2008 Roster

[BoricuaBoi]

Since we have nothing to talk about now that otown is out of the playoffs, what say we do a little speculating on this offseason and what we think should happen.

Free agent signees
first off I think we need a big physical shooting guard added to this squad
choice: Corey Magette SG
Pros: physical, can get to rim at will, amongst league leaders in free throw attempts, good shooter, solid defender.
cons: injury proned, getting up there in age.

Draft
Chris Douglas Roberts
Pros: can score at will, good size at 6-7, good ball handler.
Cons: is a bit weak physically, may not be able to defend big time scorers in this league.
Brandon Rush
Pros: at 6-6 a physical SF, possibly can be moved to SG, not flashy but a hard nosed defender, and very much capable of scoring.
cons: not great shooter, a little old for possibly developing a better game.
Mario Chalmers
Pros: great hustle, tough defender, plays with a lot of heart, also is very clutch.
Cons: a bit undersized and light weight. Much like keyon dooling.
DJ White
Pros: tough player, lays it all out, great bashetball IQ, strong defender.
Cons: undersized for the power forward position, not very athletic.
extra: dj is projected in the second round, so a trade for a early second pick would have to be made.

All these moves are what I beleive we need to do to fill the week holes in our line up.

Projected lineup
PG Nelson/ Dooling
SG Magette/Bogans
SF Hedo/Rush
PF Lewis/White/cook
C Howard/Battie/Gortat

Any thoughts? What would your moves be?

[DMannOC]

If we get magette i really think we should trade Hedo for PF who could defend and has a mid range jumper

[kookie_819]

It's not bad, but I don't want to resign Dooling if we can get Maggette...

Here are my moves:

1. Draft best big left on board with #22, hopefully either one of Jason Thompson, Speights, or Arthur
2. If not, take best wing available (CDR, Rush will be available), and then trade for an early 2nd rounder (Portland and Minnesota both have 2 each in the 1st six picks), and take DJ White, Ryan Anderson, or another 2nd round big.
3. If we do take one of the 3 bigs in 1st rounder, trade for an early 2nd rounder anyway, using JJ, rights to Fran, Bogans, Foyle, etc. and draft a wing: that position is very deep in the 2nd round, with guys like Courtney Lee, Kyle Weaver (my favorite), Roby, Bill Walker, and Giddens. Draft one of those players, preferably Lee or Weaver.
4. Resign Mo, let Dooling and Arroyo test the market.
5. Sign Duhon and Kurt Thomas.
6. If we cannot sign Duhon, resign Dooling, let Arroyo rot. If we cannot sign Kurt Thomas, look for another vet big for LLE.
7. Trade Battie for swingman. Options are Kirk Snyder of the T'Wolves (plus fillers), Matt Barnes (unlikely), James Jones, Ime Udoka, Quinnton Ross, etc.

Projected Lineup:

PG: Nelson/Duhon
SG: Mo/Weaver
SF: Hedo/swingman aquired from Battie trade
PF: Rashard/Arthur/Cook
C: Dwight/Thomas/Gortat

[eyriq]

Just for the hell of it, here is my new and improved, perfectly possible but mostly likley a dream, lineup.

PG Nelson; Chalmers; Williams
SG Childress; Redick; Gerald Green
SF Lewis; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute; Pat Calathes
PF Kirilenko; Fran; Augie
C Howard; Battie; Gortat

In the draft we trade up for a 1st and 2cd. We Pick Chalmers and Moute with our two picks.

With the MLE we sign Childress. With the LLE we sign Green and Williams.

We trade Hedo and Cook to the Jazz for Kirilenko and a 2cd. With that pick we draft Pat Calathes.

We re-sign Augie.

[EasternMagic]

thats too much change it may look alright on paper but your uprooting half the team it could screw with the team chemistry... and im not a big fan of Kirilenko.

[Cigamodnalro]

Would you trade Hedo for Haslem, if the Heatz went along with it? It'd be dangerous to trade him within the division, but Haslem is too perfect for this team.

[EasternMagic]

Would you trade Hedo for Haslem, if the Heatz went along with it? It'd be dangerous to trade him within the division, but Haslem is too perfect for this team.

No I would not... if we are gonna trade hedo we could do better than haslem

[macdalejax]

-= original quote snipped =-


No I would not... if we are gonna trade hedo we could do better than haslem

agreed

[CourtsideTV]

we need to keep:

dwight,kobe,hedo,nelson,gortat,evans,cook...everyone else needs to be scrapped for new bench warmers.

