Orlando Magic Daily
Fansided

Orlando Magic Daily Mailbag Volume 8: A question of position

By Philip Rossman-Reich

Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts to a call during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts to a call during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
Tom Thibodeau, Chicago Bulls
Apr 30, 2015; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau reacts to a call during the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks in game six of the first round of the NBA Playoffs at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports /

From Derek Cross, via e-mail:

"We have a very talented young team, but do you think that will be enough to bring some talent from free agency to Orlando? Also if the Bulls depart with Tom I got him 100% coming to Orlando for the main reason that our team is all about Defensive specialist, what do you think?"

If you ask me, the plan for the Magic was to get close to the Playoffs or into the Playoffs and tell a superstar free agent: “You are the missing piece to complete this team.”

Right now the Magic do not seem to have that superstar. Maybe it is Victor Oladipo. Maybe Tobias Harris can get there. Maybe Nikola Vucevic. But these guys seem to be better suited to being secondary pieces. There is not that transformative talent — unless you get a coach who can make all the pieces fit together perfectly like a Mike Budenholzer did in Atlanta.

A coach like Tom Thibodeau would give the team an identity. It was always very clear what his teams were trying to do. They were always built on effort, defense and attention to detail. He had no use for you if you would not execute what he wanted. It is that kind of accountability that was often missing in the Magic’s sort of free-flowing, let-everyone-develop philosophy of rebuilding.

It is clear after taking a step back this season, the Magic want to get serious about winning. And Thibodeau gives the best chance at that of any coach available — plus the opportunity to do more.

Obviously with a roster with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah, the Bulls still could not deliver. And they flamed out pretty infamously against the Cavaliers — and even against the Heat in 2011.

To attract a free agent — and especially a marquee free agent — you have to show you are ready to win. That means having a roster capable of winning pretty quickly and a coach they believe can get them there. The Magic have a lot of the other pieces — ownership willing to spend, management with a plan (at least, I think so, I know some out there do not agree) and Florida is awesome.

So maybe now a big name is not going to look too hard at the Magic, but perhaps we will see when this team develops and the direction the new coach takes them just how attractive this place can be.

And that brings me to this question:

The big shocker to me this summer would be if the Magic go after a max player like a Jimmy Butler or a Draymond Green. As noted before, I just do not think they have the pieces to attract a big-name free agent quite yet. On top of that, I do not think the Magic want to allocate the money that way yet.

That could change if Tobias Harris is no longer part of the team and the Magic all of a sudden have some money that is not directed to a key player on the roster.

I really believe the strategy this summer will be to build some depth and make sure the team has some quality role players to support the young core the Magic hope to develop.

Victor Oladipo could probably perform a lot better if he has shooters to space the floor properly and if there were some reliability and consistency on the team. It is a lot easier said than done.

Next: Stuck with Channing Frye?