[JNice]

According to Dickie V today on the Dan Patrick show, Noah is staying. Thank god cuz I think he's not worth a high pick. Nobody in the tournament game really shined much as far as what the Magic need - which is a shooter or do it everything guy at the 2/3 position.

I'll believe it when I see it. Noah just won a championship and can probably ride that hype to a top 5 pick. Guys just don't turn that down. A lot of them say they will but they don't.

Hopefully not too many of the guys stay in school. If a lot of those guys come out like Noah and Thomas, Orlando could have a choice between Morrison, Gay, Carney, Roy, or Rush (although I think he stays).

Tough choice between those guys and probably less likely Morrison and/or Gay will be there.

 

[JNice]

But why don't they turn that down? Because the money in the top 5 is so much better than later in the round. Noah is one of the extreme few in which that may not matter. His parents are multi-millionaires. He's definitly not hurting for cash. I'm not saying Noah will not declare, but money will not play a factor in his decision. And money is usually the #1 reason why players jump early.

Ah, I still don't buy it. Money almost always matters. Look at NBA players and their contracts. They'll leave a good team to go to a crap team to make 80mil instead of 60mil. Not to mention if the kid may have some personal pride and want to make his own millions instead of using that of his parents. Plus, what else now does he have to accomplish in college? He's won it all and starred while doing it. I'm betting he goes.

 

[JNice]

..

I'm happy with our starting lineup right now but probably with Darko starting over Battie next year. Arroyo and Dooling coming off the bench at guard is fine with me. Ariza coming off the bench for Hedo is fine with me. And Dwight, Darko, and Battie will take a majority of the big man minutes.

I think we could draft Redick ... a sharpshooter with some fire and leadership characteristics and find any big cheap body as an extra big man. More than likely unless we get lucky and get a guy like Morrison or Gay I can't imagine anyone we'd be drafting that would get a whole lot of PT next year.

We had our draft in trades this year picking up Darko, Arroyo, and Ariza.