Otis Smith
Otis Smith
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.
basketball change foot needed needs player shoot skilled
I think he needs a chance. He's a very skilled 7-foot basketball player that can shoot the ball from the elbow, top-of-the-key area, 15-17 foot range. I think he just needed a change to show what he can do.
goes good great player steve whether
Steve is still a good player in this league. Whether he goes from good to great is going to be on Steve.
gotten opportunity player potential run
He's a young big (man) with a lot of potential that hasn't gotten an opportunity to play. In my mind, if you take a run at a player, you want to take a run at a 7-foot player that has potential.
dislike goes instinct killer kobe players smells special talented whether
Whether you like him or dislike him, Kobe is a special player. He has the killer instinct in him that a lot of the talented players don't have. When he smells blood, he goes for the jugular. That's a (Michael) Jordan-like quality.
bodies collecting help might opposed pieces players trade win
With this flexibility, I think you're able to get the players you want to get as opposed to doing a trade for bodies that years from now might not help you. It's about complementary pieces that can win you a championship; it's not about collecting as many bodies as you can.
best fashion player step
That's what you want your best player to do. You want your best player to step up in that fashion.
anyone attention coaches details dividends happen lose losing paid players seen
I've seen coaches lose players many times when things go badly. That didn't happen here. He wouldn't let anyone quit. And the attention to details he had when we were losing paid dividends when we started winning.
best expect player win
He's not our best player yet. You expect your best player to win you 25 games.
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.
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.
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.