By John DentonOct. 30, 2015
ORLANDO – As it turns out, Billy Donovan’s flip-flopping ways back in June of 2007 probably turned out to be the best thing that ever happened for both him and the Orlando Magic.
Donovan, who won college basketball national titles in 2006 and ’07 at the University of Florida, officially agreed to become the Magic’s head coach on June 1, 2007. He even made the trip from Gainesville to Orlando and held a news conference with the Central Florida media upon accepting the job.
Not long after that, however, Donovan informed the Magic that he had changed his mind and wanted to return to the University of Florida. Following several days of negotiations, the Magic released Donovan from his contract on June 7 and he returned to Florida where he became college basketball’s highest-paid coach.
The Magic ultimately hired Stan Van Gundy, who guided them to their first playoff series win in 12 years in 2008 and helped Orlando reach the 2009 NBA Finals and 2010 Eastern Conference Finals.
Donovan, now the head coach of the Oklahoma City Thunder, said he was happy for the Magic’s success following his change of heart in the summer of 2007.
``Stan’s great and I was really happy for him and I was happy for the Magic that it worked out that way,’’ said Donovan, who sought the advice of Stan and Jeff Van Gundy, Rick Pitino and Rick Carlisle before making the jump from college basketball to the NBA this spring.
``I was at peace because I knew that I made the right decision for the Magic and myself,’’ continued Donovan, who joked that his mother recently found a recruiting letter from Stan Van Gundy when he was coaching at the University of Vermont. ``I was really happy for Stan and the success that he had here. That made me feel good. Being here in this state (of Florida), the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic, you follow them and you want to see them do well. For me, (changing his mind about the Magic job) at that time, that was the best thing for me personally.’’
Donovan said he received congratulatory messages from several University of Florida players before and after his first NBA game on Wednesday – one that resulted in his first victory. He also said prior to Friday’s game that he expected several family members and friends at the Amway Center, but he delegated the chore of distributing tickets to his wife.
VOOCH BEING PHYSICAL: Magic coach Scott Skiles didn’t particularly like the 17-foot, fall-away shot that 7-foot center Nikola Vucevic settled for at the end of Wednesday’s 88-87 loss to the Washington Wizards, and the coach said so after the game.
But there was another aspect of Vucevic’s performance on Wednesday night that the coach disliked even more: The Magic big man didn’t attempt a free throw in more than 28 minutes on the floor.
Getting to the free throw line more has been a major point of emphasis for the Magic in training camp after the team ranked last in the NBA in free throw makes and attempts last season. On Wednesday, Washington had more makes (15) than Orlando had attempts (12) and the Magic were outscored by seven points at the line.
Skiles said part of the issue with Vucevic not getting to the free throw line is his reluctance to battle in the post because of his skill as a mid-range shooter.
``He’s so skilled because he can face up and make shots all the way out to the college three,’’ Skiles said. ``That (shooting ability) causes him to give up position too easily sometimes. A guy gives him a little shove and he’s content to step out and face up because he can make (shots). We’re trying to impress upon him that he’s got to post up a little more violently. He didn’t shoot a free throw in the game and we can’t have that. It’s just not good enough. He’s not going to get free throws by dribbling around and getting fouled. He’s got to get (free throws) by posting up with strength, getting guys trying to reach around and things like that. It’s just something that we have to continue to work on. He’s a great player and very talented, but we just need him to battle a little harder for position.’’
BIRTHDAY BOY: Skiles was asked playfully on Friday morning if he did anything special for guard/forward Evan Fournier’s 23rd birthday on Thursday and the coach cracked: ``Not until he makes a shot.’’
Skiles was referencing Fournier’s struggles shooting the ball thus far. Fournier missed training camp and the first preseason game with a sprained ankle, but got his exhibition season started by making eight 3-pointers in his first three preseason games.
However, since then, Fournier has been mired in an ugly shooting slump – one that got worse in Wednesday’s opener when he missed six of his seven tries and all three of his 3-pointers. Over his final four preseason games and Wednesday’s opener, Fournier has made just 10 of 38 shots and only three of 16 3-point tries.
``I’ve got to shoot the ball with more confidence,’’ said Fournier, one of Orlando’s best shooters from the outside last season when he made 37.8 percent of his tries. ``For some reason I didn’t do that (shoot with confidence on Wednesday). Hopefully, I make a shot (on Friday night) so that I can have my birthday gift (from Skiles).’’
Fournier said he celebrated his 23rd birthday by eating a home-cooked meal prepared by his fiancé and watching a couple of episodes of ``Narcos’’ on Netflix.
DISNEY PARTNERSHIP: To celebrate the extension of Disney Parks’ ``Champions of the Community’’ sponsorship with the Magic and Amway Center, the legendary Mickey Mouse character had the opportunity to play hoops with several Magic players earlier this week.
With the extension, Walt Disney World will gain stronger visibility to showcase its parks by enhancing its presence with digital and social media activations as well as signage and additional visibility within the Amway Center. The Disney Atrium will continue to immerse fans with an enhanced, interactive guest experience that allows for Disney video messaging to entertain fans.
``We are thrilled to have Disney Parks continue with us as one of our Champions of the Community partners,’’ Magic CEO Alex Martins said. ``As a pillar in the Central Florida community, Disney has established a great legacy. We are so excited to have them remain a part of our team to continue building upon that legacy together. Our commitment to the Central Florida community will remain our focus, working towards the goal of becoming champions both on and off the court.’’
Added Maribeth Bisienere, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises and Disney Springs: ``Disney believes in Magic, and we’re thrilled to support the downtown venues that serve the community. This sponsorship extension serves as another example of our company’s efforts to help make dreams come true across Central Florida.’’