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Video: Catching up with Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith

By OrlandoMagicFan on Monday, September 26th, 2011 | No Comments

With the lockout in place, the Orlando Magic — including Otis Smith — spent Friday beautifying a local elementary school (Gary Bassing, Orlando Magic)

You could understand if the Orlando Magic’s Otis Smith and his general-manager counterparts throughout the NBA are feeling a bit frustrated these days.

After all, teams normally would be gearing up for training camp this time of year. But now everything’s in limbo due to the league’s unsettled labor situation. League officials announced Friday that training camps have been postponed indefinitely and that the first week of preseason exhibitions have been canceled.

Some members of the local television media and I caught up with Smith on Friday as about 180 Magic employees worked to beautify Palmetto Elementary School. I understand if you’d prefer to hear Smith discuss the specific issues he faces as he assembles a roster. But David Stern has instituted a gag order that prevents any league employee or team employee from discussing specific players or specific issues involved with the lockout.

So, for now, we’ll have to settle for this:

On the school beautification project:
“We don’t get an opportunity to do these things at this time, because normally we’re playing basketball. But you get some of our guys out here and they actually get into it. So it works for us.”

It is bittersweet that you’re out here because of the lockout?
“Well, we’d rather be playing basketball, but the fact of the matter [is] we’re not. So since we’re not, we’re doing something where I think we could give back a little bit more to the community [at a time] when we’d really wouldn’t have the time — at least the basketball staff.

Reaction to the league’s announcement Friday:
“It is what it is. They’re working to get a deal done. Until we get a deal done, we can’t move forward. That’s the only thing I really have to say. They’re in the process of doing that.”

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

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Rashard Lewis, Otis Smith at center of CBA negotiations

By OrlandoMagicFan on Tuesday, September 13th, 2011 | No Comments

Rashard Lewis’ 8 million dollar contract limited the Magic’s future flexibility, but it wasn’t his fault. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

During Rashard Lewis’ final days in Orlando — amidst his worst season as a starter — the comments section of this blog was nastier than a Ruggero Deodato horror movie. Fans were angry at Lewis for his admittedly poor play, and that anger was amplified because Lewis was one of the highest paid players in the NBA.

Indeed, Lewis’ 6-year, 8 million dollar contract signed in 2007 has crippled the Magic’s future. He’ll earn about million next season despite not being an all-star since 2009 and appearing in just 57 uninspiring games last season because of a knee injury. Next year, Lewis will earn more money than Dirk Nowitzki, LeBron James and every NBA player not named Kobe Bryant.

And so, before the Magic traded Lewis for Gilbert Arenas on Dec. 18, 2010 — in a swap of the NBA’s two worst contracts — fans were bitter.

Lewis could do no right. Even after good games and Magic victories — or even, say, had he cured Alzheimer’s — fans would get on Lewis for not living up to his contract.

But the truth of the matter is it wasn’t Lewis’ fault. Lewis didn’t offer himself a contract. Lewis didn’t force the Magic to extend the Godfather offer, which he accepted before leaving Central Florida.

Says Lewis: “You sign me to a deal, you think I’m going to say, ‘No, I deserve [million] instead of [million]?’ I’m like, ‘Hell, yeah.’ I’m not going to turn it down. You can’t blame the players. If anything, we don’t negotiate the deal. We’ve got agents that negotiate the deals with the team. Y’all need to go talk to the teams and the agents.”

Thus, Lewis finds himself at the center of the ongoing labor negotiations between the players and owners.

Lewis is a symbol of what’s wrong with the NBA’s business model, according to owners: Players earn guaranteed money long after their play deserves it. Because the NBA only doles out guaranteed deals, some players continue to earn big money beyond their primes.

But Lewis’ quote classifies the players’ side: The owners are the ones offering these mammoth contracts to begin with. No one made Otis Smith give Lewis max money. No one forced the Hawks to give a ridiculous deal to Joe Johnson last summer. Gilbert Arenas didn’t put a gun to the Wizards’ head — OK, maybe that’s a bad choice of words — to sign him to a monster extension in 2008.

This isn’t the entire reason we have a lockout, but it sure is part of it. The right answer, as with anything, is probably somewhere in the middle. Owners need protection from themselves offering these ill-advised contracts, and they want a way to get out of these deals when they make a mistake. But you can’t blame the players — the ones putting butts in the seats — for expecting to be paid what they agreed on.

The players’ union and the NBA are meeting today for another day of negotiations. The two sides are expected to make proposals, and how close they are will prove critical in starting the regular season on time.

At the center of those negotiations will be Smith, Lewis and the 8 million deal they agreed to four years ago.

