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point guard in the mold of Mike Bibby. Nelson is a solid defensive player, but because of his short stature, can be taken advantage of by big guards.

Bench:
While he has spent most of the last seasons as a starter, swingman Hedo Turkoglu is best used in a reserve role. A great shooter and decent slasher, he is able to bring a good scoring punch off the bench. Entering his third season with the Magic, swingman Trevor Ariza is proving to be one of the better second round picks in recent history. Ariza is a great athlete and defensive player with an improving ability to score on the drive and in transition. Despite dealing with inconsistent playing time last season, backup point guard Carlos Arroyo continues to be a very efficient distributor. Arroyo's quickness allows him to penetrate the lane and create opportunities for himself and his teammates. Guard Keyon Dooling is at his best on the defensive end of the floor where he plays with a high level of intensity; offensively, he is a solid scorer, although his shot selection is not particularly good. Signed to be the third big man on the roster, Adonal Foyle has been underperforming for the Warriors for years. He is a good shot blocker and a decent rebounder. Forward Bo Outlaw does not have a guaranteed contract going into training camp, but his of defensive smarts, high intensity level, and strong locker room presence will almost certainly earn him a spot on the final team. If Outlaw is not retained, forward Pat Garrity, a three point specialist, will likely see the minutes that would have gone to Outlaw. Rounding out Orlando's roster will be returning swingman Keith Bogans, second year forward James Augustine, and international rookie center Marcin Gortat out of Poland.

While the signing of Rashard Lewis gives the Magic an established go-to scorer to flank Dwight Howard, the team made a mistake when they failed to clear any salary space and let Darko Milicic go without any compensation. Still, the Magic have an improved team overall and are playing in arguably the weakest division in the league. If J.J. Redick is able to step in and become a reliable 15 point per game scorer and Howard is finally given space in the post to operate, Orlando can be a top five team in the Eastern Conference. They could even make the second round of the playoffs for the first time since the Shaq years.
Projected Record: 48-34, 1st in the Southeast Division

Statistics gathered from http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/st ats

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