The Orlando Magic begin their new season this month, and already expectations are high. The players all know that new jerseys will not be enough to carry the team where they all believe they deserve to be, the NBA Finals.
Last year, GM Otis Smith was quoted as saying, "We're Kurt Thomas away from a championship," speaking of the power forward acquired by San Antonio before their playoff run. With the failure to court Thomas during the season, Smith didn't even focus on him in free agency in the off-season. Instead, Otis bolstered the defenses by bringing in free agent Mikael Pietrus from Golden State, a stingy defender that plays well in the Magic theme of hitting jump shots and three pointers, and puts yet another body in front of J.J. Redick. Also joining the new-look Magic this season, journeyman point guard Anthony Johnson, who will provide a solid veteran backup to improving Jameer Nelson, and filling the hole left from the departure of Keyon Dooling. Johnson will, ideally, help Jameer develop even more into one of the leagues' top point guards, which he proved he could be in the finals this past year. In the draft, the Magic acquired guard Courtney Lee out of Western Kentucky with the 22nd pick, and the team believes he can contribute right off the bat, and has looked stellar in the off-season workouts and the Summer leagues.
Last season, the Magic won the Southeast Division comfortably by 9 games, posting a 52-30 record en route to a second round loss to the Detroit Pistons, also known as the "Orlando Magic Playoff Run Killers." This year, expectations have grown, and so have the young players the franchise has built around. Dwight Howard is coming off an amazing season and off-season, and the organization is only expecting him to pick up his game even more after seeing Olympic competition and bringing home the gold. "We want to compete for a championship," Said Howard, and the NBA Finals are not out of reach for the blossoming team. Last season's biggest free agent pickup Rashard Lewis has had a full year in Coach Stan Van Gundy's system, and should be a much larger contributer now that he has started to build some chemistry in the team. Often shaky at times, Jameer Nelson keeps bettering his game and when he is on the ball, is one of the best in the league.
A power center, arguably the best in the league, the best outside shooting in the league statistically, more time together and the addition of a few key veterans makes this Magic team much like the team that challenged for the title back in 1995 with the Rockets.
These things, coupled with the return of Tony Battie from injury to help Howard get some break time, and the emergence in the playoffs of Polish-born Marcin Gortat, who displayed amazing heart and hustle, help round out a team whose depth was questioned last year.
Only time will tell if the Magic are ready to compete in the big games this season, but from what has been seen this off-season, the fans in Orlando have much to be happy about.
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