SB Nation - Linton Johnson III

UPDATED: Orlando Magic Waive Linton Johnson III

Ben Q Rock — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:49:11 -0000

The Orlando Magic have announced they waived forward Linton Johnson III, per this brief press release:

The Orlando Magic have waived forward Linton Johnson, GM Otis Smith has announced today. Johnson appeared in five preseason games with the Magic, averaging 1.6 ppg. and 1.0 rpg. in 4.8 minpg.

Orlando’s roster now stands at 13 players. Orlando opens the 2009-10 regular season tonight vs. Philadelphia. Tip-off is 7 pm ET.

The announcement comes a mere three days after the Orlando Sentinel reported the Magic would retain Johnson to maintain their depth; Johnson could have taken the Magic's 12th active roster spot in order for Adonal Foyle (knee surgery) and Rashard Lewis (suspension) to stay on the inactive list. Now, it seems likely Foyle will appear on the active roster, but will not be available to play. Lewis will take Foyle's spot once he's eligible to return from his suspension.

UPDATE: Tania Ganguli provides Smith's explanation for the decision to waive Johnson:

otis smith said foyle's rehab is going well, and there weren't enough practice days coming up 2 justify keeping linton johnson around #magic

UPDATE 2: Gah, I had some facts wrong. Rashard Lewis is suspended, but by rule, he must be on the active roster. Thus, Adonal Foyle will remain inactive during his injury, and (probably) long afterward.

Schmitz: Orlando Magic Will Retain Linton Johnson III

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:42:50 -0000

More photos » by Michael Dwyer - AP

Browse more photos »

As Brian Schmitz reported this afternoon, the Orlando Magic have elected to keep training-camp invitee Linton Johnson II, a combo forward, for at least the start of the regular season. Johnson did not appear to have much of a chance to make the final roster until a nagging knee injury forced reserve center Adonal Foyle to undergo arthroscopic surgery, which will keep him out of the lineup indefinitely.

With Foyle and Rashard Lewis (10-game suspension) out to start the regular season, the Magic would only have 11 players available each night, compromising their depth in case of another injury. Johnson is--and I hate this phrase, but it's kind-of apt here--a warm body to keep at the end of the bench. Schmitz says the Magic will likely retain him until Foyle is ready to return. As Matt Humphrey wrote later, Johnson "should add Adonal Foyle to his Christmas card list."

Johnson, 29, averaged 1.6 points and 1 rebound in 4.8 minutes per game during the preseason. Over six NBA seasons, he owns per-game averages of 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds in 14 minutes.

Even with Johnson, the Magic have one open roster spot, which can help facilitate trades.

Practice Report: Stan Van Gundy Talks About Bench Play, Vince Carter Loves Practice, and More

erivera7 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:11:41 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

Browse more photos »

With the pre-season coming to a close, it appears that everyone on the Orlando Magic is ready to start the regular season and begin its quest in trying to win an NBA title for the first time in franchise history.

I was able to speak with Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, and Marcin Gortat amongst the media after the morning practice was over. Here's what they had to say:

Stan Van Gundy:

How does your bench compare this year to last year? Does it bring more versatility to the table?

I don't know, I thought our bench played pretty well last year. People made a big deal of the fact that we were the lowest scoring or one of the lowest scoring benches in the league but that was far more a function of minutes than anything else. I played those other guys big minutes so our bench minutes were probably the lowest in the league too so I thought our bench was good. I thought this year in the pre-season, so far, our bench has been ... no matter who we brought off the bench, we've gotten a good lift. It's been very, very good but it's pre-season, so you don't know until you get started but I like it, that's why I'm going to open up the season playing 10 guys because it would be hard for me to cut any of those guys out of the rotation, at this point. So yeah, I'm happy but it's still pre-season.

For the last pre-season game, are there any more lineup combinations you want to take a look at?

No, not really. I think I pretty much know. The only thing we really didn't look at at all was Marcin at the four, quite honestly, that's just ... we may do that in practice. That's really tough with Adonal [Foyle] out, we don't have enough fives to be able to play Marcin at the four to be able to really get any work there so he's done it before. I would like to get a look at that at some point but that's the only thing we really haven't explored. We said we wanted to play J.J. [Redick] and Vince together at the two and three, we've done that. We played Matt [Barnes] at the four. I think we've pretty much done everything. M.P. [Mickael Pietrus] has played two and three so I feel pretty comfortable that we've seen about everything and that guys are comfortable enough to play multiple positions.

