Mark Cuban has beaten the Orlando Magic. Marcin Gortat signed with the Magic in this crazy NBA off season. The NBA allows other teams to play poker with restricted free agents. The current team has to call the "bluff" or "call" and get stuck with the player for an inflated price. I think ESPN should show this on Tuesday nights in the off season instead of the World Series of Poker. (Another lame tape delayed program by ESPN.)
The Contract
Gortat signed a 5yr. $34 million contract, for a backup center!!!!! Gortat played good in the playoffs, but this does not warrant a lottery ticket like this. As a Magic fan I hope I am wrong on this but I have to go with the facts. First his contract. He will make$5.8 million this year and it progresses up to 2014 when he will make $7.7 million that year. Oh and he is the only player currently signed for the 2013/2014 season. Is he the cornerstone of this franchise? Now we have options with his contract, if he improves than great but it will not be a bargain anymore. We can trade him, but he has to establish himself as a starter first to make it worth any ones while.
The Stats
Gortat is inexperienced, doesn't play much and usually in mop up work. He played in 63 games, started 3. Averaged 12.6 minutes per game, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 points per. WOW great stats. He will make $5.8 million this year. I bet I could pay Andrew DeClerq half that and he could produce those stats. Kendrick Perkins with the Celtics, who will now be the back up center, will make $4.3 million this year and Played in 76 games, started 76 games. Averaged 29.6 minutes per game, 8.1 rebounds and 8.5 points per. Looks good, and a good value.
So as we prepare for the 2010 season I hope I am wrong and I hope D. Howard stays fresh all year, we should be confident in our backup to rest Howard alot this year. The Magic were very aggressive this off season which is risky but fun to watch, but I think this is very risky. We shall see....GO MAGIC!!!!
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Great job Drew. If there is anyone I know that knows sports it's you. Great stuff!!
ReplyDeleteWinston
Centers are a wierd niche market in the NBA, as long as you are big and can sorta rebound and block a couple of shots...you can still get paid. Beats letting Gortat walk for nothing, they can always trade him to Houston or Dallas later...and get prospects.
ReplyDeleteThe big concern Mayik fans should have is losing Courtney Lee. Yes Vince Carter can still score; however, LeBron has had zero problems when VC has attempted to guard him. The best thing about Courtney Lee was his ability as a defender to keep LBJ in front of him, thus keeping Dwight Howard out of the potential for foul trouble. Unless the Mayik have another athletic wing to guard James, he will have no problem getting past Carter, and making contact with DH12 in the lane.
The athletic, defensive-minded wing player is as big of a need as a backup PG for the Magic IMO. Is there a daytime BROad trip planned for Bucs camp yet?
While I agree with Gortat's contract was outrageous we still need him. He is without a doubt the most under-rated player on the team - overpaid yes, but so is Lewis.
ReplyDeleteLewis' contract is ridiculous, but I don't think anyone would ever say we could have made it to the finals without Lewis. The same is true of Gortat. While he is in no way the same caliber player as Lewis we still would not have made it to the finals without Gortat.
If someone else comes along (which is highly unlikely) we can still trade him as has already been mentioned.
L
I agree with Drew and even more incredible than the contract were his comments after he learned that the Magic had match the offer, his agent, Guy Zucker, said the center "was definitely very disappointed today." He said Gortat was back in his native Poland, where he'd already been telling everyone he was headed to the Mavericks. He added "Gortat was hoping to play alongside Jason Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki and, most of all, compete with Erick Dampier for the starting job". Has this guy heard about the recesion??
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