year simply because Howard will be 1 year wiser. This guy has TREMENDOUS upside. He's been overshadowed for much of the year by Okafor and Gordon, but he's put up some big numbers for a big man right out of high school. This guy doesn't have Amare's athleticism, but already has better defense and good basic post moves. Bright future for Orlando in my eyes Hopefully Hill can put in a few more quality seasons; I'd love to see him inducted into the hall of fame someday.
Okafor and Gordon = 1st or 2nd option on both their respective teams. Howard = 4th (behind Francis, Hill and Hedo). Yet Howards numbers arent that far behind either (4 pts and 1 reb on okafor and 4 pts on gordon). Howard will be better next year. Hill will be just as solid, Hedo's role will be something like a 6th man of the year performance. Lets not forget Jameer. He will be huge next year, I think 15ppg, 6asists and 5 rebs. I love our core. Wanna see some nice signings around it and we will make the playoff's no troubles.
Since we can have a 15 player roster it could be balanced with: Pg:Nelson/Barrett/(Trade,FA,Draft) Sg:Stevio/Deshawn/(Trade,FA,Draft) SF:Hill/Turk/(Trade,FA,Draft) PF:Howard/Hunter/(Trade,FA,Draft) CTrade,FA,Draft)/Battie/Kusun We chould get a Big Center I like Sean May hes only 6'9 but he has good low post game. Pg maybe DA but he wants to be on a Expansion team. Sf i would like Penny back. Pf maybe Hakkem Warrick. Sg someone with good defense and maybe a midrange shot. Trade bait: Kato,DC,Garrity,Augmen,DQ.
You guys do have a very nice core, however, I thought I heard somewhere that Francis wants out. I'm not totally sure on that and I don't remember where I heard it. If that does happen though, expect Howard, Stevenson, and Nelson to have phenomenal seasons depending on who they get in return for Francis.
Francis wants to stay. He admits that he had a hard time with mobley being traded, but he knows that he wont go to sacto (they have bibby ne way, so no chance) so theres no real point of going to another team. He said that he doesnt want to go and wont be traded. I think he likes orlando now, just as much because of potential and who they have. Most players would give their right leg to play with Hill, and when you have the likes of deshawn, hedo, jameer and dwight, all young players looking to go far, and will be given a chance, francis has to realise that this year was just 1 step in a strong building process.
I think we can use Cato + Garrity to get a stronger bench player or a C? Christie is just a piece of trash, damn I just dunno why we got him at the first hand? Nelson, Francis, Howard, Hill... We still need a piece to make this team to a better one, a C. Sean May is a good choice, but can we get him?????? and getting Penny back is definately not a good choice... he's rusty now........
Sean May won't be a C, he's too undersized. If anything we would move Dwight to C and Sean May to PF. Sean May right now is being projected in the 20's or 30's, so unless we trade down, it's not likely for us to get him. At 11, we will likely draft a SG, on other boards that I post at, a lot of people want Gerald Green(another HS) to develop with Dwight, but personally I think we are too young now, so I would like someone who at least went to college a couple of years. (Don't get me wrong, if Green is still there I wouldn't be disappointed at all if we picked him) I think we will take BPA(that's not a PG or SF)
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">Sean May won't be a C, he's too undersized. If anything we would move Dwight to C and Sean May to PF. Sean May right now is being projected in the 20's or 30's, so unless we trade down, it's not likely for us to get him. At 11, we will likely draft a SG, on other boards that I post at, a lot of people want Gerald Green(another HS) to develop with Dwight, but personally I think we are too young now, so I would like someone who at least went to college a couple of years. (Don't get me wrong, if Green is still there I wouldn't be disappointed at all if we picked him) I think we will take BPA(that's not a PG or SF)</div> Why wouldn't you guys take a SF? It's not like Grant Hill is going to spend the rest of his career with the Magic. Maybe 2 years, that's probably it. It's more like you'll draft the BPA that's not a PG or PF. Gerald Green isn't even going to be on the board when you guys pick, so there's no point in talking about drafting him.
