Eric Muyombo is my name. Some call me 'Muyombo the Magician', or 'Eric the Elite'. Why? Because of my ability to take a losing franchise to a championship in 2 or 3 years. I had done that with the UConn Huskies and a few minor teams in Europe. Little did I know, after my UConn contract expired, I would be assigned the greatest challenge of them all.
One winter's day in my home in Brooklyn, I got a knock on my door.
"Hello?"
"Mr Muyombo, so glad to meet you. May I come in?"
"Um, sure," I said very cautiously.
This man either was mad or had an offer I couldn't refuse up his sleeve.
"My name is Dick Amstar, and I'm the owner of the Orlando Magic."
Now THIS is interesting...
"As you certainly know, the loss of D12 has certainly hit the club hard." He frowned to himself for a moment.
"We need someone to take us to the top. This is where you come in. I want you to be the new GM of the Orlando Magic."
Wow, I certainly didn't expect that.
"Sure, I'll take it," I said, a little dizzy.
"Good to hear. Now, first of all, how do feel about our roster?"
He gave me a sheet of paper with our team list printed on it:
PG Jameer Nelson
PG Ishmael Smith
PG E'twaun Moore
SG Arron Afflalo
SG J.J. Redick
SF Moe Harkless
SF Hedo Turkoglu
PF Glen Davis
PF Josh McRoberts
PF Al Harrington
PF Andrew Nicholson
PF Gustavo Ayon
PF Kyle O'Quinn
C Nikola Vucevic
I had a long look over this list. Most of the players on that list, bar Vucevic, were expendable.
"Our highest aim for this season should be for 9th or 10th. There's no way that this list is playoff-standard. We'll need to rebuild."
"Okay..."
"The fact we're still over the cap with this list isn't good, either. Expiring contracts are the way to go."
"Fine, but don't be in rebuilding mode for too long, ok?"
"Sure thing, boss."
And with that he drove off in his snazzy Audi.
My first aim is to cut salary, and I do just that with this trade:
Cleveland trade:
SG Dion Waiters
C Tyler Zeller
2013 LAL 1st Round Pick
Orlando trade:
SG Arron Afflalo
SF Moe Harkless
2015 ORL 1st Round Pick
Winner: Both. The Magic get a very decent tool to rebuild around in #4 pick Waiters while cutting salary, while the Cavs get a decent scorer to pair alongside Irving, as well as a potentially high pick.
I like this trade a lot. Waiters should excel in the coming years, while I like the prospect of Zeller coming off the bench.
We're predicted to sit last in the East. No surprise there. What is surprising is the Sixers are 2nd in the East ahead of New York and Boston, while the Jazz are 2nd in the West ahead of Minnesota, OKC and the Clippers.
Time to get smashed.
From The Depths of the 'A - An Orlando Magic Story
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From The Depths of the 'A - An Orlando Magic Story
by OzzieLaker » Sat Jun 29, 2013 6:21 pm
- OzzieLaker
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by OzzieLaker » Sun Jun 30, 2013 2:51 am
While having a look around the franchise, I talk to a few of the players and staff, and they tell me about our owner. He's a bit 'meh', apparently. He's average in all ways - patience, desire to win, willingness to spend etc. Could turn out for better or for worse.
While meeting up with the players, they're all great blokes, Dion Waiters especially. The coaching staff's okay, I guess, however if things don't work out by the end of the season Jacque Vaughn will be gone, as will the assistants.
Facing the Hawks first up, we are dominated and lose by 16. Tyler Zeller, who I decided to start in the 11th hour, is our only shining light with a 20-point, 10-rebound double double. Gustavo Ayon does all the fundamentals, while Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu both contribute somewhat on the offensive end.
Magic 0-1
Another small loss of confidence, losing to the Grizzlies this time. Tyler Zeller can't repeat his magic (excuse the pun), with a measly 6 points. Dion Waiters is solid, with 10/5/6, while Harrington scores 15 bench points.
