Gooden works at growing up fast for Magic From inexperience, the Orlando Magic now speak. "I can't say I'm a veteran," power forward Drew Gooden said by telephone last week. "I've played only one season. I only played 26 games in Orlando. I feel like I'm still new." Gooden will celebrate his 22nd birthday Wednesday. It almost qualifies him as elderly on this team. One week before training camp, all you see is youth around the Magic. They are two tiers of young: young and really young. In an astonishing upset, the Magic improved their athleticism, toughness and basketball savvy this off-season -- and got younger. It cost them a few million dollars as well as some cookies and milk. After Gooden's birthday, the average age of the 13 players with sure roster spots will be 24.9. Subtract the injured Grant Hill, and that average is 24.5. The Magic figure to sign forward Donnell Harvey, 23, soon, and he will put them at 24.4. They're inexperienced, too. Seven players (Harvey would make eight) have less than three years of service. And, lucky them, they must conquer this franchise's latest impossible challenge: The young Magic can't be young, especially Gooden. If the Magic go any place more extravagant than the first round this season, it will be because the ability of their youth overcomes the stunning lack of experience. In the NBA, this rarely happens. In Orlando's perpetual state of dismay, it must happen. Otherwise, scrutiny and apathy will conspire like never before in this city. Gooden is the most talented of the really young tier. He left Memphis in February in the Mike Miller trade and found affection in Orlando because of his tenacity. Then he averaged 14 points and 12.7 rebounds over seven playoff games while recovering from a broken toe. "I had to do something," Gooden said. "I didn't want to look back and say, 'Man, I wish I would've gone harder.' " Gooden exemplifies Coach Doc Rivers' task this season. In Gooden, Rivers has an all-star talent. It is on the coach and his staff to bring out those skills. This Magic season is not so much about superstar Tracy McGrady and prized free agent Juwan Howard. You can put down McGrady for another first-team All-NBA selection right now. You can put Howard down for 17 points and seven rebounds. They are givens. Gooden and his crew will determine whether this season can be special, or at least progressive. His crew includes three intriguing rookies (Reece Gaines, ZaZa Pachulia and Keith Bogans), a 26-year-old point guard getting his first chance as a full-time starter (Tyronn Lue), Gooden's Memphis trade buddy (Gordan Giricek) and a former first-round pick who has yet to perform consistently (Steven Hunter). Gooden must become a given. Lue and Giricek must be steady. The others must contribute in smaller portions. "We wouldn't be going into the season thinking or saying anything we don't believe," General Manager John Gabriel said. "We think we have a group good enough to get us to the next step." Gooden impressed the team by becoming a regular at RDV Sportsplex this summer. The high-strung forward has concentrated on poise. In pickup games, he has focused on passing out of double teams. Earlier in the summer, he returned to the University of Kansas and earned eight hours toward a degree in communications. He hopes to graduate in two years. "I almost forgot how it was wearing a backpack," Gooden said. "I thought students would treat me differently, but it was the same." If the Magic do their part, that should change. Next summer, students should be offering to carry his backpack. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/bask...ports-headlines I think thats a great article. We are one of the youngest teams in the league
i didn't know we were that young. i knew we had a lot of young guys, hopefully we can keep all the good ones and let them get experience and build for the future.
