By John Denton
Jan. 24, 2017
ORLANDO – At times, NBA general managers are in almost helpless situations during the season regarding the fate of their teams. Sure, they construct the roster in the offseason and occasionally execute trades, but for the most part they must sit back and watch how it all plays out much like fans do.
Orlando GM Rob Hennigan has looked on all season as the Magic have been consistently inconsistent, teasing with some promising highs and baffling with some head-scratching lows. Like the fans, Hennigan is highly frustrated with the lack of progress from a team he gave a major facelift to in the offseason.
Hennigan hired Head Coach Frank Vogel and acquired nine mostly veteran players in the offseason, feeling their history of experience, toughness and defense would help the Magic turn the corner on rebuilding and be a playoff contender.
That has yet to materialize as the Magic went into Tuesday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls with a disappointing 18-28 record. If the postseason began today, Orlando would be on the outside of the playoffs looking in for a fifth straight season – something Hennigan finds totally unacceptable.
When OrlandoMagic.com sat down with the Magic GM on Tuesday he stressed that he is frustrated by the team’s inconsistency and prolonged struggles and he promised that he is working to make changes that will get the Magic back in the playoff mix.
“My job is to do the best that we can to put a competitive team together and then let our coaching staff do the best they can with those players,” Hennigan said. “I’m in constant communication with Frank and we’re constantly talking about what we like with the team and the solutions that may exist in free agency or on the trade market. It’s a collaborative effort and we’re confident that we’ll get there.
“We’re going to do everything in our power to be aggressive in trying to improve the team,” Hennigan continued, referring to the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline. “But at the same time, we’re convinced in the fact that we’re not that far away. We want to stay the course and keep scrapping and clawing to improve.’’
What follows is the entire question-and-answer session with Hennigan, who talks about the Magic’s inconsistencies, the defensive struggles, the promising signs from Elfrid Payton and Aaron Gordon and his aggressive approach heading into the looming trade deadline.
QUESTION: The franchise was super aggressive in the offseason, going out and hiring Head Coach Frank Vogel and acquiring nine new players. How disappointing is it that the team has been unable to string much together consistently so far?
HENNIGAN: “First and foremost, we’re not where we need to be and we’re disappointed by the performance that we’ve shown. Over the summer when we constructed the team, it was a defense-first approach, so our inconsistencies in that area lead to a lot of frustrations. It’s our job to figure out how we can get back to playing that defensive-minded basketball that we know we’re capable of playing. That’s the starting point for us from now until the rest of the season. It’s about doing everything in our power to rediscover what all of us know that we have on the roster. We just need to do it more consistently. It’s something that certainly is frustrating and we’re doing everything in our power to solve it internally and we’re also looking externally to see if there are ways to improve the team.’’
QUESTION: Specifically with the defense, is it a mystery to you why there is such inconsistency on that end of the floor considering that you have several players who made it to the NBA with their abilities as defenders? What needs to change on that end?
HENNIGAN: ``Team dynamics can be enigmatic at times and this is a real enigma for us because again we’ve shown that we’re capable and we’ve shown in flashes how good that we can be. We just haven’t shown it consistently, and therein lies the challenge for us. We believe in the defensive talent that we have on the team and we believe in Frank and his ability to instill a sound defensive system. We just have to get back to doing what we know that we can do.’’
QUESTION: It’s a microwavable society and everybody wants everything right now. But when you add nine new players and a new coaching staff all at once, do you think there was an underestimation of how much time it would take for the team to build chemistry?
HENNIGAN: ``I think that’s a fair question. Certainly, there are a lot of new pieces on the team and there’s a whole new coaching staff, so that takes time to assimilate and create a comfort level and an understanding of what we’re doing.
“Our biggest frustration and my personal frustration lies in the inconsistency that we’ve shown and the peaks and valleys of play that have come. Our play has been polarizing at times. We’ll look really good for a few games and then bad for a few games. So how do we even out that consistency?
“The thing that we’re frustrated with the most is the lack of effort and intensity that we sometimes show. And that’s where our fans deserve more. It’s on me and it’s on our staff to continue to improve that.’’
QUESTION: You made a couple of bold moves over the summer to trade for Serge Ibaka and sign Bismack Biyombo in free agency. How would you evaluate their performance so far?
HENNIGAN: “I think Serge and Biz have been really good. I think they’ve brought to our team what we thought that they would. I think their work ethic, toughness and competitive spirit have been good and their defensive abilities have been what we thought they would be. However, collectively, it’s been an issue with all of us getting on the same page at times. But those two guys have been really valuable to our team.’’
QUESTION: You have mentioned that it is your job to recruit Serge every day of the season before he becomes a free agent in July. Serge, Jeff Green and a couple of others can be free agents at the end of the season. Must you have conversations with those players and their representatives about their futures prior to the trade deadline in February?
HENNIGAN: “Those types of conversations take place all the time. That’s something that is just part of the job and we’re in constant communication with players and their representatives. That’s just par for the course for us.’’
QUESTION: Coming into the season, your young core of Aaron Gordon, Elfrid Payton and Mario Hezonja were wildcards in a sense because no one knew exactly how much improvement they could make this season. How do you evaluate their performances and growth so far?
