Post by aaronjh on Jul 21, 2007 10:40:16 GMT -5
They arrived over the span of two offseasons and were regarded as saviors of the franchise. Now, SF Lamar Odom and PG Mo Williams are on their way to Minnesota amidst a major shakeup by the Magic.
When Orlando acquired its second and third top ten draft picks last summer, there was a lot of speculation about what it meant for the franchise's direction, and what effect the rookies would have on the incumbents.
Odom had been regarded as the franchise player in Orlando, the guy who came in and saved the slumping franchise by leading it to the playoffs in his first season. But he couldn't stay healthy. It looked as if Orlando was sticking with him after all was said and done on draft night, but his performance was as lackluster as it was in his injury-plagued 2005 campaign.
Mo Williams was, for three years, the Magic's primary ballhandler. He showed flashes of his talent, but he was a shaky decision-maker who didn't have much confidence in his shot. He was relegated to backup minutes after the Magic's second draft selection, number nine pick Raymond Felton, showed he could distribute at a higher level.
When another piece to the puzzle looked attainable, Orlando penned the writing that had been on the wall despite any substantive rumors about trades regarding either player. The franchise was going in a younger, healthier, more athletic direction. They'll both likey be showcased for another trade while playing in Minnesota, and Magic GM Aaron Haberman said their both players he'd love to reacquire, but for now, it's a different story in Orlando.
A story of youth. "It's as if we just got our fourth lottery pick," Haberman said at Saturday's press conference. "This is a 21 year-old kid who is as developed as they come. He's an ubelievable athlete, and he knows how to use his size and quickness. Inserting this kind of defensive, high-energy presence in our lineup, is going to do a lot for the development of our other guys. Travis is going to be wearing Orlando blue for a long time."
Haberman spent a big chunk of time discussing his vision for Orlando--"an athletic, fast team that can get everything done on either side of the court at any position"--but when the topic of Odom's departure arose, the words still flowed, but the tone changed.
"When we brought in Lamar Odom two seasons ago, we gave him serious money," Haberman said. "I don't just toss around contracts like that. We really believed in him as a superstar. He has all the talent you could ever need. Probably the best ballhandler of anyone near his size. Long arms to play great defense. He scores inside and out. And we saw all of that with Lamar when he was healthy. He was what we envisioned. But he has a clear inability to stay healthy, and with each injury, he looked to have lost a step. He's still a great player, but he's a big risk and we don't think we can afford to keep losing seasons because of his lack of health.
"There are a lot of ways in which this is, plain and simple, a sad day for Orlando. The guy saved the franchise. He did big things, brought us to the playoffs. After his first season, I never predicted we'd arrive at this trade 18 months later.
"But the fact of the matter is, we did the move we felt was best for the franchise. Lamar will do big things elsewhere, but for this young team, Travis Outlaw makes too much sense. He's a freak athlete who will shut down the elite wings of the conference for a long time, and then he'll probably dunk on them a couple of times, too."
When Orlando acquired its second and third top ten draft picks last summer, there was a lot of speculation about what it meant for the franchise's direction, and what effect the rookies would have on the incumbents.
Odom had been regarded as the franchise player in Orlando, the guy who came in and saved the slumping franchise by leading it to the playoffs in his first season. But he couldn't stay healthy. It looked as if Orlando was sticking with him after all was said and done on draft night, but his performance was as lackluster as it was in his injury-plagued 2005 campaign.
Mo Williams was, for three years, the Magic's primary ballhandler. He showed flashes of his talent, but he was a shaky decision-maker who didn't have much confidence in his shot. He was relegated to backup minutes after the Magic's second draft selection, number nine pick Raymond Felton, showed he could distribute at a higher level.
When another piece to the puzzle looked attainable, Orlando penned the writing that had been on the wall despite any substantive rumors about trades regarding either player. The franchise was going in a younger, healthier, more athletic direction. They'll both likey be showcased for another trade while playing in Minnesota, and Magic GM Aaron Haberman said their both players he'd love to reacquire, but for now, it's a different story in Orlando.
A story of youth. "It's as if we just got our fourth lottery pick," Haberman said at Saturday's press conference. "This is a 21 year-old kid who is as developed as they come. He's an ubelievable athlete, and he knows how to use his size and quickness. Inserting this kind of defensive, high-energy presence in our lineup, is going to do a lot for the development of our other guys. Travis is going to be wearing Orlando blue for a long time."
Haberman spent a big chunk of time discussing his vision for Orlando--"an athletic, fast team that can get everything done on either side of the court at any position"--but when the topic of Odom's departure arose, the words still flowed, but the tone changed.
"When we brought in Lamar Odom two seasons ago, we gave him serious money," Haberman said. "I don't just toss around contracts like that. We really believed in him as a superstar. He has all the talent you could ever need. Probably the best ballhandler of anyone near his size. Long arms to play great defense. He scores inside and out. And we saw all of that with Lamar when he was healthy. He was what we envisioned. But he has a clear inability to stay healthy, and with each injury, he looked to have lost a step. He's still a great player, but he's a big risk and we don't think we can afford to keep losing seasons because of his lack of health.
"There are a lot of ways in which this is, plain and simple, a sad day for Orlando. The guy saved the franchise. He did big things, brought us to the playoffs. After his first season, I never predicted we'd arrive at this trade 18 months later.
"But the fact of the matter is, we did the move we felt was best for the franchise. Lamar will do big things elsewhere, but for this young team, Travis Outlaw makes too much sense. He's a freak athlete who will shut down the elite wings of the conference for a long time, and then he'll probably dunk on them a couple of times, too."