# Poor drafting the cause for Magic's fall?



## Basel (Mar 31, 2005)

> The Orlando Magic's fall was sudden and hard. The team went from a perennial contender to a postseason afterthought trying to hold onto its superstar at all costs (no matter the cost or the missteps along the way). Orlando is desperate for any kind of help right now. Especially cheap help.
> 
> The cheapest way to get that kind of help is through the draft. Rookie contracts are relatively small commitments and extremely cheap. Having a player that can produce at around $3 million per year with the various team options and what-not, plus the added trade value that comes with being a young player.
> 
> ...


http://orlandomagicdaily.com/2012-articles/may/poor-drafting-magic-fall-052012.html


----------



## 29380 (Feb 23, 2009)

The Magic were contenders for like 2 years, the Spurs did not draft Neal and Green.


----------



## RollWithEm (Jul 16, 2002)

I am not ready to give up on Daniel Orton, yet. Also, Courtney Lee and JJ Reddick both turned out to be quality rotation players. Is the Fran Vasquez thing really their fault? Of course they did draft Dwight Howard as well as Anderson Varejao as a second rounder.

Are they really that bad at drafting?


----------



## Knick Killer (Jul 16, 2006)

The Thunder also drafted this guy named James Harden...he's kind of a big deal.


----------



## LA68 (Apr 3, 2004)

They continue to build a system that doesn't work. One in and four out shooting jumpers is too stagnant and predictable. And you saw last playoffs when you lose that "one in" guy and you have 6'6" baby trying to play the post. 

Ask yourselves, who really is the penetrator on this team ? The scorer ? Because if Jameer is that person then , who sets the offense ? Hedo ? Do you really think those two are the basis of a top tier team ?

Lately, seem they have been collecting mediocre players. You can only use five at a time yanno ! Who now is the leader ?


----------



## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

It's not only poor drafting that hurt them; it's their incompetent management. You can mostly blame Otis Smith. There's the Rashard Lewis debacle, there's the Billy Donovan debacle, there's the Howard/Van Gundy debacle, and there's the half decade of complacency. They kept a mediocre PG and assumed he could take them to the top, resigning him even after years of failure.

They were the 04 Pistons without Rasheed Wallace; they were the Allen/Pierce Celtics before KG. They were ok with that, so now they get to be ok with this.

LOL


----------



## ATLien (Jun 18, 2002)

Whenever the Magic are in the lottery, they get the #1 pick. They'll be fine.


----------



## Maravilla (Jul 6, 2010)

Chan said:


> It's not only poor drafting that hurt them; it's their incompetent management. You can mostly blame Otis Smith. There's the Rashard Lewis debacle, there's the Billy Donovan debacle, there's the Howard/Van Gundy debacle, and there's the half decade of complacency. They kept a mediocre PG and assumed he could take them to the top, resigning him even after years of failure.
> 
> They were the 04 Pistons without Rasheed Wallace; they were the Allen/Pierce Celtics before KG. They were ok with that, so now they get to be ok with this.
> 
> LOL


There was an Allen/Pierce Celtics before KG?


----------



## Ronnie (May 18, 2012)

To me the Magic have had a crappy FO/ownership since the beginning. Not with draft picks per say because they have always been money when it comes to their top picks (minus that Euro guy in 2005 or 2006, can't remember the year, but they took him in the lottery and he never played a game for them). Where they have had issues is over paying their players and over paying incoming FAs or just completely getting it wrong (Grant Hill any one). They also lack BIG TIME in trades. 

This new debacle of a trade (lets just call it one of the worst trades in sports history) is just a long stream line of crap. I truly feel sorry for the real Magic fans. You, like many other teams, deserve so much more, especially when your franchise drafts great at the top, only to see them leave you high and dry years later with nothing to show for your cheers.


----------



## Mr. Hobbes (Jul 1, 2005)

chilltown said:


> There was an Allen/Pierce Celtics before KG?


It's a figure of speech. Quit being a smartass.


----------



## hobojoe (Jun 20, 2003)

Drafting has not been a big problem in the Dwight Howard era. They drafted Dwight and traded for Nelson on draft night, both obviously were good moves. Picking Fran Vazquez sucks, but the other first rounders weren't bad. Redick has turned into a solid pro, Courtney Lee at 22 was a starter on a Finals team and Daniel Orton was the 29th overall pick. What else do you expect at 29? Landry Fields was the only player taken after Orton who has made any sort of impact in the NBA at all, it's not like they took Orton in the lottery.


----------



## hroz (Mar 4, 2006)

Magic have been fine drafters its the incompetence of management. 

Lewis's contract should never have been that long. 

I think they also did the two worst deals this offseason the trade of Howard for junk (i wouldve preferred to make him play a season over the junk they got) 
And the Jameer contract. 

Lopez's contract is worse but on a team that wants to make a statement in their new home its to be expected they would overpay. 

If I was Magic management and the deal they got was the best deal on the table. 
I wouldve 
a) traded Howard Duhon (possibly Richardson) to Lakers for Bynum and Laker's 1st round pick next 2 years. (1st choice if I could get that)
b) Kept Dwight for another year and let home walk.

This way fans still turn up to watch this year. 
Making Turk's contract an expiring come offseason. 
Making Richardson and Davis a year shorter contract next season. 

This would also mean they would suck in 13/14 when Bynum or Howard walked that's fine. The 2014 draft is meant to be a lot deeper. 
Plus now the Magic would have another late teens/early 20s draft pick of their own and Laker's pick(possibly). 

Then I would offer a sign and trade to anyone for more draft picks and expirings. If they dont want it thats fine. Youve survived one more season of Turk Richardson Davis and Duhons stupid contracts. (Pretty much saved by Dwight/Bynum)


----------



## LA68 (Apr 3, 2004)

hroz said:


> Magic have been fine drafters its the incompetence of management.
> 
> Lewis's contract should never have been that long.
> 
> ...


Your plan makes a hell of a lot more sense than what they did do. They should have hired you !

They did the worst possible thing. Take back contracts with multiple years that no one wants. So you can't get rid of them and they can't expire.

Stuck in mediocrity for at least 2 or 3 years.


----------

