Orlando Magic

It would be David Stern's worst Dwightmare.

The news made the rounds Friday afternoon and sent a shockwave through longtime followers and watchers of the Orlando Magic. Matt Guokas will not be calling Magic games for the 2013-14 season after the team opted not to renew his contract, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports. Guokas has been calling games for the Magic and their local broadcast since 2005. After being the inaugural coach for the Magic from 1989 until 1993, Guokas was also a fixture on national NBC broadcasts. He, along with David Steele, are counted among the best local broadcast teams in the league. It is tough to see that go. Orlando Magic fans got an informed, entertaining and smooth broadcast from the duo. Guokas always had quick wit and great information to give to fans. He was one of the early adopters of advanced stats and was a known reader of Magic content across the Internet -- he referenced Orlando Pinstriped Post and other blogs several times on broadcasts. Guokas is one of those rare broadcasters who could distill complex basketball situations into something a basic audience can understand and comprehend. He also had great wit and is one of the few local broadcasters who was not a complete homer. He broadcast games largely without bias and did not pull punches when the occasion called for it. He also had extreme experience in the league. Before becoming the Magic's first coach and a coach for the Sixers when they had Moses Malone and Julius Erving, Guokas was a 10-year pro for the Sixers, Bulls and Royals. He played with Wilt Chamberlain and could wax poetically about the history of the game. That knowledge added a lot to the broadcast. David Steele, Guokas' broadcast partner, is happy to be back but is sad to see his broadcast partner go. @gator_fan1 @mguokas Matty's a great friend and top notch analyst. I'll miss him. — David Steele (@SteeleMagic) May 24, 2013 @jimshafran Thanks Jim.I'll miss Matty..sure you will too.Look forward to working with you next season.You're one of the best! — David Steele (@SteeleMagic) May 25, 2013 The reasons for the Magic not renewing Guokas' contract is not entirely clear. There is no need for speculation. The next step for the Magic is to find a new color analyst and remake the broadcast with a new voice. There are plenty of candidates. Jeff Turner filled in for Guokas during a late-season road trip as Guokas dealt with a health issue. He was the team's radio analyst for several years. Richie Adubato has also filled in for Guokas on occassion on the TV broadcast and has been the team's radio analyst for several years now too. Among other potential candidates (and there is no information whether they are being considered or interested) could be Dennis Scott, who works as a studio analyst for NBATV. Scott was also the TV analyst for the Hawks for several years and he lives in Atlanta. Nick Anderson and Tony Battie have acted as studio analysts alongside Paul Kennedy throughout the year. Jack "Goose" Givens is still out there too. He was the TV analyst for the Magic before Guokas, but was let go after he was accused of sexual battery of a teenager he was coaching. Givens was eventually acquitted of those charges. He is still a local coach and basketball organizer. Magic broadcasts suffered a bit in ratings this year, which was to be expected with the team struggling record wise. One thing is for sure, Magic broadcasts will be very different next year. Either way, Matt Guokas will be missed on the air.

With a little more than a month to go before the NBA Draft, the Magic have almost certainly gotten a good feel for who they want to draft and what their goals are going to be. The only reason we can address these goals now is that until the draft order was set it was difficult to get a sense of what scenarios might play out. One thing should hold true even dating back to the regular season, the Magic are still in talent and asset collection mode. That is why there was a strong desire to trade J.J. Redick despite all the hard work he put in for the Magic through the years and the affection fans had for him. However, the Magic saw value in having a young player like Tobias Harris around and in Doron Lamb (a second round pick), enough to pull the trigger. Orlando traded a player the team would likely lose in free agency for nothing into a player that has value both on this young roster but also possibly on the trade market should another opportunity arise. Flexibility is the key in all facets. The Magic's approach to the Draft itself should be much the same. The goal for Orlando is to bring in a piece (or pieces) that will contribute to the team now and be a part of the team's future. That is the stage Orlando is at without any clear foundational pieces in place. Amin Elhassen of ESPN.com evaluates the Magic's goals in this year's draft this way: Add talent of any kind. The Magic have plenty of holes to fill, so they shouldn't get caught up in trying to fill specific positions, although point guard is the biggest need. The most important thing is to maximize the value of their picks, and if that means trading down to get more picks or adding a player, then they should be open to that. This draft might not be deep in star power, but it does offer a lot of viable options who can become contributors. That is the unfortunate timing of the Magic going through this rebuild. This year's Draft may not provide that foundational piece. However, most would agree that Ben McLemore, Trey Burke, Victor Oladipo or Otto Porter (as well as others) could be solid NBA contributors for a long time. This is more of what the Magic will be looking for. This goal also creates the possibility the Magic would trade down to collect more assets and get even more talent. Whatever happens, it is this goal the Magic should be keeping in mind. Many have honed in on point guard as an immediate need the Magic need to fill. Elhassan lists Burke, C.J. McCollum and Dennis Schroeder -- all point guards -- as his three best fits for the Magic. Really, though, Orlando should be thinking about taking the best player available. The scouting done during the college season, the individual workouts and interviews will help the staff figure out exactly who that is.

