Future of the Magic...

[magicorlando]

If we get a decent player with the MLE or via a trade PLUS Toni Battie......how much better are we gonna be?


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edited title for clarity....
-thief

[theTHIEF]

if the Magic can

1) Get Battie back
2) Draft a contributor
3) Trade JJ for a role player
4) Bring over Fran or package with JJ for depth
5) Use MLE on a player than can fill our needs

we're going to be serious business...

[TheRevTy]

I still have a hard time figuring out how Battie fits in with Rashard, Cook, Gortat, Foyle, and potentially Fran.

That's a load of roster spaces roped into our big men. That makes us 3 deep at PF and 4 deep at center (assuming you consider Battie a center, which he is).

It should also be mentioned that, as currently constructed, we have no back-up SF. Stan uses Mo and Bogans to fill in there, which makes us very small.

I am interested to see how Otis balances the roster this summer. As it is, it seems kind of jerry-rigged together.

[magicfan4life05]

I just hope Otis does w/e it takes to keep this team rolling, I really dont want to end up being one-hit wonder like the bulls last season (finally getting out of the 1st round after waiting so long and then becoming a bust the next season). Not comparing the 2 teams but just saying we gotta continue to get better, and hopefully we do b/c we got a beast named dwight howard.

[magicorlando]

my prediction is arroyo, garrity and j.j are gone

[surflawyer]

if the Magic can

1) Get Battie back
2) Draft a contributor
3) Trade JJ for a role player
4) Bring over Fran or package with JJ for depth
5) Use MLE on a player than can fill our needs

we're going to be serious business...

Not to be nit-picky THIEF but I would like to add......

6. Sign Mogans
7. Sign Dooling
8. Sign Foyle
9. Sign Gortat

[theTHIEF]

whoa look out for The Great Carsoni with those predictions...

[eyriq]

I still have a hard time figuring out how Battie fits in with Rashard, Cook, Gortat, Foyle, and potentially Fran.

That's a load of roster spaces roped into our big men. That makes us 3 deep at PF and 4 deep at center (assuming you consider Battie a center, which he is).

It should also be mentioned that, as currently constructed, we have no back-up SF. Stan uses Mo and Bogans to fill in there, which makes us very small.

I am interested to see how Otis balances the roster this summer. As it is, it seems kind of jerry-rigged together.

Having Battie come off the bench will allow Shard to slide over and play the 3 while Hedo sits. Heck, even having Cook for the 2cd round will allow that.

As for it being jerry-rigged, I'm not so sure. Shard is really more than capable at the 4. That solves a lot of issues right there. Battie is a good backup, Gortat is evolving, and Cook is flexible.

[theTHIEF]

-= original quote snipped =-



Not to be nit-picky THIEF but I would like to add......

6. Sign Mogans
7. Sign Dooling
8. Sign Foyle
9. Sign Gortat

agh how can I forget, you have to bring Evans back..as for Dooling, idk yet...

[eyriq]

-= original quote snipped =-



agh how can I forget, you have to bring Evans back..as for Dooling, idk yet...

Evans over Dooling? I don't see it. Maybe both, but if only one, than it has to be Dooling, doesn't it?

Also, I think we keep JJ. Coming off the bench as our sixth man is a solid role.

I've said this elsewhere, but I really only think we are one starter away from being favorites to win the East. That piece is either a sg or a pf, where I prefer a sg. The MLE can grab one I think.

So then my order of moves;

- Leave Lewis at the 4, backed up by Battie.
- Sign a sg with the MLE.
- Bring over Fran. (More just icing than anything, but would be great.)
- Draft a serviceable player, preferably a pg, perhaps Lawson.
- Re-sign either Arroyo or Dooling. I'm still torn. Whoever is cheaper?
- Keep Bagans or Evans, not both.
- Use JJ as our 6th man. Back to back MIP awards for the Magic anyone?

Then watch out world!

[mhectorgato]

I still have a hard time figuring out how Battie fits in with Rashard, Cook, Gortat, Foyle, and potentially Fran.

Battie >>> Foyle.

Battie can be a PF or a C, Foyle is only a C.

[Dwightmare]

Make a play for JR Smith or Childress with MLE, if not resign Evans
Resign Dooling
Use JJ and/or Fran to trade up


Jameer/Dooling
MLE or Evans/Bogans or JJ
Hedo/Shard/Bogans or MLE
Rashard/Battie/Cook or Draft pick
Dwight/Battie/Gortat

very solid rotation

[TheRevTy]

What I was saying is whether they are in the rotation or not, we still have Cook, Battie, Foyle, Gortat, and Dwight under contract next season. Factor in Rashard as a PF, and that is 6 players for two positions. Add in Fran and you bring the total to 7. No, obviously not all will play, but they will take up roster space.

Let's look at a depth chart

Current:

Nelson / Dooling / Arroyo
Evans / Bogans / Redick
Turkoglu
Lewis / Cook / Augustine / Garrity / Battie*
Howard / Gortat / Foyle

now let's look at who we have under contract next season

Nelson
Bogans* (opt out option) / Redick
Turkoglu
Lewis / Cook / Battie
Howard / Gortat / Foyle

Many of you are talking about adding Fran, so tack him onto the end of either PF or C.

Now, I may not be entirely familiar with rules in regards to waiving players, but I am under the impression that you can't just kick someone to the curb if they are under contract (Foyle).

Do we just take the hit and have a guy like Cook eating up cap space and a roster spot while being third string at best? That is the dilemma I am talking about.

[eyriq]

Well, in that situation I'd say Battie and Cook will get the most burn with Gortat and potentially Fran struggling to get pt. Foyle will be on the deep bench. Both Battie and Cook have expiring contracts in two seasons and so have some trade value, but not right away. The more bigs the better.

[TheRevTy]

So we're gonna hold on to Cook simply based on the hope that he is the next Kwame Brown?

[eyriq]

So we're gonna hold on to Cook simply based on the hope that he is the next Kwame Brown?

Why the hate for Cook? I thought he did a good job this year, and he does things that Stan likes. Stan told him to get in shape, he did. He started hitting the boards better as the year progressed, and he even began to cut down the silly fouls. I think he is a solid rotation player for the Magic going into next season, getting 8-10 min a game, while Battie gets his 20 min between the center and power forward spots.

[sChOlaRlY_Magi]

^ LOL

[TheRevTy]

No, see the problem I have is that I think Cook is a very capable back-up, as are Gortat, Foyle, and Battie. It is all well and good to have 4 quality back-ups for your bigs... except when you realize next year we no depth at PG or SF, especially since our starting PF is an all-star SF.

In other words, do we waste talent and roster spots by having a metric ton of bigs who can't all play at the same time, or even very often.

When there is a quarterback controversy in the NFL, the coaches always say its a "good problem to have." No it is not! It's a crappy problem! You have two solid players who can't play at the same time!

[magicfanejc42]

1.)Trade JJ and our pick for a higher first.(I don't want JJ to go, but it's obvious we don't want to play him here...even in a kapono role.)
2.) Draft a good player for once
3.) Re-sign Evans, Gortat (Not sure on Dooling yet, depends on the draft most likely)
4.) Use MLE on a Big shooting guard (Childress,Maggette,JR Smith)
5.) Bring Fran in


Nelson/Pick(Chalmers?)/Dooling
MLE/Evans/Bogans
Hedo/Lewis/Cheapie pick up (Summer league Star)
Fran/Cook/Foyle
Howard/Battie/Gortat

I know the roster won't be set up like that, and there will most likely be SOME sort of trade, but the be going into pre-season, with that start of a roster I'd be pretty happy.

[SOUL]

lewis on our BENCH?