| A Chance To Start Authored by Jason Willis - July 27, 2005 - 11:14 pm
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He would find that opportunity in the team that originally drafted him (the Magic). Dooling has reportedly come to terms with Orlando, rumored to be either a three-year deal worth $10 million dollars, or a four-year deal worth approximately $11 million dollars. Magic fans were shocked to see such a deal, considering Co-General Manager Otis Smith, was quoted as saying they had made no such offer, just 24 hours prior to the announcement of the signing. Dooling is expected to sign with the Magic at the start of August when the league lifts the moratorium on signing free agents. The original date was July 22nd, but due to the new Collective Bargaining Agreement needing some final touches, the date was pushed back in order for the league to have the time necessary to hammer out some last minute details.
The Magic were not the only team after Dooling. The New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers also showed interest. Dooling had even visited with New Jersey that week and many felt he was heading to New Jersey, when the Magic upped their offer and gave Dooling a promise that he would have a "good chance to start," in which Dooling jumped at the opportunity. The Magic have plans to move Francis to the SG position, in which Dooling would be battling with Jameer Nelson for the starting point guard role.
Dooling is often compared to Steve Francis, due to his scoring personality combined with his awesome athleticism and quickness. One thing is for sure, while Francis may be a far superior player overall, Dooling is indeed quicker, and can throw it down with the best of them. In a game versus the Magic this past season, Dooling (a member of the Miami Heat) brought the ball up the court with Francis guarding him. Dooling had his back to Francis at the top of the three-point line, as Francis turned his head to see a pick coming. Dooling spun the opposite way, slicing his way down the lane and throwing down a tremendous dunk that left Francis in the dust, giving him a taste of his own medicine that he had been dishing out his entire career.
Some Magic fans were upset with the signing of Dooling, citing that we could have gone after bigger name free agents, or signed someone we could have used more. The Magic were supposedly more interested in signing Chris Duhon, but Duhon was a restricted free agent and the Bulls were going to match just about any offer for him. The Magic are likely planning to use salary cap space in the summer of 2007 to lure some big name free agents to Orlando, and signing someone like Marko Jaric (another target of the Magic) to the Mid-Level Exception would have caused problems with that plan. Not only that, but Jaric is rumored to want even more money than that.
So why sign Dooling? A poor-man’s Francis? Simply put...Dooling brings defense and size to the backcourt. Even with Dooling, the backcourt still looks to be undersized with an average height of 6'3", but with Nelson in the backcourt, the size would have been closer to 6'1", far too small to be even the least bit competitive. Dooling is also rumored to be a more defensively minded player than Nelson. While being able to match up with the taller PGs in the league. Dooling also came cheap; getting a contract similar to the one Deshawn Stevenson signed last summer.
Perhaps more compelling than the simple signing of Dooling, however, is the rumor that the Magic are shopping Francis. A trade rumor involving the Lakers popped up at the same time and from the same source (DraftExpress.com's Jonathan Givony) as the Dooling rumor the day before the signing.
Francis' agent Jeff Fried maintains that, "They aren't signing Dooling to take over for Steve ... Steve isn't concerned where he plays. He just wants to win. He can help the team at either spot. Signing Keyon will help give them a different look. It's a good thing."
But fans can't be so sure to believe what they hear, considering Smith denied the Dooling rumor, only to then announce they had come to terms with Dooling 24 hours later. Moreover, if Givony was correct with the Dooling rumor, who is to say that he is wrong about the Francis rumor?
Whether or not the Magic trade Francis, let us not overreact to the signing of Keyon Dooling. It is a small signing to round out the roster, and it is a cheap contract that will not have a large impact on the Magic's future cap plans. Besides, Dooling has always shown flashes of potential to be a quality starter in this league. Maybe he has just been waiting for the right time, with the right team to become that player, and maybe that team is our very own Orlando Magic. |
