[新聞] Weisbrod's plan has steady theme
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NBA CONFIDENTIAL
Weisbrod's plan has steady theme
By Tim Povtak | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted July 26, 2004
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Whether anyone likes it or not, the Orlando Magic game plan
has become clear as spring water, as consistent as Reggie
Miller on the free-throw line.
Magic General Manager John Weisbrod -- in his first summer
on the job -- decided substance, not style, was what he
wanted, battlers, not big names and familiar faces in the lineup.
Every major personnel decision he has made since last season
has been an unpopular one, often flying against traditional
NBA thinking, angering some of the Magic's most fanatical fans.
But he is reshaping the franchise without compromise, staying
with a recurring theme that is seen in every move. Love it or
hate it, the plan invites scrutiny, causes controversy.
If it doesn't work, he's Jerry Krause and soon to be run out
of town. If the Magic rocket upward, he's Jerry West,
suddenly praised for being an innovator.
Some laugh that his thinking is clouded by too many blows to
the head as a hockey player. Others see Weisbrod as a
refreshing change in the star-blinding NBA culture.
Only a season or two will settle the debate.
"I don't care about popularity," Weisbrod said. "Whether
they [decisions] are well-received or not, that's sort of
irrelevant. At the end of the day, the only thing that's
well-received is winning, and that's what I'm trying to do."
He didn't fire unheralded coach Johnny Davis this summer
when he could have made a popular hire instead. He didn't
commit $120 million for the contract extension Shaquille
O'Neal would have wanted.
He traded superstar Tracy McGrady, causing a death threat
against him. He drafted high-school standout Dwight Howard
with the No. 1 pick when he could have had the more-heralded
Emeka Okafor. He quickly gave free agent Hedo Turkoglu a $38
million contract when he might have waited for a bigger name
such as Vlade Divac or Erick Dampier.
Then he traded Drew Gooden, a talented but temperamental power
forward, last week for journeyman Tony Battie, a less-talented
but mentally tougher forward/center.
And he isn't done erasing everything he can from last season's
debacle.
"I don't know if those [moves] say anything. You can make
moves that everyone thinks are great, but then you lose, and
they're not so great," he said. "Or you can make moves that
don't seem so great at the time, but you win, and things change."
Every one of the moves reflects Weisbrod's old-fashioned
hockey theory that the name on the front of the jersey is
more important than the name on the back, and that attitude
and chemistry are vital to winning.
Unlike the past, when General Manager John Gabriel and Coach
Doc Rivers often compromised on personnel matters, leading
to a disjointed approach, this roster will be all Weisbrod's.
Unlike last season, when McGrady more than once was blindsided
by an aggressive defender -- and no teammate came to his
defense -- things will be different this season.
When Dwight Howard becomes the victim of a veteran cheap shot,
watch for quick retaliation from the Magic.
"We were lacking a lot of intangibles that in my experience
I've found to be essential to winning, so it wasn't very
surprising that we weren't winning [last season]," he said.
"That's why I'm excited about our identity being different now."
Teams throughout the NBA are watching the Magic completely
reshuffle the roster, wondering where it will end. At least
one competing NBA coach, though, likes what Weisbrod has
done, especially with McGrady.
"So many GMs are too busy kissing up to the star player that
they can't see the big picture," said the coach, who didn't
want his name used. "The old saying that it's easier to
change one coach than a whole team of players didn't fit in
Orlando. He did it the hard way. Coaches dream about working
for a GM who will support them like that."
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