3. The Orlando Magic front office has gone quiet
It can be hard to find anybody talking about the Magic at the best of times, and certainly, when their front office speaks, it is not making the national news cycle. It is also fair to say that the front office is meant to stay out of the limelight, work hard behind the scenes and put a competitive product on the court.
To that end, the Magic’s top brass had been doing well over the last number of years. They would pop up on radio shows and blogs every so often, say all of the right things (while generally remaining cautious and tight-lipped about the bigger picture), and then be on their way again. This was all fine, especially as the organization had amassed back-to-back postseason appearances.
Things have taken a strange turn recently though. Despite a surprisingly solid and entertaining start to the campaign, injuries to key guys meant the wheels came off the cart quickly. It quickly became a lost season in which a high draft pick in the upcoming class was the consolation prize and one which fans could talk themselves into. Then this happened.
Tune in to @969thegame tomorrow morning (Tuesday, Feb. 16) at 8:15 A.M., as @OrlandoMagic General Manager John Hammond joins @BianchiWrites on ‘Open Mike.’
— Orlando Magic PR (@Magic_PR) February 15, 2021
You can catch ‘The Magic Word’ every Tuesday at 8:15 A.M. on 96.9 The Game.#MagicTogether
Ducking an interview when it has been released by the PR arm of the Magic is, weird. Clearly, Hammond knew that some tough questions were likely to come his way, so he decided to just sidestep the interview completely. Not a great sign of leadership, at a particularly critical juncture in the Magic’s season and future.
Both Hammond and Weltman have good reputations in the league. It was Weltman who oversaw the Milwaukee Bucks drafting a guy by the name of Giannis Antetokounmpo when he was in charge there. They are also both articulate individuals who come across well, so what exactly are they hiding by having Hammond not go on radio?
By going silent now, at a time when the opposite is needed, all of a sudden other issues that have lingered for a long time, or may not even be the fault of the front office, are pinned on them. What is the story with Mohamed Bamba? What is the plan beyond this season? The list continues to grow.