Hits and Misses
The Magic put the basketballs away a little early this season, which only means they have a little more time to assess what went right and what went wrong in a season that had plenty of both.
Even if the Magic had made the playoffs, there were too many injuries, too much uncertainty for the postseason to add much luster to the year. Better to spend that time reviewing, reflecting, then revising so that another big leap forward is possible in the 2005-2006 season.
Everyone has his or her own list of ups and downs. We boiled it down to a Top Three list of hits and misses that can be fixed.
Here are the hits, what went right this season:
No. 1: This is always subject to debate, but in the grand scheme of things, the best thing to come out of the 2004-2005 season was that the organization regained the trust of its fans. That wasn't the case a year ago when some players put their individual interests well ahead of the team and weren't even shy about admitting it. That put a bitter taste in a lot of people's mouths, but this year's group of players washed it away. There was passion in their play opening night and it was still there the final week of the season, even as the playoff berth slipped away. Steve Francis got bumped, tripped, kicked, scratched and knocked over as much as any player the Magic have had, but he never asked out of the lineup. Grant Hill bounced up from 100 spills, 99 of which looked like they might end his career right there on the spot. He played 35 minutes a game and was willing to take it right to the end, if the Magic had been in a better position in the standings. They cared and so did the rest of the team. If you're buying a ticket, obviously you want to see a victory, but win or lose, you need to walk away feeling like it mattered to the players. It mattered to these guys.
No. 2: Dwight Howard's month-by-month improvement. You expect young players to get better one year to the next, but seldom do you see them development month-by-month -- sometimes even game-by-game -- like Howard did this season. No player in Magic history ever made bigger strides from opening night to closing night. He had more than twice as many double-doubles as any other Magic player. He rebounded well all season, but his scoring average jumped from 9.3 points during the month of November to 17 points during the month of April. He shot 52 percent from the field in November and 59 percent in April. He shot 54 percent from the free-throw line in November and 60 percent in April. Go up and down his stat sheet and you won't find a category that he wasn't better -- a lot better -- in April than he was in November. He won't win the Rookie of the Year Award for that, but if they threw all the rookies back in the draft pool and let any team select No. 1, you better believe 30 out of 30 general managers would take Howard.
No. 3: Grant Hill returned. Yes, he sat out the final two weeks, but for all intents and purposes Hill made good on his promise that the ankle finally healed and he would be a positive contributor for the first time in Orlando. No, he wasn't the same Grant Hill as before, but 19.7 points, 4.7 boards and 50.6 percent shooting from the field are more than good enough numbers at his position. And he put up those numbers while trying to get his timing back after a four-year layoff! If you don't think that's an issue, remember the last time you left a sport for four years and tried to return. As good as the numbers were, Hill was even better behind the scenes. He offered a clear and positive example of what it means to be a pro. Even those who flaunt their individualism, had to respect his dedication to the team and winning.
Now for the other side of the ball. Here are three things that need to be done for the Magic to keep the momentum going in a positive direction next season:
No. 1: Select a knowledgeable, secure and strong-willed coach. There will be an endless stream of names tossed around that supposedly fit this profile, but in reality, the list is pretty short. There are only a handful of coaches whose knowledge of the game goes unquestioned, who have their team prepared regardless of the strength of the opponent and who teach the fundamentals with disciplined execution. There were some constants in the Magic losing streaks this season, the most obvious being unprepared against sub-.500 teams. Orlando lost four times to Charlotte and Atlanta. Would four wins in those games have made things a little different the last week of the season? Too often this year's Magic committed turnovers in bunches. That's coaching. Too many times this season, the Magic's half-court offense was sloppy in setting screens, recognizing changing defenses or simply executing plays as they were designed. That's coaching. Too often, there was little commitment at the defensive end. The Magic regularly gave up uncontested layups. That's coaching. There are certain mistakes that can't be avoided. There are many that can't be tolerated. A knowledgeable, secure, strong-willed coach won't tolerate the lack of attention to detail that hurt the Magic many times this season.
No. 2: Draft a starter. This is not as critical as getting the right head coach, but it is certainly the second-biggest priority. Adding a starter in the draft doesn't just help you build for the future, it helps create depth right away. Everyone slides down a seat on the bench, meaning competition for playing time gets a little stronger and everyone wins when that happens. Look at the impact last year's picks, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, had on the team. Howard started every game and arguably was the team's best player the final weeks of the season. Nelson proved himself capable when given a starting role and there is no question the ball moved better when he was in the game. He is capable of handling either role next season. Throw another capable rookie in the mix next season and suddenly there is more energy to this team.
No. 3: Everyone have patience. Rebuilding is a process. There has to be allowances made for a break-in period when you change coaches and personnel. It's not fair to the process to react to every losing streak with another change. The rebuilding of the Magic is a work in progress. A lot of progress was made in the 2004-2005 season. With fewer injuries and more discipline, the Magic easily could have won another 10 games. Both of those issues can be addressed in the off-season. Throw in another great draft and the ingredients are there to shoot for a 50-win season in 2005-2006. That's championship-level basketball. That's everyone's aim. Players, management and fans want the feeling there is a chance to play for a championship. Check out the happenings this off-season. It might be closer than you think.
