(Hedo/JRich for Gortat/VC/Pietrus confirmed) Rumor: Arenas to Orlando Magic?

[Fafnir]

Quite a gamble by Otis. GREAT that they got rid of both chokers - but there's no backup center.

Big loss in Pietrus, and I don't believe Turk has much - if anything - left.

They need to trade QRich and either Duhon or JWill for a big, as they only have 2nd year Earl Clark and rookie Daniel Orton

I don't think they can trade QRich, unless you think Turk/Jrich can be their perimeter defender.

[Fafnir]

http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.cgi?id=7Zaua

I just looked at Gilbert and Rashard's numbers, yuck for both! I'd watched both play a decent amount but I thought both were playing better than that!

But even with that I don't like the Arenas move at all. He's shooting 39% overall and 23% from deep in December. Combine that with his chucker tendancies and awful defense why did Orlando make this move?

[Jon]

I like the move because they clearly weren't going to ever win a title with the team as it was currently constructed. 

That's not to say this is going to work out.  They could be worse.  However, there's also a chance they could get better.  Richardson, Turkoglu, and Arenas are all better options at the end of the game than Carter, Pietrus, and Lewis. 

[Fafnir]

I like the move because they clearly weren't going to ever win a title with the team as it was currently constructed.  

That's not to say this is going to work out.  They could be worse.  However, there's also a chance they could get better.  Richardson, Turkoglu, and Arenas are all better options at the end of the game than Carter, Pietrus, and Lewis.  

Richardson is better, Turk and Arenas are certainly not. And Richardson is the one who is expiring and won't be with the team in the future!

Given the salary situation in Orlando, barring a rule that allows Orlando to clear a contract in the new CBA they've lost Dwight Howard with this trade.

[Fafnir]

I just had another thought, if this trade goes as poorly as I expect Orlando could fall to the four seed in a permanent basis, even with Noah's injury.

That'd be awesome for whomever has the number 1 seed, I think the Bulls will be a tougher out.

[nba is the worst]

Quite a gamble by Otis. GREAT that they got rid of both chokers - but there's no backup center.

Big loss in Pietrus, and I don't believe Turk has much - if anything - left.

They need to trade QRich and either Duhon or JWill for a big, as they only have 2nd year Earl Clark and rookie Daniel Orton

I don't think they can trade QRich, unless you think Turk/Jrich can be their perimeter defender.

Hard for me to call QRich "their perimeter defender" with his Dec. results vs opposing SGs this season. Pretty much all of his numbers are down with the Magic except FT%. Causing his minutes to be halved by SVG.

[Fafnir]

Quite a gamble by Otis. GREAT that they got rid of both chokers - but there's no backup center.

Big loss in Pietrus, and I don't believe Turk has much - if anything - left.

They need to trade QRich and either Duhon or JWill for a big, as they only have 2nd year Earl Clark and rookie Daniel Orton

I don't think they can trade QRich, unless you think Turk/Jrich can be their perimeter defender.

Hard for me to call QRich "their perimeter defender" with his Dec. results vs opposing SGs this season. Pretty much all of his numbers are down with the Magic except FT%. causing his minutes to be halved by SVG.

He's a better defender than Jason Richardson/Turk/Arenas/Redick however. Well I suppose J.Rich might be as good.

I understand that we're talking small fish in a tiny defense pond though.

[Jon]

I like the move because they clearly weren't going to ever win a title with the team as it was currently constructed.  

That's not to say this is going to work out.  They could be worse.  However, there's also a chance they could get better.  Richardson, Turkoglu, and Arenas are all better options at the end of the game than Carter, Pietrus, and Lewis.  

Richardson is better, Turk and Arenas are certainly not. And Richardson is the one who is expiring and won't be with the team in the future!

Given the salary situation in Orlando, barring a rule that allows Orlando to clear a contract in the new CBA they've lost Dwight Howard with this trade.

