Southeast Division breakdown: Reloaded Magic still reign

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Southeast Division breakdown: Reloaded Magic still reign

By Fran Blinebury, for NBA.com

Posted Jul 15 2009 2:58PM

Can a team knock off the MVP of the league, take down the club with the best regular-season record and advance all the way to the NBA Finals and still wind up being overlooked?

Say hello to the Orlando Magic.

Of course, being unappreciated and unloved was a strong motivator and worked out for Orlando last season. So maybe the inhabitants of the Magic kingdom will be happy to sit in the back seat again while rejuvenated Boston and re-armed Cleveland get all of the headlines in the Eastern Conference.

Not that the reigning Eastern champs sat idly themselves. By essentially trading Hedo Turkoglu for Vince Carter, the Magic kept their offensive zing and saved money in the long run. They forked over the cash to keep Marcin Gortat in the middle and reeled in Brandon Bass to make them even longer up front.

In Miami, the chicken-and-egg dance between the Heat and Dwyane Wade over who'll commit first continues, while there's been a definite upgrade to the backcourt scoring punch in Atlanta with Jamal Crawford joining a re-signed Mike Bibby.

If Gilbert Arenas is healthy and back to his old form, the Wizards under new coach Flip Saunders might be ready for one of the most dramatic liftoffs outside of Cape Canaveral. Year Two for Larry Brown in Charlotte will either see the Bobcats claw their way into a first-ever playoff spot or the peripatetic leader to begin looking for the door.

Orlando Magic

Gained -- Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass

Lost -- Rafer Alston, Tony Battier, Courtney Lee, Hedo Turkoglu

Up in the air -- After saying that $34 million over five years was too much to spend on a backup center, Magic GM Otis Smith matched the Dallas Mavericks' offer sheet to Marcin Gortat. Of course, that doesn't mean he'll still be on the roster come Christmas day. The Magic have only nine players under contract and the free-agent pool is beginning to thin out considerably.

Early projection for 2009-10 season -- It was a bold move for a team that advanced to the NBA Finals to allow key player Hedo Turkoglu out the door. But the Magic made the best of the situation by making the first move and dealing for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. They also picked up a trade exception worth $8 million to $9 million in the Turkoglu deal. The $53 million over five years to keep Turkoglu would have been a steep price and there's every reason to think that Carter can fill that slot -- if not improve it -- with only two years left on his contract. It keeps the team dynamic yet flexible in the near future. The signing of Brandon Bass to a 4-year, $18-million deal gives the Magic a young, active power forward, who allows Rashard Lewis to return to a more comfortable spot at small forward. If they hold onto Gortat, they've got plenty of size up front. With Boston healthy and Cleveland reloaded, the Magic will be overlooked but dangerous again in the East.

Miami Heat

Gained -- Patrick Beverley, Robert Dozier, Marcus Thornton

Lost -- None

Up in the air -- Everything until Dwyane Wade and Pat Riley come to some sort of meeting of the minds. Wade doesn't want to commit to the Heat long term until they make moves to upgrade and Riley says the club can't make significant additions until Wade commits to a new contract. It makes for speculation centering on everyone from Allen Iverson to Carlos Boozer to Andre Miller. Just another long, hot, speculative summer on South Beach.

Early projection for 2009-2010 season -- There is no doubt that the Heat are building, but maybe too slowly to suit the tastes of Wade, who doesn't seem inclined to wait on next summer to try to reel in Chris Bosh or another big-name playmate. Just two seasons after they were on the level of a weak expansion team, the Heat are coming off a 43-win campaign and pushed Atlanta to a seventh game in their first-round playoff series. The natural progression of second-year players Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers should keep Miami tracking upward. They certainly could use more than Jermaine O'Neal delivered most nights after his arrival from Toronto last season. Would Iverson be the offensive boost the Heat need or pure poison to second-year head coach Eric Spoelstra? Still, in the end, it's all about Wade and how happy Riley can make him.

