The Unexpectedly Undefeated

 

Written by Taylor Odenat

Going into Week 7 of the 2015-2016 NFL season, there are currently five teams with undefeated records. Those teams are The Packers, The Panthers, The Patriots, The Broncos, and unexpectedly to many, The Bengals. For each team you can make a case for why their undefeated record isn’t much of a surprise. The Packers are yearly a threat in the NFC North as they possess arguably the most astute quarterback in the NFL, The Panthers have always boasted a dominant defense and continue to do so, and the Patriots and Broncos still enjoy on their roster two of the greatest regular season quarterbacks of all time. Then there’s the Bengals.

From prior seasons, the Bengals have not been a team known to produce undefeated seasons. The last occurrence of the Cincinnati Bengals heading their division was back in 2013 where they lost in the Wild Card round. The Bengals have gotten accustomed to Wild Card Playoff losses over the past few seasons with their quarterback Andy Dalton under center. Granted, Dalton did improve Cincinnati to an above .500 team, but his limitations in the postseason would always inevitably lead to constant Wild Card defeats.

Andy Dalton would scan the field and see perfectly adept receivers over the years such as A.J Green, Andrew Hawkins, and Jerome Simpson; but he would be incapable of completing passes to them. He would finish the season with over 60% completions on passes, but come postseason that percentage dramatically dips around the 40-50 percent marks. Dalton has yet to prove he is adequate enough to lead a franchise past the preliminary round of the playoffs and he’s had a couple chances to do so.

However, this season the Bengals look like a rejuvenated team. On the field they are a cohesive unit on offense and defense. Dalton’s been the man for the Bengals on offense and has been producing game after game. He’s among the top of the 10 in passing yards at 1,761 in conjunction with a 67.4 completion and leads the top 20 quarterbacks in interceptions thrown, passer rating, and yards per pass attempt. The Red Rifle has kept the offense flourishing along with receivers and running backs Tyler Eifert, A.J. Green, Giovani Bernard and Jeremy Hill.

Along with the offense clicking, ranking fourth amidst all 32 teams in the NFL at 30.4, their defense have also been playing at high levels. They rank top 20 in opposing points per game (19.2), opposing yards per game (364.8), and opposing rushing yards per game (85.8). The Bengals arrive to every game with a balanced offensive and defensive system, where they have excellent ball movement and impressively stifling defense.

The Bengals have been previously predicted to have breakout seasons, but now they seem to be putting it all together and finally using their extraordinary talents to their advantage.

If the Bengals can keep up their uniform attack on the other teams of the NFL for the rest of the season, they’ll be a lock for the playoffs and won’t have to go through the Wild Card round to advance. 

At this rate Andy Dalton is resembling a younger Peyton Manning in the regular season. However, Manning he is a poor performer in the postseason; so Dalton should continue to parallel the Manning of the first 16 games and not the Manning of the playoffs. For the future of Dalton’s job security, he should strive to assist his team in maintaining their undefeated streak without the repetitive early playoff exits that the Bengals fan know all too well.

http://www.cincyjungle.com/2015/9/2/9244235/Bengals-preseason-record-no-indication-of-regular-season-results, http://espn.go.com/nfl/statistics/player/_/stat/passing/sort/passingYards/year/2015/seasontype/2, http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/cin/2011.htm, http://espn.go.com/blog/cincinnati-bengals/post/_/id/19719/bengals-steelers-ben-roethlisberger-sooner-later-why-not-now, http://www.sbnation.com/2015/10/8/9471815/2015-nfl-standings-patriots-bengals-packers-broncos-falcons-panthers-undefeated

The Passing of the Torch

Written by Taylor Odenat

As of October 26, 2015, former coach of the Minnesota Timberwolves Flip Saunders has past due to a losing battle with cancer. He had an illustrious career collecting two NBA All Star coaching appearances and leading the Pistons and Timberwolves to separate franchise-record victories. Players loved Saunders and are shocked of his passing after dealing with Hodgkin’s lymphoma for a large portion of the 2014-2015 season. He was a prominent and substantial figure in the lives of the athletes he coached. Stephon Marbury went as far as to refer to Saunders as a ‘father figure’ because of his knowledge of life and the game of basketball along with his ability to combine the two.

