Magic beat Sonics. Arroyo/Darko played well

I really like what the Magic have been doing. After dumping Francis and his salary for basically half a season of Penny Hardaway's contract and Trevor Ariza, the Magic will have loads of cap room going into next season and have rid themselves of the ballhog known as Stevie Franchise.

last night was their first game with the new look roster and i think they looked pretty good. granted, it was against an undermanned and lousy sonics team but they still looked good.

I was impressed they got arroyo in the first place and last night he was even more impressive. arroyo, just like he did against the USA when playing for puerto rico, was great at driving the lane and dishing to the open man. he also proved he could knock down open shots when given the opportunity. magic got a real steal in him.

Darko also came in and played meaningful minutes. while he definitely looked lost at times at where to be you could see he has a lot of potential. was very good at finishing around the basket and was quick getting the ball off. showed a nice outside shot. showed a lot of energy. gotta remember he is still only 20 years old. if given the opportunity to play a lot like dwight howard was, i think he could really develop just as well.

with nelson, arroyo, howard, darko and a load of cap space, i think the magic really have a lot to look forward to. they are in a much better place than they were a few weeks ago.

Magic trade for Darko

I have to admit I kinda like it. Maybe Im a total idiot but Ive never thought of Darko as a bust because Ive never seen him play. Now is he not playing because he sucks or because the Pistons are too good for him to see the floor? While both could be true I tend to think moreso the latter. Given the chance to play, especially with a good frontcourt partner like Howard, I think Darko has a pretty good chance to succeed.

Besides I dont think they gave up all that much when you consider the Magic's history. Darko and Arroyo for Cato and a 1st round pick. Cato is a stiff who is expensive. He barely saw the court on a lousy magic team that has little depth. And while you may hate to give up a first rounder, lets look at the last few magic first round selections. Fran Vazquez, Dwight Howard, Reece Gaines, Ryan Humphrey, Steven Hunter, Jeryl Sasser, Courtney Alexander, Keyon Dooling, Mike Miller. Miller and Howard are the only two players that should be starting in the NBA.

In return they get Darko who could be just as ineffective as Cato or a pretty good player. And Arroyo who I think makes a pretty good PG. started the whole 03-04 season for the Jazz who played much better than anyone thought that year. didnt see much action for the Pistons though because again they are a great team with good depth. Arroyo, who played for Puerto Rico in the last Olympics, lit up the USA in what turned out to be a stunning loss for America.

Maybe Im crazy but I think this could end up being a good trade for the Magic.

Signing day was about a week ago. Good class for Florida and Vandy.

Here is a link to the Gator Recruiting Map. Rated by some as the best class in America. Here is a link to the overall Gators class. And here are some video highlights courtesy of Sunshine Preps for some of these recruits.

Tim Tebow
Jarred Fayson
Bryan Thomas
AJ Jones
Riley Cooper
Jacques Rickerson
Corey Hobbs
Chevon Walker
Trent Pupello
Terron Sanders
Wondy Pierre-Louis
Jim Barrie
Brandon James

As for Vandy, this was one of Bobby Johnson's better class. Still near the bottom of the SEC but good for Vandy nonetheless. Here is a link. Surprise recruit was Greg Billinger who turned down Georgia at the last second.

The only video I have is of Myron Lewis. Looks like he has pretty good ball skills.