|
The Orlando Magic made their only finals appearance in 1995 when they were swept by the Houston Rockets. The off-season following the 1996 season saw Shaquille O’Neal leave the team via free agency to sign with the Lakers. The Magic had been a steady team averaging almost 43 wins a year over the last six seasons before finishing last year with a 21-61 record. The team had superstar Tracy McGrady but couldn’t surround him with the talent needed to make another playoff push. The off-season saw McGrady traded to Houston along with Juwan Howard for Steve Francis, Cuttino Mobley, and Kelvin Cato. The Magic also traded away Drew Gooden to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Tony Battie and signed free agent Hedo Turkoglu from the San Antonio Spurs. The team resigned DeShawn Stevenson and drafted Dwight Howard as the number one overall pick in the draft. Head coach Johnny Davis is optimistic that this team could be a factor in the East and although no one will expect them to make a huge impact this season, most teams agree that Orlando could be solid for many years in the future.
The Magic will team up with the Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, Miami Heat, and Washington Wizards in the new Southeast division. The Heat traded for Shaquille O’Neal, the Hawks traded for Antoine Walker and the Wizards picked up Antawn Jamison so each of those teams should be competitive in the division. Charlotte is an expansion franchise and they’ve decided to start with a younger team and avoid large, lengthy contracts. The Magic will likely start Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley in the backcourt with Dwight Howard at the power forward spot and Tony Battie starting at center. The Magic will hope to get a full healthy season out of Grant Hill at the small forward position, but if Hill is unable to bounce back, Turkoglu will likely start at the three.
Buy Magic Tickets and be a part of it all!
|
|