As a result of his death, Minnesota is now in void of a head coach for the future. The Timberwolves will eventually elect a temporary head coach, reasonably being former NBA Coach of Year Sam Mitchell, and go through the motions until stability is regained. However, for the long term future, who better to replace Saunders than 21-year veteran and 13-year player for the Timberwolves: former NBA MVP Kevin Garnett.

Flip Saunders was a mentor, friend, and bound to be future colleague of Garnett’s. After Garnett plays out his inevitable last season as a NBA player, Saunders was destined to bring Kevin on his assistant coaching staff or grant him a spot in the front office. According to Garnett, he bleeds “green” referring to his tenure with the Boston Celtics, but he will always have love for Minnesota and would presumably be honored to coach the franchise that drafted him fifth overall in the 1995 NBA Draft.

Garnett’s image in the NBA has been one of excessive animation, relentless competitiveness, and an uninterrupted motor. If he can translate that to coaching and instill into his players a similar mindset of a determined desire for victory, then Garnett will be a very successful head coach. Additionally, recently drafted big man Karl Towns Jr. can learn under the tutelage of his esteemed coach and acquire information on how to properly play defense, when to slide over and help after a guard gets beat and so on. Garnett was also once very young, coming into the NBA as a 19-year old out of Farragut Career Academy in Chicago. He understands the challenges of being a youth in the NBA, so he would be highly capable of conveying to the players the same fatherly advice similar to what Stephon Marbury received from Saunders when he was young and naive.

What better gift could Garnett give to the Timberwolves and deceased Flip Saunders than filling the vacant head coaching spot guiding the Wolves players through what Flip taught him and his own extensive knowledge of the game of basketball.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/garneke01.html, http://nypost.com/2015/10/25/devastated-kevin-garnetts-powerful-tribute-to-flip-saunders/, http://www.si.com/nba/2015/10/25/minnesota-timberwolves-flip-saunders-dead-player-coach-reactions, http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2015/10/26/9614860/stephon-marbury-flip-saunders-tribute

Dismay in Kansas City

Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

The Kansas City Chiefs, on paper, should be a playoff team. Their offense is stacked on all fronts. Alex Smith is a precise and accurate quarterback who has done well for the Chiefs over the past 3 years. Jeremy Maclin is a multitalented receiver for Smith to target repeatedly at any distance, Travis Kelce is a powerful force to be reckoned with who can be troublesome for any defense, and Jamaal Charles is arguably the best running back in the league. On the defensive end, Justin Houston is one of the most efficient linebackers in the league and the likes of Sean Smith and Eric Berry tend to lock down their match ups with ease. Unfortunately, the pieces never quite seem to come together for the Chiefs. Their last playoff win came in 1993 and have only made their way into playoffs 7 times since then, all without a victory. Although the future may have seemed bright prior to the season, a 1-4 start and a massive ACL injury to Jamaal Charles leaves the Chiefs back to the bottom of the AFC West.

Jamaal Charles started off the 2015-2016 season with 5 touchdowns in his first 4 games on 304 rushing yards and 151 passing yards. He was on pace to have a career defining year, until a non-contact knee injury took him down in Game 5 against the Bears on Sunday. The injury was later diagnosed as an ACL Tear that will keep him sidelined for the rest of the NFL Season. With the focal point of the Chiefs’ offense gone and a terrible record through the first 5 games, the Chiefs seem destined for failure this year. Although backup running backs Charcandrick West and Knile Davis are quality players, the chemistry between Smith and Charles is not replaceable. Smith will most likely be looking at an increased workload and an increased passing game for the struggling Chiefs.

