The 2010/11 Orlando Magic will be hosting their home games in the new Amway Center in downtown Orlando and hopes of another successful run through the NBA are linked not to Superman but to one time All Star Vince Carter. The team is in desperate need of a slasher who will attack the basket and Vince disappointed the team last season when he didn’t do that. "I expect him now to be Vince Carter, and last season he wasn't," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "We expect more from him." Carter realizes the quandary he is in and acknowledged that recently. "Just bring it. It's time to be me (again)," he said. "I accept that. I understand that. It's been on my mind all summer. And I don't have a problem with that."
In the offseason, the team Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson and the franchise is looking forward to playing Marcin Gortat next to Dwight Howard giving them a “Twin Towers” look.
The Orlando Magic are coming off an extraordinary season where they made it into the elusive NBA Finals. Although they gave to the LA Lakers in five games, the franchise gained more confidence in the way they put together their team.
In the offseason, the Magic did not rest on their laurels. They made moves to strengthen their backcourt and bench by trading three players to the New Jersey Nets for Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson. They also acquired three players in Free Agency, Brandon Bass, Matt Barnes and Jason Williams. The moves have seemed to work out well as the team has stormed out of the gates and (as of this writing) are sitting on a 22-8 record and are currently the #3 seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Orlando Magic entered the NBA in 1989 as an expansion team. The first squad consisted of Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles, Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith and Jerry Reynolds. With their first ever draft pick, the team chose forward Nick Anderson. The Magic finished 18-64 that first season but the team had the makings of a contender.
Over the years, Stars would come to Orlando trying to help get the team into the playoffs. Shaquille O’Neal, Penny Hardaway, Grant Hill, Tracy McGrady, Vince Carter, Steve Francis and most recently Dwight Howard.
The 1994/95 squad featuring both Shaq and Penny Hardaway ran away with a 57-25 record and the team made it into the NBA Finals and became the 2nd fastest team to make it to the finals in league history. The team would lose in the Finals to the Houston Rockets, swept in four games. The following season would see a return of the Magic en route to the Finals, but they ran into a 72-10 buzz saw led by Michael Jordan, Scotty Pippen and Dennis Rodman.
The Magic have the distinction of making the playoffs more than half of their existence as they have made 11 playoff showings in 20 seasons. The future of the team is in good hands and looks to have a solid nucleus for a number of years and should be able to compete at a very high level. Come get your tickets and cheer on your Orlando Magic as they make their way through the season en route to another title run.
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