Otis Smith
Otis Smith
pick season
Getting that pick this season was big for us. That was a requirement for us.
gives opportunity playing rotation seen team tough
Getting him into the rotation for a team that was playing for a championship two years in a row, that was tough for them. We haven't seen him (play). So it gives us an opportunity to see what he can do.
deal ways
I don't have a deal at this time. It's still a ways away. It's 50-50 right now.
guys knew playing tired
I don't even think our guys were playing specifically for the playoffs. They were playing this way because they were tired of losing. And they knew they were better than they were playing.
bumps due guys hit injuries mostly playing
We've hit a lot of bumps in the road, mostly due to injuries and some due to guys not playing particularly well.
ability attention hired knowledge reasons specific turned
When we hired Brian, there were specific reasons -- like his attention to detail, his knowledge of the game, his ability to teach. And those are the same reasons we've turned it around. We've got the right guy.
based continue conversation engage evaluate extend games numbers sure whether
We've had a conversation, but whether we're going to extend him based on 30 games or not, I'm not sure yet. We'll continue conversations and evaluate it, and if it makes sense and it's something we want to do from a numbers standpoint, we'll do it. But if we can't keep the numbers down, we won't engage it.
came decided dollars fit five four games liked opposed people player rather trading
We thought about Crawford and we liked him a lot, but it came down to is he going to make us three, four or five games better? Or do you want to just go get the people who will fit what you want to do as opposed to trading for another contract? We decided to go for the player we wanted rather than just the one who fit the dollars of the trade.
decent four games
We have glimpses of four games where we play decent basketball. And then we have four games where we look like a different team.
conversation magic orlando penny
We will have a conversation with Penny Hardaway, but Penny Hardaway will never put on an Orlando Magic uniform.
far guys page room thrown understand
Unfortunately and fortunately, we're not that far out. We have to make hay, but there's still room for us to make the playoffs. Guys have to come together, get on the same page and understand that we haven't thrown in the towel.
cumulative game handle happened night
It was more something that happened (Wednesday) night than a cumulative thing. It was something that happened during the game and afterward. We're going to handle it internally.
best obvious time
It was obvious we weren't getting it done with what we had. That's disappointing, but it was time to do what was best for the future.
calculated frantic looking move
Everyone is looking at this like it is a frantic move. It's not a frantic move. It's a calculated move to get better, and to get better in the future, and to get better in '07. If you look at things in '07, things look a lot better.