Do you plan on seeing Vince Carter a lot at the three this season?

Well, I think he'll primarily be a two but I do think there's a lot of situations where he and J.J. can play together, too, if need be so they're both smart enough, too, so we can make the adjustments we need to.

At full strength, how do you think opposing defense will attack your team in terms of limiting touches for Dwight, or Vince, or Rashard, or whoever?

Well, I think we pretty much know. It's all stuff we've seen, people are certainly going to try to limit Dwight's effectiveness, not let him get near the basket, if he does, foul him. I mean, we've seen that for over two years now so there's no real surprise there, whether they double-team him or however they handle it. I think that with Vince, you'll see people trap him some on pick & rolls, he'll get double-teamed some. We had that same thing with Turk. People will stay home at shooters a lot but again, you can only do so many things and we've had people do it before, not come off Rashard. Well, it just opens up more room for Dwight and more room on drives. I don't think anything is going to change, there's only so many possibilities and we have the same problem.

You're guarding people, there's only so many possibilities and whatever you work harder to take away, you're going to give something else up and so it's a matter of whether or not Vince can convert with what you give him. It's the same thing with us so nobody is going to surprise us with anything. I don't think we're going to be easy to guard. I mean, I don't think you can ... there's not one scheme that's just going to work, let's put it that way. I think with some teams, well, if you just get back and protect the paint, don't let them drive the ball and post up, then they're going to struggle because they can't shoot it or if you just get out on their shooters. With us, I think with like most of the better teams, it's tougher than that. You have difficult choices. Some teams do it well and other's won't so we'll see.

Do you plan on playing the entire second unit at the same time?

Oh, I don't know about that. You'll almost never get ... I mean, you might get minutes with all five of them in there but we're not going to sub five guys. I try to never do that. I think one or two at a time because you don't want a bunch of guys coming in cold so it'll rotate through. They'll be out there together.

More after the jump.

Vince Carter:

Is this the most anticipated season you've had in your career, given what's at stake?

Of course. If you have a championship-caliber team and you're not excited about this, then you shouldn't play.

How do you think your preparation for the game has progressed in your career?

I mean, definitely, it's better because it's a lot different because I've played against pretty much all the guys in the league. I mean, when it comes to some of the rookies and the young guys, that I don't really know, but my preparation is pretty much the same as it is now. I can give you insight on some of the coaches' philosophy because I've played with some of the coaches or past coaches, or of course against them, so I can give a little insight because it's not a guessing game. I've kind of been around long enough to really ... first all, I've seen it all against other players and against myself.

How have been the practices been like, in terms intensity and what not?

I love it, sometimes the practices are a little tougher than the games. I think that prepares us, having a harder practice than the game is a lot easier, so I'll take it.

Stan is known to be a really detailed, meticulous coach. Could you talk a little bit about that and what you've seen so far?

You just said it all. What else is there to say? He's very meticulous, he wants to make sure to cover every aspect of the game, each player, each set, after timeouts.

Does he prepare you for every situational imaginable or tries to?

Yup, there'll be more right before the game as well so whatever he left out this morning, he'll get to the rest of it tonight.

You've won a gold medal in the Olympics. Is there any transfer to being prepared for that competition to where you are now? To win it all?

It is the same goal. Dwight has had the opportunity to play [in the Olympics] and just see what it's like and in the NBA Finals, he had the opportunity to play for something that's major in sports so my focus and my mentality is kind of like that was. It was just amazing to see the approach. I mean, you play with these professional athletes and great players, I think the coaches were . . . we knew we had a pretty good team so the coaches, I mean, were - Rudy [Tomjanovich] - it was great, he prepared us and he knew that if we were to go out and be the stars that we were, everything would take care of itself.

Marcin Gortat:

For the returning players, has the demeanor changed at all in terms of the desire to win a title? The hunger?

