NBA Off-Season Review – Orlando Magic
By Ed Isaacson
The NBA Draft Blog look at the NBA off-season continues with the in-state rivals of the summer’s biggest winner. Where do the rookies stand in terms of playing time with the veteran Orlando Magic?
Off-season Recap – Orlando Magic
Players Lost
Matt Barnes – F – Free Agent to Los Angeles Lakers
Jason Williams – G – Free Agent
Anthony Johnson – G – Free Agent
Players Gained
Quentin Richardson – G- Free Agent from Miami
Chris Duhon – G- Free Agent from New York
Free Agents Re-Signed
JJ Redick – G
Draft Picks & Other Rookie Signings
Daniel Orton (1st Round, #29)
Stanley Robinson (2nd Round, #59)
Draft Pick & Rookie Outlook (Based on Roster as of 8/1/10)
I guess the kindest thing I can say about the Rookie outlook for Orlando is thank God they have a veteran team. With the way Daniel Orton performed in the Orlando Summer League, I’m not even sure he would make Kentucky’s squad this season, let alone be ready to play against NBA-level centers. It’s really not a knock on him, but whoever convinced him he was ready to go pro should be locked up. If it was a family member, they should never be allowed contact again. I can’t think of a more ill-advised decision in the last 20 years. So how does Orlando salvage this? He must play a full-year in the D-League. He will need to be on the court as much as possible to make improvement. With Howard and Gortat, there is no need for him in Orlando this season. If one of them is to get hurt, go out and find a veteran replacement. Do not let Orton step on a NBA court until October 2011 at the earliest. There is raw talent there, but he was being abused by the likes of Trent Plaisted (who did play very well) during Summer League, so he is nowhere close to being ready, and you could see it on his face every time down the court. Mentally, he needs to be put in a situation where he can succeed first.
I don’t know if it feels right to be disappointed in the play of the second to last pick in the draft, but I expected to see a lot more out of Stanley Robinson during Summer League. In an event tailor-made for his skill-set, Robinson rarely showed the glimpses of his freakish athletic ability, especially in transition, where he was a rare highlight for last years’ UConn team. The biggest knock on his game coming into the draft was his ability to create shots, and that was on full display in Orlando. Robinson’s chance of making a team with a near-full roster is very slim, so look for him to work on his game in the D-League rather than Europe, where he can get the proper coaching to focus his athleticism towards a better all-around game.