The Fan Voice: "SVG to the 1-2-3"By Live or Die Magic | September 28th, 2007
The 2007 off season was one of the craziest ever for the Orlando Magic. It has left us fans with plenty to cheer about and plenty to gripe about. As big a move as signing Rashard Lewis was, a move that has the potential to be equally significant is the decision to hire Stan Van Gundy as head coach.
Van Gundy recently stated that making the playoffs will be harder in the East this season. With that in mind, and as Van Gundy embarks on his first training camp with the Magic, let’s take a moment to discuss the things that he will need to do in order to make the playoffs and have a successful 2007 – 2008 Magic season (at least, in comparison to last season!).
1. Show up.Yeah, that’s right, I’m taking a thinly veiled shot at former coach Brian Hill. I think that SVG will be able to improve our record (even if our team personnel had not changed) just by implementing his own personal coaching philosophy and imposing his own preferences on the team.
2. Tell Dwight “Year four, it’s time to score!”Dwight Howard did lead the team in scoring last season. This season, it is quite likely that Rashard Lewis will lead the team. However, this should be the last season that Howard averages less than 20 points a game. A couple of “go-to” moves, especially of the post variety (Patrick Ewing should be able to teach him something, right?), along with his usual collection of put-backs and dunks, should be able to net Howard at least 21 points per game. Now, just imagine if he were to add a reliable 12-15 foot jump shot! Of course, we need to save something for Year 5!
3. Mold Jameer Nelson into a leader on and off the court.My personal opinion is that Jameer Nelson is SVG’s single biggest project this season. The Magic still do not know if Nelson is the firm answer at point guard. Stan needs to quickly determine the role he wants for Nelson and where he stands with the other point guards on the team. By mid-season, SVG should have determined if Nelson is capable of running his offense. If it is an emphatic “yes,” then our record (and hopefully Nelson’s stats) should reflect it. If not, then the team will need to seek out an alternative in the 2008 offseason. Note: this could be decided earlier if Otis and Nelson’s agent Steve Mountain strike a deal before the season.
4. Make Rashard Lewis Earn His MoneySo, what left a slightly bad taste for you? Was it the huge price tag or the fact that Darko Milicic walked? It will take a Herculian effort from Rashard Lewis to ever justify the max salary he received from us. But that doesn’t mean that this move won’t work out. SVG will take advantage of Rashard’s offensive versatility and we should see career numbers from him this season. We could say that Rashard should lead the team in scoring, we could say that Rashard should show improvement on the defensive end, and we could say that Rashard should be an all-star this season. But the best way that SVG can make Rashard Lewis earn his money this season is by giving him the ball in the closing minutes of a close game and telling him to win it for us. That is Rashard’s job this season. Write it down and remember it.
5. Communicate effectively with Otis Smith.Early indications show that Otis Smith and Stan Van Gundy are on the same page. But guess what? Early indications showed that Otis Smith and Brian Hill were on the same page. SVG needs to view his relationship with Otis Smith as important as his relationship with Dwight Howard. It would appear that Otis Smith has job security. Therefore, it is imperative that SVG gives Otis feedback on how well the “pieces fit together.” This will be extremely important leading up to the trade deadline. Otis and SVG will need to determine whether an additional move needs to be made.
6. Say “Hi” to Hedo.Call me crazy, but I think that Hedo Turkoglu is more valuable than ever now that we have Rashard Lewis. Regardless of whether Turk starts in a unconventional line-up or if he the 6th man, his offensive versatility will be crucial in SVG’s offense. With an improved Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis racking up points, Turk should see more daylight than he ever saw before. If health and inconsistency aren’t huge factors, Turkoglu should see a huge increase in the quality of his impact, if not the quantity. But Turk better beware, he could be a very attractive trading piece at the deadline!
7. Find out who this “Redick” kid is.We should soon find out the answer to one of last season’s biggest questions: was it the back injury, the foot injury, typical rookie jitters, or Coach Brian Hill? Redick showed in summer league that he can be assertive and make plays. I personally felt that this was much more important than whether he could fill the basket. We all know he can shoot. But SVG needs to get him on the court to find out if Redick can be our starting shooting guard at best, or an effective 3-point weapon off the bench at worst.
8. Turn Marcin Gortat and James Augustine into legit NBA big men.Ok, so this won’t happen overnight, and maybe not even this season. But unless a move is made between now and the start of the season, Gortat and Augustine are all we have behind Howard and the Chef in light of Tony Battie’s injury. SVG and his coaching staff now must demand more from their two young big men. Patrick Ewing will be earning his keep to be sure. As for Battie himself, he will have much more time to be in Gortat and Augustine’s ear during practice and games.
9. Avoid the arena issue.I don’t want to hear any quotes from SVG about the new arena. I don’t want him to even know what is going on. I want him focused solely on the players and the success of the team on the court. The Magic brass should be the ones worrying about that and hopefully they will not involve him in any way.
10. Take it easy!I refuse to believe that SVG just walked away from the Heat totally on his own. That being said, I do believe that he succumbed to pressures being exerted on him from multiple sources. It never looks good to step away mid-season, no matter what the circumstances. But SVG needs to appreciate that he is viewed as a breath of fresh air for this franchise. His players are excited, his bosses are excited, and his fan base is excited. Armed with the knowledge of that support, he should feel that everything is in place for him to just be himself and “do his thing.” That alone should translate into on-court success for the Orlando Magic.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
"My life will go on, this much I know. Cars and games will come and go. But never once will I forgetta, the way we danced, dear Dick Bavetta." -
from "I Left My Heart In Dick Bavetta"
orlandomagiczone.com 