I think most of us are pissed. We're just mad that we lost this championship after beating Cleveland, going to the Finals, and losing those two games just by missing a layup and giving up the championship on our own court, it wasn't easy, so we definitely believe now that we got a stronger team. We're way stronger. We got the experience that we need, we know how it is to be in the Finals right now, and I guess we just got to use that now.

There's some people out there, experts, that still don't believe. They still like Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers in the East, does that bother you guys?

That's just how it is, they always are going to talk about Cleveland, people are going to talk about Boston because of the players in Boston and the history of Boston but it's cool, at the end of the day, basketball is important and you got to play five-on-five so let them talk, we don't got any pressure. They got this pressure and we're just going to do what we're supposed to do. We're going to go out, play hard, and win the games and we'll see who's going to laugh at the end. That's the best part of it.

For the returning players, how has the bench changed from last year? Could you compare the two units?

Oh, we're definitely deeper. We got more experienced players, we got younger players who got more energy. We got Brandon [Bass] who's got a lot of energy, his game is bigger, he's a post-up player, he's a scorer off the bench. We got J.J. who is in great shape, I mean, he was working out the whole summer until he was killing himself in the gym to keep him ready for the season and he's in great shape so obviously, me coming off the bench, try to support as much as I can and we got Anthony Johnson, Jason Williams, and we still don't know who's going to play and Matt Barnes is going to come out, I mean, we got the crew. We got the bench that can probably play and start for different teams so we got players on the bench that can start for different teams so we definitely have a nice team.

During the off-season, did you work out with anyone?

I was back in Europe working on my game and getting ready for the Eurobasket but I didn't do anything crazy. I took maybe two weeks off, I put handcuffs on me and stick to my bed and make sure nothing is going to happen to me before I signed a contract but I had maybe two weeks off and then I was with the [Polish] national team.

Do you feel any pressure living up to your contract?

No. I'm going to do what I've been doing the past two years and I'm going to keep improving every day and I don't have anything to lose. I'm just going to be ready to play and if I want to have my chance, try to use it, that's all. I don't care. People talk, I don't believe people made a mistake signing me or matching me, it's just wasn't one guy, it was a whole crew making this decision, and I don't think there were people in the NBA who didn't know anything about basketball. I mean, come on, so I'm cool so I'm definitely not worried about that at all.

Could you talk a little bit about Stan's preparedness and what he's been doing before practices and before games?

Well, he's been doing the same thing and he's got the same preparation. We go through the system, we learn what we're supposed to do, he's telling every guy what we have to be ready, and going into film and making us ready. Obviously, if we screw around and lose focus, then he's going to tell us and just do the right thing. I, personally, I'm ready. Every time he's explaining me things, I'm ready for the game and I'm trying to focus on the stuff I have to do.

Odds and Ends:

After practice was over, there were three Orlando Magic players that put in some extra work - Dwight Howard, J.J. Redick, and Linton Johnson. For Howard, one can probably guess what he was working on (hint: free throws). For Redick, he was putting in time working on his jumpshot, specifically, off of "screens" (there were chairs set up for him) and pulling up when crossing half-court. For Johnson, he was practicing his jumper.

Practice Report: Stan Van Gundy Talks About the Chemistry and the Rotation for the Orlando Magic

erivera7 — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 21:42:33 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Browse more photos »

It appears, at this point, that Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has decided (for now, at least) that he'll stick with a 10-man rotation to start the regular season. Once Rashard Lewis is back from his suspension, all bets are off, but that's something to report coming out of the team's practice session during the afternoon, today.

I was able to speak with Stan Van Gundy amongst the media. Here's what he had to say (he was very subdued, by the way):

Stan Van Gundy:

Could you talk about practice and what you guys were working on today?

Yeah, we worked on ... we put in one new set. We worked on double-teaming defenses and our offense against it, we worked on zone offense and defense, and we worked on some pick & roll stuff so we got quite a bit done.

With last night's game [against the Indiana Pacers], was that a sign of things to come with the rotation going with 10 guys or will that change?

I don't know. I think right now, I think that we'll probably open the season playing 10 guys. Yeah, I think. That could get shorten at times but that's sort of where we're headed right now.

Will you try to shorten the rotation during the regular season?

It all depends, it all depends. I really don't know. I mean, things will change when Rashard [Lewis] gets back and we'll see how much. The rotation will probably have to be shorten but right now, I think we'll basically go with 2 guys at each position.

