[ROCK LEGENDS PHOTOGRAPHERS]

Now that the season is rolling along, how do you feel about out team?

IMO what we gave up in Dwight/Anderson/Clark/JRich/Duhon is not as good for our team as AA/Harrington/Vuc/Hark/McBob/Ayon, plus Moore who we wouldn't have had the $ to sign, plus picks, plus 2 big TPEs.

We got 3 good defenders instead of 1 great one, a lot more heart and hustle, we got younger, no Dwama, and we got out of the cap hell that Otis put us in. We have a team that everyone is happy to play on, we got some decent picks, and some TPEs should we decide to use or trade them. For the 1st time in a long time we actually have a very fun team to watch where everybody plays hard (until Turk comes back), and that has a lot of potential for the future. Our team can even shoot FTs! On top of all of that, we got rid of DUHON!!!

Thoughts?

[HighAngleDad]

Like a lot of people I thought we got shafted when I saw the final trade and who was going where. I did want Dwight gone but thought we should have gotten a better return. The results I am seeing are a very pleasant surprise, we are doing much better than I had expected. I am seeing a much better team effort at both ends of the floor. Team defense usually takes a while to develop when you have a lot of new people but this group is doing very well. In our better games the passing and general ball movement are impressive, we have shredded some good teams and surprised a lot of people. I think we are looking good and I am enjoying the games far more than I had expected.

[Marc Acres 3:16]

We got worse, and I feel a LOT better about the team.

[Drain-O]

I thought I would hate this roster but I love these guys. They compete, they pass, they have fun and they care.

[Drunk On Mystery]

I'm going to give you an analogy.

I have a whole bunch of stock that is currently valued at 50 dollars a share.

I decide, based off whatever reasons I had, to sell all that stock at 20 dollars a share. People call me crazy, and claim I made a horrible deal and/or got fleeced.

A few months later, the person or persons I sold the stock to are reeling because the stock price has plummeted down to 15 dollars a share.

The question, then, is "Given what we know now, did I make a good deal when I sold at 20 dollars a share?"

And the answer is "Of course not, you fracking Morlock."

[Jareth Cutestory]

I'd much rather watch this Glen Davis than last years Glen Davis.
Ryan Anderson & Andrew Nicholson I'm torn on. Anderson is the better player currently by far, but Nicholson's offensive game is more complete and a damn joy to watch.
Afflalo & Redick are worlds apart better than J-Rich.
Harkless and all his rawness is still more fun to watch than Turkoglu, especially of last year. Throw in Q as well despite me liking his dedication to the game for the most part.
Jameer of this year is running wild and contributing in ways I always knew he would without having to defer the ball to the middle on every possession.
Moore >>> Chris Duhon. Dude is a great streaky shooter off the bench.
McBob, Ayon, O'Quinn, >>>>>>>>>>>>>> our big depth of past.
Vuc is no Dwight Howard. Never will be. But for being considered a throw in by alot of misinformed analysts, he's basically a double double machine at the age of what? 22?

Yeah, I like this team alot. They play hard. I echo the sentiments we don't have to win, nor do I expect us to. Just compete, develop, and the future is extremely bright.

[Voodoo Man]

Dom's analogy is probably correct, if we are talking about today, but the reality is that we were not going to get our money's worth in the Dwight Howard trade because we were forced into the trade. If you sell your stock and lose money on it, it's not a good deal, but if you reinvest what you sold it for in another stock that goes through the roof, you are redeemed. If Harkless and Vucevic make the All Star squad in 3 years (just an example), then we are redeemed. My point is that I don't think the trades were as bad as we thought, but we won't know how good they were for quite some time.

[DanA_TBDP]

I'm not sure this team at full strength couldn't beat last year's team at full strength.

We traded Dwight for a blossoming wing defender in Harkless with crazy potential, a double double machine only scratching the surface of his in Nik, cap space, and a giant trade exception. 5 months later, I'm happy with the return.

[ROCK LEGENDS PHOTOGRAPHERS]

DanA_TBDP, on 18 December 2012 - 03:31 PM, said:

I'm not sure this team at full strength couldn't beat last year's team at full strength.

