After sitting around for nearly 200 minutes waiting for something/anything Orlando related to happen, we got news of the Justin Harper trade. It was a long wait, but one that should have been longer for Magic fans if they had been forced to wait around for #53. The Magic came into the night holding only the 53rd overall pick and ended the night with a 1st round talent and a mid-second round talent in their hands.
The most important part? No risk. These are second rounders with no guaranteed contact. They HAVE to prove themselves. Certainly the goal of a draft pick is to always have them make the team, but the lack of a guarantee gives the team payroll flexibility. Something, that sadly, they have little of throughout the rest of the roster.
Let’s take a look at the players:
Justin Harper – SF/PF – University of Richmond
– Draft Express had Harper listed as the 3rd best Senior in the draft and 28th best player overall.
– “Proficient at getting defenders off balance with a pump fake/jab step and then blowing by them and getting to the rim using the dribble ” – NBADraft.net. NBADraft.net had Harper listed at 26 on their big board.
– Ranked 28th on ESPN and Chad Ford’s big board. Ford, along with everyone else, says that Harper needs to add size and toughness to stick in the NBA. Ford also praises his range but warns that he can fall in love with his jump shot at times.
– Led the Atlantic 10 in scoring in conference games (20.3 ppg) and averaged 7.3 rebounds per game in conference play. He averaged 17.9 ppg for the season.
– Best player on a team that went to the Sweet 16. Dropped 22 points and 9 boards in Richmond’s Sweet 16 loss to the Morris brothers and Kansas (loaded with NBA talent).
DeAndre Liggins – SG – University of Kentucky
– Ranked as the 62nd best prospect by Chad Ford and ESPN, 56th by NBADraft.net and 58th by DraftExpress.
– Ford calls Liggins an “exceptional defender” and says he can guard three positions. An obvious weakness for the Magic last season.
– Averaged only 8.6 ppg as a Junior for Kentucky but averaged heavy minutes at 31.6 a game. Those are minutes played with NBA lottery pick talent like Brandon Knight, Doron Lamb and Terrence Jones.
– Not known for his offense at all but for his tenacity and versatility. A guy that was described by NBADraft.net as “someone who takes pride in shutting down his matchup.” DeAndre was named to the SEC All-Defensive team in 2010-2011.
– Praised by Otis Smith for his toughness coming out of Chicago. Out of HS he attended a year of prep school so he is actually a year older (23) than most of his classmates.
– The best part about Liggins is that he knows how to play to his role. He has been surround by elite NBA talent in his 3 years under Calipari and the Kentucky Money Machine. He is a defender. He knows that.
***
Why a “B”?
The Magic came into the draft with low expectations. They could have traded into the first round, and they tried, but were smart not to overreach when the value wasn’t there. They ended the night with a 1st round talent and they gave up nothing more than invisible draft picks (2nd rounders in ’13 and ’14) to get there. They also picked up Liggins who is a guy who has a real chance to find a niche as a speciality defender in this league. Most importantly, both guys will come CHEAP and with LOW risk.
Yes it would have been a lot more exciting to say that Otis made some sort of super slash and traded half the roster, but I believe him when he said the value wasn’t there. You can’t make trades just to make them. If the right trade was there, and he made it, then it could have pushed this to an A or B+. It wasn’t though and what you have is Rashard Lewis-lite and Stanley Robinson with confidence. Those are good things.
If they develop one day into solid role players than Otis will have struck gold. If not, then it’s no big deal. I’d say that is a solid job of mitigating risk and acquiring assets.
Solid job = B
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As originally reported earlier in the evening, the Orlando Magic acquired the draft rights to Justin Harper from the Cleveland Cavaliers for two future second round picks. The future picks come in 2013 and 2014.
Justin was a player that Otis Smith and the Magic had listed on their board somewhere in the 20’s and when they had a chance to swing a deal at 32, they jumped on him.
When asked what position Otis saw Justin playing for the team, he responded with “I think he can play both positions (3 and the 4)”. He then stressed that the difficulty for Justin will be defending the quickness of a 3 and strength of a 4.
For Justin it was a long journey from Richmond, VA to Orlando. Coming out of high school he wasn’t heavily recruited and only had 4 Division 1 offers. He worked hard to improve throughout his 4 years at Richmond to get to the point he is at today.
Despite not having any contact with the Magic throughout the draft process, he is certainly happy to be where is heading. Justin further added, “”Just glad to be part of Orlando and an already great team”.