Will there be a different starting lineup for tomorrow night's game [against the Atlanta Hawks]?

Probably, yeah. It'll be different than last night, for sure.

Do you think your pick & roll defense has improved throughout the pre-season?

I think our defense took a step forward last night but it's a day-to-day thing. It's a constant challenge. I mean, we're still have a long way to go defensively but last night showed better focus and intensity so I thought that was a good sign.

Do you expect Linton Johnson to be on the roster for opening night?

I don't know that, yet. We haven't made that decision.

Do you like the team's chemistry so far?

So far I think it's good. I think, at times, it's better than others in terms of the way we play on the floor. I didn't think in the first half last night we had very good ball movement. I thought we tried to do too many things individually but in the second half, then I think the guys played much better, moved the ball better, played together better, and as a result, we got far better shots and we shot about twice as well so I don't think it was a coincidence.

Orlando Magic Waive Morris Almond

Ben Q Rock — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 03:05:39 -0000

The Orlando Magic have waived shooting guard Morris Almond, the team announced after its 117-87 win over the Indiana Pacers tonight. Almond signed a non-guaranteed deal on September 16th, hoping to make the final roster with a strong showing in training camp and in the preseason.

After cutting Almond, the Magic's roster stands at 14 players. Combo forward Linton Johnson III, who signed a non-guaranteed deal the same day Almond did, is among them.

Orlando Magic 110, Dallas Mavericks 105

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 05:49:44 -0000

More photos » by Tony Gutierrez - AP

Browse more photos »

In a surprisingly competitive, intense game, the Orlando Magic rallied to dispatch the Dallas Mavericks, 110-105, in the first game of both team's 2009 preseasons. Vince Carter, who did not wear a headband, led 6 Magic players in double-figures with 21 points, incuding 15 in the third period, while Dwight Howard posted 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks before fouling out in 23 minutes of play. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki shot just 3-of-12 from the field, but converted 17 of his 19 well-earned free throw attempts to finish with a game-high 23 points.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Magic	95	115.2	50.0%	44.7	26.1	13.6
Mavericks	95	110.5	43.7%	45.6	23.8	14.7

With a combined 64 personal fouls and 92 free throw attempts, the game wasn't pretty, especially early as both teams committed plenty of turnovers. The game became easier to watch as it progressed, with teams looking a bit sharper offensively--thanks to poor defense on both sides--and the players willing to let it all out on the floor. The Orlando Sentinel posted this photo to illustrate the teams' hustle tonight, while the double-technical foul assessed to Orlando's Matt Barnes and Dallas' Matt Carroll for jawing at each other in the third period attests to the teams' intensity. You'd think the game counted for something, the way these teams played.

But it doesn't count for anything, which is why it's more important for us to, at this stage, evaluate how some of the Magic's new players fared, and what coach Stan Van Gundy's tendencies were.

For one thing, Carter's performance came across as pedestrian to me; he assessed it as "OK." Five of his 6 first-half shot attempts came from beyond the arc, and it wasn't until the third quarter when he began to assert himself more often. Sure, he still teed-off from downtown plenty, but he also drove to the basket more aggressively. In one sequence which demonstrated his new attitude, Carter drove hard right off a hard pick at the top of the key, attempted to drive the ball to the basket, but could not get all the way there. His off-balance layup clanked off the side of the backboard. Clearly perturbed, Carter got back on defense. When Orlando regained possession, Carter launched a trey from the left wing, which caught nothing but the bottom. In short, it took some time for him to get going, but once he did... well, he looked decent. I hate to see him take three-pointers at such a rate, as they accounted for two-thirds of his shot attempts. But hey, 21 points on 18 shots, just 1 turnover. We can live with that.

More on the rest of the Magic after the jump.

Oddly, it was Barnes and former Maverick Brandon Bass who overshadowed Carter as far as new additions are concerned. The pair combined for 29 points on 13 shots. Barnes impressed me with his heady plays, with 3 of his 4 rebounds coming at the offensive end. Orlando hasn't had a quality rebounder at small forward in a while, and Barnes certainly is an upgrade over Hedo Turkoglu in that respect. Meanwhile, Bass scored 7 of his 13 points in the final two minutes, drawing fouls and converting at the charity stripe. He was as advertised. And earlier in the game, he caught the ball at the top of the key, got into a triple-threat position, and Dallas played him for the drive; apparently, the Mavs were wary of his ability to create off the dribble. He wound up taking the jumper and missing, but it was nonetheless good to know that Bass will frustrate defenses more in the high post than Tony Battie ever did.

