What if Shaq stayed in Orlando?

[dietpleh]

Draft 1996

After the lottery, we came up with the 4th draftpick (it was the draftpick of Vancouver Grizzlies, which we got in the only trade we did last season).

Was looking forward to a draft filled with good/great players...

The draft went like this:
1) Big Z - Milauwkee Bucks (surprising pick, although he fills in a need for them)
2) A. Walker - New Jersey (Walker was my first option, would fit in great wit Shaq...so I need to go with my back-up plan)
3) Abdur-Rahim - Toronto (very good player, good scoring option)
4) Ray Allen - Orlando (There were still better players on the board allen only is a 3,5 start potential player: Iverson, Kobe, Marbury, Camby... but I decided to go with the best 3point-shooter. Hoping to resign Shaq, then Allen would be a great fit (also thinking about the capspace in the long run...I can draft a superstar every year, but if I can't keep them together it's not the best way to build a team)
5) Kobe Bryant - LA Clippers (again LA, but not the Lakers ... :-p)
6) Allen Iverson - Detroit
7) Marcus Camby - Dallas
8) Marbury - Philly
9) J. Oneal - Minesota
10) Dampier - Charlotte
11) Nash - Sacramento
12) Stojakovic - Heat
13) Kittles - Denver
14) Harington - Boston
15) Wright - Cleveland
16) ... (and so on)

Derek Fisher fell all the way to 27th pick to New York...

[dietpleh]

Free agency

-We resign Shaq with a 5 year deal worth $78,595,310 (+ player option)

-We resign Dennis Scott with a 5 year deal worth 30,000,000 (+ player option)

Those 2 players were our only targets, so we were going to do everything it took to bring them back to Orlando

After those we decided to use the money we had left to fill in some gaps in the roster (still needed a backup SF/C and i also wanted a PF that can shoot from distance)

- We signed Chris King to a 2 year deal worth $6,000,000 (1,5 star player, but he can shoot from outside and occasionaly a 3pointer)

- We signed Tommy Clayton to a 2 year deal worth $1,616,584 (3point shooting SF, 1 star player... benchfiller/backup SF)
- We signed Todd Mundt to a 2 year deal worth $1,616,584 (benchfiller, reserve C)

[dietpleh]

Trade november 8
Orlando trades
Brooks Thompson + David Vaughn
for
Matt Bullard + Reggie Jordan

SG + PF swap...simply because I was interested in Bullard as a stretch PF, while I don't need a good backup SG

[dietpleh]

No Shaq for 50 days... november 14

Shaq broke his foot, so he will be out for 50 days.
Record at the moment is 5-0.
Let's see how we will manage without him.
Time for our shooters to step up (Ray, Penny, Scott, Bullard).
Let it rain!

[dietpleh]

Trade, november 19

Golden State offered us their
2nd round pick (Golden State)
for
Donald Royal

Just what I needed, Royal was on the trading block because I knew teams were interested in him. And my team already had 4 PF's. An extra draft pick is Always welcome in my eyes...

[dietpleh]

Orlando in trouble! december 21

Shaq isn't recovering well, so he still is listed as 40 days with his broken foot.
Now Penny got injured as well with a broken nose...listed 46 days.

Without Shaq we went 3-16...
Without Shaq & Penny, I see us getting in trouble for the playoffs.


Only upside of this is that we could be a lottery team if we keep losing like this.
So this could be huge for next years draft.
IF the GM doesn't kick me out of my seat that is...

[PointGuard]

Shaq isn't recovering well, so he still is listed as 40 days with his broken foot.

That's not surprising it's taking a long time...that's one helluva BIG foot to heal.