Head Coach Andy Reid and Offensive Coordinator Doug Pederson will need to extend out of their comfort zones with Charles gone for the season, as the lack of Charles’ presence will immediately impact their short pass and run games for the worse. Alex Smith will need to look more in the direction of one-time Pro Bowler Jeremy Maclin. Although Maclin has been a consistent help to the team, he hasn't been targeted enough to this point. Up to this point, most of the team’s plays have been drawn up for Charles, and rookie running back Charcandrick West does not have the same skill set necessary to follow through with Kansas City’s offensive scheme. Tight End Travis Kelce should also be seeing an increase in targets over the next few weeks. Kelce has been targeted 34 times so far this season and he has converted 2 Touchdowns and a 2-Point Conversion. With the run game slowed, Smith’s range and accuracy will be tested and the combo of Maclin and Kelce should be ready for a plethora of targets in the coming weeks.

Even without Jamaal Charles, Kansas City’s offense is still solid on all fronts. In order to win games, the defense needs to increase their productivity. In their first 5 games, the Chiefs have allowed a ridiculous 17 Touchdowns. The dreadful Red Zone defense of the Chiefs has turned an optimistic season into a terrible uphill battle. Unless a miraculous comeback takes place, it's safe to say that the Chiefs can be counted out of playoff contention this season. Chiefs fans may need to brace themselves for a difficult few weeks, as they face Minnesota, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Denver in their next 4 games. Although this season has been unfortunate, the Chiefs should be expected to come back with a vengeance next year.

http://images.sportsworldreport.com/data/images/full/46625/kansas-city-chiefs-quarterback-alex-smith-running-back-jamaal-charles-wide-receiver-jeremy-maclin.jpg?w=640

The Next Generation of Elite NFL Quarterbacks

Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

It's no secret that the elite quarterbacks of the NFL are ageing. Tom Brady is now 38, Peyton Manning is 39, Ben Roethlisberger is 33, and Drew Brees is 36. Within the next few years, this incredible group of quarterbacks will retire and a new generation of Quarterbacks will join Aaron Rodgers as the top elite quarterbacks in the league. Many young quarterbacks will rise to the occasion, but who will fully develop into top tier players?

Marcus Mariota: Mariota still has a lot to prove, but has exceeded all expectations in his first 3 games for the Tennessee Titans. After a fantastic 3 year career as an Oregon Duck and a Heisman Trophy in 2014, Mariota was drafted with the second overall pick in the 2015 Draft and has adjusted very well to the NFL’s competition. Over the course of 3 games, Mariota has thrown 833 yards for 8 touchdowns with a 62.9% completion rate. Although his team stands at a dismal 1-2 record, Mariota made sure to put up great fights for Tennessee against Tampa Bay, San Diego, and Cleveland. Mariota will truly be tested in his Week 5 matchup against Buffalo’s strong defense, but he’s expected to continue proving himself as NFL ready.

Tyrod Taylor: After 4 years as a backup in Baltimore, Tyrod Taylor is ready to prove himself as a starting caliber quarterback in Buffalo. In 4 games, Taylor has thrown for 988 yards and 8 touchdowns with 4 interceptions. Taylor has far exceeded his expectations and has made a great impact in the Nickel City. Taylor has also proven himself as a skilled rushing QB with 111 yards and a touchdown. Taylor is only 26 years old and has only just began to grow. Taylor is locked into a 3 year contract and will most likely create a lasting impact in Buffalo.

Andrew Luck: The  Indianapolis Colts have had a difficult start to their season. Andre Johnson has greatly disappointed his fans thus far in the season and Frank Gore has seen better days. The team has lots of talent and tons of potential, but they can’t seem to put the pieces together. These factors have greatly impacted the play of QB Andrew Luck. The 26 year old Stanford alumn has had a very successful career up to this point. Luck has thrown 13,750 yards in his 4 year career for 91 touchdowns. Although his 7 interceptions have outnumbered his 5 touchdowns thrown to this point, Luck is very likely to make a great turnaround soon.

