Orlando Magic

Note: The Magic have hired former Magic coach Brian Hill to be head coach again.. Coaches. 6--The Fans. However, the team soon returned to its losing ways, finishing the 2004 season with a record of 70-91, the best in team history, and in 4th place in the American League East, also a team best. The Magic will pick 11th in the 2005 NBA Draft. Expectations were low for the team entering the 2004 season, but the team surprised most baseball experts by compiling a 42-41 record (.506) in their first 83 games, staying within 5 games for the American League wild card, a remarkable feat considering the team was 18 games below .500 at one point. In addition, the Magic announced the following day that Brian Hill, the coach who led the Magic to the NBA Finals under O'Neal and Hardaway, would return as head coach. In 2003, the team signed manager Lou Piniella, a proven manager who helped the Seattle Mariners become competitive in the mid-1990s.

On May 23, however, the Magic's plans were disrupted by the abrupt resignation of General Manager and Chief Operating Officer John Weisbrod. From their inception in 1998, the Devil Rays are yet to be major contenders, finishing in last place in the American League East every year from 1998 to 2003. However, the promise for the future is great, as the club hopes to build around Howard, Hill, Francis, and Nelson and become a playoff contender with a new coach. Many never forgave the team. In the end, the Magic ended a few games out of the playoffs. Petersburg on the map was named...Tampa Bay. Their playoff push was hampered by injuries in the last quarter of the season: a season-ending broken wrist for sixth man Hedo Turkoglu, a shin injury to Grant Hill, a rib cage injury to Nelson, and a three-game suspension to Francis for allegedly kicking a photographer. And, in a biting irony, the team that was supposed to put St.

The Magic finished the season with a 36-46 record, disappointing after a strong start. The Dome that had built 3 other teams' new stadiums was now out of date. Howard was an unanimous selection. But, to stay current, it needed more than $70 million US from the city in renovations. Hill was chosen an All-Star starter by NBA fans, and Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson were named to the All-Rookie first and second teams, respectfully. So, the Dome was finally occupied. Hill also returned and averaged 19 points a game. In fear, baseball decided to have another expansion, this time admitting Naimoli's group and a group from Arizona.

In addition, Nelson, after a slow start, developed into a talented player, taking over the starting point guard position. Angry at MLB about the Giants, group leader Vince Naimoli threatened a lawsuit. Howard was a consistant rebounder and scorer, becoming the first rookie to start and play all 82 games in a season. A local boycott on Blockbuster Video stores lasted for years. However, Howard showed great promise, becoming one of the few players to average a double-double. Many were bitter, especially at Huizenga, who voted against the move. However, led by the erratic play of Francis, the Magic also lost to league bottom-feeders, such as the expansion Charlotte Bobcats and the Atlanta Hawks. However, at the last minute, the team was sold to a local San Francisco group.

Throughout the season, bolstered by Hill's return, the Magic played spectacularly, defeating top NBA teams such as the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons. A press conference was announced, uniforms were drawn up, and tickets were about to be printed. The Magic are currently in a search for a new head coach. Pete. Later on, Christie claimed he had bone spurs and was placed on the injured list after playing only a few games for the Magic. Near the end of the season, with a playoff-push faltering, Weisbrod fired Davis and promoted Chris Jent to become interim head coach. Another shot at baseball came when the San Francisco Giants were for sale, and a group wanted to move them to St. Christie, because of his emotional ties to the Kings, at first refused to play for the Magic. Adding salt to the wound, Huizenga named the Miami team the Florida Marlins.

First, Weisbrod traded Mobley for Doug Christie from the Sacramento Kings. Not wanting two Florida teams, and faced with a strong bid from Denver, the league bypassed the Bay Area and took Huizinga's bid. After a promising 13-6 start, the Magic began to fall apart. Not helping matters was a bid by Wayne Huizenga for a team in Miami. Nelson, who most scouts speculated to be a top-10 pick, fell to the 20th pick, and the Magic traded a future first-round draft pick to the Denver Nuggets for Nelson. St. Petersburg fielded a group, expecting to be a lock until a competing group from Tampa also showed up. With the number one draft pick, the Magic selected high-school phenom Dwight Howard and traded for point guard Jameer Nelson. Too much, it turned out.

In addition, the Magic also acquired center Tony Battie and free agent Hedo Turkoglu. The 1993 expansion, the first in more than a decade, brought out interest from the area. The Magic traded McGrady to the Houston Rockets for Steve Francis, Kelvin Cato, and Cuttino Mobley. The Seattle Mariners also looked at the area. McGrady, discontent with the Magic, wished to move on; Weisbrod accused McGrady of "slacking off" and not attending practices (McGrady later admitted that he did not give 100% percent during the 2003-2004 season). Soon, teams started to look in to moving to the area, the first being the Chicago White Sox, who but for a last minute action by the Illinois Legislature were heading to St. Petersburg. The most significant trade was that of Tracy McGrady. The dome was built without any notification of receiving a team (Major League Baseball recommended highly against it), and was solely meant to attract an existing team.