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With the 53rd overall pick, the Orlando Magic selected DeAndre Liggins the 6’6″ SG from the University of Kentucky. Liggins is known as a strong defender with a weak offensive game.
Otis Smith spoke about Liggins after the pick and spoke about his toughness and ability to hit big shots on a talent heavy team at Kentucky. Much like Justin Harper, DeAndre was higher on the Magic draft board and they didn’t expect him to be available when they picked at 53.
Liggins will have an uphill battle to make the Orlando Magic team (think Robinson, Stanley) and will be even tougher with the upcoming lockout situation. His defensive tenacity and length could be a valuable asset to the team though if he is able to prove himself in a short period of time.
You can view his draft profile here.
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According to a source close to the situation, the Orlando Magic are finalizing a trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers to acquire their 2nd round draft pick Justin Harper. The Magic would keep their 53rd overall pick while sending two future 2nd round picks in the exchange.
Justin Harper is a 6’9″ PF out of Richmond who has been compared very much to Rashard Lewis. He was listed as a bubble first round pick and once he slipped to the 2nd round, the Magic poached hard. You can read his draft profile here.
The trade is still not finalized, but expect an announcement early in the AM.
With the Magic being the aggressor in this acquisition, Harper has a very good chance to make the team. He is also a very valuable trade asset for the Magic to use to acquire other pieces if need be.
You can follow Magic Basketball Online on Twitter and add MBO on Facebook to get the latest story updates! You can now download the MBO app for the Android and Windows Phone platforms by searching for Magic Basketball Online.
This post was originally posted on Howard the Dunk and was a back and forth Mock Draft conducted by Andrew Melnick and myself. We alternated picks and tried to do our best mocking along the way. All odd numbered picks are mine and the even picks are Andrew’s. The only rule we made was that no trades could take place.
Hereeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee we go, the Dan Gilbert’s are on the clock:
***
Pick 1 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Derrick Williams, SF, Arizona
I’m convinced that Cleveland wants Derrick Williams and is running a smoke screen around Irving. Since Williams will likely play the same position vacated by LeBron, Dan Gilbert will have fun requiring him to wear number 23.
Pick 2 – Minnesota Timberwolves
Kyrie Irving, PG, Duke
With a forward off the board, there is only one other position for Kahn to fill through the draft – point guard! With Johnny Flynn and Luke Ridnour on the roster and Ricky Rubio finally coming over from Spain, why not? They could fill a huge need and take a center like the Underkanter, but then how could they justify paying Darko Milicic $20 million? Oh wait, they still can’t.
Pick 3 – Utah Jazz
Enes Kanter, C, Kentucky-ish
Combining Favors and Kanter would provide with Utah Jazz with the best frontcourt in the league in terms of “guys drafted really high that nobody ever saw produce”. Also, strongly considered taking Jimmer with this pick. Too high pick wise, but he’ll be gone come 12. Jimmer in Utah = LeBron in Miami.
Pick 4 – Cleveland Cavaliers
Brandon Knight, PG, $$$$$
After passing on Kyrie Irving, the Cavs luck out with Knight still on the board. The John Calapari product will have to take a pay cut during his rookie contract but will be tutored by Baron Davis and should be able to grow a fantastic beard.
Pick 5 – Toronto Raptors
Jonas Valanciunas, C, Lithuania
Fortunately for Toronto, he seems to be the anti-Andrea Bargnani in that he actually welcomes contact With Jonas slipping to 5, Toronto ignores his contract restraints and hopes that he can provide the energy and effort that Bargnani runs so passionately from.
Pick 6 – Washington Wizards
Jan Vesely, F, Czech Republic
Jan Vesely likes to run the floor and dunk. John Wall likes to run the floor and dunk.
Pick 7 – Anaheim Princes
The Jimmer, PG, BYU
A drunk Tyreke Evans drives the lane! He throws it out to the corner and Jimmer jacks up the contested 3! Misses! Cousins rebounds the ball and immediately punts it into the upper deck!
Plenty of LOLz remain when you read the remainder of the first round HtD Mockery Draft after the jump. Click READ MORE to continue:
Otis and Gilbert in “Summer Vacation!” – Part Two
This is the second guest post written by Ashley Burns for MBO. You can read Part One of “Summer Vacation”, here. Again, the situations described below may or may not be based on actual events.
***
Otis and Gilbert in “Summer Vacation!”