Cam Newton: Although many people question the professionalism of Cam Newton, there’s no denying his incredible ability as a quarterback. Standing at 6’5 and 245 lbs, Newton is a great quarterback with a diverse skill set. The combination of his size, speed, strength, and accuracy give him one of the highest ceilings of today’s young quarterbacks. Newton is only 26 years old and he continues to develop with each passing year. Through 4 games, Newton has 809 yards and 7 touchdowns with only 2 interceptions. On top of his great statistics his team has won all 4 of their first matchups. Although their schedule is starting to increase in difficulty, Newton is definitely producing quality numbers and he can lead them into the playoffs.

http://cdn.newsday.com/polopoly_fs/1.9771075.1420815064!/httpImage/image.JPG_gen/derivatives/display_600/image.JPG

(NSFKF) Not Safe for Knicks Fans: Carmelo Anthony is a Plague on the New York Knicks Organization

                                                     Written by Taylor Odenat

When the Knicks of the 2010-2011 NBA season pulled the plug on the blockbuster trade that would send Carmelo Anthony to New York, it seemed like an exceptional deal. New York acquires a superstar, while the Nuggets cut one that didn't want to be there anymore while still receiving draft picks in return. In the moment, it seemed like both parties would walk anyway content with their decisions. However, years later that's definitely not the case for the New York Knicks who have been cursed to yearly mediocrity due to the acquisition of this same superstar.

Even though the Nuggets lost their franchise forward, the draft picks they received would assist in their rebuilding and the players they obtained in Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler would also aid in the rebuilding process. The Knicks, on the other hand, lost a ton of draft picks and young players with potential for scorer Carmelo Anthony. At the time, Anthony was joining an aging but still productive guard in Chauncey Billups and a healthy Amare Stoudemire. With this big three the Knicks organization and all of its fans thought they were a lock for the playoffs and perhaps could reach the Eastern Conference Finals if they were lucky.

In the end, that 2010-11 Knicks team did make the playoffs and finish with the sixth seed; but with two superstars in Stoudemire and Anthony their seeding shouldn’t have been that low. They were only one game ahead of the seventh seed Philadelphia 76ers and five games ahead of the eighth seeded Indiana Pacers. Amare would begin to struggle heavily with injuries, something that he continues to deal with, while Billups was also in and out of the lineup. In an instant this seemingly stacked starting lineup was falling apart at the seem.

On the other hand, in Denver their rebuilding process was going better than expected. Their post-Melo era started off on the right foot as their defense improved and they discovered a word that is nowhere in Carmelo’s arsenal of vocabulary: teamwork. Without iso-Melo coming down the court and dominating possessions, the Nuggets prevailed and finished the season with 50-wins and, surprisingly to NBA fans everywhere, a higher record in the Western Conference at the fifth seed.

So while the Denver Nuggets relinquished themselves of the ball stopping curse that is Carmelo, the Knicks were just realizing the error of their ways. Granted the next season the Knicks did make the playoffs again, however it was a seed lower than the season prior. Excluding their lone season in the 2012-13 season atop the Eastern Conference standings, Carmelo and the Knicks have not been a cohesive unit since he arrived and they never will be as long as the ball is constantly in his hands.

Until the Knicks trade for another superstar to take the ball out of his hands, making him a second option or somehow unload his contract on another poor team; the Knicks will maintain their average status of a franchise that doesn't see the light of the playoffs for another decade. In spite of this though, Knicks fans will remain in their confused misconceptions that their team will make it past the 9th seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Knicks and their fans have long been delusional, but comments like these by their captain show how inadequate this team actually is.
----"We're competing, people might not believe that, but we're definitely competing for a [a title]," said Anthony.

It’s preposterous statements such as this that push the Knicks even further back as a team and an organization. Carmelo Anthony wasn’t healthy or playing games for the Knicks after the All Star game in February of 2015 but is making comments to the media. He required surgery during the All Star Break, but instead opted to play in a trivial game; that shows where Anthony's head is. Anthony expressed to reporters at training camp practice that he believes the Knicks will compete for a championship this upcoming season when he doesn't even know if he'll be fully healthy by season's start.