Atlanta Hawks

Gained -- Jamal Crawford, Jeff Teague

Lost -- Speedy Claxton, Acie Law

Up in the air -- After getting Zaza Pachulia back in the fold with a 4-year, $19 million deal, there is still work to be done in solidifying the Hawks' front line. There has been little movement in negotiating with restricted free agent Marvin Williams, and Josh Childress left another hole by opting to return to Greece for another season.

Early projection for 2009-10 season -- No doubt that GM Rick Sund propped up his backcourt by hammering out a new 3-year, $18 million deal to keep Mike Bibby, trading for Jamal Crawford and then getting athletic combo guard Jeff Teague in the draft. There are many who think the Hawks could afford to let Williams fly the coop. But his length across the front line with Al Horford and Josh Smith was one of the Hawks' definite strengths last season and without a truly dominant center to anchor the offense they can't afford to give that up. The Hawks got out of the first round last season, but maybe that was only due to a favorable matchup against Miami. They're fun to watch and always a threat at home, but no threat to do anything but mix it up in the middle of the pack with the Heat.

Washington Wizards

Gained -- Randy Foye, Mike Miller

Lost -- Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila, Oleksiy Pecherov

Up in the air -- Can Gilbert Arenas return to form after playing just 15 games over the past two seasons and having knee surgery? Can Brendan Haywood bounce back from the wrist injury that kept him off the floor for all but six games of last season? Will they pick up Fabricio Oberto? For all of the efforts of Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, the Wizards' high-powered offense has been limping along like a tricycle missing a wheel with Arenas.

Early projection for 2009-10 season: After signing on new head coach Flip Saunders, the Wizards decided they were not interested in youth with the No. 5 overall pick in the NBA Draft and traded it away to Minnesota to get more veteran talent in Mike Miller and Randy Foye. So that means they've added a deep scoring threat (Miller) and an athletic combo guard (Foye) to an offense that already has plenty of punch when everyone is healthy. If Arenas is back to his old ways teaming up in the offense with Butler and Jamison, the Wizards will make scoreboards sing and could make the biggest move in the standings in the entire league. That still wouldn't let them crack the big three in the East with Boston, Cleveland and Orlando, but will make them a darkhorse threat by the time the Playoffs roll around.

Charlotte Bobcats

Gained -- Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown

Lost -- None

Up in the air -- The Bobcats are taking their time finalizing an agreement with point guard Raymond Felton, though nobody really doubts that it will eventually get done. The whole franchise is up in the air with Robert Johnson's decision to sell the franchise and everyone waiting to see if Michael Jordan can gain a majority stake and controlling interest.

Early projection for 2009-10 season -- It's the second year of Larry Brown's tenure as head coach in Charlotte and, according to the typical Larry Brown schedule, that means he's looking to trade every holdover prior to his regime that hasn't already been shipped out. Hello there, Gerald Wallace. His name is making the rounds in trade talks again. Goodbye, Sean May. It may be time for a change of scenery for the free agent forward. A couple of Tar Heels (Brown and Jordan) reached out for a Dukie (Gerald Henderson) in the Draft and the hope is that by putting him together in the backcourt with Felton and D.J. Augustin, the Bobcats are set in the backcourt. If only they could get Emeka Okafor to blossom on offense, they'd finally ready to take a big step forward. Brown had them scrapping for the final playoff spot into the final week of last season and it will likely take another great coaching job just to get them that close again.

[TheNorthCydeRises]

I'll put money on it that at least one writer/blogger will have us finishing LAST in the division. And I didn't know that Shane's brother, Tony Battier, played for the Magic.

[jy23]

I'll put money on it that at least one writer/blogger will have us finishing LAST in the division. And I didn't know that Shane's brother, Tony Battier, played for the Magic.

I can almost guarantee it!!!! Y are the wizards getting boosted so much for next season? Even when they were healthy they never made it out of the 1st round, and all they did this offseason was add more offense to a HORRIFIC defensive team! Don't see them being better than us this year, Miami is going to be right where they were last year,Charlotte mite win 40 games but won't be anywhere near us. Orlando is going to stay on top but it won't be by as big of a margin as it was last year. Yes they added a big name but that doesn't automatically make them better. If they're a better team it'll be because dwight howard progressed in his offensive game, it won't be because of that trade.