Seriously, did anyone really think the Magic were going to beat the Pistons? Sure, they had their chances throughout the series, Game 2, Game 4, and Game 5, all could have gone the Magic’s way. But the problem is that the Magic don’t know how to win yet, the Pistons do.
Until the Magic can find a way to beat the Pistons, they shouldn’t even think about a championship. The team’s only goal in the off-season should be to build a team that can compete with, and beat, the Pistons.
Here’s a list of things, the Magic should do to give themselves a better chance next season:
Find a new point guard: I’ve already gone on the record saying the Magic need to find a way to get Derrick Rose. While they may not get him, they need to find a taller point guard, who has the ability to create for all of his teammates. Jameer Nelson is not the answer. This was driven home during the final two minutes of last night’s game, when Nelson inexplicably dribbled the ball off his leg, and turned it over when the Magic were in desperate need of a basket.
Trade Hedo: It kills me to write this, but Hedo really didn’t show up consistently throughout the playoffs. You could argue that he was the MVP during the regular season though, and the Magic would not have come close to where they were without him. His trade value will never be as high as it is right now, and his contract will be very attractive to some teams. If you can trade Hedo, for a solid point guard, you have to make the deal.
Forget about signing Mo Evans: Evans only made 1.5 million in the final year of his contract, and you know that he will be looking for much, much, more. The Magic should not be the team to give him the contract he is looking for. His shot was not consistent, and his defense was off and on. The Magic will be able to find somebody better, for a cheaper price.
Move Rashard Lewis back to his natural position: Lewis is a 3, not a 4. During the regular season, he did a fairly decent job of playing defense against bigger, stronger players in the post, but his natural position is not in the blocks, it is outside the three-point line. Lewis was exposed in the playoffs, especially against the Pistons. He was manhandled inside several times. The move back to the 3 position, should also get him some more open looks at the basket.
Give Gortat some more time, and see if he can play during an entire season: Marcin Gortat sure looked pretty good in limited action in the playoffs. He look a lot more mobile than Adonal Foyle. The Magic are hoping that Tony Battie comes back at full-strength, and are also hoping that Fran Vazquez can find a way out of his contract and come play in Orlando. The thing is, the team still needs another big man to Howard a rest, and Gortat may be that guy who can give 8-10 solid minutes a night.
Keep Dooling and get rid of Arroyo, Bogans, Redick, Garrity, and whoever else is taking up space on the Magic’s bench: It was clear, especially during the end of the season, that Stan Van Gundy really only trusted Keyon Dooling and Keith Bogans off the Magic’s bench. The Magic should sign Dooling because he can help them at several different positions, but they should get rid of everybody else, including Bogans. The Kentucky product is one of the Magic’s best defenders, but his shot is not consistent, and with the amount of open looks the Magic can get their 2/3 guards during the year, they need to bring in someone with a more consistent shot. Redick simply can’t play defense on the NBA level so he’s got to go, and Garrity should probably just retire and go coach at Notre Dame.
See if Brian Cook can play: Otis Smith traded away Trevor Ariza for Evans and Cook, and with the real possibility that the Magic won’t be able to sign Evans, Cook is all they will have left. Yes, he can shoot, but can he do anything else? The Magic better find that out quick, because he could also give them some minutes off the bench. If not, how bad will that trade look, one year from now….
Bring Hakeem Olajuwon in to teach Dwight Howard some post moves: Talk about being exposed, the hype machine was in full-force after the dunk contest, about how Dwight Howard was the best big man in the league. Sadly for Magic fans, this is simply not the case. The Magic would be wise to bring in Olajuwon and have him tutor Dwight on offensive moves in the post. Almost every time he got the ball in the Pistons series, he looked uncomfortable, and unsure of what to do. When was the last time during that series when you saw him smile? Dwight plays best when he is running up and down the floor, and making things happen.
Somewhere, during the last two weeks, he lost that swagger, and looked like he was miserable. I have never seen him complain much at all, and in the Detroit series, it seemed like he was complaining after every play. I think Olajuwon can help him find that swagger again. If the Magic want to get to the next level, Dwight has to be the one to take them there, and in order to do so, he must be able to dominate in every phase of the game.
Keep an eye on Otis Smith: Only time will tell whether Smith made the right moves, and you can’t judge him simply on this year, or the last few years alone. Yes, the Magic had a great season, and did much better than many people, including myself, thought they would. But my biggest problem with Smith, is that he has essentially left no wiggle room for the Magic to go and add players. Unless the Magic make a major move, their core for the next five years will be Howard, Lewis, and Nelson. Most teams in the league would be very happy to have these three, but does anyone really believe that these three can lead the Magic to a championship? It’s not like the Magic have added anyone else through the draft, (’05 Vazquez, ‘06 Redick, ‘07 pick traded away for Darko)
That’s why I couldn’t believe it when people like Mike Bianchi were praising Smith for the job he has done. You don’t play the game to make it into the second round of the playoffs, you play to win a championship, and after watching the Magic get handled in this series, and watching the way the team has spent its money in the last few years, I think they are a lot farther away from a title than some people think.
