Carlos Arroyo Spices Up Artest-for-Turkoglu Rumors

On Thursday afternoon, Otis Smith told the Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz that there was no truth to the rumor that the Magic were in talks with the Sacramento Kings about swapping Hedo Turkoglu for Ron Artest. Mark Stevens, Artest's agent, corroborated what Smith said: "I haven't heard anything like that. As far as I'm concerned, Ron is still with the Sacramento Kings."

Case closed, right?

Not so fast.

CGM of the MagicMadness forums posted a link to this interview with Arroyo conducted by Raúl Álzaga Sánchez-Bretón for the Spanish-language site Primera Ahora. I am not a Spanish expert -- it's been over a year since I took a Spanish class -- but I did my best to translate the juciest part of the article:

“Rashard Lewis es un fichaje de impacto, un anotador consistente que no teníamos en el equipo y nos va a ayudar mucho. Pero esa no es la única movida que hará Orlando. Hay otro 'caballo' que viene por ahí”, indicó Arroyo haciendo alusión a los rumores de que los Magic están cerca de adquirir al delantero Ron Artest proveniente de los Kings de Sacramento en cambio por el alero turco Hydayet 'Hedo” Turkoglu.“Artest es tremendo jugador y es un veterano probado. Ese nos cuadraría la línea frontal.”

In English (roughly):

"Rashard Lewis is an impact signing, a consistent shooter who we did not have last season. He will help a lot. But that is not the only move the Magic will make. There will be another 'horse*' coming this way", indicated Arroyo referencing the rumors that the Magic are close to acquiring forward Ron Artest from the Sacramento Kings for Hedo Turkoglu. "Artest is a tremendous player and a proven veteran. He firms up the front line."

A rough translation, to be sure, but it sure appears as though Carlos knows something we don't. Earlier in the interview, Arroyo mentions that he's met with Stan Van Gundy recently, which gives this story a bit more weight. If not, Sánchez-Bretón may just be trying to make waves. That'd be somewhat appropriate, considering that "Arroyo" translates into "stream."

*UPDATE: MAGICmanSAM of MagicMadness writes "In Puerto Rico, the word 'caballo' or 'horse' is used to describe someone that is really good at something. So when Arroyo said that, he was pretty much using Puerto Rican slang." Thanks for clearing that up, Sam.

Sac. Bee: Kings Inquire About Hedo Turkoglu, Might Trade Ron Artest

John Hollinger pointed out in his analysis of the Rashard Lewis signing that Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are both 6'10" small forwards who like to shoot three-pointers from the corner. As Hollinger put it, Hedo Turkoglu is "redundant" now that Lewis is on the Magic's roster.

The Sacramento Kings have picked up on that fact, and Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee reports that the Kings have contacted the Magic about making a trade for Turkoglu. Although he has not confirmed which player the Kings are offering in return, Amick suspects that it might be Ron Artest, whose salary is close enough to Turkoglu's to make the trade work under the NBA's collective bargaining agreement.

Ron Artest of the Kings eyes a loose ball as he fends off Corey Maggette of the Clippers. Artest is rumored to be Orlando-bound as part of a deal that would send Hedo Turkoglu to Sacramento.
Photo by José Luis Villegas, the Sacramento Bee

My take? Just say no.

The problem with this rumored trade has nothing to do with Hedo leaving and everything to do with Ron Artest arriving. Putting aside character issues for a moment, he doesn't make sense for the Magic. Stop me if you've heard me express this sentiment before: We don't need any more small forwards. Rashard Lewis and Trevor Ariza have us set at that position. Why not play him at shooting guard? Because he's not near good enough a shooter; teams would leave him wide-open to double Dwight Howard in the post. Given Dwight's turnover problems, that's not something we need.

What Artest is most known for, at least on the basketball court, his is stellar defense. Not only does he shut opponents down, he also forces turnovers, with a career steals-per-game average of 2.1. As hard as it is to believe, the Magic were among the league's top defensive teams last season, so Artest's primary skill does not do the Magic any good.

