....in Orlando. Take it as you may. http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/columnists/orl-spt-schmitz062301.column?coll=orl%2Dsports%2Dheadlines Chris Webber has been looking at homes in Orlando. A former Magic player told me on Friday that he showed Webber around town. Maybe Webber's visit means something, maybe it means nothing for the Magic. Maybe it means that Shaquille O'Neal has chased Webber out of the Western Conference, and Shaq has recommended an Eastern Conference neighborhood at Isleworth. Maybe Webber is joining the PGA Tour and Tiger. Maybe the Magic will offer Webber a $50,000 salary and give $10 million to his favorite charity. The point is, the NBA's rumor rocket is about to take off, so keep your arms and legs inside the ride at all times. It can be dangerous. The draft will be held Wednesday night and the free-agent shopping period begins July 1. Peter Vecsey probably needs Ritalin this time of year. If you put stock into anything said, mumbled, whispered or e-mailed, it's at your own risk, although you should believe everything you read in the newspaper. While fatigue makes cowards of us all, the draft makes liars of every general manager and coach. Deception and double-talk rule as teams huddle to pick college and high school players. It reminds me of one of boxing promoter Bob Arum's priceless musings. Informed he had said just the opposite thing the previous day, Arum chuckled, "Yesterday I was lying; today I'm telling the truth." Magic General Manager John Gabriel is advising the local media that it can ask him whom the club might pick at No. 15 all it wants, but he can't guarantee his nose won't grow to Pinocchio proportions. He's basically guarding national secrets. GMs are not only trying to throw other GMs off track, but deftly they will use the media to leave false trails and create misdirection plays. Will the Magic take DePaul center Steven Hunter, whom they love, or 7-footers Brendan Haywood, Loren Woods or Jason Collins? Will they trade up, offering rookie of the year Mike Miller to get a crack at a top-five big man? Honest Gabe can't say. ESPN.com's third mock draft has the Magic picking 280-pound Michigan State freshman power forward Zach Randolph at No. 15 and St. John's point guard Omar Cook at No. 22. Fox Sports has Orlando taking a point guard who played for Paris Basket Racing in France, a Mr. Tony Parker, and Woods. CNN/SI has Randolph and Collins going to the Magic. No word yet on who Larry King likes. And can we read anything into the Magic's free-agent plans by what they do on draft night? Orlando's eternal search for Shaq's replacement apparently has come down to two names: Antonio Davis and Webber. But who knows? Who knows if the Magic can clear room or strike a deal for either free agent without decimating their roster to the point they might need to sign players from Paris Basket Racing. Who knows if they really want three high-priced stars on the payroll. Maybe the pursuit of Davis or Webber is just a public-relations front by the Magic to keep hope alive this summer. Yeah, maybe it's all a ruse. Then again, Davis has an off-season home here, and he did show up this week at Doc Rivers' golf tournament. And Webber has been looking for houses. The ex-Magic player who said he squired Chris around Orlando told me to draw my own conclusions. Or illusions. ------------------
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO......there's way too many conflicting stories going around. You telling me that orlando will sing two PFs? I think not. I thought A. Davis was already a lock to be signed..... ------------------
oh wait. i should've read the whole thing before posting. never mind that article, that's a load of crap, A. Davis will be signed. ------------------
Isn't C-Webb supposed to be in Houston around draft time? There will probably be an article in the Chronicle saying that Webber is doing House-Shopping in H-town as well. That's part of what free agents do. They take a look at what houses the city has to offer. Let's be optimistic here. Unless he has signed a contract for a house, it's all still up in the air. ------------------ It's Clutch's City and we're all just living in it...
If Webber wants to come to Orlando, then he'll be in Orlando. I think Orlando would rather sign a superstar in his prime then a one time allstar whos 33 years old. Orlando is having problems with attendence, and Chris Webber, Tracy McGrady, Mike Miller, and Grant Hill will fill the arena up. They will fill every arena in the league up as well. My DREAM Team PG:Grant Hill, Omar Cook SG:Mike Miller, Dee Brown SF:Tracy McGrady, Monty Williams PF:Chris Webber, Pat Garrity C:Brendan Haywood, Horace Grant Best starting five in the league. Worst Bench in the league. ------------------
How do you propose Orlando signs Webber? With Monopoly money? Because you certainly have no cap space to use. ------------------ "I always thought it was something that went around my house" - World B. Free on Defence
Depending on if Webber would take a bit less we could do a sign and trade or just trade players for draft picks etc. Renounce:Cory Alexander, John Amaechi, Andrew DeClercq, Troy Hudson, Don Reid, Elliot Perry, James Robinson, Monty Williams(?), Dee Brown(?) Ship off these players to other teams with cap room( Chi, Det, Hou) or in the sign and trade with Sac.. Michael Doleac $2 MIL Bo Outlaw $5 MIL Darral Armstorng $4 MIL Thats 11 Mil right there. We also have two first round picks we can trade. Also a future Sacramento pick that they probably would like back if Webber wants out. I like this team too PG:Grant Hill, Jamaal Tinsley(15) SG:Mike Miller, Dee Brown SF:Tracy McGrady, Gerald Wallace(31) PF:Chris Webber, Pat Garrity C: Horace Grant(Vet Excep), Steven Hunter(22) WATCH OUT! ------------------
TradeMan12: that's a hellluva scenario you've created. I see where you got your moniker. Give Orlando credit; they have guts to make things happen. Just like Houston. If we were only in the Eastern Conference, we'd have Webber locked up! ------------------ "How far you go in life depends on you being tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving and tolerant of the weak. Because someday you will have been all of these."