I think we need to go with a Center in the draft and we will be set. If we can get a nice young C, we would have depth at almost every postion. I really like where our franchise is going and it should be exciting to see how we rebuild around the core. With all of our youth and talent I think we can make a run in the playoffs next year. Just think, Jameer and Howard will have one more year of experience. Steve Francis will continue to strive from the SG position. We will have another young player from the draft and Grant Hill proved this season that he is healthy by playing most of the games. If everyone can stay healthy and play successfully at their given positions, I think we could suprise a lot of people next year and for many years to come.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">Why wouldn't you guys take a SF? It's not like Grant Hill is going to spend the rest of his career with the Magic. Maybe 2 years, that's probably it. It's more like you'll draft the BPA that's not a PG or PF. Gerald Green isn't even going to be on the board when you guys pick, so there's no point in talking about drafting him.</div> Well we also have Hedo behind Hill, so that's 48 mins taken care of there. I would prefer to let the rookie play, I would draft a SF in the following years draft. We need a better backup PF. I wouldn't take a PF first round, but 2nd round, I would really like us taking a backup(such as David Lee) Who says that Green's not gonna fall? A lot of people pass up on HS players, so you never know. Also we can still get the #1 pick, we've won the last 3 times we made the lotto.
I would love a Francis for Magloire and a future 1st type of deal. Magloire and Dwight down low in the future with Jameer manning the point. New Orleans did give up on Baron, but I heard rumors awhile ago about them wanting to get rid of Magloire. I think Francis is better than Magloire, so that's why the future 1st comes in. We can make it lotto protected for like 2 or 3 years.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">I would love a Francis for Magloire and a future 1st type of deal. Magloire and Dwight down low in the future with Jameer manning the point. New Orleans did give up on Baron, but I heard rumors awhile ago about them wanting to get rid of Magloire. I think Francis is better than Magloire, so that's why the future 1st comes in. We can make it lotto protected for like 2 or 3 years.</div> That would be pretty sick.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">Well we also have Hedo behind Hill, so that's 48 mins taken care of there. I would prefer to let the rookie play, I would draft a SF in the following years draft. We need a better backup PF. I wouldn't take a PF first round, but 2nd round, I would really like us taking a backup(such as David Lee)</div> It's not like Hedo's career at 26? is more promising than one of the SF's from this years draft class (Aleksandrov, Webster, Warrick, Granger Villanueva etc.). Basically, at this point of his career, he is what he is. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting GatorsowntheSEC:</div><div class="quote_post">Who says that Green's not gonna fall? A lot of people pass up on HS players, so you never know. Also we can still get the #1 pick, we've won the last 3 times we made the lotto.</div> Either the Raps, Blazers or Knicks will take him before the Magic do. Don't get your hopes to high...the Magic's odds aren't that great. Even if by chance they do get a top 3 pick, Bogut and Williams are options before Green.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Banks:</div><div class="quote_post">It's not like Hedo's career at 26? is more promising than one of the SF's from this years draft class (Aleksandrov, Webster, Warrick, Granger Villanueva etc.). Basically, at this point of his career, he is what he is.</div> I think he is saying that Hedo can get the job done if needed and even though he isn't going to get a whole lot better he can still start some games and make an impact with his ability to shoot well from the perimeter.
On drafting Green we have 1 high school player in Dwight and are going to build around him but if Green is able to be picked #11 which he prob. wont but with that age limit coming in how will that affect him playing with us. We need to draft an experienced player like Nelson maybe someone with 4 years of collage in him. I like Julius Hodge maybe he could be one of our second round picks he was a leader at NC state and can play 3 positions. At Center the draft only has a few good one Bogut is mostly the big named one maybe somehow trade for Magloire not to much though he is rumered to want out. A first round draft pick of somone who can be a good Pf backup for Dwight when he gets in foul trouble.
I also like Hodge. He was a star in college and could help us right away. If we could land someone like Hodge that would be a great pick.
