The Three Choices For The Final Magic Roster Spot
Bo Outlaw will not die. He is like a cockroach after a nuclear holocaust, fighting for every last breath to keep his species alive.
Okay, that metaphor was sort of a long shot, but you get the hint.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting today that the Magic have finalized their three to bring to camp to fight for the last roster spot: Torrell Martin from Winthrop (we already knew about him from hearing his name yesterday...I guess he ISN'T signed after all), Kevin Kruger from UNLV, and Bo "The Cockroach" Outlaw.
This crew isn't exactly buzz-worthy, considering the fact that many fans were holding out hope that the Magic would get someone to sign another veteran deal at the 11th hour. For those of us who are sane, it is a miracle we found one servicable person to sign for peanuts (Adonal Foyle), so asking for more is asking a little too much.
As for this crew, obviously one would have to think that Bo Outlaw has the edge going in. He has proven himself to be a player who hustles constantly and can provide a spark off of the bench. On top of that, he is a crowd favorite and was on the team last year...always bonuses. The fact that the Magic need veteran leadership if they hope to go deep in the playoffs spells an even greater case for Outlaw.
Kevin Kruger (right) is a Travis Diener-esque player, short and looking like he is 12. With Dooling, Arroyo, and Nelson shoring up the PG spot, I don't know if my heart can take another Diener player sitting on the bench...it's just too sad. With the way the Magic treated Travis Diener, I'd say most would be surprised if Kruger is given a serious look. You never know though...maybe it was just Brian Hill who hated Diener and Otis will overcompensate for that loss with Kruger. I can't read that last sentence with a straight face. Long story short: Kruger needs the camp of his life to make the team.
As much as I like Bo Outlaw, if you want my pick for that last roster spot I wouldn't mind Torrell Martin stepping in there. Martin would give us another (longshot) option at SG, and did decently well in the summer league. Furthermore, if you read any interviews out there with him, he sounds like a guy who REEEEEALLY wants to succeed. Couple that with a mean streak (he said that if you had to compare him to any current NBA player, everyone says Lattrell Spreewell...uh oh), and you have a guy who could really carve himself a niche in the league. It would be nice to see a guy come out of the woodwork and surprise us, and Martin could be just that guy.Overall, I guess we will just have to wait and see. While there will be many fans clamouring for their pick for that last roster spot, our options are not bad. Hopefully the team will make the right choice.
4 comments:
i'de really love to see torrell martin get that final spot. hes insanely athetic and is a trevor ariza type player that when he steps on the court he's looking to jump over someone and get the team hyped. there would be no point to go into the season with travis deiner 2.0 and bo "2 offensive rebounds and 20% shooting from the field" outlaw. we already kno what we will get from outlaw and its just an old guy who plays hard. i'd much rather go into the season with someone who atleast has the potential to be great if not better atleast better than outlaw at a position where he will see more time
I agree with anonymous that Outlaw probably isn't the best choice for this team, but it's for an entirely different reason: There's just too many power forwards already. Martin and Kruger are more likely to make the team.
Anonymous, don't bust on Outlaw's shooting percentage. He shot .667 last year and has shot below .500 just once in his 14 NBA seasons: an inexplicable .353 with Phoenix three years ago.
I'm not sure where you get the 'mean streak' from...His game is similar to Sprewell, and his hair style sometimes, but his attitude is nothing like Latrell's. He was a model citizen at Winthrop, never got in trouble or had problems with the coaches.
We are going to need a third point guard once we get rid of Dooling's contract. Kruger is a great passer and can shoot, and we need a shooting point guard. Not to mention, Van Gundy loves a shooting point guard and we were terrible shooters last year. Kruger is a perfect match for this team and coach.
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