Jason Williams? Yeah, not bad, either. Early in the game, Van Gundy elected to assign Williams to cover the speedy Jason Terry, and Williams--coming off a one-year retirement, and not especially quick to begin with--acquitted himself nicely. He posted 6 assists--a team high--and 3 turnovers, but none of his turnovers came after halftime. And he, not Anthony Johnson, was the first point guard off the bench. Of course, it's only one game, so we can't read too deeply into Van Gundy's rotations just yet. But if Williams continues to get the nod over Johnson, well, the writing will pretty much be on the wall, won't it?

Jameer Nelson looks to be okay. 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting--all on three-pointers-- to go with 4 assists and 2 turnovers. All 3 treys were assisted, so we have yet to see his off-the-dribble game. Then again, he only played 24 minutes, so there's plenty of time left for him to show it off.

All in all, it was nice to see the Magic's bench get it done, as Van Gundy and Mavs coach Rick Carlisle elected to let their reserves do battle with the game on the line. Orlando came up victorious... not that it means a heckuva lot.

A few assorted rotation notes:

Williams was the first man off the bench, coming in for Nelson. The next subs were, in order: Barnes for Mickael Pietrus, Marcin Gortat for Howard, Bass for Rashard Lewis, and J.J. Redick for Carter.
That was the entire 10-man rotation. Ryan Anderson and Anthony Johnson were the only available players on guaranteed deals who did not play; Adonal Foyle is still out with a sore knee.
Unsurprisingly, Morris Almond and Linton Johnson III, the Magic's non-roster invitees, also earned DNP-CDs.
Down the stretch, the Magic played Bass, and not Gortat, at center. Gortat struggled, with 0 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block in 16 minutes.

Redick, by the way, didn't make any of his 4 shot attempts--all of them were three-pointers, and they included one airball--but shot 7-of-10 at the foul line to compensate.

And Barnes? 16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and no turnovers in only 20 minutes. That's efficient production. He, and not Pietrus, started the second half at small forward. Dude's just active, and plays within himself more than Pietrus does.

As always, share your thoughts from the game in the comments section.

Recapping the Orlando Magic's Busy Summer

Ben Q Rock — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:00:37 -0000

The Orlando Magic's busy offseason is at an end. Tonight, they will take on the Dallas Mavericks in their first exhibition game of the 2009/2010 season. For a refresher, I humbly present this list of 3QC's coverage of the Magic's summer, broken down chronologically.

June 25th: Magic acquire Ryan Anderson and Vince Carter from the New Jersey Nets for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, and Courtney Lee

Vince Carter
- Assessing His Fit with the Offense
Ryan Anderson

July 1st: Hedo Turkoglu Enters Free-Agency

July 2nd: Marcin Gortat Signs Offer Sheet with the Dallas Mavericks

July 5th-10th: Magic Host Orlando Pro Summer League

Complete Coverage

July 10th: Magic Sign Brandon Bass

July 17th: Magic Interested in Signing C.J. Watson

July 21st: Magic Sign Matt Barnes

August 6th: NBA Suspends Rashard Lewis 10 Games for Testing Positive for a Banned Substance

Please make the jump to read stories about the rest of the summer.

August 20th: Magic Sign Jason Williams

August 27th: Magic Re-Sign Adonal Foyle

News Post

September 16th: Magic Sign Morris Almond and Linton Johnson III to Non-guaranteed Contracts

News Post

In addition to writing about the Magic's new additions, we also covered what their holdovers were up to. Here are links to those stories, sorted alphabetically by subject.

Dwight Howard

Is He the Next David Robinson?

Rashard Lewis

Fact or Fiction: Lewis Is Better than Turkoglu?

Jameer Nelson

Mickael Pietrus

Fact or Fiction: He Will Maintain His Impressive Playoff Performance

J.J. Redick

When Will He Return to Form?