IMO I think we'd have a shot. We just beat Dwight's new team with much better players that we had last year!

We traded Dwight for a blossoming wing defender in Harkless with crazy potential, a double double machine only scratching the surface of his in Nik, cap space, and a giant trade exception. 5 months later, I'm happy with the return.

Plus Harrington, AA, McBob (exp), picks, a big TPE, and we got rid of JRich, Clark, and Duhon as well. It also freed up space to sign Moore who I think will have a big future with us at the 2 if we can get a good backup PG.

I for one liked the trade we did better than one taking Broken foot Lopez or Bad Knees Bynum back... but I also thought we would go into tank mode.

Henny told us in the beginning that we'd like what he did with the team... and so far everybody seems positive about it!

[Marc Acres 3:16]

Just to clarify, I feel a lot better about this team because I can see a positive change in direction. I can see a plan. I don't have to hope that a collection of has beens is going to flip the switch and suddenly get better. Our team last year was painful to watch and after Otis's last round of trades/signings was going no where. I'll take sub 500 ball to get out of that mess.

[barnettej]

How do you feel about the team after the trade?

Im still pissed that the media strung us up on the flag pole and proudly waved us around as they trashed our team. Im still angry that the Media gushing over our franchises demise, while they raved about the Lakers ability to obtain Dwight Howard. To the point you would think that Jesus came back wearing a Lakers Jersey.

Im mad that I have to hear Dwight's tag lines these days, because I realized those same tag lines havent changed since our 2008 second round exit by the Detroit Pistons. In the wake of the 2009 finals, it was the same words. I was duped.

The whole offseason.... I was just mad.... i have way too many Laker friends I noticed and it was purely unintentional.

When the season busted through, I didnt know what to think or how to feel about this team. We still have some pieces from the old squad, how would they fit it with the new coach, new staff and new rookies who were collected from everywhere? The only thing I knew about this team, was a feeling that this isnt the team thats going to roll over. This isnt the team that is going to land you a #1 draft pick, if this was a legit drafting system instead of some "F-ing BS Balls".

I had this feeling because the guys who were left when the trade dust settled, are hard players and have been in alot of different situations that most teams would love to be in. We had players that been to championships and lost. We had a player who went to the championship and won. We had a player come to us from a supposedly rebuilding phase that never took place after Melo left Denver.

The season starts, two weeks deep. I relook at everything and every team, definitely the ones that were part of the trade. Because as a fan you really have to ask yourself, did Orlando really get screwed. Is the media correct.... because i cant be angry at them for being right...

I look at the Lakers and see that they are a complete mess. I look at Brooklyn who isnt doing too bad... I look at the 76ers and they still dont have Bynum and Jason is playing like Jason.... I look at the Nuggets and see that AI is still trying to figure things out. And then I look back at us and see that we didnt get shafted at all.

The media was wrong about how we handled it and what we got. And its due to the fact that none of those bozo's really waited to see how it was going to work before claiming which team has "God Status". But what do you expect from ESPN, who seems to be falling because their writers and analysts blow.

The night we have all been waiting for has arrived..... LAKERS VERSE MAGIC...... ESPN spins the best side stories of teams they like and front on a nightly basis. And I wasnt too sure that our team would handle that type of pressure, in LA.... against your Franchise players.... who rolled you under a bus.... who played with a cities emotions.. how would this young Magic team accomplish this task?

By wiping that smile off of Dwights face, by tormenting Dwight using his greatest weakness against him (which ironically was used against us several times). By embarrassing the LA franchise that was proclaimed to be "Championship Ready", but instead was beat convincingly by a team proclaimed to be "Rebuilding". 103 to 113... scoring 40pts in the 4th qtr against the "2" time defensive player of the year.... the guy who we use to wear the Magic blue. And there Dwight sat....alone to answer the tough questions.... no Kobe, No Pau, No other LA player beside him.... not like the Orlando players were there when Dwight needed them.

But it wasnt the highlight of the game to me. The highlight of the game is that you can actually see the Magic defense coming together, becoming more consistent.... being faster at weak side defense, defending the pick and roll, boxing out.... The hustle was just shining straight through the big lights of LA.

It was that hustle, that coming together that really put a smile on my face. I knew right then that we do have a quality team even with the younger guys playing some major minutes. I honestly believe that game really set the tone on how we are going to win the next ones. By playing defense, by playing for eachother, and not worrying about the outsiders.

Including the Lakers, the Magic have won 6 out of nine games.... Sweeping "2" teams from the West Coast, Warriors and Suns. In that 9 game stretch we have been able to hold down teams to around 41 - 42 % shooting... which puts us in the top 10 of FG defense. Something that is virtually unheard of when you add the "Rebuilding" tag line to our team. During that 9 game stretch, in the games we lost.... we had a chance to win... which again is not the case for a real rebuilding team.

Last night against Minnesota, our defense was awesome..... We clearly dont have the talent as the Wolves, but it didnt matter because you still need to play the game in order for you to say who is better. And we played.... hard.... through low points.... through high points... through frustration... through the joy. We made the adjustments after being down and executed our game plan without falling into the trap of playing into someone elses. We defended until the final buzzer.

I thought about that win, the joy that I was witnessing from a team that was labeled "DEAD". The Magic Zombies went out and had a wolf dinner. And have been eating teams consistently even when they are not suppose to.

How do I feel about the trade now.... Amazing. I feel that the younger guys are a huge help on exerting energy on the defensive end and not being rattled by vets. I feel the team is still getting closer to being what they want to be for this year. They are not looking at this as rebuilding, they are looking at this as trying to win a championship. There are no Diva's on this team and its for the better. The coaching staff have good players to chose from for different matchups and how to end quarters. Our young guys are showing some flashes of whats to come... Harkless being a ball Hawk.... Drew putting up 19pts.... Moore playing well.... 2nd yr Nik giving us double doubles..... Arron really trying to expand his game... and Davis being himself and playing to what is given to him (just started recently).

I am almost tempted to say that this team is better than the 2009 Magic team, but only stop myself because I still need to see this team reach that level of the 2009 one, and hopefully close the deal..... or atleast hit the free throws when they matter.... Glad Dwight isnt here anymore because of that hard fact. But I will say that this team, the 2012 Magic are better than all the other teams we had with Dwight, besides the 2009 Magic.

I look again at the landscape of the trade.... Lakers are losing it and the drama will start to unfold as Kobe plays the "Striker role" (aka Shooter... ) more. Brooklyn is without Lopez because his injured foot from last year is acting up, glad he was paid by them. Bynum is still MIA..... and his team is feeling it. Andre is starting to catch on in Denver which is really the only positive from the teams that were involved.

I smile..... because the Media was wrong... about the Magic side of the trade. The Magic didnt get shafted after all, they instead got better than any of the other previous teams that we had (minus 2009). The Magic have young talent, where everyone else is hitting their twilight years. The Magic have some additional pieces to move for a number of options. The Magic fixed their cap situation with a monster TPE from that deal. And the Magic dont have to worry about Dwight "Love Me Please" Howard.

2012 Magic Stat Defense Rankings:
#8 - Defense Overall
#7 - Opponents FG % (43%)
#2 - Opponents 3PFG % (33%)
#13 - Opponents Total Points (2,273pts)
#6 - Opponents Adjusted FG% (47%)
#6 - Defensive Rebounds

2012 Magic Stat Offense Rankings:
#18 - Offense Overall
#5 - Magic Assists (547)
#12 - Magic FG% (44%)
#26 - Magic 3PFG% (33%)
#18 - Magic Adjusted FG% (48%)
#18 - Magic Total Points (2,231)
#22 - Magic Offensive Rebounds (248)
#10 - Magic Rebounds Overall (1,041)


Looking at the above, they are some good rankings and bad ones. But none of those say that we are what "others" call us. To pull out one of the many used Otis lines:

"I Like This Team"



Thanks for hanging in there for this long post.
Erik Barnett

[magicblue]

What he said ^