Orlando Magic info
 
Last year was rough on the Orlando Magic.  Their general manager John Weisbrod, dismantled the team in the 2004 offseason and then suddenly quit, leaving the Magic with neither an identity nor a direction.  They plodded through the season and finished 36-46.  Still, Orlando fans remained loyal, and kept buying Magic tickets, for they knew the hardships the team was facing. 
 
Brian Hill, returning as head coach, is tasked with rebuilding the team, and giving them some hope for the future.  Grant Hill, Steve Francis, and Dwight Howard have the talent and skills to take the Magic far this year, and the bench is much deeper than it was last season.  Howard's moves keep improving every year, and he is quickly developing into the most exciting big man to be drafted in the East in the last five years. 
 
The Magic are probably best known for drafting Shaquille O'Neal in 1992.  When Shaq was teamed up with Penny Hardaway, the Magic's offense became absolutely lethal, capable of knocking even Michael Jordan's Bulls out of the NBA Playoffs.  Shaq was the Magic's ticket to the playoffs for two years before he left for the Los Angles Lakers, but Hardaway picked up the slack and kept Orlando playoff-bound for years.  That is, until Weisbrod wrecked the team.
 
The Magic still have a long way to go before they can truly recover from the Wiesbrod fiasco.  They are definitely still in a transitional stage, but with an improved defense, they just may be able to treat their fans to NBA Playoff tickets.  The TD Waterhouse Center is sure to be filled with anxious fans eager to see their team rise from the ashes and return to their past glory.
 
This year is full of potential for the Magic.  If Francis turns out to give up fewer turnovers at the shooting guard position, he'll be able to get the ball more often to Howard.  If Howard can see more balls in the post, he will be able to dominate just about all his opponents and score with his superb athleticism.   If Hill can stay healthy, Orlando may have found its magic ticket to the playoffs.  There are a lot of ifs for the Magic, but fans believe that they have finally left the Wesibrod disaster behind and are ready to become their own team, not the rubble of somebody else's.