Unfortunately for the small forward, not only will the Knicks not reach anywhere close to tasting the victory of winning a championship, they won’t even be able to sample the menu of playoff contention. Due to trading for Carmelo Anthony in 2010, the Knicks have lost their draft picks for the top heavy 2016 NBA Draft. Subsequently, the Knicks will have to witness Philadelphia reel off three draft picks from the lottery, all possibly in the top 5. Carmelo is an internal plague for the New York Knicks, a plague that they can never rid themselves of as a result of signing him to a five-year extension last summer. An extension that Anthony himself must regret signing with his other option being to unite with returning Derrick Rose and a rising Jimmy Butler on the deep Chicago Bulls roster.

In conclusion, the New York Knicks have had a storied past with exciting moments and memorable games. But their future will yearly consist of finishing 3rd in their division and far out of the playoff race if they don’t cut their franchise player loose and start anew. New basketball phenoms arise everyday, the Knicks need to go and search for the next one.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/NYK/draft.html, http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/carmelo-anthony-and-derek-fisher-revise-expectations-for-knicks/

Charlotte Hornets Offseason Analysis: On the Road to Relevancy?

Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

It has been a struggle for the Charlotte Hornets’ fan base to watch their team lose over the past decade. North Carolina is undoubtedly a passionate basketball state with notoriety coming from their various NCAA titles and as Michael Jordan’s home state. The Hornets once shared the notoriety of the state in the days of Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson, and Muggsy Bogues; although those days are long gone. The Hornets now spend their days as a middle of the run team in the weak Eastern Conference.

After a season in limbo, missing playoffs but also missing out on a top 5 draft pick, the Hornets seem to be ready to take a step into relevancy. General Manager Richard Cho made some under the radar moves with the Trail Blazers and the Thunder to increase their young core. The team acquired Jack of All Traits, Nicolas Batum for Noah Vonleh and Gerald Henderson. They also acquired UConn alumni Jeremy Lamb for Luke Ridnour. These trades bring athleticism and versatility to a team who is still learning what their play style should be centered around.

Now in a contract year, veteran bigman Al Jefferson is expected to make a big impact on the team after an unfortunately injury plagued season. Jefferson was fantastic in his first two seasons with Charlotte, even making his way onto the All NBA 3rd Team. Jefferson’s experience and his vast skill set in the post can be a huge asset for the Hornets as they attempt to develop young bigmen Cody Zeller and Frank Kaminsky.

Kaminsky was drafted with the 9th pick in the draft back in June. He had a great 4 year career with the Wisconsin Badgers, but many people questioned the Hornets’ choice due to his lack of athleticism. Kaminsky had an impressive Summer League and shut down those who questioned his abilities. Kaminsky is also an impressive shooter which is important with the change of pace that the Warriors have brought into the NBA. Kaminsky is very capable of coming into the NBA and making an impact on his team. The main issue that the Hornets face is that they have a plethora of bigmen and not enough impact coming from the wing.

Kemba Walker, coming into his 5th season in the NBA and has subtly made a huge impact on the Hornets. Walker has become the definite point guard of the team and a clear leader for younger talent. At 25 years old, Kemba Walker has already brought him team into the playoffs and is easily averaging 16.3 points for his career. Walker’s biggest issue in his young NBA career has been health. Walker has struggled to keep his knees and legs healthy over the past few seasons. With Walker fully recovered after undergoing surgery in January, the Hornets have potential to improve exponentially.

Although they lost Bismack Biyombo to the Toronto Raptors in Free Agency, the Hornets had successful offseason. Although his stats over the past few years suggest otherwise, Nicolas Batum is still an incredibly effective player and will help Kemba Walker and Al Jefferson to lead this team back into the postseason. The Hornets haven’t won a playoff series since 2002, and with a weak Eastern Conference, this is the Hornets’ time to shine.

http://hoopshabit.com/files/2015/06/kemba-walker-nba-charlotte-hornets-detroit-pistons1.jpg

Can Sam Bradford resurrect his career in Philadelphia?

 

Written by Taylor Odenat

With a Heisman Trophy win under his belt, Sam Bradford was the dominant prospect on the 2010 NFL Draft board. St. Louis held the No.1 pick and was in need of a leader of the franchise, they believed Bradford could be that leader. Bradford’s throwing arm and accuracy intrigued the Rams and with a strong core of wide receivers at his side, a rugged runner in Steven Jackson and a competent defense; the Rams believed they had a bright future ahead of them.