I didn't say that Richardson, Turk, and Arenas were better players than Carter, Pietrus, and Lewis.  I was simply saying that all three are better at the end of games.  And perhaps more specifically at getting their own shot.  One of the great downfalls of Orlando has been their inability to have a guy who can create his own shot down the stretch.  Arenas can do that, Turk can do that, and so can J-Rich.

Now again, this could blow up horribly.  I realize that.  I'm by no means saying that it works.  However, I applaud Orlando for rolling the dice.  There's no point in perpetually being the 3rd or 4th best team in the East. 

[Fafnir]

Yeah I don't buy the "better at the end of games" line all that much. If you shoot a TS% of .500 you're not going to be good in the clutch, even if you have right mindset to chuck.

Turk is an upgrade at playmaking at the SF position, but only if they give him the ball. I'm not sure he's a better option than Jameer however.

[Jon]

Yeah I don't buy the "better at the end of games" line all that much. If you shoot a TS% of .500 you're not going to be good in the clutch, even if you have right mindset to chuck.

Turk is an upgrade at playmaking at the SF position, but only if they give him the ball. I'm not sure he's a better option than Jameer however.

Perhaps.  Again, I'd saying it's probably 25/75 that this is a better team.  And even if the 25% comes through, I still think it's a longshot that they can win it all. 

However, I think the odds are still better than before.  And as Danny showed us midway through the 2000s, there's no point in perpetually being a playoff team that can't win it all. 

[Who]

Jason Richardson is a very solid defender.

His focus and effort has been very inconsistent over the past few seasons but when he's concentrating on his defense he is a capable player on that end of the floor. On a team like the Magic (and Dwight) and under a coach like SVG who stresses defense, I would expect J-Rich to be locked in defensively far more often.

I would consider him their best wing defender. 

[mgent]

I think they need to trade either Nelson or Duhon+Redick for a better big.

[2short]

I wouldn't want gilbert arenas on our team at all, why would orlando trade for him?  They were a tough matchup because of Lewis and Turk.  They let Turk go but bring him back and move Lewis?
JRich is a good player but they loose their quality backup center and a good bench player in Pietrus.  I think Phoenix did well in the trade, Washington got rid of a guy that they shouldn't have been able to trade at all
As someone stated dwight howard will probably move on, this team goes nowhere but imploads, gilbert arenas? wow
maybe we can get redick out of them as they burn up

[Jon]

I wouldn't want gilbert arenas on our team at all, why would orlando trade for him?  They were a tough matchup because of Lewis and Turk.  They let Turk go but bring him back and move Lewis?
JRich is a good player but they loose their quality backup center and a good bench player in Pietrus.  I think Phoenix did well in the trade, Washington got rid of a guy that they shouldn't have been able to trade at all
As someone stated dwight howard will probably move on, this team goes nowhere but imploads, gilbert arenas? wow
maybe we can get redick out of them as they burn up

I'm not convinced Arenas is coming off the bench.  I wouldn't be surprised to see a Nelson/Arenas/Richardson/Turk/Howard lineup.  Even if not, I wouldn't be surprised to see that lineup for long stretch and/or to close out games.  In that case, they're still a tough matchup as you still have to cover their 4 on the perimeter and at 1-3 they're all dynamic scorers you can't leave to double Howarrd. 

[billysan]

I think The Magic overpaid for Turkoglu and Richardson with the added draft pick.

While I would not have added Arenas to my roster for any reason, it is possibly a nice gamble for Orlando. I think if I am SVG, I tell Arenas he has one chance and then it is "Do you remember a guy named Stephan Marbury? He made lots of money, thought he could do his own thing and soon wasnt allowed in the arena for much of his last couple of seasons, now he cant get an NBA team to return his phone calls."

If Arenas comes in hungry and commits to SVG and the team concept? Who knows? I do not think Dwight Howard will be putting up with too much baloney from Agent 'O' either way. SVG will likely find his career on the line if he cant handle this crew.

Will a collapse by this team start a new Doc Rivers to Orlando next season rumor? I would absolutely count on it to be out there by late spring of this season.