Presto In The Paint 5-on-5: Offseason Review
By Zach Oliver
Feb 2, 2013; Milwaukee, WI, USA; The Orlando Magic logo on a players shorts during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The Bucks won 107-98. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
4. Did the Magic take the step forward in their rebuilding process that they needed to? Why or why not?
Oliver: Is it tough to say right now? Sure. But, I think they did. They got a couple of nice pieces in the draft that will end up having a profound impact on the team in the long run, and got a nice complimentary piece in free agency with Channing Frye. At this point, the biggest thing is for the team to show overall progress, be it in the win column, or based on the eye test from their play on the court. They’ve got the core that they need to really build the team in Victor Oladipo, Payton, Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic and Tobias Harris, and this is a big year for all of them moving forward. It’s an exciting team, and I think when the dust settles at the end of the season, we’ll see them in the next step of their rebuild.
Hutson: It’s hard to say whether the Magic will be better next season, given how good Arron Afflalo was, and the loss of Jameer Nelson’s steady hand, but they definitely took a step forward. Including the two of them and Glen Davis, the Magic parted ways with three starting veterans and replaced them with maybe only one starter-worthy, long-time veteran in Channing Frye. That might set them back slightly (though nobody will cry about losing Big Baby), but it’s worth it to usher in the young guys to greater prominence and development. The next step will be sorting through the Magic’s myriad players worthy of time on a developing team–especially the multitude of big men–to figure out who’s going to be part of the “core” going forward.
Wolf: It’s tough to judge. If you were to ask if they’re better right now, the answer would be no. The Magic lost three key veterans in Arron Afflalo, Jameer Nelson, and Glen Davis. We’re replacing those proven veterans with young players we’ve never even seen play in the NBA. The key phrase in the question we need to understand is “rebuilding process.” The Magic aren’t suddenly going to wake up in late October and be a playoff team. It’s going to take time to see if the moves Rob Hennigan made this offseason are moving the team closer and closer out of the rebuilding process. Keep your eyes on the rookies and young players. They’re the key to taking the team to the next level. If they are able to grow then we’ve made a step forward. If those rookies aren’t developing, well, we’ve taken two steps back.
Babazadeh: I wouldn’t label it as “taking the next step” in the rebuilding process, but rather progressing within a phase of the rebuild. At this point, Orlando is continuing to stockpile young assets and allowing them to develop. I think they made some interesting moves and have a clear cut plan for the future. In my opinion, the next step in the rebuild is either for one or more of the Magic’s assets to take the leap into stardom, or to acquire a marquee free agent. When and if this happens, and it actually may happen soon, the Magic will finally be back in the playoff picture.
Taylor: I don’t necessarily think the Magic did the best they could during the draft. Considering how much talent was available at the fourth pick when they selected Aaron Gordon, I think they could have done a lot better to progress the rebuild forward. By taking Gordon I believe they slowed the rebuild down dramatically. As I mentioned earlier, Gordon will take a couple of seasons to prove what he has, which hopefully isn’t too long for the Magic. The Payton pick was a great selection and then the signing of Frye was a surprise, but a move that will work for the team.