Hello, Welcome, Apologies, etc.

Hello fellow Magic fans! I've been wanting to begin a blog dedicated to this wonderful NBA team for a while now, so you may be wondering why it's coming 24 games into the season; wondering how a blogger professing to be so "passionate[ly] devoted" to this team could be so late in beginning. Well, all I can say in my defense is it's been an extremely busy semester. Not so busy that I haven't been keeping updated however. I suppose my thoughts should begin in the past and lead up to the present time.
I became a Magic fan in 1994, when my antenna concerning the game of basketball had first risen and my love of the young duo of Shaq and Penny was almost palpable. I think it's safe to say that team would have won championships if Jordan's Bulls hadn't been around, Shaq hadn't left after the 1996 season, and Penny hadn't started his string of injuries around the turn of the century (yea, asking a bit much I guess, huh? But that's kind of how championship runs are for the teams that win them...everything lines up perfectly). Since Shaq's and Penny's departures I have suffered through seven long seasons (2000-07) of vastly unfulfilled promise; seven seasons that were supposed to be the McGrady-Hill era; the era that would make us Magic fans, still grieving about Shaq and Penny and what could have been, finally forget, or at least move past that era of shattered dreams. During these incredibly frustrating times, which piqued in 2004 with our otherworldly pathetic record, we managed to get the first pick in the NBA Draft and with it, a franchise savior. Dwight Howard, though still working on his offensive game (although I believe he's come a long way this season even compared to last) is a remarkable athlete with rebounding and shotblocking skills to truly envy. Since the time the Magic acquired Dwight in 2004, the Magic have been adding solid pieces to surround him--Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu (up through last season), and now Vince Carter, to name a few. This new team, like the old Magic teams in the mid-90's, is one that has an unwavering love for the three-ball, as the current Magic hoist them at a ridiculous rate. Whatever works though right?
Last season, the Magic had a lot working as they advanced all the way to the finals; a finals which should have been a lot more competitive than it was as the Magic blew (Nick Anderson 2) game four in a scenario that left me angry and on the verge of tears. But in the end, the Lakers were a better team, but I don't believe by as much as the 4-1 series spread might indicate. It was certainly interesting to see all of the off-season moves by a team that had just made it to the finals. I admit, when we first got Vince Carter, I was ecstatic, as I thought, however small the possibility, we would be able to keep Turkloglu as well. When I went back and checked out the salaries, it seemed that letting Turkoglu go was inevitable, but when Turkoglu went on to a 10 million/year contract, and we ended up signing Marcin Gortat for 7 million/year, my attitude shifted from one of "that's just my team working within the salary cap and trying to avoid the luxury tax" acceptance, to slightly bitter frustration. Marcin Gortat is a decent backup center, and Brandon Bass, who is making 4 million/year, and Matt Barnes (who I'm guessing makes roughly the same) are good basketball players in their own right. But if you were the general manager of the Magic and had the opportunity to keep either Matt Barnes or Brandon Bass, and let the other, along with Gortat walk so you could keep Turkoglu, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. I understand the argument that having Marcin Gortat (a true big man) makes us more balanced, and the idea that he is nice insurance should Dwight ever be out during the regular season for an extended period of time. However, I believe keeping Turkoglu and acquiring a drifting big man for cheap would have been wiser. I believe you can find Marcin Gortat's all over, certainly at 7 million/year, but Turkoglu's (guys who can play the 1-4 positions essentially, handle the ball, create for teammates, take and make the difficult shots at the end of games) are much more difficult to come by. Anyway, that is neither here nor there at the present time; the team is what it is, and they are doing very well thus far.
I suppose my biggest gripe would be over the loss to the Pistons; what is it about that team that is so difficult for us to overcome? I know they used to be (quite recently actually) a really good team, but that is simply not the case these days. So why we lose to them, with Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince out no less, is beyond me. Oh, I guess the loss of Jameer Nelson was pretty disappointing at the time too, however, it has given Jayson Williams the opportunity to prove, again, what he is capable of doing, particularly with the amount of talent surrounding him on this team. My biggest concern with Jameer is that his knee is not going to be in a state where it will hold up throughout the remainder of the season when he does return. He seems to be falling into that vicious spiral that so many players have gone through with knee problems. I hope he does a 180 and proves me wrong.
That's all for now my fellow Magic fans. I will be writing again soon.