Follow @ZachMcCann

zmccann@orlandosentinel.com

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Otis Smith wants Gilbert Arenas to stay off the basketball court

By OrlandoMagicFan on Thursday, June 23rd, 2011 | No Comments

Gilbert Arenas’ priority this summer is his body, not his game. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

Gilbert Arenas needs to take some time away from basketball this summer. That’s what Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith says.

Smith, in an interview with Brian Fritz and Dante Marchitelli on the Open Mike radio show, said it’s important for Arenas to stop playing basketball and focus on improving his body.

Smith wants Arenas, who weighs about 225 pounds, to lose 10 to 15 pounds this summer. And he wants Arenas to continue strengthening his injured knee. Smith called both of those goals a “non-issue” and something he has no worries about.

What Smith does worry about, however, is Arenas playing basketball too much.

“The thing I have to fight with him on a daily basis is the the guys who are basketball players, that love to play basketball, like to play basketball all the time, year-round. And he’s one of those guys,” Smith said. “He’s a gym rat. That’s counter-productive for him. He actually has to play little to no basketball up until September and then he can pick up a ball and start shooting. Guys who are that skilled get those things back.”

When Arenas was struggling this season, he often spoke of his dominance in pick-up basketball over the summer. Arenas played with Tracy McGrady and several other NBA players last offseason.

This offseason, however, it appears Arenas’ team doesn’t want him playing any ball.

To listen to Smith’s complete interview, click here.

Follow @ZachMcCann

zmccann@orlandosentinel.com

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Berger: Trade Rumor Linking Josh Smith, Orlando Magic “Totally Legit”

By OrlandoMagicFan on Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011 | No Comments

When Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported Josh Smith expects the Atlanta Hawks to trade him, and that the Orlando Magic are on the shortlist of teams to which he’d like to be traded, it piqued Magic fans’ interest. And while a lot of the rumors discussed during the lead-up to Thursday’s NBA Draft turn out to be bogus, it looks as though the Magic and Hawks are indeed discussing a trade built around Smith. From Ken Berger of CBS Sports:

A source also said discussions between Atlanta and Orlando with Josh Smith going to the Magic are “totally legit.” Executives say the Hawks have expressed an eagerness to move Smith and would like to shed salary in the process.

For Orlando, Smith’s appeal is obvious. Smith is a young, productive, versatile player who ought to have at least one All-Star appearance on his resume by now, but doesn’t. He’s coming off a season in which he averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.9 combined steals and blocks. He’s a player who can help any team, and as his Hawks showed the Magic in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, Orlando needs the help.

Further, Smith and Magic center Dwight Howard grew up together in Atlanta and played on the same AAU team, a fact of which we’re reminded at least once during Magic/Hawks telecasts. Adding Smith to Orlando’s roster could, in addition to helping the team on the court, give Howard a reason to consider staying when he can become a free agent next summer.

Having established all that, it’s difficult to imagine the Hawks dealing Smith to Orlando, however “legit” the trade talks are. The teams are division rivals, for one, so it doesn’t behoove Atlanta to help an adversary. The simpler reason, though, is Orlando doesn’t have much to offer. Berger’s report says the Hawks want expiring contracts, which the Magic don’t have. Perhaps Orlando could try easing Atlanta’s cap situation by agreeing to take on Marvin Williams’ contract (worth roughly million over the next three seasons). Overall, I don’t see the trade calculus working in the Magic’s favor here.

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Josh Smith hits trade market, lists Orlando as possible destination

By OrlandoMagicFan on Tuesday, June 21st, 2011 | No Comments

The Hawks have gauged trade interest in Josh Smith, according to Yahoo! Sports.

The Atlanta Hawks are seeing what they can get for Josh Smith on the open trade market, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, and Smith isn’t against being traded.

Smith listed the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic as his preferred trade destinations. The reason for a possible trade is tension between Smith and the Hawks — he and the Hawks haven’t always seen eye to eye — as well as the Hawks’ desire to shed salary.

The Magic would, of course, have interest in Smith, given his close relationship with Dwight Howard and his ability to defend almost anyone. Howard was the best man in Smith’s wedding last summer, and Smith would certainly help keep Howard (or should we say GM Howard?) in town beyond this season.

But it’s hard to envision the Magic putting together an attractive enough package to make the trade happen.

Strapped with Joe Johnson’s six-year, 3 million dollar contract — certainly one of the most outrageous salaries in the NBA — the Hawks are looking to shed salary while still remaining competitive. This puts them in the market for a veteran with a short contract or a player whose contract expires. The Magic can offer neither.

The Magic’s best hope is to convince the Hawks to give up Smith based on roster improvement, not salary reduction.

