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Denton's Q&A with Magic GM Rob Hennigan

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.

By John DentonSept. 26, 2014

ORLANDO -- Formerly a standout college basketball player and a success at his two previous NBA stops, Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan has quite the competitive streak and a desire to win.

Hennigan has had to somewhat stifle his thirst for success the past two seasons as he and the Magic completely flipped the roster in an attempt to build for brighter days ahead. Even as the losses piled up the past two seasons, Hennigan was able to remain patient and strategic for two primary reasons: He believes in the plan in place and he believes that the players and coaches in place will help the franchise savor sustainable success someday soon.

While the Magic still have one of the NBA’s youngest rosters with 11 players 25 years old or younger, Hennigan said that the team is ready to make some strides this season. Not all of the growth will be measured in wins and losses, but Hennigan is convinced that the Magic are ready to play many more meaningful games this season. That belief is based on knowing that the franchise remained loyal to its strategic plan of adding the right people and allowing them to blossom over time.

``We’ve stated from the beginning that it’s imperative to allow our growth to develop naturally or organically. We’re not skipping any steps. At the same time we need to start showing some growth and progress and we fully understand that,’’ Hennigan said. ``For us, it’s been about remaining disciplined and patient and we’ll continue to be that way. We’ll measure growth in various ways this season. We’ll use a blend of subjective and objective metrics throughout the season to help us gauge our progress to make sure that our plan is moving in the right direction.’’

Hennigan talked with OrlandoMagic.com recently about the direction of the team, how he and head coach Jacque Vaughn have weathered two difficult seasons and what he’s personally learned about the Magic fan base. Hennigan is as humble as they come when as it relates to NBA executives, but still he is confident that the Magic are ready to show improvement this season because of the steps they have taken to foster growth.

``I think the best type of growth stems from good habits. So we’ll continue to drill those good habits this season,’’ he said. ``We’re entering a new phase in our plan which will hopefully begin to establish a new on-court identity for us. We’re all really excited about the season, we believe in our players and we believe in the plan that we have.’’

The Magic will hold Media Day on Monday and open training camp on Tuesday at the Amway Center. Orlando begins the preseason schedule on Oct. 7 in Miami and the first home preseason game is Oct. 15 against Brazilian powerhouse, Flamengo. The regular-season opener is Oct. 28 at New Orleans, while the home opener will be two nights later (Oct. 30) against the Washington Wizards.

Here is the question-and-answer session between OrlandoMagic.com’s John Denton and Hennigan to preview the upcoming season: