Roster Set: Changes and Upgrades from last season's roster

[Howard Mass]

With none of the camp invitees making the team, here are the changes from last year's roster.

Mario Hezonja replaces Maurice Harkless (Now in Portland)
C.J. Watson replaces Willie Green (Out of The League)
Jason Smith replaces Kyle O'Quinn (Now in New York)
Shabazz Napier replaces Luke Ridnour (Out of the League)
An empty roster spot replaces Ben Gordon (Out of the League)

Mario Hezonja has great upside and provides much needed shooting and swagger. There were some really good players picked after him and despite his defensive shortcomings in the preseason, I think everything is going to work out. Maurice Harkless has the body and all of the tools to be a success in the NBA and hopefully he can put it together in Portland. It was not going to happen here though and Orlando needed shooting in his spot.

C. J. Watson was my #1 choice of the free agents for the backup point guard slot in free agency,

Getting Shabazz Napier/ Miami simply dumped him is baffling. The Magic got a nice young player for essentially nothing due to Miami's financial management.

They replace two players Willie Green and Luke Ridnour who did not even make it on a Training Camp Roster. That is definitely an upgrade and The Magic from being on the thinnest teams at point guard last year to one of the deepest. Rob Hennigan really worked his Magic here in landing Watson and Napier.

We will have to see how Jason Smith replacing Kyle O'Quinn is going to work out.

With O'Quinn, The Magic could not justify giving a multi-year deal to another big who was not the answer at the 4. The Magic will miss his toughness. Jason Smith might actually end up being a better fit although his minutes will probably be limited like O'Quinn's were plus he comes on a one-year deal.

Even though that move is debatable, The Magic definitely upgraded this off season and I really believe this team is going to make the playoffs this year.

PG: Payton/Watson/Napier
SG: Oladipo/Fournier
SF: Harris/Hezonja/Marble
PF: Gordon/Frye/Smith/Nicholson
C: Vucevic/Dedmon

[OrlandO]

An empty roster spot replaces Ben Gordon

this made me laugh more than it should have...

[Orlwillbeback]

It would look really bad if harkless goes on to play well in portland when just last year he couldnt get pt over willie **** green who is out of the league. A bunch of bafoons were our coaches last year.

[OrlandO]

It would look really bad if harkless goes on to play well in portland when just last year he couldnt get pt over willie **** green who is out of the league. A bunch of bafoons were our coaches last year.

He should have played over Green, but who cares at this point. Moving forward we needed him to perform well in limited minutes and he couldn't. He'll probably play more consistently when given more minutes than he deserves, but again that's not what we needed from him. He had a classic Harkless game the other night... 20 minutes and 0 fga (2 pts).

[Orlwillbeback]

It would look really bad if harkless goes on to play well in portland when just last year he couldnt get pt over willie **** green who is out of the league. A bunch of bafoons were our coaches last year.

He should have played over Green, but who cares at this point. Moving forward we needed him to perform well in limited minutes and he couldn't. He'll probably play more consistently when given more minutes than he deserves, but again that's not what we needed from him. He had a classic Harkless game the other night... 20 minutes and 0 fga (2 pts).

Ahaha that **** happens like clockwork lol. Id like to add up how many games like that harkless actually tallied during his years with us. Literally one for every 3 games id say or something like that.

[Optimus_Steel]

The biggest difference roster wise is our bench. We have much more firepower coming of the bench now than we had the previous 3 years and it will make a positive difference. Our outside shooting, maybe our biggest weakness has had major upgrades.

[rcklsscognition]

Very happy with our roster going into opening day.

[Skin]

Nice post Howard!

Coming into the season we needed to improve our long term sustainability, and we replaced our crusty temp veteran hires with more long term solutions in Watson and Napier over Green and Ridnour and dumped Gordon. We needed to improve our shooting and we made another step forward there. We needed to continue to establish our identity and Hezonja builds upon the swag of our other youngsters which is quickly changing our identity from a group of soft push overs to a bunch of young, confident up and comers. We needed to improve our defense and BAM, we hired Skiles. While we lost KOQ and didn't draft a PF/C, Dedmon looks like he's ready to break out and there is legit reason to have hope in him. Rob Hennigan continues to shine as our GM and I'm really excited about this upcoming season. I feel like I need to add this saying back into my sig.... PLAYOFFS HERE WE COME!

[Orlwillbeback]

I cant believe people seriously thought we were gonna get rid of tobias lol.

[ezzzp]

It would look really bad if harkless goes on to play well in portland when just last year he couldnt get pt over willie **** green who is out of the league. A bunch of bafoons were our coaches last year.

He should have played over Green, but who cares at this point. Moving forward we needed him to perform well in limited minutes and he couldn't. He'll probably play more consistently when given more minutes than he deserves, but again that's not what we needed from him. He had a classic Harkless game the other night... 20 minutes and 0 fga (2 pts).

