Image by Getty Images via @daylifeOrlando Magic
Entering the season, some of the biggest question marks for the Orlando Magic were shot creation and perimeter scoring. After a 16-9 start to the year, in which the Magic's offense ranked 14th in offensive efficiency, an inconvenient truth had been realized -- Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis weren't cutting it anymore.
Insert Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson into the equation. The expectation, when it comes down to it, is that Arenas, Turkoglu and Richardson address some glaring weaknesses for Orlando. The shot creation and perimeter scoring is there; now the Magic have to address their lack of frontcourt depth and size with the purge of Lewis and Marcin Gortat. Needless to say, it's likely that Magic president Otis Smith isn't done shaking up the roster. Will the changes be enough to overtake the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference? That remains to be seen. Van Gundy has a lot of work to do to assimilate Arenas, Turkoglu, and Richardson into Orlando's schemes collectively. Then there's the issue of figuring out whether or not the Magic sacrificed too much defense with these trades. The next couple of months should be real interesting.
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns accomplished two major goals in Saturday’s trade with the Orlando Magic by adding much-needed quality size in Marcin Gortat and dumping the long-term contract of a piece that didn’t fit the system in Hedo Turkoglu. That’s certainly worth the lateral swap of Jason Richardson for Vince Carter at the 2-guard spot and losing a seldom-used project in Earl Clark, especially when the Suns get a 2011 first-rounder to boot.
Washington Wizards
But for Grunfeld, the exchange was all about his personal perfect storm. Moving on past the Gilbert Arenas saga? Check. Save a little money? Check to the tune of at least $24 million. Get a player presumed to be a better fit with John Wall as a stretch four who can open up the court? Check, theoretically.
http://espn.go.com/blog/TrueHoop/post/_/id/22934/truehoop-views-on-magic-blockbuster
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