New faces add level of intrigue to Magic.
This time the Magic at least offer something we haven’t experienced since Dwight Howard’s exit: intrigue. Finally. Thankfully. Oh, give me intrigue. Give me heaping helpings of intrigue. Give me seconds, in fact.
For the past four seasons, we pretty much knew how things would end:
Young rebuilding basketball team loses lots of games, takes its reserved seat at the draft-lottery dais.
On Monday’s media day, though, there was 6-foot-10 inches of playoff curiosity in the form of Serge Ibaka at Amway Center.
Ibaka played with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook in a far away place called Oklahoma City, where the Thunder won lots of games and stole the state’s football thunder.
No, Serge didn’t bring Durant or Westbrook with him to Orlando for photo ops. But along with Ibaka, there also was Bismack Biyombo and Jeff Green actually wearing Magic jerseys.
These new guys — fully grown men who don’t need an NBA orientation — actually appeared in the playoffs last season unlike returning Magic lettermen Aaron Gordon, Nikola Vucevic, Elfrid Payton, Evan Fournier, Mario Hezonja and C.J. Watson.
“Rob and [assistant GM] Scott [Perry] know what they’re doing. I feel I can trust them.” Aaron Gordon on the Magic’s offseason moves
“That’s something different we haven’t had before,” Gordon said.
“These guys can help you get over the hump,” Vucevic said.
“Not to say [having veterans] gives us a comfort level, but we’re able to depend on guys,” general manager Rob Hennigan said.
Three other players signed this summer (D.J. Augustin, Jodie Meeks and C.J. Wilcox) give the Magic a total of six veteran arrivals who have a combined 200 postseason games among them. Conclusion: Hmmm. Losing doesn’t feel as inevitable as it used to.
At long last, there’s some suspense.
The plot no longer sickens, it thickens.
The Magic are like a good mystery, an Agatha Christie who-done-it.
Maybe this season we won’t be spent trying to figure out what killed the Magic’s postseason hopes — in January.
Maybe we won’t be running through the list of the usual suspects (lack of defense being Public Enemy No. 1).
Maybe we won’t be debating about which college star would be the best fit in Orlando.
Perhaps we will be following more welcome themes, such as:
The Magic win with tall ball in an age of small ball.
Centers Vucevic and Biyombo happily exist as the odd couple.
Frank Vogel cleverly finds points in a lineup built to prevent them.
Last season the Magic started 19-13 before they reverted to their old frustrating ways, finishing 35-47. What’s changed? The Magic’s top addition before 2015-16 was a solid coach (Scott Skiles).
This time their top additions are experienced players, plus a solid coach (Vogel).
No slight to the men scribbling the Xs as well as the Os, but I’ll take talent over a coach every time. Except in the case of Bill Belichick.
After Dwight left, the Magic had the two standard NBA rebuilding choices while clearing cap room: 1) piece it together with veterans or 2) start over from scratch with kids.
They chose Door No. 2 — and now have come back to trying Door No. 1.
The thing is, Hennigan didn’t win the new car (Andrew Wiggins) or the trip to Rome (Karl-Anthony Towns) in the draft-lottery game show. He won the handy serviceable kitchen appliances (Victor Oladipo, Gordon, Payton and Hezonja).
Missing from the playoffs since 2012, the Magic had to face facts: They weren’t going to get it done with the young bucks they had assembled.
They thanked Oladipo and Tobias Harris for their service and traded them, rebooting the rebuild in hopes of a different result.
“Surprised … seeing Victor leave,” Gordon said of Hennigan’s busy offseason. “But Rob and [assistant GM] Scott [Perry] know what they’re doing. I feel I can trust them.”
Added Gordon, “We are a better team.”
The Magic at least can say one thing with certainty before a basketball bounces: They are an intriguing team — finally, thankfully.