[MagiChamps]

Would you trade Hedo for Haslem, if the Heatz went along with it? It'd be dangerous to trade him within the division, but Haslem is too perfect for this team.

Maybe if they threw in their first round pick.

[magician09]

I think DJ White would be a fantastic pickup in the 2nd round. He may not be super athletic and be a bit undersized but the important thing is he has a huge wingspan, which makes up for his lack of height. He would be a perfect hustle guy off the bench.
Obviously the Magic would need to buy one or trade for one but that is not normally very difficult.

I wouldn't mind getting DeShawn back... He is cheap doesn't need the ball but can slash to the basket and has really improved his 3 point stroke. Maybe trade Bogans for him We could then pick up Duhon or someone like that to shore up the PG spot.

We would then have a line-up of:

PG: Nelson/Dooling/Duhon
SG: Stevenson/Evans
SF: Turkoglu
PF: Lewis/White/Vasquez
C: Howard/Battie/Gortat

[Kent]

So wait, wait, wait...

No one wants to resign Arroyo? Who woulda guessed it?

[LBPTarHeel27]

If we don't have a true PG on the roster next season...we will not go any further than we did this year.

I am not saying trade Nelson. I am not saying bench Nelson. I am saying bring in a vet that can lead when we need to be lead.

AND DOESN'T TURN THE BALL OVER.

[EasternMagic]

-= original quote snipped =-



Maybe if they threw in their first round pick.

if they threw in a first round pick then its a whole nother story

[lovehoops01]

we need to keep:

dwight,kobe,hedo,nelson,gortat,evans,cook...everyone else needs to be scrapped for new bench warmers.

I'd keep Battie and deal Cook for someone else who can help Magic.

[dieselpower]

Just for the hell of it, here is my new and improved, perfectly possible but mostly likley a dream, lineup.

PG Nelson; Chalmers; Williams
SG Childress; Redick; Gerald Green
SF Lewis; Luc Richard Mbah a Moute; Pat Calathes
PF Kirilenko; Fran; Augie
C Howard; Battie; Gortat

In the draft we trade up for a 1st and 2cd. We Pick Chalmers and Moute with our two picks.

With the MLE we sign Childress. With the LLE we sign Green and Williams.

We trade Hedo and Cook to the Jazz for Kirilenko and a 2cd. With that pick we draft Pat Calathes.

We re-sign Augie.

"PF Kirilenko; Fran; Augie"

Sounds like an old Vaudeville comedy team...

[BassMaster]

The Magic need a PF/C and a great pickup for them would be Robin Lopez and it wouldn't cost the Magic as in needing to move up in the draft. The good news in this draft is that there are a lot of PF's and Centers available.
He is a big man who can run the court unlike Battie, and he is strong on the boards and plays a great defensive game.
All of those things are very important considering that Howard is the only real defensive player of the Magic big men. Gortat will be able to help more eventually, but the Magic need someone now ready for next year.
The Magic cannot afford Cory so forget that, those who keep saying he would come here because his parents are here are just smoking something funny. He is going to go where the money is he won't be taking a paycut just to play with the Magic.
Fran doesn't have that kind of money to buyout his contract so no Fran next season. All you Fran lovers will have to wait another year, unless he signs another contract in Spain that is.
Dooling hurt his standing with the team with his play in the Detroit Series with his out of control play. Plus his family want him to move back to the Miami area next year. Yes there is a chance that the next time we see Dooling he will be wearing a different uniform as in the Miami Heat. Just like he did before he came to play for Orlando.
Carlos will not be resigned unless he says he will play for half of what he is getting now, so we know that is not going to happen.
Evans is another player who most likely will not in Orlando next year if he gets what he is asking for since I truely doubt the Magic will give him triple of what he is earning now. That's right everyone he is asking for triple not double. Remember Evans is 30 and this will be the last chance for him most likely to get a bigger paycheck.
Redick I hope will stay if the Magic can use him as a backup SG otherwise they need to let him go to someone who will use him. Why leave him on the bench for another year that does not make any sense.
I wouldn't mind it if the Magic traded Battie for some more help under SVG I don't see Battie running up and down the court with the rest of the team he just is not going to do that. Even when he was younger he didn't run up and down courts he just rambled instead. Stan said he wants this team to run fast breaks, Battie is just not that kind of player and never will be.

Well I would have said all of this yesterday, but I went to local casino with some friends had fun and lost only two big winners in group well 700 dollars ahead kind of winners

So lets see if the Magic can be winners once again next season without trading everyone away, but Howard to do it. Just alittle fine tuning is what this team needs.