For example, the Magic could offer a package of Jameer Nelson and Brandon Bass for Smith, a move that would give the Hawks a legitimate point guard and some toughness on the inside. The Magic would acquire a versatile player who appeases Howard. All three players have two more years left on their deal and the salaries line up, so financially it’s a wash. The Hawks will probably receive a better offer than that, though, and that deal might not make Orlando better, to be frank.

Also worth mentioning: Intra-division trades are rare, especially when both teams are competitive. Neither team wants to help the other, especially because they’ve met in the playoffs the last two seasons.

All in all, it’s highly unlikely Smith will end up in Orlando, given the Magic’s inability to help Atlanta financially. This will be a common theme this summer: The Magic would have interest in Player X, but they lack the assets to acquire him.

Follow @ZachMcCann

zmccann@orlandosentinel.com

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Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith is no fan of Twitter

By OrlandoMagicFan on Thursday, June 16th, 2011 | No Comments

Perhaps no NBA roster uses Twitter more than the Orlando Magic, and that fact dismays Otis Smith, the team’s president of basketball operations and its general manager.

Indeed, Gilbert Arenas, who was fined recently by the NBA for the content in at least one tweet, isn’t the only Orlando player who likes the microblogging service.

At least 10 of the 13 players who finished the 2010-11 season on the Magic roster have Twitter accounts.

Player	Twitter handle
Malik Allen	—
Ryan Anderson	@ryananderson33
Gilbert Arenas	@agentzeroshow
Brandon Bass	—
Earl Clark	@3eaZy
Chris Duhon	@CDuhonStandTall
Dwight Howard	@DwightHoward
Jameer Nelson	@jameernelson
Daniel Orton	@danielorton21
J.J. Redick	@JJRedick47
Jason Richardson	@jrich23
Quentin Richardson	@QRich
Hedo Turkoglu	—

Smith, who played in the NBA from 1986 to 1992 and considers himself “old school” in many respects, won’t be joining Twitter anytime soon.

Asked by the Orlando Sentinel for his reaction to Arenas’ controversial Twitter account, Smith made his thoughts clear.

“I have thoughts about everyone’s Twitter account, actually,” he said.

“It’s got to be the dumbest thing a professional athlete has ever done. But they do it, and I’ve got no problem with that. That’s the world that we live in now: the mass media in which everyone is a reporter and everyone has an opinion on stuff and they continue to put it out there. God bless ’em all. Why a guy in the public eye would choose to do that kind of stuff is beyond me.”

Follow Josh Robbins on Twitter at @JoshuaBRobbins and e-mail him at jrobbins@orlandosentinel.com. Subscribe to our Orlando Magic newsletter at OrlandoSentinel.com/joinus.

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Schmitz: Orlando Magic Won’t Fire Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, Says CEO Bob Vander Weide

By OrlandoMagicFan on Saturday, May 7th, 2011 | No Comments

No matter how or when their season ends, the Orlando Magic will not fire President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith or head coach Stan Van Gundy, reports Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel. Bob Vander Weide, the club’s CEO, spoke with Schmitz on the record about his team’s foremost leaders:

[Vander Weide] and owner Rich DeVos’ family feel comfortable and confident in Van Gundy and Smith.

“We’re happy with Otis and Stan,” Vander Weide said. “Neither are in jeopardy.”

We’ve seen executives go back on their word in professional sports before, especially after issuing the so-called “vote of confidence,” so we still don’t know for sure that Smith and Van Gundy will return.

After the fold, a review of how the Magic got to the point where the media and fans wondered about the futures of Smith and Van Gundy.

This season has been Orlando’s most disappointing since Van Gundy took over in 2007/08, guiding a team that had been swept out of the first round of the playoffs the previous season to 52 wins, a division championshiop, and a playoff series victory; Smith’s acquisition of Rashard Lewis also played a huge role in thi improvement.

The Magic advanced to the NBA Finals the following season, despite All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson missing its final three months due to a shoulder injury. Smith acquired Rafer Alston as a replacement moments before the trading deadline, and Van Gundy integrated the veteran point guard, whom he coached previously in Miami, in short order.

After sweeping through the first two rounds of the 2009/10 playoffs, the Magic wilted against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. However, expectations for the coming season remained the same: it’s championship or bust.

Smith made two bold trades on December 18th, acquiring Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Earl Clark, and Gilbert Arenas after deciding his current team, which had lost five games out of its last six following a 15-4 start, could not contend for a championship. The new team went on a nine-game winning streak shortly thereafter, improving to 25-12, but never quite showed it was a marked improvement over the previous group.

Now, the team still faces first-round playoff elimination against the Atlanta Hawks despite having the league’s second-highest payroll.