It's often said that fans of a team form as strong a bond with the team's announcers as the fans do with the team's players.

The Orlando Magic won't have one of the most significant figures in franchise history on hand when their 25th season gets underway in October. As Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports, the team has not renewed the contract of Matt Guokas, who has served as the team's television color commentator since 2004. Guokas was also the first head coach in Magic history, guiding Orlando to a 111-217 (.338) record over four seasons. Play-by-play man David Steele will return for the 2013/14 season. According to Robbins, "[t]eam spokesman Joel Glass wouldn’t give a reason for the decision" not to renew Guokas' contract. "Matty has been and will always be a valued part of Magic history," Glass said. "We truly appreciate his commitment and service to the organization." As a broadcaster, Guokas developed a reputation for calling games straight down the middle, without the partisanship that defines so many telecasts throughout the league. In January, Zach Lowe of Grantland called the pairing of Steele--who is similarly fair in his work on Orlando's telecasts--and Guokas "perhaps the very best on your League Pass dial." Robbins reports that Glass said the Magic have yet to decide on a replacement for Guokas. Former Magic player Jeff Turner could be "one possibility," given that he has filled in for Guokas in the past. Radio color commentator Richie Adubato, a former Magic head coach, has also subbed for Guokas on television when necessary. Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

Guokas had been on the Magic's local TV broadcasts since the 2004-05 seasonA mainstay of the Orlando Magic’s television broadcasting crew won’t be back for the 2013-14 season.

The media’s saturation coverage of the NFL Draft unfortunately has skewed the way sports fans think about the NBA Draft .

Trey Burke is arguably the best point guard prospect in the 2013 NBA Draft, and the Michigan product believes he could be taken off the board as soon as second overall by the Orlando Magic on June 27th. "I'm hearing anywhere from two to six," Burke said in a radio interview on Wednesday, according to Mark Snyder of USA Today. "That's pretty much everything I'm hearing now." More NBA Draft coverage: Orlando Pinstriped Post SB Nation Burke's projection has him going from Orlando's slot to the New Orleans Pelicans'. The Washington Wizards, Charlotte Bobcats, and Phoenix Suns will select, in that order, between Orlando and New Orleans. Prospect profile: Trey Burke Burke's slight build and score-first mentality remind some analysts of Jameer Nelson. Tyler Lashbrook breaks down his game. Burke's performance in the 2013 season earned him the Wooden Award for the nation's top point guard. The sophomore averaged 18.6 points, 3.2 boards, 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the Michigan Wolverines. Looking for Orlando Magic tickets? Orlando Pinstriped Post has you covered. We invite you to follow Orlando Pinstriped Post on Twitter and like Orlando Pinstriped Post on Facebook.