If we were in the East, with an Eastern Conference schedule, we'd probably have already been to the finals! ------------------
Orlando has some good things going for it. Tmac. Hill. Doc Rivers. In the East. Maybe they get Webber. If he goes to the West, I think we get him. If he goes to the East, I don't care where he goes. ------------------ "We're having a pretty good time considering one day we're all going to die." Steve Martin, 1976
TradeMan12, A) SAC is not interested in your bench warmers. They can do better on their own. B) If you exclude Miller and/or Hill, Vecsey's reported deal with the Pacers is better than anything Orlando can offer. C) I don't think Houston will help you clear cap space to sign Webber. Other than Detroit owing you a favor, you can not get rid of enough cap money other than an S&T. Take your "dreamcasting" back to the Magic BBS. ------------------ Raef to Rocks in '01-'02! [This message has been edited by GATER (edited June 23, 2001).]
I don't think I would get too excited about that lineup. Grant Hill (and his bum ankle)and Mike Miller would have a hard time keeping up with some of the more athletic backcourts in the league (Francis and Mobely would run circles around those two). And Horace Grant was barely a decent 4 last year playing next to Shaq, he would be a complete bust next year playing the 5 next to C-Webb...IMO. ------------------ [This message has been edited by crash5179 (edited June 23, 2001).]
If he was house shopping in Houston, we would be going crazy. Hope this means nothing. ------------------ "Chucky who? I thought we were talking about basketball?" Charles Barkley
Exactly Holden. A lot of NBA players have homes in Houston. Orlando is not a bad spot for a summer home. ------------------
Since when were Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw "bench warmers" for any team? Sacramento would love to get a point guard like Darrell to run their offense and a versatile forward like Bo to back up at SF or possibly start at PF. As a Magic fan, though, I wouldn't do that trade. Costs too much for the Magic just to get Webber. I'd take Davis anyday. ------------------
I don't think that Orl is all that great a fit for Webber. During the latter half of last season, McGrady looked very comfortable taking 30+ shots a game. Next season, shots might be a bit tougher for TMac to come by with hi-scoring Grant Hill back in action [although I certainly can see Hill playing with more of a pass-first mentality]. Throw Webber into that mix and you would have the makings of the 2001 Portland TrailBlazers. A squad featuring three All-Stars who have thus far been accustomed to leading their teams in scoring looks great on paper but usually less so on the court. A Davis would probably be a better fit for the Magic as he could serve as a defensive/rebouding/open-14-foot-jumpshooter type role player and thus not tread on some of the toes of the Magic's big names. As for CWebb, who knows? I still say that the offense-starved Knicks would be the best destination for him. ------------------
mfclark - Outlaw does not have 3pt range. I don't see him as a 3. Take a quick look at how Bo performed against WC PF's. He avg's 5.5 pts & 7.5 rebs in Orlando's 2 losses to the Kings. Webber didn't even play in the 1st one and the Kings had Peja w/ 27, Pollard w/ 22 & Divac w/ 21 pts. Outlaw has a rather large contract. IMHO, he is a backup WC PF. You might be able to make a case for Armstrong but there are only two options. 1) S&T with SAC for Jason Williams (the Pacers have supposedly offered Travis Best). Or find a team with cap space who needs Armstrong. Can you repeat sending the Pistons a PG two seasons in a row? I'm listening... My original point was that unless Orlando is offering a S&T for Hill or Miller and picks, the remaining Magic players are just not that desirable to teams with cap space. When you and TM12 are counting up your available cap room, don't forget to add in $1.7m for picks 15 & 22. That is unless you trade 'em ------------------ GATER
Just think of the team the Rockets would have with the players who have homes in Houston: 1. McDyess 2. Van Exel 3. Shaq 4. Horry 5. Cassell 6. Francis 7. Penny Hardaway 8. Mobley 9. Avery Johnson 10. Hakeem That's just to name a few. I don't think a big deal should be made out of it just yet. Old School ------------------ I voted YES!
Shaq has a house in Houston. IM sure at some point he had to "hunt" for it. it doesnt neccessarily mean he has to play in that city. ------------------ Paranoid, trying to stuff the void.
"Just think of the team the Rockets would have with the players who have homes in Houston: 1. McDyess 2. Van Exel 3. Shaq 4. Horry 5. Cassell 6. Francis 7. Penny Hardaway 8. Mobley 9. Avery Johnson 10. Hakeem That's just to name a few. I don't think a big deal should be made out of it just yet. Old School" Actually it means a lot. Webber has mentioned Orlando as a place he wants to play for, and hes already visiting and looking for a house. I bet the former Magic player was Ho Grant, Ho helped get Grant Hill in Orlando last year. Thats just a guess tho. I still think you guys have no chance at Webber. You team with Webber isnt even the best team in the West 4-5 seed. In Orlando hes on the Best Team in the East and maybe even the league for the next 6 years. Its between Sacramento-New York-Orlando IMO ------------------