After an abysmal 1-15 record the season prior, the 2010-2011 St. Louis Rams finished 7-9 and second in the NFC West. Bradford looked quite sharp, even eclipsing Peyton Manning’s record for most completed passes by an NFL rookie quarterback, and eventually won the NFC Offensive Player of the Year Award. He started all 16 games and showed signs of a player that was durable and strong-armed that the Rams could stabilize around.

With such a productive season behind them, the Rams and Sam Bradford were poised to continue climbing the ladder of the NFC West and return to the Divisional Playoffs for the first time since 2004. However, the expectations were extreme and Bradford’s injury-riddled career would begin during the 2011-2012 season and the Rams would finish with a 2-14 record.

Disregarding the 2010-2011 season, Bradford has never seem to be able to stay on the football field and it hurt his team in the process. Head Coach Jeff Fisher passed up on drafting a superstar prospect out of Baylor, quarterback Robert Griffin III, in anticipation that Bradford would be healthy and ready to play again. Coach Fisher thought wrong as Sam would continuously suffer more and more injuries whether it be a high ankle sprain or a torn left ACL (twice).

Fast forward to the 2014-2015 season and the Rams have suffered three straight seasons without going to the Wild Card Round or the Divisional Playoffs. Now former franchise quarterback, Sam Bradford, has re-torn his left ACL after a pretty solid seven games; and now the Rams have no other choice but to trade him.

In the offseason after the 2014-2015 season, Bradford was traded to to the Philadelphia Eagles along with a 2015 fifth round pick, in exchange for Nick Foles, a 2015 fourth-round pick, and a 2016 second-round pick. Nick Foles proved himself as an accurate pocket passer and should be able to display to the Rams fans and organization that he is worthy of being the starter. However, Bradford’s situation is on a different level. He needs to exhibit the same talent and throwing arm that earned him the Heisman Trophy and starter job for the Rams if he wants to continue to call himself an NFL player.

It's surprising that Bradford has been able to last this long being such an injury-riddled player. However, this stint with Philadelphia is a new chapter of his career. If he plays it wisely he can prove himself to be an elite quarterback and worthy of being the No.1 pick back in the 2010 Draft. On the other hand, if Bradford doesn't make good use of this opportunity, the Eagles will start Mark Sanchez instead, resurrecting a career that many thought had died with the New York Jets a couple seasons ago. In doing that, Bradford will fade into NFL oblivion becoming just another player that won the Heisman Trophy; and I don't think he wants to be on ESPN performing color commentary just yet.

http://cdn.abclocal.go.com/content/wpvi/images/cms/552592_630x354.jpg

Where do the Jets Stand Before the 2015-2016 Season?

Written by Dylan Hunter Carter

With the NFL season officially underway, many fans speculate about the future of the league and about which teams may develop into winners. A team getting a lot of attention is the New York Jets. Although they spent years falling out of the playoffs into irrelevance, the Jets are finally in a situation where they may be able to emerge as playoff contenders. After parting ways with head coach Rex Ryan and reuniting with elite cornerback, Darrelle Revis, the Jets are ready to reinvent themselves. Todd Bowles, former defensive coordinator for the Arizona Cardinals and NFL player, signed a 4 year contract as head coach for the team and is ready to prove himself worthy of a head coaching position.

After two years, two teams, and 1 Super Bowl ring, Darrelle Revis is back home in New York where he hopes to ignite passion into the Jets’ mediocre defense. Revis’ 5 year, $70 million dollar contract secures that the Jets can continue to build their team around his strengths and weaknesses for years to come. With the 6th pick in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft, the Jets selected USC defensive end Leonard Williams because of his impressive size and speed. Williams showed signs of dominance against the Falcons in preseason, recording a Safety and a Sack. If Leonard can come up with big plays like such as he develops with time, he can be an important part of the growing Jets defense.