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Otis Smith says Stan Van Gundy, Gilbert Arenas must get along (video)

By OrlandoMagicFan on Thursday, May 5th, 2011 | No Comments

Otis Smith said the relationship between Gilbert Arenas and Stan Van Gundy must improve. (Gary W. Green/Orlando Sentinel)

Gilbert Arenas, who has displayed frustration about his sporadic playing time over the last couple months, needs to improve his relationship with Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, Otis Smith said Friday afternoon.

“There’s some growth there that needs to happen as it relates to him,” Smith said of Arenas (complete video below). “Their relationship is going to have to get a little bit better. The relationships in the locker room with one another is going to have to continue to get better.”

Arenas has barely spoken to the media over the past couple months, but he did express frustration about his playing time after being benched for Game 3 against the Hawks.

“I’m sitting there thinking, this is what I’m built for,” Arenas told OrlandoMagic.com. “I’ve averaged 23 (22.3 points), five (assists) and four (rebounds) in the playoffs. I’m a veteran playoff player and I’ve put up big numbers in the playoffs before. But for my number to not get called it hurts.

“It’s the same with what’s been going on most of the season. My type of game isn’t Stan’s type of game.”

Arenas, who averaged a little more than 16 minutes in five playoff games, hopes that playing time increases, but that all depends on how the Magic roster shapes up and how hard Arenas works in the offseason.

The Magic’s chemistry issues played a big role in their demise, Smith said. And the tension between Arenas and Van Gundy certainly didn’t help that.

“There’s some work that needs to be done from a chemistry standpoint,” Smith said. “But it takes time and we didn’t have time during the course of the season.”

Smith, who’s often criticized for the Arenas trade because he’s shared a close relationship with Arenas for almost a decade, defended the trade and said there’s too much made of how much that relationship affects his decision making.

“You guys make a bigger deal out of Gil and our relationship because it’s been ten years,” Smith said. “It’s been seven years with Dwight and Jameer and I have the same relationship. Nothing really changes. I am there every day, and I will say the things that no one else will say to all of them, Gil included. Do I talk to him? Yeah, I talk to him almost every day about what’s going on with him both on and off the court.”

Arenas declined to speak to reporters Friday.

Zach McCann can be reached at zmccann@orlandosentinel.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ZachMcCann.

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Magic GM Smith Answers Fans’ Burning Questions

By OrlandoMagicFan on Monday, May 2nd, 2011 | No Comments

Here are some excerpts from an article from correspondent Wil Bradley of The Bleacher Report about what Otis Smith may do this off-season to improve the Magic:

Magic general manager Otis Smith described the season as a “failure.” As an organization, the bar has been raised.

“We set the bar,” stated Smith. “And the bar is a championship. Anything less than that, rests on my head.”

Smith believes the Magic need to make up an “eighth of an inch” between themselves and the NBA’s best teams.

What holes need to be filled?

Orlando only has one point guard, with Jason Williams and Anthony Johnson having expiring contracts. Smith described both players as being “long in the tooth.”

Turnovers hurt the Magic throughout the season. The effect of Orlando’s occasional sloppy play became magnified against the Celtics. More ball handlers would alleviate pressure on Nelson to keep the ball moving.

How much will the roster change?

Smith clearly believes the Magic can compete as is. That said, Smith predicts only minor roster adjustments.

Simply put, the Magic will be looking to get better at the wing and point guard position. Somehow, I can still see Smith performing his NBA Jedi magic, and adding a true power forward.

Will the team keep J.J. Redick?

My rock solid pick for NBA free-agency, J.J. Redick stays in Orlando.

The organization values Redick.

Smith indicated as such, “We’ll do what we can to keep him.”

What are the Magic’s draft plans?

Smith did a great job finding Courtney Lee two years ago. Orlando has the 29th pick in the first round, and the 59th pick in the second.

Orlando hopes to get better via the draft—but if they can’t, expect a deal.

Orlando’s approach—make the team better—could mean that Smith trades the picks, getting more seasoned talent in return.

Here is the complete article from bleacherreport.com.

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Schmitz: Orlando Magic Won’t Fire Stan Van Gundy or Otis Smith, Says CEO Bob Vander Weide

By OrlandoMagicFan on Wednesday, April 27th, 2011 | No Comments

[Vander Weide] and owner Rich DeVos’ family feel comfortable and confident in Van Gundy and Smith.

“We’re happy with Otis and Stan,” Vander Weide said. “Neither are in jeopardy.”

After the fold, a review of how the Magic got to the point where the media and fans wondered about the futures of Smith and Van Gundy.

Now, the team still faces first-round playoff elimination against the Atlanta Hawks despite having the league’s second-highest payroll.

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