Though he kept Davis at coach, he shook up the player roster, only keeping a few of the players from last season. That changed with the building of the state-of-the-art Suncoast Dome in 1986. In the offseason, Weisbrod dismantled the team. The main obstacles were city infighting and the lack of a stadium. In addition, general manager Gabriel was replaced by John Weisbrod. Petersburg area made many attempts to acquire a baseball team before receiving the Devil Rays in the 1998 expansion. In the middle of the 19-game losing streak, coach Doc Rivers was fired, and assistant Johnny Davis was promoted. The Tampa Bay/St.

The Magic finished with a disappointing 21-61 record, the worst in the NBA. Petersburg, Florida. They are in the Eastern Division of the American League. After winning its first game, the Magic lost 19 consecutive games, setting a franchise record. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Even with the acquisition of veterans Tyronn Lue and Juwan Howard, the Magic struggled early. Princeton Devil Rays. The Magic's 15th season in 2003-2004 proved to be one of its toughest ever. Visalia Oaks
Southwest Michigan Devil Rays
Hudson Valley Renegades.

Despite still not having Hill due to injury, the Magic entered the playoffs for the third straight year. However, after taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven first round series, the Magic faltered and fell to the Detroit Pistons 4-3 in a heartbreaker. Montgomery Biscuits. In 2002-2003, with the acquisition of Gordon Giricek and Drew Gooden, T-Mac once again led the Magic to a 42-40 record. Durham Bulls. However, the Magic were defeated 3-1 by the Charlotte Hornets (the team has since relocated, becoming the New Orleans Hornets). American League
. T-Mac, combined with Armstrong, Miller, and 3-point sharpshooter Pat Garrity, formed the core of the team that season. Pitching Strikeouts: 172 Troy Saunders (1998).

Led once again by McGrady, nicknamed "T-Mac", Orlando once again posted a winning record, 44-38, in the 2001-2002 season. However, Hill was still severely limited by his ankle injury and did not play for the vast majority of the season. Pitching Wins: 14 Rolando Arrojo (1998). Miller won the Rookie of the Year that season. Hitting Streak: 18 games - Quinton McCracken (1998). With the addition of Mike Miller from the draft, the Magic compiled a 43-39 record, including a nine-game winning streak, that season, and entered the playoffs once again. Stolen Bases: 59 Carl Crawford (2004). However, Hill was limited to 4 games because of an ankle injury. McGrady blossomed into a star during this season, becoming one of the NBA's top scorers. Triples: 19 Carl Crawford (2004).

Despite Duncan opting to remain with the San Antonio Spurs, the Magic gained Hill, a perenial All-Star, and McGrady. Doubles: 47 Aubrey Huff (2003). In the following offseason, Gabriel, with millions of cleared salary cap space, attempted to lure three of the NBA's most prized free agents: Tim Duncan, Grant Hill, and Tracy McGrady. Runs: 104 Carl Crawford (2004). This year was characterized by the slogan "Heart and Hustle", as the team was known for its hard-working style. Hits: 198 Aubrey Huff (2003). At the end of the season Rivers was named Coach of the Year by the NBA. Batting Average: .318 Fred McGriff (2001).

With a team with virtually no name players and little experience, Rivers and Armstrong, the team captain, led the Magic to a 41-41 record, barely out of the playoffs. Runs Batted In: 107 Aubrey Huff (2003). Gabriel dismantled the previous team and acquired multiple future first round draft picks. Home Runs: 34 José Canseco (1999), Aubrey Huff (2003). In 1999, the Magic, under new General Manager John Gabriel, who was named Executive of the Year, acquired rookie-coach Doc Rivers. 42 Jackie Robinson (retired throughout baseball). The 76ers, led by Allen Iverson, upset the Magic 3-1 in the first round. 12 Wade Boggs.

In the playoffs, though, the Magic were seeded number 3 because of tiebreakers and faced the Philadelphia 76ers. Victor Zambrano. In addition, Orlando also acquired brothers Dominique and Gerald Wilkins, who were past their primes but were still regarded as NBA greats. Greg Vaughn. Armstrong again led the team emotionally, winning the NBA's Sixth-Man and Most Improved Player awards. Tony Saunders. In 1998-1999, with the acquisition of Matt Harping and Michael Doleac and a healthy Hardaway and Anderson, the Magic tied for the Eastern Conference's best record in the lockout-shortened season, 33-17. Jim Morris.

Anderson, combined with newly acquired free agent Bo Outlaw, led the team to a respectable 41-41 record, just out of reach of the NBA playoffs. In addition, Rony Seikaly was traded before the season started to the New Jersey Nets for three role players and a future draft pick. Fred McGriff. However, the season was hampered by injuries, as Hardaway sat out the majority of the season . Jose Canseco. In addition, Hall of Famer Julius Erving joined the Magic's front office, giving Orlando immense hope for a successful season. Wilson Alvarez. The Magic hired Chuck Daly to be head coach for the 1997-1998 season. 15 Matt Sinatro (bullpen coach).

