ESPN MAGIC
It's increasingly clear that speculation about Brian Hill's imminent demise in Orlando isn't going away, even with the Magic pretty much down to one team that can knock them out of the playoffs (Indiana) and no matter how many times Magic general manager Otis Smith insists that Hill will be back next season.
Yet even if the rumblings are true about Hill's approval rating with his players sinking to 1997 levels, there are no indications that any dissatisfaction Dwight Howard has with Hill is prompting the 21-year-old future of the franchise to start plotting a Shaquille O'Neal-style departure from Central Florida.
"He doesn't want to leave Orlando," one Magic insider insists. "He just wants the ball."
Howard is averaging just 10.6 shots per game and has attempted 10 or more shots in just three of nine games since rumbling for 30 points and 15 rebounds in a home win over Utah on March 14. His free-throw woes and turnover problems -- Howard averages 3.9 giveaways per game, compared to 3.8 for a guy like Steve Nash who has the ball in his hands all night -- have made Hill reluctant to go to Howard in the fourth quarter.
The Magic (or at least Hill) appear to be operating on the premise that making the playoffs, at any cost, is the priority over Howard developing better skills dealing with double teams and making use of his considerable physical gifts.
It's still considered a lock, though, that Howard will sign a max contract extension this summer just like LeBron James did last summer in Cleveland.
Perhaps he'll opt for the three-year extension introduced by James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as opposed to the full five-year extension preferred by Carmelo Anthony, but it's difficult to imagine a scenario where Howard leaves so many millions on the table when he'd still have to play out two more seasons to get to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2009.
Brian Hill "Bothered" By Rumors
Magic Coach Brian Hill tells us he is not "worried" about whether he will be back as coach next season, meaning he has been given an assurance by management.
Hill said he's made mistakes this season, but believes the slumping Magic will improve once they mature.
Hill, though, said hearing about published reports (ESPN The Mag) intimating there's a rift between him and the players "bothers me.
"Of course it does. I'm human."
Despite his critics, Hill says he is confident in "my job security" whether the Magic reach the playoffs or not.
An item in ESPN The Magazine said that Magic players unanimously wanted Hill out and that Hill had a sour relationship with star Dwight Howard.
Hill and GM Otis Smith said that was news to them.
Yet even if the rumblings are true about Hill's approval rating with his players sinking to 1997 levels, there are no indications that any dissatisfaction Dwight Howard has with Hill is prompting the 21-year-old future of the franchise to start plotting a Shaquille O'Neal-style departure from Central Florida.
"He doesn't want to leave Orlando," one Magic insider insists. "He just wants the ball."
Howard is averaging just 10.6 shots per game and has attempted 10 or more shots in just three of nine games since rumbling for 30 points and 15 rebounds in a home win over Utah on March 14. His free-throw woes and turnover problems -- Howard averages 3.9 giveaways per game, compared to 3.8 for a guy like Steve Nash who has the ball in his hands all night -- have made Hill reluctant to go to Howard in the fourth quarter.
The Magic (or at least Hill) appear to be operating on the premise that making the playoffs, at any cost, is the priority over Howard developing better skills dealing with double teams and making use of his considerable physical gifts.
It's still considered a lock, though, that Howard will sign a max contract extension this summer just like LeBron James did last summer in Cleveland.
Perhaps he'll opt for the three-year extension introduced by James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh as opposed to the full five-year extension preferred by Carmelo Anthony, but it's difficult to imagine a scenario where Howard leaves so many millions on the table when he'd still have to play out two more seasons to get to unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2009.
Brian Hill "Bothered" By Rumors
Magic Coach Brian Hill tells us he is not "worried" about whether he will be back as coach next season, meaning he has been given an assurance by management.
Hill said he's made mistakes this season, but believes the slumping Magic will improve once they mature.
Hill, though, said hearing about published reports (ESPN The Mag) intimating there's a rift between him and the players "bothers me.
"Of course it does. I'm human."
Despite his critics, Hill says he is confident in "my job security" whether the Magic reach the playoffs or not.
An item in ESPN The Magazine said that Magic players unanimously wanted Hill out and that Hill had a sour relationship with star Dwight Howard.
Hill and GM Otis Smith said that was news to them.
posted by OVERWADED @ 10:45 PM
5 Comments:
At 11:28 PM,
Mike from Illinois said…
The intense focus on Brian Hill continues...
My opinion has always been that regardless whether the Magic make the playoffs or not, that BHill will return as coach to start next season, regardless of the public outcry, based on the fact that BHill is highly though of in the Magic front office.
Now, I'm not so sure that he is going to stay. I've always considered ESPN a pretty reliable source, and like the saying goes, where there's smoke, there's got to be fire (regarding the report of the players' growing unhappiness with BHill).
If the report is true, Otis Smith will almost be forced to do something about BHill before next season starts.
I'm also holding out hope that BHill will do the honorable thing and resign as coach, and go back to being a family man (something he's much better at than coaching).
At 12:58 PM,
Matt said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
At 1:59 PM,
Matt said…
It is plain and simple. Any business that ignores public outcry is doing it at its own peril. There is a difference between unpopularity in politics and business. The public could be wrong - a lot - on issues and politicians depending on their convictions can go against the public, and in the process may lose their positions, risk imprisonment or may even lose their lives. The Profiles of Courage by Jack Kennedy is a great book to read in that regard. I may point to some contemporary profiles, but I rather not. In business, it does not matter whether the public is right or wrong in essence. The public is the master no matter what.
As for Brian Hill's situation, if you read the recent public outcry on different forums, it is all against him. Some may try to spare Otis Smith, but others associate them together, and rightfully so, thus asking for firing of both. The Magic ownership has made poor business decisions in the past, but when it comes to bottom-line, they have shown how shrewd they are. They fired a popular coach in Doc Rivers, who had the support of T-Mac, so early in the season. The public disapproval combined with players' dissatisfaction - which I cannot discard since the source is ESPN and the language is strong (UNANIMOUS disapproval of players) - should lead to Hill's dismissal in summer, in my view.
At 2:13 PM,
Big Figure said…
After shaq left this is exactly the same way things started to get while bsh was the coach the first time,reports came out that the team didnt like hill anymore and to be honest i was real skeptical thinking that it was all rumor,then bsh gets fired and we find out the players held a players only meeting and unanimously asked for his dismissal,looking at the situation now,how could dwight,JJ or carlos or even keith for that matter not have a problem with hill,all of the above have question's about playing time or touches in dwight's case,why wouldnt they want him gone? In my honest opinion and this is obviously not fact,i think this is the begining stages of bsh's firing,the media/espn gets the ball rolling with rumors that arent proven facts (probably straight up speculation),then say they got it from a source about the players not liking the coach,then surrounds that information with reason's to fire the coach as if to say thats what the players dont like and why they would want him gone painting a perfect picture of controvery or confusion which makes for better ratings,the media/espn does the same thing with trades,whether not any of the information is true or not doesnt really matter because we could speculate on how much they say is true but it would only be speculation,whats matters is the court of public opinion and after a ton of fans even non magic fans listen to the media/espn bsh will be convicted because the network is so convincing,then fired,his clock is ticking and we'll all rejoice the day he is let go.
At 3:17 PM,
OVERWADED said…
Well said you guys.
Hey BIG, you can add Darko to your list of guys that likely have a problem with Brian Hill, since he pretty much all but said it.
I'd also be surprised if Travis Diener liked him at all, seeing that he's been buried off the bench. However, I doubt what he thinks matters, but he is another player on the roster, so the more players that dislike Hill, the better.
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