While the Jets’ defense is expanding, their offense is still suffering. Previous starting quarterback Geno Smith had his jaw broken by Ik Enemkpali over a $600 debt in early August. Although he has been recovering and working towards his return, Smith will not be available for the first game of the season. Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick is the projected starter with 4th round pick Bryce Petty as his backup. While neither are the best option for a starting quarterback, each has the potential to excel in Geno’s absence and possibly even after his return. It’s been reported that the Jets front office wants Smith to earn his way back into his spot. Smith had an incredibly inconsistent season, totaling 13 Touchdown thrown and 13 interceptions thrown. While he has shown signs of great potential, Smith still needs to work extremely hard to help his team win games.

The Jets will kick off against the Cleveland Browns in MetLife Stadium tomorrow at 1:00 PM. This will begin what shall be an uphill battle for the Jets, but with lots of work and a bit of luck, the Jets may work their way into the playoffs as a Wild Card.

http://cbssports.com/images/blogs/2015_NFL_Free_Agency_Darrelle_Revis_Jets_Rumors_Contract.jpg

The Orlando Magic: Never Rising, Never Falling

 

Written by Taylor Odenat

After big man Dwight Howard jumped ship and linked with the Los Angeles Lakers then Houston Rockets, the Magic have never seemed to get over that hump of losing their superstar. Over the past three seasons, the Orlando Magic have remained at a consistent 5th in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference. Never rising, never falling. In a weak Eastern Conference, the Magic have been unable to see the bright light of the playoffs, and haven’t improvements of getting to that goal.

Understandably, once Howard first left there was going to be a grace period where the Magic were not going to be a superb team. Subsequently, after that 2012-2013 season of steady losing the Magic drafted Victor Oladipo with the second pick in the 2013 NBA draft. Now by no means was he meant to be a savior of the franchise, however, he was meant to give the Magic life and lead to the road back to the playoffs. He’s an active defender can play both guard positions and is uber athletic so the Magic believed they had a star on their hands. Unfortunately, equal to the season prior the Magic finished 5th in the Southeast Division and once again were headed to the lottery.

Now at this point after the 2013-2014 season, the Magic weren’t stacked by any means; but they did have a roster that could compete. Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vučević showed a ton of promise and recently acquired forward Tobias Harris broke out of his shell and displayed himself as a player worth keeping around. Despite all of that, Victor Oladipo couldn’t really handle playing the point as much as the Magic desired, so they went out and drafted Elfrid Payton out of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. He couldn’t much, but his playmaking and defense would presumably mesh well with Oladipo at the guard spots. As well as Payton, Orlando drafted Aaron Gordon to play the 4 next to Vučević down low. Gordon in Arizona was Blake Griffin athletic, was long and lengthy, played great defense and showed some signs of a post ability. So now with all this talent on their roster and players with so much potential just waiting to be developed, Orlando will definitely improve right?

That notion would be incorrect as yet another season completed and the Orlando Magic were in the lottery for the third straight season. Fast forward to the 2015 NBA draft, the Magic select Mario Hezonja a European guard who light up the scoreboard and played above the rim. Now Orlando has Elfrid Payton running the offense, Victor Oladipo at the two-guard, Tobias Harris on the wing, Aaron Gordon swatting shots at the four, Nikola Vučević grabbing boards down low, and now Mario Hezonja leading the second unit. Orlando can not afford to keep producing lottery finishing seasons with such talent on their roster. They’re a youthful team but they do have veterans in C.J Watson, Channing Frye, and Jason Smith; so they really have no excuse to improve.

Possibly believing they will slip into the lower end of the Eastern Conference playoffs is misguided, but for the pride of the organization they can’t finish 5th in the Southeast Division for the 4th straight season. Additionally, teams in the Southeast Division have downgraded their rosters with Paul Pierce leaving the Washington Wizards and DeMarre Carroll leaving the Atlanta Hawks. If that doesn’t give the Magic the opportunity to improve then they might continuously be doomed to mediocrity.

They’re definitely not a championship contender, but the Magic are loaded with potential and should be able to slowly creep their way back into the playoff conversation once the pieces come together.