Florida Today: Orlando's new trio bring passion

Orlando's new trio bring passion, leadership to team

http://www.floridatoday.com/!NEWSROOM/sportstoryS0704MAGIC.htm

BY JOHN DENTON
FLORIDA TODAY



ORLANDO -- The nickname, "The Franchise," always seemed like the perfect fit for Steve Francis because it was a neat play off his name and it generally summed up what he meant to the Houston Rockets.

But while it certainly was a catchy moniker, according to Francis, it was nothing but a misnomer.

The Franchise, Francis said, was instead the combination of the three players the Rockets traded to the Orlando Magic on Tuesday for Tracy McGrady and others. Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato spent the past five years together in Houston, forming the nucleus of a team thought to be on the rise. They have developed a unique bond, one they think will continue to flourish with the Magic.

"People always call me 'Franchise' throughout my career, but when you have people like these guys who are willing to dive on the floor and challenge 6-8 or 6-9 guys when they try to punch your center, that means you have guys who are going to lay it down for this team," Francis said. "I can say that both of these guys (Cato and Mobley) are willing to do that same thing."

One of the primary reasons that Magic general manager John Weisbrod pinpointed the trade with Houston was his desire to land players who played with the same kind of fiery passion as Francis and Mobley. Weisbrod lamented several times during the dismal 21-61 season that the Magic were "an easy team to play against" and that he needed more "fighters" on the roster.

He feels he has accomplished that mission.

"In the beginning, it looked like an impossibility of getting all three guys, but we stayed on it, stayed on it and stayed on it," Weisbrod said. "Obviously, some other teams came in and moved the playing field around a little. But when we got confirmation from Houston that this deal could get done, it wasn't that difficult of a decision for us as which option to choose."

In a matter of months, Weisbrod has largely changed the face of a team that looked locked into having little flexibility.

The Magic ended the season with 10 guaranteed contracts and no salary cap room. But Weisbrod picked promising power forward Dwight Howard first and traded for scrappy point guard Jameer Nelson on draft night. When he decided that he and McGrady could no longer coexist, Weisbrod was able to include the burdensome contracts of Juwan Howard (five more years), Reece Gaines (two more years) and Tyronn Lue (one more year).

Weisbrod said he turned down several deals that involved the Magic sending out McGrady for a handful of other players because he was intent on securing some future flexibility.

"In 10 days, we've added five key pieces to a team that for a while looked like it was going to be unchangeable," the first-year GM said. "I feel strongly that people observing what we are doing from a distance are going to look at our roster next year and ask, 'How did they get from here roster-wise to here?' But like I said, it's a six-act play and this is just act two.

"We've got a lot of work to do still and I'm making sure that we don't have anybody losing their edge."




Playing with an edge

One of the things Weisbrod liked the most about Francis was the distinct edginess he plays with. Francis led the NBA in technical fouls last season, proving that he is willing to fight to the very end. Also, he caught Weisbrod's eye earlier in the season when he hit Amare Stoudemire with an elbow when he felt the Phoenix forward was taunting his center.

When Weisbrod and Francis first talked last week, Francis was in disbelief when Weisbrod proved giddy about the incident. Francis said it gave him some insight into the kind of toughness Weisbrod is looking for in a player.

"Not saying that you want to go around trying to hit people, but showing that you really care about your teammates and are willing to sacrifice whatever it takes is important," Francis said. "That's very important to (Weisbrod)."

Statistically, the 2003-04 season was the worst of Francis' career. He didn't mesh with Jeff Van Gundy's rigid, walk-the-ball up offense and was admittedly miserable. Van Gundy wanted his point guard to set up the offense and pound the ball down low to Yao Ming, while Francis was more comfortable in a free-flowing offense that allowed him to break down the defense and then use his creativity.

That unhappiness, Francis said, was a big reason why he was whistled for so many technical fouls.

"A lot of times it was just bad calls that everybody notices," he said with a wry smile. "But a lot of times it was just frustration. Not being able to be myself on the basketball court, that really hurt me. I'm not going to sit here and lie about it because I was unhappy. But sometimes things like that happen when you are playing basketball."

He admitted that while he was initially reluctant to leave Houston, escaping the restrictions of Van Gundy was a blessing for him. He's already looking forward to being able to run and gun as he chooses with the Magic and he sees no reason why Orlando can't return to the playoffs next season.

"For me, it's just the opportunity to start over," he said. "For me, it felt like I was drafted over again and could start something new here in Orlando.

"I'm not prepared to lose. I've been on losing teams before. To me, losing teams are ones that don't make the playoffs. Even though they only won (21) games here last year, I'm telling you things will be different."




'The Cat'

Mobley, an aspiring model and actor when his playing days are done, seems to always be smiling. Whether he's on the court, jacking up jumpers or on the bench cutting up with Cato, Mobley is always quick to flash his pearly white smile.

So, naturally, the first thing he saw last year when he looked at the Magic was the pervading boredom.

"There was no enthusiasm, no love for the game on that team," he said. "I'm just speaking about what I saw. It's hard to win in this league, especially when you aren't enjoying yourself. Basketball is kind of like any other sport in that when you lose your confidence, your mojo, it's kind of hard to get it back."

Mobley's nickname is "Cat" because he grew up with an infinity for Dr. Seuss' "Cat in the Hat" books. But the nickname aptly describes his game. He is a hawking defender and because of his quickness, foes have trouble keeping him away from the hoop.

Also, Weisbrod said, it's as though Mobley has had nine lives throughout his playing career.

"Cuttino, to me, is sort of like an overachiever," Weisbrod said. "He was drafted 41st and he's a guy that a lot of times people didn't think he could play. I mean, every time you play them he just keeps coming. He's possessed by basketball.

"I was laughing when we went to dinner they were telling stories about Cuttino fighting with other guys on the Rockets about who was going to cover Kobe (Bryant) in the playoff series. That's welcome combativeness."




The enforcer

Unlike Francis, Cato actually thrived under Van Gundy last season. The primary reason, of course, is that his game revolves around defense. He bettered his career numbers in points, rebounds, blocks and assists last season while playing mostly at power forward.

In Orlando, he will be the Magic's starting center. And already, the argument can be made that he is the Magic's best center since Shaquille O'Neal bolted for the Lakers as a free agent in the summer of 1996.

His job is blunt and very specific: Bring toughness to a team that lacked it last season. Orlando allowed dozens of layups, many of them uncontested, and it will be up to the 6-foot-11, 275-pound Cato to make opponents think twice about driving down the lane.

"I think the Magic organization is trying to change their mentality," Cato said. "Guys are going to look around and see that they got people playing around them now who are willing to pass, willing to get each other involved. They've got true leaders now, guys who go all out and play as hard as they can all the time.

Contact Denton at jd41898@aol.com