The 2001-04 seasons were both incredibly breathtaking for the Magic and incredibly frustrating. On one hand, Tracy McGrady was arguably the best wing player in the league, finishing high in MVP voting, perenially starting the All-Star Game and scoring at will as he led the league in scoring for two years in a Magic uniform. For Magic fans, going to the stadium to see McGrady meant the possibility of seeing something special at any moment and being in the presence of greatness -- a home-grown greatness too after McGrady was a sixth man type player in Toronto. On the other hand, there was a team that could not get its act together and do much in the Playoffs. Grant HIll was constantly injured and the organization constantly shuffled players in and out without any semblance of consistency trying to survive for a year. The Magic were smack dab in the middle of the league and just barely in the Playoffs just about every year. Getting out of the first round, even with a player of Tracy McGrady's caliber, was pretty close to improbable. That makes this year's Playoffs so nice for Magic fans -- at least the ones who have forgiven McGrady for his ugly exit. For the first time in his career, Tracy McGrady is in the second round of the Playoffs . . . and in the Conference Finals. Sure, he is not playing. Injuries have zapped McGrady of the athleticism that made him brilliant those four years in Orlando. But McGrady, as he told Fran Blinebury of NBA.com before Tuesday's Game Two, is happy even to be along for the ride: It’s a great feeling. It’s great to be part of this terrific organization and guys around here. I’m living the dream right now. It is hard to go from league superstar (anyone remember his cameo in Like Mike?) to human victory cigar. McGrady knew that was the deal after he signed with San Antonio following the completion of the Chinese season. McGrady has appeared in only four games for the Spurs this postseason. He has not yet scored and has missed all four of his shots. He took two shots in Game One against the Grizzlies in his first Western Conference Finals appearance. But the cheers from the crowd and the reaction on social media is not the sarcastic kind when McGrady is in. It is nostalgic. There is still the hope McGrady can recapture some of his former glory and the Magic that made him so great.

Getty Images Who’s the best player available for the Orlando Magic in the 2013 draft? Our experts weigh in on overall game, upside, and who the Magic should ultimately choose with the No. 2 pick. 1. Who’s the second-best player in the 2013 draft? Jacob Frankel: Otto Porter. He may not be flashy, but he’s a versatile, athletic 3-and-D style wing. He certainly won’t develop into a star, but he’s a player with Luol Deng-type upside, and those are the role players you want in today’s NBA. Long wings who can defend and space the floor are becoming more a necessity than luxury in the NBA. Spencer Lund: Nerlens Noel. He’s got all the things draft experts love: length, upside, defensive-oriented, plus a good smile and nickname potential. Double-double machine in college and defended the rim (4.4 blocks per game in 31 minutes). But he’s also going to miss significant time this year, and you just never know with his knee. Noam Schiller: Ben McLemore. I know, I’m not very excited either. This draft kind of lacks star power up top. Not since 2005, when Andrea Bargnani was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the top overall pick, have we seen a shortage of talent . 2. Which player has the best upside at No. 2? Frankel: Michael Carter-Williams. A crude statistical model I’ve built gives him a higher than 30 percent chance of making an All-Star team, but also gives him a 15 percent chance of being out of the league within four years. If he can work out the kinks in his game (he’s prone to dumbfounding decision-making), he’ll be a player to be reckoned with. Lund: Victor Oladipo. He’s incredibly hard-working, and one scout said at the combine “he’s humble but confident.” Humility AND some ego: perfect! He’s working on his shooting, but it’s a weakness. He’s athletic and everyone loved him at the combine. He could be amazing if he keeps working hard. Schiller: Victor Oladipo. I call in the Kawhi Leonard precedent: if a hyper-athletic, high-motor, smart player can be developed properly, flaws in skill can be overcome. I don’t know if Oladipo can develop those tools, but the prospect is intriguing. 3. Who should the Magic select at No. 2? Frankel: Otto Porter. I’m a staunch believer in taking the best player available and not catering to the needs of the roster. Get the best player — figure out roster redundancies and deficiencies later. Also, adding this type of player to the core, one without immediate sky-high potential, won’t compromise the chance at a high pick in next season’s loaded lottery. Lund: Ben McLemore. He’s the most talented player in the draft. He’s a tremendous shooter and athletic enough to get to the rim against anyone. Most teams said he was gracious and revealing in interviews. BUT, one scout said, “Ben has zero [expletive] in him.” You need that [expletive] on the court, which is why there are questions about his motor. Schiller: Trey Burke. Drafting by position can be dangerous, but there isn’t a lot that separates the 3-4 guys behind presumed first pick Nerlens Noel. The Magic need to think about their point guard situation post-Jameer.