Ahaha that **** happens like clockwork lol. Id like to add up how many games like that harkless actually tallied during his years with us. Literally one for every 3 games id say or something like that.

Rob Hennigan used the trade exception + the 2nd round draft pick (top 55 protected) that he got from that Harkless trade and flipped it to Miami in exchange for Shabazz Napier.

Thus far, Napier >>>> Harkless.

Both are young, and while Harkless has the physical tools he lacks the cerebral and instinctual aspect of the game. Napier on the other hand has the mind and a consistent three point shot, skill sets needed on the Magic roster.

[The Other Ankle]

This is a good overview of the literal changes in the roster, and we have improved our bench.

But hopefully the biggest improvement will be in the play of our starters and the team identity under our new coach!

Let the real games begin!

[Patrick1978]

I had real hopes for gordon this year but he is really injury prone.

[ezzzp]

C. J. Watson was my #1 choice of the free agents for the backup point guard slot in free agency

I was kind of worried about Watson's drop off as he's at an age when a lot of guards fall off a cliff...but he was likely what was available to the Magic and within what they wanted to spend at back up PG. Napier has looked solid vs reserves and that's all he really needs to be in case Watson for some reason doesn't recover his shot.

But the player I thought would have been the best case scenario though was 24 year old Cory Joseph. But his 4y/$30m was likely too high for RH and he probably preferred to play in his home country.

Now he's a player that actually could have stirred up a real PG controversy under Skiles. He's doing great in Toronto:

One could make the case that Cory Joseph, the Pickering, Ont., native who was brought aboard this summer via free agency to give the team a strong, two-way backup to Lowry, has been the second-best Raptor over these exhibition games.

Joseph has averaged 9.8 points (tied with Jonas Valanciunas and behind only Lowry and DeMarre Carroll), shot a sterling 53.3% from the field, including nailing half of his six three-point attempts, and has been excellent defensively. He has also gotten to the rim at will, showing enhanced confidence with the ball.

[SHAQ32]

Loving our bench this year! Jason Smith has been one of the more under the radar bench players in the league now for years.

Really liking our chances to make the playoffs this year; We can replace Boston

[doct3r dr3]

With O'Quinn, The Magic could not justify giving a multi-year deal to another big who was not the answer at the 4. The Magic will miss his toughness. Jason Smith might actually end up being a better fit although his minutes will probably be limited like O'Quinn's were plus he comes on a one-year deal.

[the_hobo]

Can we please change the PF depth now? Should be:

Gordon/Nicholson/Smith.

Get that soggy french Frye outta my arena.

[Howard Mass]

With O'Quinn, The Magic could not justify giving a multi-year deal to another big who was not the answer at the 4. The Magic will miss his toughness. Jason Smith might actually end up being a better fit although his minutes will probably be limited like O'Quinn's were plus he comes on a one-year deal.

Don't SAS me.

[Howard Mass]

C. J. Watson was my #1 choice of the free agents for the backup point guard slot in free agency

I was kind of worried about Watson's drop off as he's at an age when a lot of guards fall off a cliff...but he was likely what was available to the Magic and within what they wanted to spend at back up PG. Napier has looked solid vs reserves and that's all he really needs to be in case Watson for some reason doesn't recover his shot.

But the player I thought would have been the best case scenario though was 24 year old Cory Joseph. But his 4y/$30m was likely too high for RH and he probably preferred to play in his home country.

Now he's a player that actually could have stirred up a real PG controversy under Skiles. He's doing great in Toronto:

One could make the case that Cory Joseph, the Pickering, Ont., native who was brought aboard this summer via free agency to give the team a strong, two-way backup to Lowry, has been the second-best Raptor over these exhibition games.

Joseph has averaged 9.8 points (tied with Jonas Valanciunas and behind only Lowry and DeMarre Carroll), shot a sterling 53.3% from the field, including nailing half of his six three-point attempts, and has been excellent defensively. He has also gotten to the rim at will, showing enhanced confidence with the ball.

Cory Joseph would have been a nice pickup too but no way The Magic would have paid that for a backup PG..

Also note that only $1 million of Watson's third year is guaranteed.

[drsd]

The biggest difference roster wise is our bench. We have much more firepower coming of the bench now than we had the previous 3 years and it will make a positive difference. Our outside shooting, maybe our biggest weakness has had major upgrades.

I do like the Magic's bench upgrade (notably at the PG slot). But for me the biggest "upgrade" is the growth of the Magic starting guards. For me, Orlando's win potential is directly linked to Payton becoming a super-star and Oladipo becoming an all-star.

..

[UCFJayBird]

I had real hopes for gordon this year but he is really injury prone.

Really? one ankle injury is "injury prone"? You can't count a facial fracture of getting punched in the face.