4 point play

Looks like Howard is going to LA. Shocker.

Orlando gives up Howard and gets two overpaid role players, two young backups, and 3 crap first rounders.

No wonder he was frustrated!

Magic are fools.

Should have dumped him to the Bobcats for a bag of cheetos.

Basketball reasons

Does it even matter?  This franchise gets lucky enough to have Shaq, Howard and McGrady in their prime and has nothing to show for it.  Ownership did nothing to surround Howard with quality teammates.  Now they'll grab a bunch of young players and chase them out of town in 5 years also.  Would love to see this franchise retracted.  ORL is not a big enough city for pro sports.

Posted by badja on 8/10/2012 9:10:00 AM (view original):
Does it even matter?  This franchise gets lucky enough to have Shaq, Howard and McGrady in their prime and has nothing to show for it.  Ownership did nothing to surround Howard with quality teammates.  Now they'll grab a bunch of young players and chase them out of town in 5 years also.  Would love to see this franchise retracted.  ORL is not a big enough city for pro sports.

Not to mention they had P. Hardaway, Ben Wallace and Grant Hill (yeah, was injured, but their medical staff was too incompetent to do anything to get him right so they lose points for that as well).  While they aren't the build your franchise around them types like the other three (debatable on Hardaway and a healthy Hill), it is still represents stud players that they mismanaged.  I grew up in Orlando mostly and I always hated that franchise because it has been mismanaged since day one.  I always rooted for the Heat (especially during the Zo, PJ Brown, T. Hardaway era) just to spite the Magic.

To be fair, Orlando did reach two NBA Finals.  The first time, they ran into the juggernaut that was Houston.  The following year they were in the conference finals again and ran into perhaps the greatest team ever in Chicago.  Then Shaq bolted. 

The second time, they ran into quite simply a better team in LA.   Followed that up with another conference finals appearance again losing to a better team in Boston.  Rashard Lewis gets old and then traded, Hedo gets old, and the run ended. 

They had a couple of nice runs, but it is Orlando and no one wants to live there very long so it really hampers what they can do in free agency (especially with the new rules in effect and Howard having such a large contract).  Also, had Shaq not left, they would have won multiple titles, but it is what it is. 

maybe players wouldn't be in such a hurry to leave if the franchise wasn't run by retarded mongoloids

Orlando is a fine place for a NBA franchise.

It's just that Otis Smith ruined this team.  I have no clue why they decided to blow up the NBA Finals team.  After Hedo left, they OVERPAID for Lewis.  They didn't have to offer him the max.  From there, it went downhill.  Fast.

Looks like they plan to start over.  The new GM is from 2 good organizations.  The Magic are headed in the right direction.  Just thought they'd at least get unprotected draft picks.

protected picks = not going in the right direction


they came in 5th in this deal

Right direction nomar? Did you see what they got for Howard?

It's puzzling why they strong-armed Brooklyn and Houston, then took pennies on the dollar to send him to the Lakers.

Posted by stinenavy on 8/10/2012 12:56:00 PM (view original):
Right direction nomar? Did you see what they got for Howard?

It's puzzling why they strong-armed Brooklyn and Houston, then took pennies on the dollar to send him to the Lakers.

Right direction is any direction that doesn't involve Dwight Coward.

Any deal (including this one) is better than owing max money to Brook Lopez.. That would have instantly been one of the worst contracts in the league.. .and the Magic might not have been bad enough to get high lottery picks..

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I like the new Nuggets.. I think Bynum's immaturity could be an issue in Phillie.. but we'll see. A good risk for them. How else can get they get an elite player?

Magic.. hit the reset button. They will be a lottery team for probably 3 years. And then these protected picks will come in.. I'm sure they are hoping to hit on one of those picks in the high teens or 20s.. In their minds one of those picks becomes someone as good as Ibaka. Maybe.

I like Howard next to Gasol alot more than Bynum next to Gasol. But.. I don't think this roster is going to beat KD's team or Lebron's team in a playoff series the next 2 years.