Otis Smith

Stan Van Gundy

Of course, not all our posts center on a single event or person. To that end, here's a chronological listing of our stories about the team in general this summer.

Orlando Magic News for October 2nd: Emphasizing Charity In Charity Stripe; Checking In On Ryan Anderson

erivera7 — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 20:34:00 -0000

More photos » by David J. Phillip - AP

Browse more photos »

Bloggers to Dwight: Hit free throws, raise money for charity
J.E. Skeets of Ball Don't Lie points out how The Puns Are Starting To Bore Me came up with an idea to help Dwight Howard improve his free throw percentage - if Superman improves from the charity stripe at a 70% clip or better in the upcoming season, the site will donate money to his favorite charitable donation and also, ask others to help chip in for a good cause.
Nichols and Dime: TPS, a New Method for Evaluating Players
Jon Nichols of Hardwood Paroxysm takes the time to reveal a new metric he created - TPS, which stands for Talent Plus Style. According to Nichols, it is a player rating system that is totally customizable. For example:

Every variation of TPS ratings is adjusted for position. A center who can shoot three-pointers at the league average is much more valuable than a shooting guard with the same efficiency. Likewise, a point guard with a league average rebounding rate is probably pretty good in that respect. Not only does adjusting for position level the playing field, but it also makes it easier to find players who are unconventionally good at things.
Magic power forward Ryan Anderson likes that he's still Vince Carter's teammate
Tania Ganguli shares a Q/A session she had with Ryan Anderson a few days ago. A definite must-read. Here's an excerpt of the conversation:

Q: Has anyone been instrumental in helping you learn or leading team practices?

A: Well you know all the veteran guys have been giving me advice. Vince has been doing a good job of instructing guys on where to go and if they’re having trouble going to different areas, he’ll send them there or he’ll tell you after plays the right place to go. Anthony Johnson has been great for that. Jameer has kind of set the tone of the practices. He’s probably our most vocal leader from what I’ve noticed.
I’m a Movie Star!!!
Dwight Howard posts on his official blog, today, and asks his fans to check him out on the big screen.

Being in front of the camera is something that I actually really enjoy. It allows me to be myself and have fun. Hopefully I’ll have a lot more opportunities in the future to do more commercials and movies because I really enjoy it.

Actually, a couple of the directors told me that I did a really good job and they want me to come back and do some more stuff with them in the future, so that’s exciting for me.

So ya’ll be sure to check me out on the big screen and let me know whatcha think.
UPDATE (from Ben): Training Camp Invites - Orlando Magic
Jon L. of Ridiculous Upside, SB Nation's D-League and prospects blog, takes a look at Linton Johnson III and Morris Almond, the Magic's two non-roster invitees. Jon concludes that both players are really auditioning for other teams at this point because neither stands a chance of making the team.

Training Camp Invites - Orlando Magic

Jon L — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 18:00:26 -0000

More photos » by Jim Prisching - AP

Chicago Bulls Linton Johnson and Brad Miller fight for the rebound with the New York Knicks' Chris Duhon (center) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 7, 2009, in Chicago. The Bulls defeated the Knicks 110-103 (AP Photo/Jim Prisching)

Browse more photos »

Yes, three posts in one day, can you believe it? Each of these teams only invited a few players so I thought I'd knock out the Southeast Division. Last up, the Orlando Magic.

Linton Johnson - Have I mentioned that Linton Johnson went to Tulane? He did. He's also basically clung to the NBA for dear life for the past six years, playing for seven different teams including the Bulls twice. Most recently Chicago had him bulk up to try and guard power forwards, which wasn't a part of his game up until that point. He's a decent rebounder for a small forward, and though it took a dive last season it came in so few games that I'm willing to give it a pass. He's also not a great shooter. He's been able to stick around with his defense and his hustle, but Orlando has so many forwards that he's really trying to impress other teams.

Morris Almond - Almond was one of the D-League's premier scorers, and he's already said he's not going back. Which leaves him...well, probably in the same position Johnson is, trying to get other teams to notice him. J.J. Redick is a little banged up, and coach Stan Van Gundy wasn't exactly playing him a whole lot past the first round of last year's playoffs, but his defense did improve last year and he's owed guaranteed money, plus while Almond showed off his three-point shot in the D-League, his NBA numbers haven't quite been up to the Magic's standards. There should be a place in the NBA for a guy who averaged 27 points on a .576 eFG percentage, the question is where (and the answer is "not Orlando").

