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ZSmit88 · 09-09-2022, 04:48 PM

By Zach Smith
NBA Writer | Magic Insider

What Exactly is Orlando Doing with It’s Roster?

Hey Shawn Kemp, we're just as confused as you!

No, but really... this year's rendition of the Orlando Magic presents a lot of confusion (err, questions?) and plenty of head scratching moments when scanning the makeup of this roster.

I’m expecting at least a few moves to be made before we reach the deadline.

We have an MVP candidate in T-Mac, a former potential MVP candidate trying to prove to the world that he still has it while also trying to overcome the injury bug that has plagued him throughout his career in Grant Hill, a young, promising scorer in Mike Miller (all of whom play the same position more or less), and about seven washed up bigs.

It’s going to have to take about 20 or so games of McGrady scoring 40, another 15 of Grant Hill showing flashes of his former self, and at least 10 games where Orlando’s shooters catch absolute FIRE from three if they want to see even a glimmer of playoff basketball.

Let’s break it down:

#1 Tracy McGrady - Starter
T-Mac is entering his age-23 season. It will be his third in Orlando. He finished last season with over 25 points, grabbed a smidge (and I mean a smidge) under eight boards, and around five dimes per game. Good enough to earn a fourth-place finish in the MVP voting and made the All-NBA Team. This guy is a superstar and the Magic can count on another similar season. Perhaps even better?

#33 Grant Hill - Starter
Grant was an All-Star from the moment he entered the league. At his best, he averaged 25 a game(!). But, since arriving to the magical city of Orlando, it’s been rocky at best due to constant injury woes. He’s still good. Like, really good. He’s almost T-Mac lite. Good scorer, rebounder, passer, really high IQ, and just a good guy to play with. But, injuries… we’ll see how it goes.

#50 Mike Miller - Key Role Player
Enter possible Sixth Man of the Year winner. Mike Miller is a legit scorer. This will be just his third season, but he’s already shown the capability to put the ball in the basket pretty effortlessly. He’s got a nice stroke from deep and can also put the ball on the floor. Miller will see plenty of time on the court, but there’s a ton of talent at the wing, so he could play his way into forcing a trade on himself or someone else on the team eventually…

#8 Pat Garrity - Spot Starter/Key Role Player
Queue up the classic white guy from Notre Dame who shoots threes! And, hey, that’s not a bad thing. Typically Garrity would line up at power forward, but he may end up sliding in at small forward a lot, too. He’s 6-foot-9, but might get tossed around in the paint by stronger bigs. Although he’s not as athletic as most wings and may be a liable defender against small forwards. He should be good for 10 points per game, though.

#10 Darrell Armstrong - Starter
Armstrong is a grinder in every sense of the word. He worked his way into the NBA through playing pro ball in other parts of the world first. Now, he enters his age-34 season as a tough-nosed defender, smart ball handler, and good leader of the young men surrounding him. Having said that… definitely upgradeable.

#11 Jacque Vaughn - Bench Player
Vaughn comes over from Atlanta with a reputation for knocking down the three. He shot over 44% from deep last season. He passes the rock and he knows his role as a setup guy. He’s a good backup guard. Not only that, he’s smart. I could even see him being a coach in the league one day (wink).

#55 Andrew DeClercq, #40 Shawn Kemp, #54 Horace Grant - Starters? Maybe? Sometimes?
These guys are big and/or on the verge of being washed up. BUT, they can still contribute on the boards, tip in a few putbacks, and who knows, maybe even knock down the mid-range jumper on occasion. Pretty interchangeable, but it’s what the Magic have at center (for now).

#34 Steven Hunter, #31 Pat Burke - More Centers? Jesus
See above. Only younger.

#2 Rolando Cunningham, #3 Ralph Westbrook, #25 Larry Chapman - Wait, are these guys fictional?
Yes they are. Cunningham may have to play some minutes because our depth is low at guard. Westbrook and Chapman (yep, you guessed it) are bigs. Bench!

I predict a final record of 38-44, good for ninth in the East.

