January 5, 2013; Orlando FL, USA; A basketball on the court between the Orlando Magic and New York Knicks during the second quarter at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
5. Looking at the draft and free agency as a whole, give the Magic a grade for their offseason moves. Why did you give them that grade?
Oliver: B+. I think the team got better with the moves that they made, and that’s what’s important at this point. Channing Frye will help the offense quite a bit, and even though it might not have been “fair” value, I think Evan Fournier will thrive here. Ben Gordon may not be the most tantalizing signing ever, but if he’s able to return to even half the player he was in Chicago, it’s a win for the Magic. They addressed needs, and I think overall, we’ll see a better product on the court this season, thanks in large part to the moves that they have made.
Hutson: We’ll say a B, which is about as boring a grade as you could give out. It’s hard to figure out exactly what Rob Hennigan’s plan is — which is not to say he doesn’t have one. The flexibility he opened up by releasing Nelson and trading Afflalo was used on Channing Frye and a mishmash of veteran fill-ins and backups. What’s the rest of that freed up space going to be used for in the long run? The only move I really disliked altogether was signing Ben Gordon, which feels like a medium-risk, low-reward kind of gamble. Objectively, I might rate this more like a B- or a C+ on another team, but Hennigan has repeatedly made moves that looked suboptimal at first but later proved to be better than expected, so I’ll lean toward being a little more positive.
Wolf: On the whole of the offseason I’ll give the Magic a C+. I’m not too high on the Aaron Gordon pick, especially since we already have Harrirs, Harkless, and then signed Channing Frye. I also feel like the Magic could have done much better in the Arron Afflalo deal. Evan Fournier isn’t a bad player, but he played on a Nugget’s team where everyone played equal minutes and had equal chances to score. Signing, Ben Gordon was interesting. He played 19 games last year and since ‘08-’09 he’s digressed immensely. Though none of these moves make much sense, Rob Hennigan has a way of making gems out of bizarre moves that no one understands. I’m putting my full trust in Hennigan to take the Magic to the next level. Therefore my grade for this offseason would actually be a “not complete,” because we won’t know the results of this offseason until a few months into this season.
Babazadeh: I’m going dish out an A- this year. On the surface some of the moves seem shaky, but because a lot of this assessment is based of future speculation I feel confident in a high grade, especially because Rob Hennigan and company clearly have a plan and stuck with it. They didn’t veer against the plan because some players in the draft were more hyped, but instead went with the guys who will provide versatility, athleticism and hard nosed defensive play above all else. On top of that, Orlando puts a premium on players with a reputation to be hard working, knowing that this tool gives their players the best chance to reach their full potential, and builds a strong culture in the organization. Also, unlike many, I’m a huge fan of the Arron Afflalo trade as I believe Fournier will turn a lot of heads this year. And finally, Hennigan brought in another handful of veterans that can provide a strong professional presence in the Magic’s young locker room. Aside from signing Lebron James, what more could you ask for from a rebuilding organization?
Taylor: If I had to put a grade down, I’d give the Magic a C+ as a whole for the summer. I understand trading away Arron Afflalo and why they did it, but I think they could have gotten much more out of it especially considering Evan Fournier isn’t a lock to play any significant amount of minutes. While I praised the addition of Ben Gordon earlier, I believe the Magic paid too much for a player in his situation. I like the addition of Frye and the draft pick on Payton, but those two moves alone aren’t great enough to offset the other moves.