How Did We Get....Here?
Five seasons. That's all it took, five seasons. From Eastern Conference champs and and NBA Finals appearance to, well....embarrassment in five short seasons; but how? Rob Henningan, who took over for much maligned former Magic GM Otis Smith prior to the 2012-2013 season, has endured the lowest of lows.
"When I got here things were just a mess. Front office morale, team morale, fan morale, all where very low. Here was an NBA franchise with plenty of success and tradition in its short time in the NBA, and they didn't have an identity, they didn't have any direction. "The infamous "Dwightmare" fiasco came to a head shortly after Hennigan was named GM.
"The trade was not a popular one. Not because we traded Dwight - everyone knew that was coming - but because of what we got in return. There was plenty of criticism and, in hindsight, I guess I can see why. At the time I felt like I made the best possible decision for the organization. We had to move forward." On the job less than two months, and the league's youngest general manager already had some questioning his ability. And things would only get worse.
In 2012-2013 the Orlando Magic reached an all-time low, posting a miserable 13-69 record.
This may sound like 'GM speak' but I really did remain optimistic throughout the season. Things were worse than bad, I understand that. But I saw improvement. I saw a small glimmer of hope." In a season where their leading scorer, Aaron Afflalo, averaged fewer than 15 points per game, you'll have to excuse fans for not being able to see the light at the end of the table. But winning the draft lottery did provide a small sliver of hope.
In the following season, things got better, but not by much. The Magic once again finished with the worst record in the league, but improved by eight wins in doing so. It seems strange to say going 21-61 is reason to feel better about your team, but number one overall pick, center Nerlens Noel, did provide provide a small ray of sunshine on an otherwise cloudy situation. Noel averaged 14.9 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and 1.4 BPG on his way to being named the NBA's rookie of the year.
"The upside this kid has is crazy. As impressive as his rookie season was, he hasn't even scratched the surface of how good he can be. He has no idea what he's capable of. He's only 20 and it seems like he gets better every day," said Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn. Even more reason for Magic management, coaches, and fans to get excited was on the horizon.
After posting the league's worst record for the second straight season, the Magic did the unthinkable by winning the draft lottery...again; and this time it was a big one. That number one overall pick landed them do-it-all small forward Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins, who spent his one year of college leading the Kentucky Wildcats to a national championship, had as much pre-draft hype surrounding him as any prospect since LeBron James. Wiggins, who averaged 20.2 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 3.8 APG, and 2.1 SPG while being the consensus National Player of the Year and a unanimous first team All-American, was being viewed as someone in the LeBron James mold: a physically gifted forward with freakish athleticism, with a complete all-around game.
The pieces were laid; but Hennigan wasn't done yet. During the free agent signing period he made one more splash by signing a young point guard ready to breakout: Eric Bledsoe. Bledsoe, who had shown flashes of being a great player in his three seasons backing up Clippers star point guard Chris Paul, was now being handed the reigns to his own team.
"We were very excited when the Clippers decided to not match our offer sheet for Eric. We felt that he had the ability and more to be the lead guard on a championship caliber team. He's only 24 and hasn't reached his full potential, yet, said Hennigan.
So the franchise cornerstones are in place. At an average age of just 21 years old, there are three extremely talented players with seemingly limitless potential in place. There will be growing pains, as there always are with a team so young - the average age of the roster is a shade under 24 years old - but there is plenty of reason to be optimistic going forward.
Eric Bledsoe is now in the spotlight. After years of being overshadowed, he has been given the keys to his own teamThe GeneralOvershadowed would be a good way to sum up Eric Bledsoe's post-high school basketball career. In college, at Kentucky, Bledsoe was the "other guy" in the Wildcats backcourt playing alongside John Wall; and, for the first three years of his NBA career, he served as the back-up to arguably the best point guard in the NBA in Chris Paul. No matter how well he played, Bledsoe has always been overshadowed by another player.
Man, I just show up to work everyday. I don't let any of that other stuff bother me. John [Wall] and Chris [Paul] are phenomenal players. They deserve every bit of praise and hype they get. I know that. It's up to me to show up and just play ball the way I've always played. But yeah, I'm definitely excited about getting a chance to be my own man, show what I can do as the lead guard." Patience will be key, though. Playing on a talented team in LA, where the spotlight elsewhere, it was easy for bad games to go unnoticed. A two point six turnover game? No problem, good or bad, what Paul and Blake Griffin did got all the attention. Here, though, in Orlando that won't be the case. For the first time in a long time Magic fans have hope, and with hope comes expectations. "
For sure. I know now the pressure is going to be on me. Nerlens and Andrew, those guys are still really young and growing. Fans will be quicker to forgive them for a bad game. Me, though, I get that I'll be under the microscope more. I want it that way. I want to be held accountable for my bad games.It's his team now. He has the keys and, for the first time since high school, the chance to truly shine and showcase his skills.