In the middle of the season, though, urged by player discontent, management fired coach Brian Hill and named Richie Adubato as interim coach for the rest of the season. 7 John McLaren (bench coach). In the playoffs, the Magic stunned the favorites Miami Heat in the first round 3-2 after losing the first two games. 6 Tom Foley (baseball coach/player) (3rd base coach/infield instructor). However, the Magic still mananged to compile a 45-37 record, led by Hardaway, Darrell Armstrong, the team's emotional leader, and newly-acquired free agent Rony Seikaly. 2 Billy Hatcher(1st base coach). In the offseason, in a huge blow to the Magic franchise, O'Neal left as a free agent to the Los Angeles Lakers. 4 Lee Elia (hitting coach).

The combination of Jordan and rebounder Dennis Rodman was too much for the Magic, and Orlando was swept 4-0 in the Eastern Conference finals. 55 Chuck Hernández (pitching coach). In the playoffs, after the Magic defeated the Detroit Pistons and the Atlanta Hawks, Orlando met the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. 14 Lou Piniella (manager). However, the Magic were seeded number two, behind the amazing 72-10 record the Chicago Bulls accumulated under Michael Jordan. Wade Boggs. In the 1995-1996 season, the Magic again dominated the Eastern Conference and the Atlantic Division with a 60-22 record, led by O'Neal and Hardaway.

The Houston Rockets, though, ended Orlando's dream of a championship by sweeping Orlando 4-0 in the Fianls to take the crown. In the playoffs, the Magic defeated the Boston Celtics, Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls, and the Indiana Pacers, advancing to the NBA Finals. However, in the 1994-1995 season, the Magic's sixth season, after acquiring rebounder Horace Grant as a free agent from the Chicago Bulls, Orlando compiled a 57-25 record, best in the East and winning the Atlantic Conference title. However, the underdog Pacers team swept the Magic 3-0 in the first round, thus ending the Magic's season.

The Magic were in the playoffs for the first time, ranked the second seed in the Eastern Conference. With the lethal combination of O'Neal and Hardaway, the Magic became a dominant team in the NBA, compiling the first 50 win season in franchise history with a 50-32 record. In the draft, the Magic selected Chris Webber, but traded him to the Golden State Warriors for the number three pick, guard Anfernee Hardaway (known as "Penny" Hardaway) and three future first-round draft picks. In addition, despite having the NBA's best non-playoff record (and thereby the least chance of gaining the top draft pick), the Magic again landed the number one draft spot.

In the offseason, Guokas stepped down as head coach, and Brian Hill was promoted to become the Magic's second coach. However, the Magic missed that year's playoffs, because they were tied with the Indiana Pacers for the 8th (and final) playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and because the Pacers owned the tiebreaker. The Magic again were the NBA's most improved franchise, and O'Neal garnered All-Star starter status and the Rookie of the Year award. O'Neal, a 7-1 center, made an immediate impact on the Magic, leading the club to a 41 - 41 record.

With the first overall pick, the Magic selected big-man Shaquille O'Neal from Louisiana State University. The club's history was changed dramatically with the 1992 Draft. 1992 was a more disappointing season for the Magic, who finished with a 21 - 61 record. Hampered by injuries, the Magic had a then franchise-record 17 game losing streak. Combined with the fast-paced energy style of Skiles, who was named the NBA's Most Improved Player at the end of the season, the Magic heralded the NBA's most improved record that season.

In the 1990 NBA Draft, the Orlando Magic selected Dennis Scott with the fourth overall pick. Scott, known as a sharpshooter, helped the Magic compile a 31 - 51 record, still under Coach Guokas. The Magic's first victory came 2 days later, as the Magic pounded the New York Knicks 118- 110. Despite playing a hard-fought game, the visiting New Jersey Nets won 111- 106. The club's first game was on November 4, 1989, at the Orlando O-Rena.

In the club's first draft in 1989, the Magic chose Nick Anderson with the 11th pick in the first round. The inaugural team compiled a respectable 18-64 record with players including Reggie Theus, Scott Skiles (now current coach of the Chicago Bulls), Terry Catledge, Sam Vincent, Otis Smith, and Jerry Reynolds. Led by former Philadelphia 76ers general manager Pat Williams, the Magic hired Matt Guokas as the team's first coach. The Orlando Magic officially entered the NBA as an expansion franchise in 1989.

The Orlando Magic are a National Basketball Association team based in Orlando, Florida. Magic Fan Message Board (http://magicmadness.us/). Orlando Magic Fan - News and rumors (http://www.orlandomagicfan.com/). AmIAnnoying.com - Orlando Magic (http://www.amiannoying.com/(tvzdgtiwcey31555j0cjsvff)/view.aspx?id=11520&collection=3069).

Magic Fan Hangout Message Board (http://www.ezekielbearsports.com/bbs/forumdisplay.php?f=25). Official Summer Pro League web site for the Orlando Magic (http://www.summerproleague.com/). Orlando Magic official web site (http://www.nba.com/magic/). Tom Sterner.

Randy Ayers. It is expected that at least one more will be hired.. Assistant Coaches: Note: Brian Hill has recently announced the following two assistant coaches. Head Coach: Brian Hill.