2002-2003 Orlando Magic Team Report

Season In Review:

This was it. This was the year that Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill were finally going to show what a lethal combination they could be. McGrady would approach MVP status. Mike Miller was going to bomb away from the outside and Darrell Armstrong was going to fly all over the court because he didn't have to start and would have more energy. Shawn Kemp and Steven Hunter were going to provide an imposing front line. Doc Rivers was going to get coaching honors and the Magic was going to go far in the playoffs and challenge for the Eastern Title. Fat chance.

The team started out well, going 5-1 through the first 6 games. Then they played very average ball until the end of November, ending up 10-7. The first hint of injuries started to strike as McGrady, Hill and Miller all missed time with various ailments. However when healthy McGrady kept the team competitive, leading the NBA in scoring. December came and went with more mediocrity. The Magic finished 2002 at 18-15. McGrady, however, was anything but ordinary. He was quickly becoming one of the marquee players in the NBA, rivaling Kobe Bryant as one of the most exciting players to watch. Then the inevitable came. December 27th, Grant Hill was lost for the 3rd straight season with a broken ankle. Mike Miller, time to step up.

McGrady continued his onslaught on the rest of the league while his teammates continued to play uneven. The staggered through January playing under .500 ball. Finishing, with a 24-24 record, the Magic needed a change. At the trading deadline, the Magic pulled off a blockbuster. Exchanging Mike Miller, who wasn't going to become the compliment to McGrady that was needed, and Ryan Humphrey for Vancouver Grizzlies' rookie power forward Drew Gooden and European sensation Gordan Giricek. Gooden was to provide solid post play and Giricek would provide added athleticism on the wing. This was a major upgrade in my opinion. Would that be enough?

Unfortunately February brought more of the same. At 29-30, the Magic needed to play like their back were against the wall. They stormed through March finishing the month 39-35. McGrady, if it was possible, picked up his play in other areas, recording a triple double at the end of the month and battling Gooden for leading rebounding honors for the team. Gooden was fitting in well, providing excellent board play and solid scoring inside. Giricek quickly became a fan favorite, displaying gritty all around play and sound defense. On to April.

The team needed a very strong to finish, as it was in a dogfight for the final playoff spot in the East. It didn't come. The team underachieved when it needed to play its strongest. Luckily the other teams played as bad as the Magic did. The team finished the season at 42-40, was seeded 8th, and was set to play the Central Division champs, the Detroit Pistons. Could McGrady run rampant through one of the league's best defenses the way he did against everyone else? More importantly, could the supporting cast step up in crunch time?

The 1st few games of the series started out well. The team won the 1st game 99-94 on the strength of McGrady's 43 points and Gooden's 14 rebounds. The Magic dropped the 2nd game and realized in was in for a dogfight. In fact Gooden and Ben Wallace had to be continuously separated after several heated exchanges. The team took the next 2 games putting Detroit on the brink of elimination. Time to pack the bags and get ready for the nest series? Not so fast. The Magic choked and dropped 3 games in a row, getting knocked out of the playoffs and heading home for an earlier than expected vacation. What was next for this franchise?

It was obvious, that McGrady was often alone in the scoring department. As much as getting Gooden's low post presence, they missed Mike Miller's outside shooting. Armstrong played his usual hyper game, but wore down as per usual. Jacque Vaughn filled in ok, but it was painfully apparent that he has no perimeter shot to respect. Shawn Kemp was a huge disappearing act, showing up for solid production 1 night then barely scratching the box score the next. Giricek played solid after coming over and getting comfortable in his role. Pat Garrity was solid from the outside, unfortunately that's about the extent of his game. Steven Hunter is beginning to look like a wasted pick. Pat Burke was a pleasant surprise at center, displaying a deft shooting touch, but was easily manhandled in the paint. Chris Whitney, a mid-season waiver wire pickup played very solid in limited minutes, showing a nice outside touch. Andrew DeClercq played his usual all out hustle play, rivaling only Armstrong for floor burns. Jeryl Sasser got mixed reviews. He doesn't seem like point guard material but isn't assertive enough to score consistently at the 2. Olumide Oyedeji was a raw jumping jack on the boards, but has a long way to go on offense. He needs playing time but can he get enough.

Player Analysis

Olumide Oyedeji ....... F-C 6-10 255

Green as grass. Can rebound and block shots but can't score other than put backs.

Tracy McGrady ......... G 6-8 210

One of the top 3-5 players in the game. Can score from anywhere. Huge mismatch because of height. Can pass, rebound, play defense. A very complete player.

Jeryl Sasser .......... G 6-6 200

Was supposed to be a point guard, but isn't. Is a combo guard who can't shoot. Time will tell how good he will be. Don't expect much more than an 8th player off the bench type.

Gordan Giricek ........ F-G 6-6 210

Excellent mid-season addition. Can score and plays hard-nosed defense. Good but not great shooter. Fan favorite.

Pat Garrity ........... F 6-9 238

Great shooter but not much else. Excels at getting under other players skin. Good role player.

