Quote Originally Posted by westcoastTrojan:
Again, like I've been saying, you cant look at this deal without including Turk in the deal. Bringing in VC cost them a shot at Turk. This is the equivalent of a team losing a key player (Turk) and doing some damage control and trading for a player like VC. In the end, it cost them way too many players. And now it probably cost them Gortat. Orlando was successful because their bench provided much needed minutes. Courtney Lee was a pretty important part of this team.
This is a corny phrase and it may not totally apply
"But you have to get busy living or get busy dying"
I do not think teams can stay the same year after year after year...and expect to be able to contend for titles.
The Magic as good as they were last year was exposed....HOW, you ask?
1. Howard must get better in the post. We all know the Magic is not going to give up with that Stud. So get your butt in the gym Howard and practice, practice, practice.
2. Their backcourt was too small. In the next 2 to 4 years teams must have a bigger back court to contend with Kobe. Bye bye Courtnay Lee who was abused in the NBA Finals and exposed the Magic as being too small in the back court....especially since the Magic has decided to keep Mighty Mouse as the PG and he is an extremely small PG.....they cannot also have a small SG too.
3. Alston said he wanted to start....and conducted himself like he should be the starter. He was left open during several rounds of the playoffs and looked shaky and ulitmately did not make teams pay for leaving him open...BYE BYE Rafer.
4. Now Turkulu is a little tricky. Yes, he is a good player. But in the end, he always needs pick and roll to get his shot off. And he was looking to get P.A.I.D. with a capital "P". Why not replace him and get better at the same time with a player that can hit the open "3", do pick and roll, pick and pop....and on top of that get his own shot up off isolation.......BYE BYE Turk and enter Vince
So Rafer, Turk, and Lee leaving has made this Magic team evolve and gives them a chance to deal with their weaknesses all at the same time........teams cannot stay the same from year to year especially after they have been exposed showing teams how to beat them. The Magic had to evolve or die....get busy living (changing and evolving) or get busy dying (losing).
I still think that Boston evolved the best....but I am also looking at the Spurs too (Jefferson, Blair, and they just signed a SF from spain that averages 16 PPG).