Coming off a Rookie of the Year campaign a year ago, Nerlens Noel has fans in Orlando excited about basketball again.The AnchorWhile there's been other big men in recent years who entered the league with more hype (Greg Oden, Blake Griffin, Anthony Davis) second year center Nerlens Noel still had plenty of his own hype surrounding him following his freshman year at Kentucky. Replacing Anthony Davis, who led Kentucky to a national championship while hauling in a boat load of awards and honors, the pressure on Noel was high from day one. While no one expected Kentucky to repeat as national champions after losing six players off that 2011-2012 team, it was, after all, still Kentucky. Fans expected lots of wins and a deep postsesaon run. Noel did not disappoint. Noel led the Wildcats to the Final Four while garnering National Freshman of the Year and All-American honors and, as expected, was the number one overall pick in the 2013 draft. And with expectations soaring, at a time when it would've been easy to take a step back, Noel did not disappoint in his rookie season averaging 15 PPG, 9 RPG, and 1.5 BPG. Wins were few and far between, but Noel provided fans with a reason to be excited.
I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a rough firs year. Winning is all that really maters to me, so when you start losing as much as we did last year, it's not easy to stay optimistic. But yeah, I felt like we got better and I felt like I had a good year. I know I can't be satisfied with that, though. I have to get better and I have to help this team win more games. Known as a shot-blocking defensive force coming out of college, Noel's 15 points per game was definitely a surprise.
He was - and still is - so raw as an offensive player. He got 15 a night last year and probably 10 of those were primarily hustle points off an offensive rebound putback or hustling for a loose ball or an errant pass and scoring. We already knew he could anchor a defense. He has that type of ability and great instincts on that end of the floor, but we didn't really expect him to come in and average 15 a game right off the bat, said head-coach Jacque Vaughn.
Of course the question had to be asked. After Shaquille O'Neal spent a very promising four seasons in Orlando, leading them to an NBA Finals appearance, he bolted for the bright lights of Hollywood to play for the Lakers. Shortly thereafter, O'Neal led the Lakers to three straight championships in a dominating manner rivaled by very few in NBA history. A decade later Dwight Howard came along; and, like O'Neal, after leading the Magic to an NBA Finals appearance, he left to play for the Lakers, albeit in a different manner. So, of course, Magic fans want to know if Noel is in it for the long haul. "
Man, I'm only 20 years old. I can't honestly say right now where I'll be 5 or 10 years down the line, but I understand their concern. To be honest, though, I already love it here. I want to be here my entire career. The fans are great, the city is great, and I want to make a lasting legacy in Orlando. I want to buck the trend of Orlando being a farm system for Lakers centers. And if does, things certainly look promising for Magic fans.
Expectations are at an all-time high in Orlando. One year after winning the Nerlens Noel lottery, the Magic won the Andrew Wiggins mega lottery.The Franchise Once every 10 or 20 years a player comes along that, regardless of how well you know basketball, you can tell has
it. Andrew Wiggins, according to, well...everyone, is one of those players. Wiggins, who was already being called the best high school player in the country following his sophomore year of high school, appears to have that "do-it-all" ability that will lead to many sleepless nights for opposing coaches.
Saying it's scary how good this kid could be would be an understatement. When people say he's got the most potential of player since LeBron, they aren't lying. After scouting and watching high school game film and in person a few times last year at Kentucky, I don't know if I've ever seen a young player with a knack for the game like him. His immense physical gifts and tremendous ability are obvious. Anyone can see that. But what some people don't see is his passion and relentless will to win. He's a warrior. He also has all the intangibles you look for in a franchise centerpiece, commented Vaughn.
While still an unknown in terms of what he will be in the NBA, Wiggins certainly has high expectations and a desire to match those expectations.
No doubt. They've followed me my entire career and I've never shied away, so why start now? I want this, I need this. I thrive off stuff like that. Knowing people expect greatness drives me to be constantly improving my game. I know to never be content with where I'm at as a player. If I'm not working on improving a hole in my game each and every day, then I'm getting worse as a player, and that's not what I'm about. Cocky? Maybe a little, but it's hard not to be when a player has his ability.
The pieces are certainly there. The worst of times appear to be in the rearview mirror. It will take time, and patience, but a franchise that's less than 30 years old and has been through more rough times than most teams in the league, there's real reason to be genuinely excited about the future...for now.
by PicknPop87 on Mon Nov 05, 2012 8:14 am 
But if I were you, I'd try to write a little less (it happened to me more than once). 
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