There's also Artest's dubious history of questionable behavior. Last March, he was charged in a domestic abuse case involving his wife, and subsequently pleaded no-contest. That incident occurred less than a month after his dog, Socks, was removed from his mansion for being underfed; Artest did not face charges in that instance.

Then there's the famous "Malice at the Palace," which occurred in Detroit in a game featuring the Pistons and the Indiana Pacers, for which Artest played at the time. The brawl started when a fan threw a beer at Artest after Artest committed a hard foul on Ben Wallace. The teams fought with each other, and then with the fans, as Artest charged into the stands and threw punches.



He was suspended for the remainder of the 2004/2005 season and postseason. Jermaine O'Neal and Stephen Jackson, his Pacers teammates, also received hefty suspensions for their actions. Without three of their best players, the Pacers' hopes for a title faded, and the franchise is now in a state of limbo.

I don't know Artest personally, but I do know he's bad for a team to have on its roster and in its community. That said, he's a terrific basketball player, and is a real bargain at $7 M annually when his production is taken into consideration. However, even if he were well-behaved, that wouldn't change his incompatibility with the Magic team, which is reason alone for the team not to make this deal.

If the Magic agree to send Hedo back to Sacramento, where he started his career, I worry about what we might receive in return. Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Kenny Thomas are two serviceable power forwards who could shore up our frontcourt deficiencies, but Abdur-Rahim just underwent knee surgery and Thomas is overpaid at $7 M annually. Neither of their contracts come off the books until 2010, which limits the Magic's ability to trade them or to sign free-agents until then.

Shareef Abdur-Rahim and his bionic knees are not the answer to Orlando's deficiency at power forward.
Photo by Randy Pench, the Sacramento Bee

Sacramento may want Hedo, but the Magic shouldn't want anything to do with any of their players. Otis Smith should keep the line open and listen to other teams' offers for Hedo before making a foolish deal with the Kings.

All that said, happy Fourth of July.

Twentieth Century Fox

ESPN: It's In the Lawyers' Hands Now

Here today, gone tomorrow.

The ESPN article by Andy Katz is getting updated almost hourly with new information. Apparently, lawyers for the Magic and for Billy Donovan are in discussions regarding a possible financial penalty for Donovan voiding his contract. The following paragraph is the article's last, and essentially says it all:

The prevailing mood among sources close to this situation is that Donovan will remain the head coach at Florida, the recruits and staff will stay intact, and the Magic will then hope to land Stan Van Gundy, possibly by Monday or Tuesday.

The information about Stan Van Gundy isn't shocking if you've been keeping up with the Sentinel's coverage, which states that Van Gundy was the only other coach the Magic interviewed before the Donovan hire.

Regarding the financial aspects: I think the Magic deserve compensation for this disaster. They need enough money to cover the season-ticket refunds that will likely be demanded, especially considering that at least 200 were sold after Donovan's hiring was made official. They also need money to get some creative public relations firm to spin this disaster into something marginally positive. However, I'm not a lawyer, so I don't think there's a lot more I can say on that.

Regarding Van Gundy: I think he would be a good hire. He's good at developing young talent and had success while coaching the Miami Heat. I just hope we're able to make him an offer in time; the Sacramento Kings were also very interested in his services, and if he were to accept that job, the life would officially have been sucked out of this organization. There wouldn't be any attractive candidates left: Larry Brown is too old; P.J. Carlesimo is not creative enough offensively; and Rick Carlisle, although he's had success in Detroit and Indiana, prefers to play at a Brian Hill-like pace.

I still can't bring myself to be angry. The guys at Four Free Throws do not share my misery, or if they do, they show it in a far different fashion. Rated R for pervasive strong language.

I had planned to do this for a long time, so excuse me if it's not entirely appropriate. Anyway, this post is my 52nd on this site, so I want to commemorate the occasion by posting the following picture of everyone's favorite former Magic player to wear #52, Don Reid:

Don Reid was never afraid to do battle with anyone, not even Hall of Fame center David Robinson of San Antonio
Photo by Eric Gay, Associated Press

Reid averaged 3.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in two seasons with the Magic. His hustle, girth, and scowl are sorely missed and fondly remembered. His NBA career ended in 2002/2003, when he appeared in a single game for Detroit.