Magic 0-2
I search around for other possible trades, and I find one. It's a good one, too.
Orlando trade:
PF Andrew Nicholson
PF Josh McRoberts
2015 ORL 2nd Round Pick
New York trade:
PG Iman Shumpert
PG Jason Kidd
Winner: Orlando. Shumpert has potential to be a top 5 defender in the league, while Kidd will lead from the front off the bench. Nicholson and McRoberts are 8th and 13th men for the Knicks, and while Nicholson has potential, Shumpert is the better player by far.
I'm amazed Donnie Walsh accepted that trade. Shumpert has heaps of potential, while I've always loved J-Kidd, being a Nets supporter since this year. I sign Kelenna Azubuike for some guard/forward depth.
Continuing our run of losses, the Kings come to Orlando and they win 113-96. Jason Thompson is dominant off the Kings' bench, with 26 points and 12 boards. Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters have acceptable games. The others? Meh.
Magic 0-3
A closer game, but still a defeat, against the Bulls. Glen Davis breaks his nose early in the game, allowing Gustavo Ayon to step up, with 17 points and 10 boards. Tyler Zeller also doubles in a slightly better performance.
Magic 0-4
Going up against Andrew Bynum and the 76ers was always going to be tough, so it's no surprise we record another loss. Nikola Vucevic is solid off the bench with 18 points, while 3 of our starters record 17 points each. Iman Shumpert also records 6 steals
Magic 0-5
The Wizards arrive in Orlando, and we record our first win, 92-115. A nice 25 points from Hedo Turkoglu sees him win MOTM, while Glen Davis, still with a broken nose, records 12 boards off the bench. A double double from John Wall didn't stop us.
Magic 1-5
Wow, we're suddenly gaining form for some reason. We hammer the Trail Blazers at home 107-116 after a shaky first half. Our future building blocks in Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters have field days, with the former scoring 24 points, the latter winning MOTM with 19/7/4 and 5 steals.
Magic 2-5
Our streak is stunted with a 10-point loss against the Thunder. Our two points are impressive, with Iman Shumpert scoring 19 points in 19 minutes before fouling out, before Jameer Nelson took over with 21 points. Gustavo Ayon doubles, and that's it for us.
Magic 2-6
Apart from Jameer Nelson's 16 bench points and Tyler Zeller's 15 boards, there is nothing to report from a 67-103 loss against the Mavs. In fact, I punched through a wall during the 3rd quarter due to our sloppiness with the ball.
Magic 2-7
Oh come on! This is getting ridiculous. Not only do we lose to the lowly Bobcats, but Ramon Sessions of all people dominates with 20/8/11. Dion Waiters and Gustavo Ayon are our rocks for the night with 19 and 21 points respectively, while Tyler Zeller is so close to doubling.
Magic 2-8
Our spirits are lifted somewhat with a small 91-103 win over the Toronto Raptors. 4 of our starting 5 have good, but not outstanding games, with Iman Shumpert recording 10 assists, Dion Waiters dominating DeMar DeRozan with 15/9/5 on 7/8 shooting, and Gustavo Ayon and Tyler Zeller scoring well while grabbing 7 boards apiece.
Magic 3-8
Strangely enough, we win yet again against the 5-5 Pacers in Indiana. Our young guards in Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters are again the standouts. The former drops 22 points on 8/17 shooting, while the latter scores a handy 17 points.
Magic 4-8
Nonetheless, I go dealing again. I find another solid trade:
Orlando trade:
PG Jameer Nelson
PF Kyle O'Quinn
Phoenix trade:
PG Goran Dragic
Winner: Orlando. Nelson is nowhere near the level he was four years ago, while O'Quinn was expendable. The trade does, however, allow rookie Kendall Marshall to grow.
Wow. Didn't think they'd accept that one. Dragic is one hell of a point. Surprisingly, coach Vaughn wants to start all three of Dragic, Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters, pushing Hedo Turkoglu to the bench. I'm fine with that, for now.