Starring:
Otis Smith
Gilbert Arenas
Hedo Turkoglu
Fran Vasquez as “El Hombre Mysterioso”
This Week’s Special Guest: Golden State Warriors consultant Jerry West
Episode 2: The Trade Machine Rolls On
(Otis Smith’s alarm clock rings and he rolls over to shut it off. Otis opens his eyes and sees Gilbert Arenas standing next to his bed in full uniform.)
Otis: GILLLLLLLLLBERRRRRRRRT! What the hell are you doing, man?
Gilbert: Good morning, BFF! I brought you some coffee!
(Gilbert hands Otis a bag of ground coffee.)
Otis: Gilbert, why are you in my house and why are you wearing your uniform?
Gilbert: I made a big promise to Dwight Howard to work out more and get better for next season so I can put this team on my back and win a championship and a MVP and Comeback Player of the Year and Father of the Year and Father of the Bride and an Emmy and one of them Pulitzers for all my awesome Tweeting.
Otis: One step at a time, Gilbert. Today we have a big meeting with Jerry West from Golden State to discuss my interest in Monta Ellis.
Gilbert: But I thought that Golden State said they didn’t want to trade him because he’s too valuable to them.
Otis: Gilbert, let me tell you a little thing about running a basketball team. We all say that we don’t want to trade certain players because they’re too valuable, but everyone is always available. How do you think I convinced Washington to trade you to Orlando? Because I told them that there was no way I was trading Rashard Lewis.
Gilbert: But didn’t Washington say there was no way they were trading me?
Otis: Exactly! I told them, Why don’t I trade you my untradeable player for your untradeable player. Then they laughed. And I laughed. And they laughed louder. And I didn’t really know what they were laughing about, but it was really funny because Ernie Grunfeld pissed his pants. Now let’s get going, we have to meet Jerry at my office.
(Otis’s secretary enters his office with Jerry West, Otis is sitting behind his desk and Gilbert is standing next to him, now wearing a tuxedo.)
Otis: Jerry, welcome to Orlando! I hope the homeless people didn’t try to eat you.
Jerry: Otis, I’m gonna get right to the point – we have no interest in trading Monta Ellis.
Otis: (winking at Jerry) I understand you. And we have no interest in trading Chris Duhon.
(Otis slides a pen and paper across the desk.)
Otis: I believe we have a deal, Jerry.
Jerry: We don’t have a deal. I’m not trading you Monta Ellis for your roster of bad contracts. I’m here to talk to you about Dwight. We’d like to offer you Ellis, Andris Biedrins and Ekpe Udoh for Dwight.
Otis: But Dwight isn’t available. I would never trade Dwight.
Gilbert: (laughing) That’s right, Jerry. We’d never trade Dwight. Now you’ve got yourself a god-damned deal.
Otis: Gilbert! Stop it, we’re not trading Dwight. Besides, aside from Monta, I’ve never even heard of those other two guys. They sound made up, and trust me – I can scout players. Like when I don’t trade away my draft picks I always have a copy of the Sporting News in front of me so I can draft the first player’s name I recognize.
Jerry: Otis, I don’t mean any disrespect, but I had to at least try. You’re not exactly known for making the best deals.
(Otis’ phone rings.)
Otis: Excuse me while I take this call, Jerry. Hello? Yes, this is Otis. Jameer, where are you? Antarctica? Why the hell would you be there? I traded you?!?! Damn it, I thought James Dolan sent me that penguin as a present. Hold tight, Jameer, I’m sending Hedo to get you. HEDOOOOOOO!
(Hedo Turkoglu bursts into the room.)
Hedo: Rock and roll, boss man. 10 a.m. and I’m two handles deep. Which way to the disco bar?
Otis: Hedo, go to Antarctica and get Jameer. He’s at a research base dressed like a little baby seal. I’m sure it’s adorable but we need him back here. And if any of Dolan’s henchmen are there, kill them.
Hedo: Sure thing, boss! U-S-A!
(Hedo jumps through window.)
Otis: Now Jerry, I believe we had a deal, Monta for Duhon. Go ahead and sign something.
Jerry: You’re insane, Otis. Don’t call me anymore.
Gilbert: All right, Otis! You didn’t have to trade Dwight. The team is saved! Let’s go lounge by the pool. I met these two 47-year old moms of 6 on Christian Dating who want to double date with us. Here, I brought two Speedos.
(Otis and Gilbert are laying by the pool as a hot air balloon lands in the water.)
Otis: What on Earth?