Drew Gooden ........... F 6-10 227

Huge pick up in February. Provides much needed threat down low. Rebounds really well. Should be a 17 and 11 guy for years to come.

Darrell Armstrong ..... G 6-1 180

Lightning in a bottle. Almost pure caffeine. Runs the team ok but is better off the ball. Very good defender. Needs to have minutes cut to be as effective as possible. Free agent who wants to come back.

Jacque Vaughn ......... G 6-1 190

Solid defender and point man. Couldn't hit the broad side of the barn with his jump shot. Role Player but miscast as a starter.

Chris Whitney ......... G 6-0 175

Good shooter. Is a free agent and might be back. Could actually start if a true PG is not added in the off-season.

Pat Burke ............. C 6-11 250

Pleasant surprise in the middle. Was expected to be nothing more than a training camp body but shown nice touch and solid fundamentals. Was starting at the start of the season.

Grant Hill ............ F 6-8 225

Will he ever play again? Magic had already applied for the Disabled Player cap exception for upcoming 2003-04 year for Hill. Counting on him to not play. Doctor's say he'll be fine. Didn't they say that the last 3 years?

Steven Hunter ......... C 7-0 220

Skinny shot blocker. Limited offensive game. Pulled off a huge coup when his workouts skyrocketed him into the lottery. Fringe starter.

Shawn Kemp ............ F-C 6-10 280

Out of shape, can't jump, can't play defense, picks up too many fouls. Can still shoot and get the occasional double figure rebound game. His days are numbered. Probably won't be back after "1-year tryout".

Andrew DeClercq ....... F-C 6-10 255

Excellent role player and fan favorite. Hustles all the time but shouldn't be starting. Good defensively and decent on the boards. VERY limited game on the offensive end though. Free agent who should be back.

Head coach: Doc Rivers (Marquette'84)

Very good coach and motivator. Haven't always had the best tools to work with though. Should be in Orlando for years to come.

Salary Situation:

Player 2002-03 salary Total contract Signed through Underline Player Denotes Free Agent:

• Grant Hill $12,072,500 7-yr: 92.88M 2004-05 (p)
• Tracy McGrady $12,072,500 7-yr: 92.88M 2004-05 (p)
• Darrell Armstrong $4,010,000 5-yr: 18.0M 2002-03
• Andrew DeClercq $3,262,500 3-yr: 9.79M 2002-03 (t)
• Drew Gooden $2,794,920 4-yr: 13.08M 2004-05 (t)
• Pat Garrity $2,350,000 6-yr: 15.0M 2006-07 (t)
• Gordan Giricek $1,400,000 2-yr: 2.94M 2003-04
• Steven Hunter $1,338,240 4-yr; 6.21M 2003-04 (t)
• Shawn Kemp $1,030,000 1-yr; 1.03M 2002-03
• Chris Whitney $1,000,000 1-yr; 1.00M 2002-03
• Jeryl Sasser $969,480 4-yr: 4.61M 2003-04 (t)
• Jacque Vaughn $699,935 1-yr; 699,935 2002-03
• Olumide Oyedeji $587,435 1-yr; 587,435 2002-03
• Pat Burke $349,458 1-yr; 349,458 2002-03
• **Others $7,961,538
• Total $51,898,506

OFF SEASON OUTLOOK:

With the 15th pick, the Magic will likely look for a PG. The draft has many options at that position and the team will probably go with the best one left at their position. Trading Mike Miller for Drew Gooden and Gordon Giricek was a wonderful trade for this organization. Gooden is a very talented and promising young player. Center is another area of need, but the team's biggest area of concern is point guard, and there will be more value at that position when they select. Some potential PG's for the team to look at are Kirk Hinrich, Luke Ridnour, Reece Gaines, Marcus Banks, Leandrinho Barbosa and Mo Williams. With Tracy McGrady on board, this team's future is very exciting. Drew Gooden is another great building block. The team must continue to add talent to that nucleus.

Draft Needs:

Point Guard

• Possibilities: Kirk Hinrich, Reece Gaines, Luke Ridnour, Marcus Banks, Leandrinho Barbosa.

Center

• Possibilities: Sofoklis Schortsanitis, Zaur Pachulia, Chris Kaman

Selection:

Reece Gaines-PG-Louisville (6-6/195)

Strengths: Very smooth combo guard. Played point his first two seasons, and can legitimately play the point guard position. Excellent ball handling ability and composure. A smart player with great maturity. Passes well, and has a solid overall game. Has a quick first step and takes players to the basket well or can find an open man off the drive. Strong character guy, not arrogant. Really passes well of the drive.

Weaknesses: He doesn't do anything amazingly well, very solid, but he isn't fantastic at anything, Must continue to develop his game. Needs to become a little more selfish and take over offensively. A little better in the half court set, than on the break. He can definitely improve on is finishing with authority.

Analysis:

Gaines should help immediately. He can start right away while Armstrong comes off the bench. It'll take him a bit to get used to playing along side McGrady but he'll adjust. He won't have to handle the ball all the time because McGrady does that too. Excellent pick for the Magic.