Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith’s Post-Draft Comments

On drafting Courtney Lee…

“He was a guy we targeted in that area. I had doubts whether he’d get there because I thought he was a guy that was NBA-ready to play. He’s a very good guard in a position where we have some holes to fill.”

On Lee’s ability to contribute immediately factoring into the pick…

“It plays a lot into it. I think he’s, he can shoot the ball, and that fits into the way we play basketball. Probably what he does differently than what we have, is he’s a very good in between shooter, he can get to a mid-range game and shoot that as well. Probably the other thing that he does, he handles the ball OK, he can do what he has to there. So, we have a bunch of guards that are free agents, he makes more sense for us.”

On drafting Chris-Douglas Roberts if Courtney Lee was not available…

“I’m not sure. There still is another group of guys there that we liked, probably before that, before we get to that, we were still exploring other opportunities what to do with the pick had he not been there, but he was one of the guys we looked at all along.”

On moving up or down during the draft…

“There was a little bit of thought moving back a few picks and still getting the guy we had clumped in that same area and possibly picking up some seconds.”

On the current guard situation factoring into the pick…

“Well I still think you have to take the best available player. The players we had lumped in there, he was the best player there for us. It so happened that we had, we also have free agents that are coming available to, on the first (of July), it kind of played out the right way.”

On how the board shaped up…

“Well, I mean, it was all over the place on our board. On our board there were a few guys that came off that we had rated a little bit lower than other people had obviously and there were a few guys that came off as we had them rated. So there was still some guys there, the guys that were left, I don’t think there was very much left before us, I don’t think there was anything left on our board before Courtney. So right where we had him rated, I thought that was a good pick for us.”

On worrying about Lee being available…

“Until you get a guy, you don’t have a guy. So we kind of sweated that the whole way through, still taking calls to move the pick, to move back in the draft. He’s a guy that we like, that we will fit with what we do and how we play, that can defend the position, so we picked a guy that I think can come in and play.”

On a characteristic of Lee that stands out…

“He’s a heck of an athlete. He can shoot the ball both long range and mid range, he moves his feet fairly well, can defend the two position which he’ll have to do. On top of being a four-year guy, on top of being a very high-character guy, which you know ranks right up there with us, what kind of guy he is coming in the locker room.”

On definitely going into the season with Keith Bogans, J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee…

“No, it doesn’t necessarily mean that. It doesn’t necessarily mean that at all. It means that we’re still adding pieces and figuring out ways to get our team better. With free agency starting in less than a week, I can’t say that we are going to go right into the season the way we have it right now.”

On going into free agency looking for another shooting guard…

“Could possibly, could possibly.”

On what adding another shooting guard means for J.J. Redick…

“I don’t really think it does anything to him in my mind. It also keeps, on most teams you have two or three guards that come in and compete for a position, I think he’ll be in the same situation where he comes in and competes for an opportunity to play, so I don’t think it does anything.”

On moving down, if being afraid of Lee not being available…

“If Lee was gone by the time we got our opportunity to pick, was the only scenario for me that we would have moved back and took one of the other guys that were higher on our board.”

On anyone else he was looking at…

“There was a group of guys that were on the board that had come off the board prior to him [Courtney Lee], that we liked. I didn’t think they’d get to us, and they didn’t get to us. And when he was there we kind of held out for him with an opportunity to pick at 22.”

On Lee being a four-year guy factoring into making him NBA-ready…

“I’m not sure that goes in to making him NBA-ready. I think it goes into him being a little bit more mature, I think he can handle everything that the NBA has to offer both on and off the floor. Adjusting to a new coaching style, a different type of coach, that we have in Stan [Van Gundy] being coached, learning how to sit a little bit, because that’s a position also that we have three guys at that position, he can very well find some time where he’s sitting on the bench as well. So being able to handle all that is key for a young guy.”

On getting a second rounder…

“We are still looking into the possibility of it, yes.”

On whether or not he told Lee that if he was available the Magic would draft him…

“No, that’s not my style. I think a kid should sweat it out, just like I did being picked 41 years ago.”

Orlando Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy’s Post-Draft Comments

On Courtney Lee…

“I think a couple of things, I think that number one, he’s a very athletic guy, I think that’s the first thing you notice when you watch him, it sort of stands out. He can really shoot the ball, which obviously we like and I like a great deal. But the thing I really liked when I watched him on film, and I certainly didn’t watch as much as Dave [Twardzik] and Otis [ Smith] and our scouts but I knew he was a possibility and I watched a lot of film, and the thing I liked, he plays the game very much under control, he’s obviously a very smart player that knows how to play and he plays well with other good players. If a second defender comes to him, he’ll move the ball and make the pass, he’s not a guy that forces any plays so I love that about him. I also think he’s got a chance, you never know until you have a guy on the floor, but I think he’s got a chance to be really good defensively. I mean, he’s got good lateral quickness, he’s strong, he’s athletic, he should be a guy that defends well. So, I think he can do a lot of things.”

On being afraid that Lee wouldn’t be available…

“I’ve got to be honest, I don’t know the draft well enough to have any knowledge of that kind of stuff one way or another. I knew going in that was the guy they were hoping that they would get. I knew who sort of the next couple of guys were on the list. So, I knew when it got down there that was who we were going to take. I didn’t know enough to have any fear of him not being there.”

On Lee being able to contribute immediately…

“Even some of those guys who were freshman will contribute right away. I think they’re probably counting on [Derrick] Rose and [Michael] Beasley and [O.J.] Mayo and those guys too. Even by first impression, talking to him, you will see a very high maturity level. I like the fact that he got better every year in college because I think what that says is that he’s a guy that clearly just by what you see on the court has worked hard. I think that he seems like a very level- headed guy that will come in and do whatever it takes. His maturity level is high.”

On the situation at shooting guard…

“I think that so many things can happen, hopefully what you’re trying to do is you just want to improve your roster as much as you can and get the best players that you can get. Then it all sort of works out from there, even if you end up with a glut at one position, it opens up trade possibilities and things like that, so I don’t think picking him tonight will necessarily influence where we go in free agency, but we’ll see.”

Orlando Magic Draft Pick Courtney Lee’s Post-Draft Comments

Opening statement…

“I’m definitely thrilled to be a part of the Orlando Magic’s organization. I can’t wait to get there tomorrow and start off with the press conference and get there on a regular basis and just get to work. I’m excited about joining the team and definitely just trying to help the team get back to the playoffs and win more games.”

On him knowing the Magic’s interest level…

“When I got off the phone with Coach Van Gundy, it was still up in the air. I mean, I felt that I did a good job at the workout when I came there, it was just still up in the air. I was getting a lot of positive feedback from my agent, but on draft night anything can happen so I was just keeping my fingers crossed and praying.”

On whether he considers himself more of a shooting guard or point guard…

“I’m definitely a two guard, but I’m also comfortable playing a little bit of the one if it’s needed.”

On whether or not he played point guard in college…

“I actually did. My sophomore year then leading into my junior year I played a lot of point guard actually.”

On his progression throughout college…

“Just being self motivated and just being dedicated to getting in the gym and just sacrificing a lot of my free time to get better. Definitely, I feel the key is just self motivation and just getting in the gym and pushing myself to the limit and just always being the guy that’s there early and leaving late to just continue to work on my game.”