09-09-2022, 04:48 PM	#7
ZSmit88 Rookie OVR: 0 Join Date: Dec 2011	Blog Entry: What Exactly is Orlando Doing with It’s Roster? By Zach Smith NBA Writer \| Magic Insider What Exactly is Orlando Doing with It’s Roster? Hey Shawn Kemp, we're just as confused as you! No, but really... this year's rendition of the Orlando Magic presents a lot of confusion (err, questions?) and plenty of head scratching moments when scanning the makeup of this roster. I’m expecting at least a few moves to be made before we reach the deadline. We have an MVP candidate in T-Mac, a former potential MVP candidate trying to prove to the world that he still has it while also trying to overcome the injury bug that has plagued him throughout his career in Grant Hill, a young, promising scorer in Mike Miller (all of whom play the same position more or less), and about seven washed up bigs. It’s going to have to take about 20 or so games of McGrady scoring 40, another 15 of Grant Hill showing flashes of his former self, and at least 10 games where Orlando’s shooters catch absolute FIRE from three if they want to see even a glimmer of playoff basketball. Let’s break it down: #1 Tracy McGrady - Starter T-Mac is entering his age-23 season. It will be his third in Orlando. He finished last season with over 25 points, grabbed a smidge (and I mean a smidge) under eight boards, and around five dimes per game. Good enough to earn a fourth-place finish in the MVP voting and made the All-NBA Team. This guy is a superstar and the Magic can count on another similar season. Perhaps even better? #33 Grant Hill - Starter Grant was an All-Star from the moment he entered the league. At his best, he averaged 25 a game(!). But, since arriving to the magical city of Orlando, it’s been rocky at best due to constant injury woes. He’s still good. Like, really good. He’s almost T-Mac lite. Good scorer, rebounder, passer, really high IQ, and just a good guy to play with. But, injuries… we’ll see how it goes. #50 Mike Miller - Key Role Player Enter possible Sixth Man of the Year winner. Mike Miller is a legit scorer. This will be just his third season, but he’s already shown the capability to put the ball in the basket pretty effortlessly. He’s got a nice stroke from deep and can also put the ball on the floor. Miller will see plenty of time on the court, but there’s a ton of talent at the wing, so he could play his way into forcing a trade on himself or someone else on the team eventually… #8 Pat Garrity - Spot Starter/Key Role Player Queue up the classic white guy from Notre Dame who shoots threes! And, hey, that’s not a bad thing. Typically Garrity would line up at power forward, but he may end up sliding in at small forward a lot, too. He’s 6-foot-9, but might get tossed around in the paint by stronger bigs. Although he’s not as athletic as most wings and may be a liable defender against small forwards. He should be good for 10 points per game, though. #10 Darrell Armstrong - Starter Armstrong is a grinder in every sense of the word. He worked his way into the NBA through playing pro ball in other parts of the world first. Now, he enters his age-34 season as a tough-nosed defender, smart ball handler, and good leader of the young men surrounding him. Having said that… definitely upgradeable. #11 Jacque Vaughn - Bench Player Vaughn comes over from Atlanta with a reputation for knocking down the three. He shot over 44% from deep last season. He passes the rock and he knows his role as a setup guy. He’s a good backup guard. Not only that, he’s smart. I could even see him being a coach in the league one day (wink). #55 Andrew DeClercq, #40 Shawn Kemp, #54 Horace Grant - Starters? Maybe? Sometimes? These guys are big and/or on the verge of being washed up. BUT, they can still contribute on the boards, tip in a few putbacks, and who knows, maybe even knock down the mid-range jumper on occasion. Pretty interchangeable, but it’s what the Magic have at center (for now). #34 Steven Hunter, #31 Pat Burke - More Centers? Jesus See above. Only younger. #2 Rolando Cunningham, #3 Ralph Westbrook, #25 Larry Chapman - Wait, are these guys fictional? Yes they are. Cunningham may have to play some minutes because our depth is low at guard. Westbrook and Chapman (yep, you guessed it) are bigs. Bench! I predict a final record of 38-44, good for ninth in the East.