Fran Vasquez: Have no fear, amigos! Ees I, Fran Vasquez! I haff changed my mind and will not play! Adios, muchachos!
Otis: Damn, I was gonna trade him for Jermaine O’Neal.
To be continued…
***
Ashley Burns is a man who loves the Orlando Magic and is a third-year season ticket holder. He also writes a lot, is often angry, and is on display as a daily contributor at With Leather and Uproxx. And he is the future mayor of Orlando. Follow him on Twitter at @MayorBurnsy.
It seems as if an unexpected turn has popped up in the never-ending Dwight Howard speculation (except Ric Bucher…he knew, and just hadn’t reported it yet, of course).
At a press conference held for a small media contingent early this morning, it was announced that Dwight Howard will be leaving the Orlando Magic and joining the Manchester United Football Club.
Dwight Howard announces his move to Man U
As the announcement was made by Magic CEO Bob Vander Weide, a stunned silence filled the room until the moment Dwight entered alongside Sir Alex Ferguson. Sporting his usual superstar smile and his brand new Manchester United “kit”, Dwight began to speak for the first time to the still stunned crowd.
“With the lockout looming and my team in need of time to clear payroll, I have made the decision to accept a transfer from the Orlando Magic to Manchester United. This was an easier decision than most of you might think, especially considering the copious amounts of money I will now be bathing in. My goal for my entire career has been to win a championship and joining Man U gives me the best chance to do so.”
According to sources at the BBC, the transfer is rumored to be for $150M US dollars. That amount includes a minimum of two years of Dwight Howard’s service with a player option for a 3rd year. Dwight would then be personally paid a yearly salary of $50M.
“I’ve seen LeBron James’ path and the difficulty he has faced in achieving a title. My wish is to not only bypass that difficulty altogether, but to further crush LeBron’s legacy at the same time.”
LeBron James recently became a partial owner of Man U’s bitter rival, Liverpool FC. Manchester United is fresh off winning a record 19th Premier League title, while Liverpool remains stuck at 18. [Insert LeBron champion joke here].
Dwight then further added, “I see you LeBron… But I am going to one up you fa sho. Yuuaaaaaaaaa”. When asked to elaborate on the quote, Dwight stated again, “Yuaaaaaaaaaa” before quickly jettisoning from the room.
Why did this happen? Ultimately it was an integrated decision amongst all parties to make the move, but let’s take a look at the motivations behind the individual stakeholders.
***
Orlando Magic
After tiring of fielding calls from David Kahn and his package of Rubio, Darko and Vlade Divac’s soul, and Golden State claiming that they could clone Monta Ellis into a 7’ defender, the Magic felt they wouldn’t receive a better offer than that of Man U. While temporarily losing Dwight in the midst of his prime was a major concern, the $150M coming in would help towards paying off Gil and Hedo Turkoglu while still allowing Rich DeVos a large chunk of change to invest in local Orlando Grand Rapids, MI philanthropic endeavors.
Manchester United
The primary motivation for Man U to make the splash was the long-term need to increase the marketing appeal and sexiness of the squad. Wayne Rooney, the club’s most prominent face, has recently installed hair plugs into his dome. At 25. Rooney is hardly winning the hearts and minds of little British girls the way that Cristiano Ronaldo had before his transfer to Real Madrid (especially compared to Dwight’s much more masculine gossip stories
Dwight Howard
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Punk LeBron and South Beach
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Punk Shaq and Hollywood
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Punk M.J. and the Birmingham Barons
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Dwight has been pondering the move to Manchester United since the AIG days
***
As you can see, the motivations behind the move created a perfect storm which allowed for the move.
When asked via text message if Dwight had a parting message for the City of Orlando and his fans, he replied with “hit me up on Twitter, @DwightHoward, and let me know what happens with Casey Anthony, thanks yall. yuuuaaa”
And with those final words, Dwight exited MCO and started his new journey in Manchester.
Stay tuned…
You can follow Magic Basketball Online on Twitter and add MBO on Facebook to get the latest story updates! You can now download the MBO app for the Android and Windows Phone platforms by searching for Magic Basketball Online.
Otis and Gilbert in “Summer Vacation!”
The following brilliance was written by Ashley Burns as a guest post for Magic Basketball Online. The stories that are portrayed in this program may or may not be based on real events.
…
Otis and Gilbert in “Summer Vacation!”
Starring:
Otis Smith
Gilbert Arenas
Dwight Howard
Old Man DeVos
Hedo Turkoglu
And introducing Fran Vasquez
-Episode I: Taking Care of Business-
(Otis Smith arrives at his office the first day after the NBA Finals. Gilbert Arenas is sleeping outside his door in full pajamas.)