Bill Fay is an Orlando freelance writer who has covered the Magic from the beginning. This story originally appeared in the May issue of Magic Magazine.
Even if the Magic had made the playoffs, there were too many injuries, too much uncertainty for the postseason to add much luster to the year. Better to spend that time reviewing, reflecting, then revising so that another big leap forward is possible in the 2005-2006 season.
Everyone has his or her own list of ups and downs. We boiled it down to a Top Three list of hits and misses that can be fixed.
Here are the hits, what went right this season:
No. 1: This is always subject to debate, but in the grand scheme of things, the best thing to come out of the 2004-2005 season was that the organization regained the trust of its fans. That wasn't the case a year ago when some players put their individual interests well ahead of the team and weren't even shy about admitting it. That put a bitter taste in a lot of people's mouths, but this year's group of players washed it away. There was passion in their play opening night and it was still there the final week of the season, even as the playoff berth slipped away. Steve Francis got bumped, tripped, kicked, scratched and knocked over as much as any player the Magic have had, but he never asked out of the lineup. Grant Hill bounced up from 100 spills, 99 of which looked like they might end his career right there on the spot. He played 35 minutes a game and was willing to take it right to the end, if the Magic had been in a better position in the standings. They cared and so did the rest of the team. If you're buying a ticket, obviously you want to see a victory, but win or lose, you need to walk away feeling like it mattered to the players. It mattered to these guys.
No. 2: Dwight Howard's month-by-month improvement. You expect young players to get better one year to the next, but seldom do you see them development month-by-month -- sometimes even game-by-game -- like Howard did this season. No player in Magic history ever made bigger strides from opening night to closing night. He had more than twice as many double-doubles as any other Magic player. He rebounded well all season, but his scoring average jumped from 9.3 points during the month of November to 17 points during the month of April. He shot 52 percent from the field in November and 59 percent in April. He shot 54 percent from the free-throw line in November and 60 percent in April. Go up and down his stat sheet and you won't find a category that he wasn't better -- a lot better -- in April than he was in November. He won't win the Rookie of the Year Award for that, but if they threw all the rookies back in the draft pool and let any team select No. 1, you better believe 30 out of 30 general managers would take Howard.
No. 3: Grant Hill returned. Yes, he sat out the final two weeks, but for all intents and purposes Hill made good on his promise that the ankle finally healed and he would be a positive contributor for the first time in Orlando. No, he wasn't the same Grant Hill as before, but 19.7 points, 4.7 boards and 50.6 percent shooting from the field are more than good enough numbers at his position. And he put up those numbers while trying to get his timing back after a four-year layoff! If you don't think that's an issue, remember the last time you left a sport for four years and tried to return. As good as the numbers were, Hill was even better behind the scenes. He offered a clear and positive example of what it means to be a pro. Even those who flaunt their individualism, had to respect his dedication to the team and winning.
Now for the other side of the ball. Here are three things that need to be done for the Magic to keep the momentum going in a positive direction next season:
No. 1: Select a knowledgeable, secure and strong-willed coach. There will be an endless stream of names tossed around that supposedly fit this profile, but in reality, the list is pretty short. There are only a handful of coaches whose knowledge of the game goes unquestioned, who have their team prepared regardless of the strength of the opponent and who teach the fundamentals with disciplined execution. There were some constants in the Magic losing streaks this season, the most obvious being unprepared against sub-.500 teams. Orlando lost four times to Charlotte and Atlanta. Would four wins in those games have made things a little different the last week of the season? Too often this year's Magic committed turnovers in bunches. That's coaching. Too many times this season, the Magic's half-court offense was sloppy in setting screens, recognizing changing defenses or simply executing plays as they were designed. That's coaching. Too often, there was little commitment at the defensive end. The Magic regularly gave up uncontested layups. That's coaching. There are certain mistakes that can't be avoided. There are many that can't be tolerated. A knowledgeable, secure, strong-willed coach won't tolerate the lack of attention to detail that hurt the Magic many times this season.
No. 2: Draft a starter. This is not as critical as getting the right head coach, but it is certainly the second-biggest priority. Adding a starter in the draft doesn't just help you build for the future, it helps create depth right away. Everyone slides down a seat on the bench, meaning competition for playing time gets a little stronger and everyone wins when that happens. Look at the impact last year's picks, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, had on the team. Howard started every game and arguably was the team's best player the final weeks of the season. Nelson proved himself capable when given a starting role and there is no question the ball moved better when he was in the game. He is capable of handling either role next season. Throw another capable rookie in the mix next season and suddenly there is more energy to this team.
No. 3: Everyone have patience. Rebuilding is a process. There has to be allowances made for a break-in period when you change coaches and personnel. It's not fair to the process to react to every losing streak with another change. The rebuilding of the Magic is a work in progress. A lot of progress was made in the 2004-2005 season. With fewer injuries and more discipline, the Magic easily could have won another 10 games. Both of those issues can be addressed in the off-season. Throw in another great draft and the ingredients are there to shoot for a 50-win season in 2005-2006. That's championship-level basketball. That's everyone's aim. Players, management and fans want the feeling there is a chance to play for a championship. Check out the happenings this off-season. It might be closer than you think.
Bill Fay is an Orlando freelance writer who has covered the Magic from the beginning. This story originally appeared in the May issue of Magic Magazine.