I never thought three wins in a row would be possible this season, but we achieved it, winning against Houston 94-103. Goran Dragic shows why we traded for him with 31 points, but only 3 assists. Iman Shumpert and Jason Kidd record 13 steals between them
Magic 5-8
4 in a row, baby! The surprisingly lowly Bucks are our next opponents, and we record yet another victory, 98-110. Our starting lineup records an astounding 17 steals, led by Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters, who is MOTM with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Umad, Cleveland?
Magic 6-8
I guess it was never going to last forever, as we lose to the 76ers. Andrew Bynum continues his dominance against us with 40 points and 15 boards, while our top scorer is Goran Dragic with only 14. Nothing much of note this game, really.
Magic 6-9
Final game of the month is a loss against the Wizards in Washington. Nene turns back the clock with 17 points and 9 rebounds to win MOTM, while Trevor Ariza is a handy silver medal with 14/11/3. Goran Dragic is again our rock with 20 points and 9 boards, while Iman Shumpert helps him out at times.
Magic 6-10
Very solid month from a team I didn't think I'd get too much out of. We are currently 4th last in the East, ahead of Milwaukee, Toronto and Arron Afflalo's Cleveland.
At the end of the month, Miami are the ones that are sitting pretty in the East, on top with a 13-2 record. In the West, Phoenix are the surprises, sitting 4th, while OKC leads with a 14-2 record.
Orlando Stats Leaders:
Points: PG Goran Dragic (17.5), Dion Waiters (13.8), Iman Shumpert (13.3)
Rebounds: Gustavo Ayon (6.9), Tyler Zeller (6.7), Dion Waiters (5.0)
Assists: Goran Dragic (6.1), Iman Shumpert (3.4), Hedo Turkoglu (3.2)
Efficiency: Goran Dragic (18.0), Dion Waiters (15.2), Tyler Zeller (13.9)
League Stats Leaders:
Points: Kevin Durant OKC (38.9)
Rebounds: Kevin Love MIN (11.8)
Assists: Russell Westbrook OKC (11.0)
Steals: Ricky Rubio MIN (3.1)
Blocks: Serge Ibaka OKC (3.2)
Efficiency: Kevin Durant OKC (36.9)
Rookie Stats Leaders:
Points: Bradley Beal WAS (14.3)
Rebounds: Anthony Davis NOH (8.3)
Assists: Damien Lillard POR (8.5)
Steals: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist CHA (2.5)
Blocks: Anthony Davis NOH (2.8)
Efficiency: Anthony Davis NOH (18.6)
November Rookie Review:
1 – SG Herman Farasiewicz (Poland) 19-Year-Old
Looking the best scorer in this rookie crop, averaging 27ppg. He is a solid rebounder and defender, as well, however his passing doesn't look too good.
2 – SF Todd Angner (DePaul) Sophomore
Seems to be a poor man's Farasiewicz. He's shorter (6'6"), despite being a small forward. Has a pretty good jumpshot and is a solid rebounder and shot blocker.
3 – PF Chris Snoddy (Duke) Freshman
Raw, but has a fair bit of potential. Bit of an unknown prospect at the moment, however with the return of some better teammates, it will be interesting to see what impact Snoddy has.
4 – SF Anthony Blanks (Appalachian State) Freshman
Just like Snoddy, is unknown, but is looking a nice scorer and shot blocker for his size. Again, time will tell.
5 – PF Garrett Burks (Charlotte) Freshman
A tad short for a power forward, and isn't setting the world on fire with his numbers. Similar to Snoddy in that he has potential.
While meeting up with the players, they're all great blokes, Dion Waiters especially. The coaching staff's okay, I guess, however if things don't work out by the end of the season Jacque Vaughn will be gone, as will the assistants.
Facing the Hawks first up, we are dominated and lose by 16. Tyler Zeller, who I decided to start in the 11th hour, is our only shining light with a 20-point, 10-rebound double double. Gustavo Ayon does all the fundamentals, while Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu both contribute somewhat on the offensive end.
Magic 0-1
Another small loss of confidence, losing to the Grizzlies this time. Tyler Zeller can't repeat his magic (excuse the pun), with a measly 6 points. Dion Waiters is solid, with 10/5/6, while Harrington scores 15 bench points.
Magic 0-2
I search around for other possible trades, and I find one. It's a good one, too.
Orlando trade:
PF Andrew Nicholson
PF Josh McRoberts
2015 ORL 2nd Round Pick
New York trade:
PG Iman Shumpert
PG Jason Kidd
Winner: Orlando. Shumpert has potential to be a top 5 defender in the league, while Kidd will lead from the front off the bench. Nicholson and McRoberts are 8th and 13th men for the Knicks, and while Nicholson has potential, Shumpert is the better player by far.
I'm amazed Donnie Walsh accepted that trade. Shumpert has heaps of potential, while I've always loved J-Kidd, being a Nets supporter since this year. I sign Kelenna Azubuike for some guard/forward depth.
Continuing our run of losses, the Kings come to Orlando and they win 113-96. Jason Thompson is dominant off the Kings' bench, with 26 points and 12 boards. Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters have acceptable games. The others? Meh.
Magic 0-3
A closer game, but still a defeat, against the Bulls. Glen Davis breaks his nose early in the game, allowing Gustavo Ayon to step up, with 17 points and 10 boards. Tyler Zeller also doubles in a slightly better performance.
Magic 0-4
Going up against Andrew Bynum and the 76ers was always going to be tough, so it's no surprise we record another loss. Nikola Vucevic is solid off the bench with 18 points, while 3 of our starters record 17 points each. Iman Shumpert also records 6 steals
Magic 0-5
The Wizards arrive in Orlando, and we record our first win, 92-115. A nice 25 points from Hedo Turkoglu sees him win MOTM, while Glen Davis, still with a broken nose, records 12 boards off the bench. A double double from John Wall didn't stop us.
Magic 1-5
Wow, we're suddenly gaining form for some reason. We hammer the Trail Blazers at home 107-116 after a shaky first half. Our future building blocks in Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters have field days, with the former scoring 24 points, the latter winning MOTM with 19/7/4 and 5 steals.
Magic 2-5
Our streak is stunted with a 10-point loss against the Thunder. Our two points are impressive, with Iman Shumpert scoring 19 points in 19 minutes before fouling out, before Jameer Nelson took over with 21 points. Gustavo Ayon doubles, and that's it for us.
Magic 2-6
Apart from Jameer Nelson's 16 bench points and Tyler Zeller's 15 boards, there is nothing to report from a 67-103 loss against the Mavs. In fact, I punched through a wall during the 3rd quarter due to our sloppiness with the ball.
Magic 2-7
Oh come on! This is getting ridiculous. Not only do we lose to the lowly Bobcats, but Ramon Sessions of all people dominates with 20/8/11. Dion Waiters and Gustavo Ayon are our rocks for the night with 19 and 21 points respectively, while Tyler Zeller is so close to doubling.
Magic 2-8
Our spirits are lifted somewhat with a small 91-103 win over the Toronto Raptors. 4 of our starting 5 have good, but not outstanding games, with Iman Shumpert recording 10 assists, Dion Waiters dominating DeMar DeRozan with 15/9/5 on 7/8 shooting, and Gustavo Ayon and Tyler Zeller scoring well while grabbing 7 boards apiece.
Magic 3-8
Strangely enough, we win yet again against the 5-5 Pacers in Indiana. Our young guards in Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters are again the standouts. The former drops 22 points on 8/17 shooting, while the latter scores a handy 17 points.
Magic 4-8
Nonetheless, I go dealing again. I find another solid trade:
Orlando trade:
PG Jameer Nelson
PF Kyle O'Quinn
Phoenix trade:
PG Goran Dragic
Winner: Orlando. Nelson is nowhere near the level he was four years ago, while O'Quinn was expendable. The trade does, however, allow rookie Kendall Marshall to grow.