Otis: Gilbert, wake up! Why are you asleep outside my office?
Gilbert: Hey BFF! You said last week that we needed to get to work this week thinking of a way we can convince Dwight to sign a new deal. So here I am, first thing this morning, best pal.
Otis: I like your attitude, Gil. That’s why I brought you here. What you lack in knees, ability and conviction, you more than make up for in being my friend. So do you have any ideas?
Gilbert: Well I went on this blind double date with these two cougars over the weekend, and I spent most of the next day Tweeting about it, so I haven’t had much time to think about it. But why don’t we just get Chris Paul?
Otis: Well that’s what I want to do, but all these GMs keep telling me that our contracts are terrible. That doesn’t make any sense because our contracts are the second highest in the league!
(Knock on door, Otis’ secretary enters.)
Secretary: Mr. Smith, Dwight Howard is here to see you.
Otis: Dwight! My star player, what can I do for you today?
(Dwight looks away and holds up a sock puppet.)
Dwight (through sock puppet): I have been instructed to tell you that Dwight does not want to talk to you, so I will talk for him. Dwight wants to know what your plans are to surround him with quality teammates.
Otis: My plans? Dwight, I already went out and got you Gilbert here. He’s got one of the highest contracts in league history! He was a scoring champion only five years ago and he plans to recapture that talent next season.
Gilbert: I’m busting my ass for you, Dwight! Wait, hold on… Damn, I’m late for another blind date.
(Police officer bursts into the room.)
Officer: Mr. Arenas, I am here to serve you papers.
Gilbert: Dude, I don’t have time for this, I need to get laid!
(Gilbert leaves as Hedo Turkoglu enters.)
Otis: Hedo! Dwight, here’s your good friend Hedo Turkoglu, whom I traded for this past season because you two play so well together.
Hedo: Dwight, I am devoted to being a better player for you. So I am mastering a new jump shot to help us win. Instead of shooting off balance and short, I am going to shoot sitting on my ass and backwards. It will be impossible to cover.
Dwight (through sock puppet): You guys, I’m serious. Dwight wants young, talented players around him now. He’s already told you to look at free agents like Glen Davis or Jamal Crawford, or trading for a guy like Stephen Jackson to add some muscle back to this team.
Otis: And we’re trying to work on a deal, Superman. Just last night I called up Philly and Golden State and I said, “I will give you anyone you want for Monta Ellis and Andre Iggydiggy” and Jerry West said, “OK, give us Dwight Howard” and I said, “Deal” but then I said, “Wait a second, I’m not falling for that” and they laughed at me. And another owner keeps calling and asking if Chris Duhon is available, but before I can make an offer they laugh and hang up. I’m working some deals, Dwight.
(The doors burst open again and Rich DeVos enters the room.)
Old Man DeVos: Gentlemen, it has come to my attention that Dwight is unhappy and refuses to speak directly to Otis until he sees that deals are being made. Otis, here is a billion dollars. Make a deal, I’m going back to my cryo-chamber.
Otis: Hey Dwight, while I have you here, I was wondering if I could get you to sign an autograph for my nephew.
Dwight: Damn it, man, for the last time you are not going to trick me into signing the extension!
(Otis turns on the TV, David Pingalore is making a breaking announcement.)
Otis: Hey look, Dwight. Big breaking news… (Otis ducks under his desk.)
Ping: I have it on good authority that the Magic have just traded for Chris Paul, Deron Williams, Derrick Rose and Dirk Nowitzki. The deal is as good as done…
Dwight: Damn it, Otis! Get off the phone!
Otis: I’ll call you later, Ping. Dwight, listen, I know you’re upset but I’m already working on getting Gilbert to restructure his contract. You just have to give me time.
Dwight: Restructure? How?
Otis: Instead of $20-22 million over the next 3 seasons, he’ll get $1-1.2 million over the next 20 seasons! Then I’ll have enough money to give Michael Redd a max contract. We’ll win 10 championships!
(The doors burst open again. A mysterious man in a hooded cape rides in on a donkey. He throws it off to reveal…)
Mysterious Stranger: Haff no fear, amigos! It ees I, FRAN VASQUEZ! I AM MAGIC NOW!
Dwight: Oh f*ck this.