Guest Post: ShamSports on Otis Smith, the Orlando Magic, and "Creative Financing"

Ben Q Rock — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:00:33 -0000

Editor's note: 3QC is honored to have Sham, of ShamSports, write the first Guest Post in site history. Sham runs England's finest basketball site, which includes the most authoritative NBA salary database available to the general public. In this guest post, he assesses Otis Smith's construction of the latest Magic team. With no further ado, here's Sham:

"Creative financing" has long been a favoured phrase for Orlando Magic general manager Otis Smith, most famously in the run-up to the 2007 offseason. Smith used the term to describe how the Magic were going to handle having maximum cap room, juggling signing other team's free agents along with retaining Darko Milicic. It was a fairly generic term that said something without really saying anything. And it only gained its resonance after Smith used all his money to give Rashard Lewis the biggest six year contract in the sport's history. (It's definitely financing, but I'm not sure about its creativity.)

Smith's use of the term in conjunction with the Lewis deal made it something of a running joke in amongst the world's particularly nerdy NBA fans. (The kind of folk who make jokes about traded player exceptions. We're a fun bunch, we are. We throw the best parties.) "Creative" became synonymous with "terrible," and Smith didn't help himself by spending his way right up to the luxury tax barrier, on a team that refused to cross it. Paying James Augustine an unnecessary $243,145 to be under contract for two weeks in mid-July didn't help anybody, either. (Other than James Augustine.)

But just how creative is the Magic's financing?

Not including Morris Almond and Linton Johnson, the Magic have a 2009/10 payroll of $82,060,953, the sixth largest in the league. The only teams ahead of them are the Lakers, the Mavericks, the Jazz, the Celtics and the Cavaliers, most of whom are perennial big spenders. The Magic also have the most committed future salary of any franchise in the league, by miles, and it's not even close. Including this upcoming 2009/10 season (and assuming for consistency's sake that all option years and partial guarantees are invoked), the Magic have $316,442,872 committed in future salary, far in excess of the second place L.A. Lakers with $256,433,829. (For comparison's sake, in last place are the Oklahoma City Thunder with only $108.7 million. Never before has the phrase "$108.7 million" been prefixed with "only.")

The Magic are juggling three of the biggest contracts in the league in Dwight Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis. Those three alone combine for $203.46 million in committed salary, more than 19 NBA franchises have committed to their entire rosters. And even though all three have unguaranteed final seasons (Howard with an ETO, Lewis and Carter with partially guaranteed salaries), that doesn't mean a whole lot. Dwight is not likely to opt out of $19.54 million, and if he does he'll re-sign for something similar anyway. Lewis's astronomical $22.7 million salary is a minimum of $10 mil guaranteed (rising to as much as $17.25 mil guaranteed if he meets performance benchmarks); however, while that represents a huge saving should he be waived, it also means an 8 figure commitment to someone who wouldn't be on the roster, which is not comforting and definitely not creative. And while Carter's final season is only $4 million guaranteed, waiving him before that final season would mean paying him $37 million for two seasons of work, which is is equally uncomfortable. The Magic have taken on an absolutely massive burden, which will be doubly painful if it doesn't work out on the court.

Thankfully, the other players are more competitively priced. Smith hit a sweet one when he extended Jameer Nelson to an incentive-laden 5 year, $40.5 million contract that pays a flat $8.1 million per season. This is a market value contract to a key player, who figures to only get better throughout the life of the contract. Brandon Bass and Mickael Pietrus are on similar deals, both signing flat rate contracts (for $4 mil and $5.3 mil respectively) which have performance incentives that could increase their value. Marcin Gortat is entirely worth the full Mid Level Exception, if only as a future trade chip. And no other player on the roster has a sizeable salary, with the next highest being J.J. Redick's expiring $2.84 million. The bottom third of the roster is done at bargain price, with Jason Williams and Adonal Foyle earing the minimum (only two thirds of which is charged to the Magic's cap), Ryan Anderson on a rookie scale contract, and with Matt Barnes earning only slightly more than that ($1.6 million for two years). Giving Anthony Johnson two years was a mistake - giving Anthony Johnson one year was a mistake - but it hasn't cost Orlando anything significant.

