Howard Cleared To Practice With Team USA; Upset re: Dooling

[jamlando]

I like Dooling but I'm not as broken up as a lot of people about him not re-signing. I'm all about doing whats necessary to put a better team on the floor. Sure it would be nice to have Dooling back but not at the price he's asking and definitely not at the risk of losing out on a quality SG.

[lovehoops01]

wow, Howard has no pull huh?

I don't mind that. I'm bummed that Keyon is gone, too, but I am glad that Otis isn't let Dwight dictate the roster to him.

Yeah, it's always great news when the star player doesn't have the ear of the front office. Strike One?

I hate the Anthony Johnson hiring. He can play OK but his past few teams couldn't wait to dump him.

Dooling only was asking for what he got paid last season, or maybe a little more. And suddenly he's not worth that? Pffttt. I don't get this at all to be honest. I think it's bad.

Apparently there is no deal for Critt either? So if that deal doesn't go down, does that mean Denton is not doing such a bang-up job of reporting now? Just wondering....

[MitchellUK]

wow, Howard has no pull huh?

I don't mind that. I'm bummed that Keyon is gone, too, but I am glad that Otis isn't let Dwight dictate the roster to him.

Yeah, it's always great news when the star player doesn't have the ear of the front office. Strike One?

To me, yeah, it is great news. I'm not saying Otis shouldn't ask the opinion of the players if he sees fit - he should. I am not saying that the players shouldn't go to Otis if they have a suggestion. But ultimately the job of GM is Otis' and if he allows his decisions to be clouded by thoughts of what Dwight wants rather than what is best for the team, then the Magic will have a problem. Players are paid to play - if Dwight turns out to be the sort of star who pouts when every single personnel decision is not run past him, then the Magic will have serious problems.

I hate the Anthony Johnson hiring. He can play OK but his past few teams couldn't wait to dump him.

What has the number of teams he has played for got to do with anything? He was one of the better free agent point guards out there. He can defend, and do a solid if unspectacular job on offense, which is what Orlando needs to back up Jameer Nelson. The reports on his signing say that he was being chased by several other teams, so he can't be that unwanted.

Dooling only was asking for what he got paid last season, or maybe a little more. And suddenly he's not worth that? Pffttt. I don't get this at all to be honest. I think it's bad.

Clearly Otis thought he wasn't. Personally I would have liked to have seen us offer Keyon a 3 year, $10m offer, but Smith thought different. What I do know is that for half the price of Keyon, we have picked up a guy who can also defend the bigger PGs in the league (perhaps not as well, but he can do it) and can run an offense - something that Keyon was not built to do. Don't get me wrong, I loved Keyon's game and if given the choice would have had him back rather than sign Johnson, but we have signed a guy who is arguably a better fit for this team at a fraction of the cost.

Apparently there is no deal for Critt either? So if that deal doesn't go down, does that mean Denton is not doing such a bang-up job of reporting now? Just wondering....

I don't know. What does his reporting have to do with anything? If that comment has something to do with the stock placed in Denton's articles by some posters, you're directing it at the wrong guy.

[lovehoops01]

Mitchell UK....Sorry couldn't quote your post because it said I had too many embed quotes....But here are my thoughts on that....

I'm not saying that Dwight should be able to "dictate" the roster as you put it, but the implication was that he didn't listen to what he had to say. And that would be bad. And he should listen to Dwight some if he's the guy they are trying to build the rest of the roster around. What if he brought in an entire roster full of guys he didn't enjoy playing with? What if he had a good connection with a particular guy or two who he thought helped him play better? He wouldn't be staying with the team too long, I promise you that, if Otis ignored that.

Damn....I hate how this screen just jumps around all the time since they went to this new format. It's hard even to respond to complicated posts because it keeps jumping around on your screen.

But back on topic....About the part about getting a guy who can do something Keyon couldn't do for half the price. To me, we have done this with the shooting guards pretty much since Otis took over. It's like he thinks he can put any basketball player in America on the court as shooting guard and it will work with the rest of the roster. I don't believe this is true.

It's the same thing as with DeShawn. Yeah, Bogans was cheaper, but has he been better? No, last year they paid two guys to try to do the job for more than DeShawn wanted to begin with, and neither one of them really managed to stop anyone. Now, in order to get a guy who plays good defense, they go out and get someone else who they now are paying $5 million a year and the guy apparently can't play any offense (yeah, yeah, there is that impressive 35 percent 3-point average).

And Keyon actually was a pesky and irritating defender who provided good energy. I don't know that the Magic replaced his energy at all unless Lee is going to surprise me in that category. Who's the change of pace guy? As far as Johnson goes, dude has been on 8 teams in 11 seasons. He has a reputation as a guy who looks for his own numbers. It definitely says something about what teams think about him once they have him when he has been on 8 teams in 11 seasons. What if no one on the Magic roster wants to play with the guy? There goes the good chemistry and cohesiveness.

Just keep rotating in new guys who everyone has to get to know and aren't necessarily even as good. This is not effective, if you ask me. I don't necessarily think that Otis didn't think that Keyon was worth it -- just that he didn't feel comfortable with his budget to pay him more than that, even though as has been clearly pointed out that he was $4 million off the luxury tax at least. And he had to pay his guy from Oakland that phat money because DeShawn isn't still here to do the things that he used to do and now they brought in this guy to do. Penny wise and pound foolish, if you ask me. And wasting time and risking a reconfiguration of the chemistry every season. I was OK with it after the situation with DeShawn. But this has become a trend, and let's face it, it's not always going to work.

And the thing about Denton....That wasn't directed at you. Just all the general conversation here about how he was so far ahead of everyone else's reporting. I usually just read through all the posts and, while I usually take a quote from the main point that I want to comment on, I comment about my thoughts on a lot of the other threads, too. Sorry for the confusion there.