To be continued…
…
Ashley Burns is a man who loves the Orlando Magic and is a third-year season ticket holder. He also writes a lot, is often angry, and is on display as a daily contributor at With Leather and Uproxx. And he is the future mayor of Orlando. Follow him on Twitter at @MayorBurnsy.
J.J. Redick and the Magic give back to the Central Florida youth via “Summer Break Spots”
J.J. Redick speaks to youth about healthy eating habits and the Summer Break Spots that are available throughout Central Florida. Photo taken by Gary Bassing.
On Tuesday, June 14 the Orlando Magic, in partnership with Florida Hospital and the Florida Partnership to End Childhood Hunger, kicked off an awareness campaign promoting “Summer Break Spots” with an event featuring Magic guard J.J. Redick, Magic Community Ambassadors Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw, STUFF the Magic Mascot and Magic Dancers.
In an effort to provide food for every child throughout the summer, the Magic is helping spread the word on Summer Break Spot sites throughout Central Florida. Summer Break Spots are part of the federally-funded Summer Nutrition Programs, which provide nutritious meals and snacks to low-income children during the summer months. This program is falling increasingly short of meeting the needs of disadvantaged children due to lack of awareness.
Redick, Anderson and Outlaw spent time speaking to the youth about living a healthy lifestyle and eating right all summer long. Then Anderson and Outlaw held a mini-basketball camp with the kids followed by lunch.
Nick Anderson (left) and Bo Outlaw (right) serve lunch to youth at the Goldenrod Park Orange County Orlando Magic Community Gym.
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Can these men keep Dwight Howard in Orlando?
In an article posted by Scott Howard-Cooper this morning on NBA.com, Howard-Copper reports that Dwight Howard told NBA.com that “he will definitely become a free agent rather than sign an extension in the next year”. While I wouldn’t call this devastating news, it definitely throws a kink into the plans of Magic fans that were still hoping he would sign a short-term extension prior to June 30th and the end of the current CBA.
So when Dwight is eligible to become a free agent after the end of next season, he would then exercise his Early Termination Option (ETO) to become an unrestricted free agent. The Magic would then be bidding for his talents just as every other team in the NBA will be.
Does this mean Dwight is leaving Orlando? No. Let me be crystal clear on this… N O.
Dwight was quoted in the same article as saying,
“There’s no other place I’d rather be besides Orlando,” he said. “As of right now, that’s my home. I just want to stay in Orlando as long as I can.
“That’s the truth. I don’t have to keep things calm or anything. This is how I really feel in my heart. A lot of people want to see me go other places, but I want to stay in Orlando. I have a beautiful home there. There are beautiful people down there. My son is in Orlando. He’s getting a lot older and I want to be there to see as many moments as I can of his life.”
There is nothing new in that quote that Dwight hasn’t been repeating reguarly over the last year or two when asked that same question.
The article goes on to tell of a meeting that Dwight had with team management, specifically Rich DeVos and Bob Vander Weide that touched on everything from personnel to the game atmosphere at home games. It’s also interesting that this meeting was seemingly without Otis Smith, who has undoubtedly made some personnel changes that haven’t quite worked out as planned.
With Dwight coming out for the first time (assuming there was nothing taken out of context by the reporter) and saying that he will not sign an extension, the natural reaction for Magic fans will be one of worry. Every opportunity that Dwight has to commit and does not, will leave fans with an extra spell of anxiety. Blame LeBron. That guy has been getting a pass lately anyways.
So here we sit with the latest news in a while that actually relates to whether he stays or goes. And even with that, it says nothing new. Dwight won’t be signing an extension in the next few weeks and that should come as no surprise to anyone. He wants to see changes and is doing the right thing by doing so. Not only for himself, but also for the Orlando Magic franchise. Remember, right now, Dwight has the leverage.
That leverage forces the Magic leadership to be motivated and incentivized to make positive things happen. Let’s just hope that they realize the challenge in front of them and act accordingly. The clock is ticking.
Random Tidbits: Bodog.com has set their opening odds for the 2012 NBA Champs and currently have listed as having the 8th best shot at 22/1…… With the Dallas Mavericks winning it all last night, former Magic guard and current Dallas Assistant Coach Darrell Armstrong will finally get a championship ring…… Orlando Magic President Alex Martins was recently named as the Outstanding Business Professional of the Year by the Rotary Club of Orlando.
You can follow Magic Basketball Online on Twitter and add MBO on Facebook to get the latest story updates! You can now download the MBO app for the Android and Windows Phone platforms by searching for Magic Basketball Online.
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