Wow. Didn't think they'd accept that one. Dragic is one hell of a point. Surprisingly, coach Vaughn wants to start all three of Dragic, Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters, pushing Hedo Turkoglu to the bench. I'm fine with that, for now.
I never thought three wins in a row would be possible this season, but we achieved it, winning against Houston 94-103. Goran Dragic shows why we traded for him with 31 points, but only 3 assists. Iman Shumpert and Jason Kidd record 13 steals between them
Magic 5-8
4 in a row, baby! The surprisingly lowly Bucks are our next opponents, and we record yet another victory, 98-110. Our starting lineup records an astounding 17 steals, led by Iman Shumpert and Dion Waiters, who is MOTM with 23 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 blocks and 4 steals. Umad, Cleveland?
Magic 6-8
I guess it was never going to last forever, as we lose to the 76ers. Andrew Bynum continues his dominance against us with 40 points and 15 boards, while our top scorer is Goran Dragic with only 14. Nothing much of note this game, really.
Magic 6-9
Final game of the month is a loss against the Wizards in Washington. Nene turns back the clock with 17 points and 9 rebounds to win MOTM, while Trevor Ariza is a handy silver medal with 14/11/3. Goran Dragic is again our rock with 20 points and 9 boards, while Iman Shumpert helps him out at times.
Magic 6-10
Very solid month from a team I didn't think I'd get too much out of. We are currently 4th last in the East, ahead of Milwaukee, Toronto and Arron Afflalo's Cleveland.
At the end of the month, Miami are the ones that are sitting pretty in the East, on top with a 13-2 record. In the West, Phoenix are the surprises, sitting 4th, while OKC leads with a 14-2 record.
Orlando Stats Leaders:
Points: PG Goran Dragic (17.5), Dion Waiters (13.8), Iman Shumpert (13.3)
Rebounds: Gustavo Ayon (6.9), Tyler Zeller (6.7), Dion Waiters (5.0)
Assists: Goran Dragic (6.1), Iman Shumpert (3.4), Hedo Turkoglu (3.2)
Efficiency: Goran Dragic (18.0), Dion Waiters (15.2), Tyler Zeller (13.9)
League Stats Leaders:
Points: Kevin Durant OKC (38.9)
Rebounds: Kevin Love MIN (11.8)
Assists: Russell Westbrook OKC (11.0)
Steals: Ricky Rubio MIN (3.1)
Blocks: Serge Ibaka OKC (3.2)
Efficiency: Kevin Durant OKC (36.9)
Rookie Stats Leaders:
Points: Bradley Beal WAS (14.3)
Rebounds: Anthony Davis NOH (8.3)
Assists: Damien Lillard POR (8.5)
Steals: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist CHA (2.5)
Blocks: Anthony Davis NOH (2.8)
Efficiency: Anthony Davis NOH (18.6)
November Rookie Review:
1 – SG Herman Farasiewicz (Poland) 19-Year-Old
Looking the best scorer in this rookie crop, averaging 27ppg. He is a solid rebounder and defender, as well, however his passing doesn't look too good.
2 – SF Todd Angner (DePaul) Sophomore
Seems to be a poor man's Farasiewicz. He's shorter (6'6"), despite being a small forward. Has a pretty good jumpshot and is a solid rebounder and shot blocker.
3 – PF Chris Snoddy (Duke) Freshman
Raw, but has a fair bit of potential. Bit of an unknown prospect at the moment, however with the return of some better teammates, it will be interesting to see what impact Snoddy has.
4 – SF Anthony Blanks (Appalachian State) Freshman
Just like Snoddy, is unknown, but is looking a nice scorer and shot blocker for his size. Again, time will tell.
5 – PF Garrett Burks (Charlotte) Freshman
A tad short for a power forward, and isn't setting the world on fire with his numbers. Similar to Snoddy in that he has potential.
- OzzieLaker
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