Smith and the Magic front office have had a fine offseason, paying market value prices to acquire some good quality players. Even the little things, such as the inclusion of Ryan Anderson into the Carter deal, were handled well, and they've been able to assemble the deepest Magic team in the franchise's history. (Not the best, though; that title is forever bestowed upon the 1999/00 lineup that featured liberal dollops of Ron Mercer, John Amaechi and Chucky Atkins. Great fun.) But all of this offseason's succees is only possible because of ownership, and their new-found desire to spend.

Don't get me wrong; spending is good. Being able to spend means you're able to buy, to obtain players and assets that non-spending teams could not. And in this tough economic climate, where most teams are inclined to sell and borrow, it's an even bigger blessing. But what would have happened if the Magic had lost to the Celtics after all? What if there was no Finals berth? What would have happened to the spending? The always tax-shy ownership - who have never previously paid any luxury tax - might have been shy of doing so now. They're currently on tap for a payroll of roughly $100 million, once tax deductions are taken into account. Had last year's Magic team been less successful, that figure might have been $30 million less.

It's not, though. As we've seen, the Magic are willing to spend their way to success, moreso than ever before. Because of that, Otis Smith has been able to offset the loss of Hedo Turkoglu and build the deepest Magic team of all time. And he's done it well.

As a Bulls fan, I'm jealous of this. Our ownership have always said that they'll pay for a 'winner,' but they've never done so, in spite of having profits bigger than Kirk Hinrich's Adam's Apple. Perpetually needing to make a big time deal for a front court star, the Bulls haven't been as gun shy about it as the press would have you believe, but the one time they were able to find the right deal (Pau Gasol), ownership vetoed it, not believing that Pau Gasol was worth paying the luxury tax for. As a result, we had to see out the 2006/07 season with P.J. Brown at power forward, and slumped back into the lottery the following season. Not cool.

We look up to you, therefore, as an example of how an NBA team's ownership really will step up and pay for a winner. The Magic did not pay for a winner when they weren't one, but now that they are, they are. (If that makes sense.) In contrast, Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf occasionally speaks of the Bulls' willingness to pay tax for a Finals team, but because we've never had one, it's never happened. We have to strive to avoid it, in fact, and this meant a dump of Thabo Sefolosha for Taj Gibson at the deadline just to be under the tax threshold this season. With profits like ours, it need not have happened....but it did. Bad times.

Yet as flattering as our envy may be, this does not matter to Magic fans. All that matters to you is the fortunes of your own team. And those fortunes are born directly out of the renewed commitment to the team by ownership. If Rich DeVos had forgotten that he was his own first name and pansied out of the luxury tax this year, your future would look a lot different. There may not have been no Vince Carter deal, for example, and no retaining Gortat. There might not have been a Bass signing, either, and the luxury of having Matt Barnes as a fifth forward option just wouldn't have been possible. With the luxury tax set at $69.72 million this upcoming season, the Carter trade left the Magic with $68.96 million in committed 2009/10 salary with only 8 players under contract. Without the Carter deal, there wouldn't have been a whole lot more money to spend, with $64.32 million committed to only 9 players (three of which would be point guards, one of which would be Tony Battie).

Had it not been for this new-found willingness to pay the tax, you would probably have entered this season with a worse team than last year's. The money just would not have been there to keep together the previous team, let alone to build upon it. To improve upon the former team would have involved finding some real bargains, cutting salary in a market where most teams are trying to do the same, and reducing the Magic's short term financial commitments without affecting the on-court product too much. To get all of that done, it would taken some truly creative financing.

And as much as he likes to talk about it, Otis Smith isn't very good at that.

So buy a cap, place it on your head, and then doff it towards the Orlando Magic's ownership. When called upon, DeVos coughed up cheese that he didn't need to cough up, all for the good of the franchise. The Magic just enjoyed arguably their best season ever, and if they do it again - or go one better - then it's directly because they took the shackles off the payroll, and financed the fine personel moves.

Otis, you buy a cap too.