HENNIGAN: All three are really, really young and I think sometimes we forget that.
“Elfrid’s play, by and large over the course of the season, has been really encouraging – especially over the last couple of weeks. Hopefully, he’s starting to find a rhythm and a comfort zone for himself. We sort of view Elfrid as the competitive leader and competitive heartbeat for our team and over the last couple of weeks he’s really kicked it into gear and we hope he can sustain that.
“With Aaron, he’s similarly shown a lot of promise this year. Our view on Aaron is that he’s a unique basketball player in that he is position-less. We view him as a forward. Whether we play him at (small forward) or (power forward), that’s something that we’re still reviewing and discussing internally. The experience that he’s having this year with the different types of players that he’s having to defend and having the ball in his hands a little more and his improved shooting – all those things are going to bode well for him regardless of whether we keep him at (small forward) or (power forward). So, his development curve is very encouraging.
“With Mario, he’s been the one player who is really frustrated with how the season has gone. Quite frankly, we expected more from Mario this season, but in fairness to him he’s a young player who is still trying to figure out the NBA game. We’re confident that he will, but his production hasn’t been where we all expected it to be. But that’s OK because he’s fighting, he’s terrific in practice and in trying to absorb what we’re trying to do. He’ll continue to get good playing time here the rest of the season.’’
QUESTION: A lot of people in the NBA say that they don’t truly know a person until they go through a season together. What have you learned about Frank Vogel and how beneficial has it been to have his encouraging, but firm approach on the bench for the team?
HENNIGAN: “Frank’s been a great addition to our organization and we’re very lucky to have him. I think all of us need to give Frank some patience while he figures out this team. There are a lot of new pieces on this team and dynamics that he is navigating as the head coach. But overall his spirit, his attitude and his desire to really work collaboratively – not just with me but with everyone in the organization – is really refreshing and it’s going to bode well for our organization. He’s been terrific.’’
QUESTION: With the Feb. 23 trade deadline less than a month away, how aggressive do you have to be to find a way to improve the roster? Does a trade need to be made to send a jolt through the squad?
HENNIGAN: “We need to be very aggressive in exploring ways to improve the team and we will be. Like I said in the beginning of this conversation, we’re not where we want to be and we’re extremely disappointed with how the season has gone. I take full responsibility and blame for that. It’s my job to seek out ways to improve the team. We’ll be active and aggressive in doing that.’’
QUESTION: You have pieces on your roster that are very skilled and are attractive around the NBA. How much does that help you in potentially making a deal to improve your team?
HENNIGAN: “We’re in a position where we can make deals if we so choose. We have a lot of valuable assets on the team, good young players and a nice mix of various skill sets, so we certainly have the assets to make deals if we so choose.’’
QUESTION: Many of the cries from fans are to “do something’’ when the trade deadline rolls around. How many times do you have to say ``no’’ in trade scenarios rather than just making a trade for the sake of “doing something?’’
HENNIGAN: “We’re constantly exploring the trade market and are having conversations with teams, really, since late-November and early-December. It’s a continuous dialogue through the trade deadline. So, trades can be complex with the structure and, as they say, `it takes two to tango.’ So it has to make sense for both sides and oftentimes that can make it a challenge. But certainly our group is committed to push the envelope to see how we can improve the team.’’
QUESTION: Seemingly every night now there is a new record being set with how many 3-pointers teams are hoisting. Does the greater emphasis on the 3-point shot change how you approach building the roster – both offensively and defensively? And does your roster have enough shooting going forward with where the NBA is headed?
HENNIGAN: “You have to certainly pay attention to those types of trends. Certainly, as we look to add to the team and make the team better, anytime that you can add shot-making and 3-point shooting the better you are. It’s our belief that, yes, we need to look at ways to improve our ability to make perimeter shots and 3-point shots. But we believe that the answer is in creating a roster that has balance and one that can do a little bit of everything and can defend big lineups and small lineups. We’ll always pursue that balance, but the evolution of the 3-point shot is a game-changer that we need to keep pace with.’’
QUESTION: The Magic have had some incredible highs and some frustrating lows thus far, but after 46 games do you still think this team has a run in it? Can you play consistently enough over the final 36 games to get back into the playoff hunt?
HENNIGAN: “We believe so, we really do. We’re confident that the potential and the capabilities that we’ve shown are real. We just have to tap back into that consistently. We need to string some wins together to build some confidence. I know our guys are confident and hungry and our coaches are committed to making a nice push the rest of the way. We’ve got an uphill climb and we all know that and we’re not naïve to that. But we think it’s possible and we’re committed to getting there.’’
QUESTION: You personally, you are 4 ½ years into this mission of rebuilding the Magic into a sustainable winner. How much does it drive you, consume you and make you want it even more after what the franchise has endured?
HENNIGAN: “It keeps me up every night, I’d say. It’s been a challenging process for us, and we’ve certainly had some bumps in the road. We’re not where we need to be, but we really do believe that we’re not that far away. We do need to make a few tweaks to continue to improve the team. But we’ve seen our potential and we see the potential that we have moving forward and we’re excited about that. But I certainly need to do a better job of accelerating our growth as a team.’’
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