| 2009-10 Season Preview: Orlando Magic Authored by Jarrod Rudolph - October 21, 2009 - 11:28 pm
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Last Season's FIC Rank: 4th, +13.0
Key Additions: Vince Carter, Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes, Jason Williams, Ryan Anderson
Key Subtractions: Hedo Turkoglu, Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee, Tony Battie
Key Rookies: N/A
Probable Starters: Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Matt Barnes, Rashard Lewis, Dwight Howard
Point Guard: Led by a healthy Jameer Nelson, the Magic will have a solid group of proven veteran floor generals leading the team this season.
Convenient amnesia has set the tone for several forecasts of Nelson’s upcoming season. After a disappointing NBA Finals performance, many people have forgotten the type of player Nelson has become. For the better part of the past two seasons, the 27-year-old point guard has arguably been the Magic’s best player. This season should be his best.
Nelson has grown into a much better player than the shoot-first point guard that, in the past, frustrated Magic fans. He does a great job of keeping his teammates involved while looking for opportunities to score. Before his injury, Nelson was shooting a blistering 50 percent from the field, (45 percent 3-point shooting). He’ll probably never be a guy that gives you 10 assists per game, but he’ll always take quality shots and take care of the ball.
Jason Williams gives the Magic another battle-tested veteran guard. Coming back from a one-year retirement, the 33-year-old guard will provide the team leadership, experience and excitement. There have been a few suggestions that the 10-year veteran will, at some point in the season, unseat Nelson as the team’s starter – not going to happen. He will, however, give the Magic another serviceable point guard that will maintain the team’s productivity while Nelson is out of the game.
Anthony Johnson is a different type of player. There aren’t many players like the 35-year-old veteran. It takes a big man to return willingly to a team that on the league’s biggest stage benched him, after several solid games, in favor of a less than 100 percent Jameer Nelson. But that’s the type of player Johnson has always been – a team-first guy. The 12-year veteran will continue to give the Magic solid minutes in whatever role he’s asked to play.
Swingmen: The Magic have arguably the strongest group of swingmen in the league. Three players that can, without losing effectiveness, play either shooting guard or small forward.
Vince Carter gives the Magic their best perimeter player since Tracy McGrady. He’s been a great player for many years; this year could be his very best campaign. The eight-time All-Star has played with some talented players. He has not, however, had the chance to play with a dominant big man. For a player with Carter’s skills, playing with a guy as dominant as Dwight Howard will immediately make him better. He’ll have more open lanes to the basket on the offensive end of the floor and the league’s best defender providing help defense if and when he gets beat.
Carter also, for the first time in his career, will be a complementary player. There will be some nights he’ll need to play the role of Batman. Most nights he’ll be Robin, but there will be several games where his team will get the victory while he plays the role of Alfred.
Carter will, however, have an incredibly large target on his back as he’s replacing the departed Hedo Turkoglu.
There is no doubt – at least in my opinion – that Carter is, in every facet of the game, a better player than Turkoglu. Whether he’s a better fit for this team will be the question he’ll need to answer every night – anything other than a return trip to the NBA Finals will result in a resounding no from most with an opinion.
Both Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes give the Magic tough, versatile perimeter players that must be defended at all times. Most nights they’ll be asked to defend the other team’s best perimeter player, something that both men have shown they’re capable of successfully doing.
Pietrus was a big part of the Magic’s success last season. If he’s able to stay healthy, the team should have an even better regular season. The addition of Barnes will be a great help to Pietrus as they will pretty much have the same role. Each will lessen the pressure of the other. These two men will play a major role in the Magic’s chances to get back to the Finals.
Frontcourt: Watching the Magic frontcourt will be interesting this season. Dwight Howard will anchor the frontline, but will he be playing alongside Brandon Bass or Rashard Lewis? With Lewis missing the first 10 games of the season, serving a suspension for violating the NBA's Anti-Drug Agreement last spring, that question will surely be asked again.
Playing the two-time All-Star at power forward certainly helps the Magic continue to present different matchup issues, but the addition of Bass, a classic power forward, can immediately help Howard rebound and defend. Starting Bass at power forward would also allow Lewis to move back to small forward, his natural position. As of right now Lewis will be the starting power forward once he returns from his suspension, but you have to wonder if Stan Van Gundy will consider making a permanent move which would make the Magic a more conventional team.
Howard is of course the best center in the game and will likely take another step forward offensively, while Marcin Gortat is possibly the best backup center in the NBA outside of perhaps Cleveland or Portland.
Forecast: The Magic have a much better team than last year’s conference champion, at least on paper. The experience they gained during their run to the Finals will be invaluable as they look to get back and change the result of last year five-game series.
Their biggest issue will be chemistry.
The team that lost to the Lakers built an incredible chemistry over a three-year period. The playoff losses to Detroit, Game 7 victory in Boston and series wins over Cleveland, Toronto and Philadelphia defined the Magic. Not because they won, but because there was a foundation built where they knew exactly what to expect from each other. This year’s installment doesn’t yet have that. If they can create that type of foundation in the next eight months they’ll have a great shot, better than most, to win the championship. |