Introduction

The purpose of this blog is simple: to comment on the past, present, and future of the Orlando Magic. I feel as though I am qualified to comment for the following reasons:

• I have lived in Orlando my entire life.
• I have previously been a Magic season ticketholder.
• I remember Danny Schayes.

Those reasons, more or less, make me just as reputable as, say... Brian Schmitz. But qualifications aren't really necessary; this is, after all, the internet.

The name of this blog should resonate with Magic fans. Although there's no official statistic -- yet -- I'm certain that the Magic have the highest rate of blown third-quarter leagues in the league. If you don't believe me, check the recap of the Magic's loss to the Sacramento Kings on Saturday night. Actually, let me just go through the play-by-play.

The Situation:
The Magic entered the 3rd quarter with a 52-42 advantage on the Kings, who had lost 5 straight games heading into that night's action.

The 3rd quarter:
The Magic and Kings traded baskets for the first 7:10 of the period:

• SAC - Kevin Martin makes two free throws (44-52)
  
• ORL - Grant Hill makes a jumper (44-54)
  
• SAC - Mike Bibby makes a three-pointer (47-54)
  
• ORL - Jameer Nelson makes two free throws (47-56)
  
• SAC - Kevin Martin makes a free throw (48-56)
  
• ORL - Dwight Howard makes a dunk (48-58) -- One of Howard's two field goals on the night!
  
• SAC - Mike Bibby makes a jumper (50-58)
  
• ORL - Darko Milicic makes a dunk (50-60)

Then, finally, one team made a stop and converted on their next possession.

• ORL - Grant Hill makes a jumper (50-62)

Hey, we're up 12! We're really cookin'! Right?
Wrong. I've decided to include the Magic's non-scoring possessions in between the Kings' made baskets in the following sequence:

• SAC - Ron Artest makes a two-pointer (52-62)
• ORL - Jameer Nelson bad pass turnover
• ORL - Jameer Nelson misses a shot
  
• SAC - Mike Bibby makes a three-pointer (55-62)
• ORL - Dwight Howard misses a layup
• ORL - Darko Milicic commits a loose-ball foul
  
• SAC - Corliss Williamson makes two free throws (57-62)
• ORL - Darko Milicic 3-second violation turnover
• SAC - Mike Bibby makes a three-pointer (60-62)

Four possessions turned into two missed shots and two turnovers, and the Kings were able to convert. The Magic's scoring drought finally ended when J.J. Redick hit a two-point basket to bump the Magic lead back up to 4 points. Unfortunately, the scoring drought wasn't all that J.J.'s basket ended; the Magic were finished scoring for the Period. 3:11 had elapsed between baskets and another 1:39 would elapse to finish the quarter with the score of Sacramento 67, Orlando 64. This season, the Magic have a record of 3-30 -- .090 -- when trailing after the third quarter. Magic fans knew that the remaining 12 minutes would be a formality.
The final score was 95-83.
How ugly was this loss? Apart from the fact that it came against a sub-.500 opponent on a losing streak? Here are some fun facts:

• The Kings' Kevin Martin, a candidate for Most Improved Player of the Year, made just one of his eight field goal attempts and still managed to score 20 points. How? The Magic couldn't stop fouling him and he ended up shooting 20 free throws, making 17 of them. To put that number in perspective, the Magic as a team shot only 25 free throws.
• The Magic outshot the Kings 41.9% to 33.8%.
  
• The Magic outrebounded the Kings 41-36.
• Magic All-Star Dwight Howard finished with six points. Six. This from a guy who leads the league in dunking.
• The Kings wore their hideous gold alternate uniforms. Beyoncé called and she wants her Dreamgirls wardrobe back.
  

In a sick way, that loss is what forced me to start this blog. I'm sure that another blown lead down the road would have influenced me as well, but there's no time like the present.
Right?
Right.