The Magic is Gone: Frank Visits VC in Orlando
….and that is how the Orlando Magic went down the tubes.
Ok, maybe I’m getting ahead of myself here. But let me explain how a team that goes to the Finals one year, to remaining one of the top teams the first half of the next year, to losing in the first round in the playoffs.
Last spring, the Magic beat the favored Cleveland LeBrons to make the Finals for the second time in their history. The team was built around their all-star center Dwight Howard and terrific role players in SF’s Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. They had some fundamentally sound guards that were able to dish the ball to these superb players.
Then, June 25th came. Other than the fact that they were overmatched against the Lakers in the Finals, the team felt they had to go in a different direction. For the most part, this was based on the idea of Turkoglu wanting too much money in free agency. Solution: Trade for Vince Carter. Solution…?
Well, nevertheless, Orlando started the season out strong, much to the success of VC in the blue and white uniform. Carter looked rejuvenated after his stint in New Jersey which was played out after he couldn’t get the Nets out of the second round. Eventually, the Magic would hit a wall, but the team still remained within the East’s elite.
But for the last month, Carter has struggled mightily. He had the second worst shooting month of any player in the last 10 seasons. He shot only 28% from the floor in January. VC called it a “brutal, brutal, brutal” month, well February just got interesting.
Carter’s former coach in Jersey, Lawrence Frank, yes that Lawrence Frank (the same one that was fired this season after going 0-16), has been around the team and will be this week. The hrbl Nets coach must have seen the Vinc-anity logo glowing in the sky – so that he could come and ruin the team.
Why would the Magic allow such a hrbl coach on their facility? (and I’m not talking about Stan Van Gundy) Well, it seems that Van Gundy has wanted Frank to make an appearance all season, as a friend, but it just happened to be when VC was struggling that he showed up.
So what happens from here for the Magic? Does Lawrence’s ‘Magic’ rub off on the team while he’s there?
Here’s my prediction: Vince Carter channels his New Jersey days with the help of Frank to ‘break out of his slump’. Carter takes 25 shots a game, making eight, and takes six free throws. The team limps into the playoffs, but loses in the first round in a surprising upset against the Bulls. All of this because Lawrence Frank came to visit the Magic to ‘wake up’ VC…
…and THAT is how the Orlando Magic went down the tubes.
BANG BANG!
-Shooter
Haha Shooter I just sat down at my computer desk to do THIS post! Haha, BANG BANG!
You know you’re in trouble when Frank comes to town! Let’s be serious, Frank probably have to pay his own way AND he sat coach haha (no pun intended).
This is going to help Vince Carter and the Magic.
He is by himself, struggling to play within the team’s needs and he needs guidance. I know you everyone hates Lawrence Frank (including myself), but every player respects him. When Frank was the coach of the Nets, they never gave up on him, they kept on fighting and was upset when Frank was fired. That speaks volume when your team goes 0-16 to start a season.
Now, you see the team not even trying. Chris Douglas-Roberts has disappeared, Devin Harris is nowhere the player he was last season, and as a team look careless.
Frank is a terrible coach in a terms of play design, system, and execution, but he is a terrific player’s coach. He can calm VC down and rebuild his confidence. I wouldn’t be suprised if I saw an improvement. Last night’s performance could be the start of a change in his game.
A change for the better.
I actually do think it will help too, but for different reasons. I don’t think that the players gave up under Frank, but not all of the players liked him. Even Carter and Kidd had moments of disliking him.
And they did stop fighting under him, that’s why he got fired.
Douglas-Roberts was playing over his head for a while and Devin Harris has been hurt. I don’t think that has anything to do with Frank not being there; I think it has to do with the season being lost.
Exactly Shooter! Did you watch any of those 16 games? They gave up by the 3rd quarter in every game. CDR has been hurt and is still playing hurt and the same can be said for Harris. Also when your team is primarily yourself (Harris) and your one big (Lopez) his numbers won’t be as great as last season when he had more to work with.
Players respected him but I feel the reason behind that is because Frank is a push over and the players were able to do whatever the hell they wanted to. Hence VC taking 30 miserable shots a game. Why does VC do that in Orlando too? Cause Van Gundy is the same type of coach.
I don’t think this will help or hurt VC, he’s just struggling and what do shooters do? Shoot their way out of it. If he wanted to fix the problem he would stop listening to everyone and watch video of himself taking idiotic shots and drive to the hoop. Problem solved.
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