Last season, the Magic surrendered season-high scoring totals to not a few shooting guards. They signed Mickael Pietrus last month to fortify their weakest overall position last season and, more importantly, to give them the lock-down defensive presence they lacked last season.

Based on the Magic's schedule, they'll know fairly quickly if they made a wise investment.

Here are the players we presume Pietrus will be asked to guard in the first ten games of the season: Joe Johnson of Atlanta; O.J. Mayo of Memphis; Kevin Martin of Sacramento; Derrick Rose of Chicago; Andre "Don't Call Me Iggy" Iguodala of Philadelphia; Gilbert Arenas of Washington; Brandon Roy and Jerryd Bayless of Portland; Kevin Durant of Oklahoma City; Josh Howard of Dallas; and Jason Richardson, a former teammate of Pietrus' in Golden State, of Charlotte.

Potential All-Stars, or at least All-Rookie team selections, await Pietrus in each of the Magic's first ten games. Bearing that fact in mind, how do you think Pietrus will fare defensively in those games?

As you may have noticed, Getty removed the pictures which depicted the new uniforms for the Magic, Timberwolves, and Kings from its website. Apologies if you didn't manage to catch them in time.

Onto the news...

• Beyond the Arc, a Grizzlies-centered blog, refutes a recent internet report from an NBA website which stated the Grizzlies and Magic were discussing a trade involving Memphis shipping Javaris Crittenton to Orlando for the rights to Fran Vazquez. Those discussions never took place, according to the Grizzlies' owner, Michael Heisley. If they had, I'd worry for Mr. Heisley's sanity. (HT: Ball Don't Lie)
• In a fairly meaningless Olympic tune-up, Team USA defeated Team Turkey (which played without Hedo Turkoglu or Mehmet Okur), 114-82. Dwight Howard had 14 points (7-of-8 FG) and a game-high 8 boards. Here's the boxscore.
• Orlando Magic Blog examined the players the Magic have lost this summer and raises a good question: who's going to absorb their minutes? Jameer Nelson, Mickael Pietrus, and Anthony Johnson better eat their Wheaties this year, that's for darn sure. Courtney Lee, too.
• After some intensive number-cruncing, The Arbitrarian has created the Model-Estimated Value (MEV), a statistic which seeks to accurately account for each player's value based on his box-score statistics. It's like John Hollinger's PER and Dave Barri's Wins Produced insofar as it sums-up a player's production in a single number. Anyway, this metric rates Dwight Howard as the sixth-most productive player in the league last season, trailing LeBron James, Chris Paul, Amare Stoudemire, Kobe Bryant, and Allen Iverson.

Otherwise, it's quiet on the Magic front. We're still waiting for them to acquire a third point guard and to unveil their new uniforms.

The Orlando Magic reached an agreement to sign free-agent guard Anthony Johnson, who played for them during the 1999/2000 season, as seen above.

File photo by Don Frazier, the Associated Press

The Orlando Magic signed veteran point guard Anthony Johnson to a two-year deal. Denton and Schmitz have the scoop. Schmitz also says that the team expects backup center Adonal Foyle to return, although he will probably not sign for another month. The 2008/09 roster is indeed taking shape, and there could be another deal in the works, as the Magic are still trying to acquire point guard Javaris Crittenton from the Memphis Grizzlies.

Only that last bit of news excites me. Johnson will turn 34 before the season starts and is, at best, a third-string point guard on a contending team. The Magic need to find a younger, taller option to lead the second unit. And as much as we all admire Foyle's hustle and character, he's too much of an offensive liability to effectively back-up Dwight Howard.

Based on today's news, I expect next season's depth chart to resemble the following (inactive players in italics):

The roster is loaded with bigs, so I expect the team to jettison at least one of them (Cook?) before the season starts. So far, this roster isn't a huge improvement over last year's, which won 52 games and a division title, so maybe we shouldn't complain.

Maybe.

Dave D'Alessandro brings Nets fans up to speed on New Jersey's pursuit of Keyon Dooling:

The Nets have been in touch with Rob Pelinka, they haven't made an offer for his client, and it's fairly obvious to both sides right now that this probably isn't going to happen unless the market dries up even faster than we thought.

[....]

Oh, you need more details: Keyon, of course, saw his market shrink when Orlando signed [Mickael] Pietrus, so his best bet to get into a more aggressive price range would be Golden State (now looking for a starter) and New Orleans (especially if [Jannero] Pargo leaves). They can give him midlevel money.

Meanwhile, the Nets, as you know, handed Eddie Najera a $3.4M jumpoff point, which leaves $2.18 from their MLE to give some worthy recruit.

So if they think that bargain recruit is Dooling . . . not gonna happen. Not until he exhausts all his other options, anyway. Funny thing about that: Some coaches would tell you that Keyon is good enough to start for a few teams in the league, but people are treating him like a September hire -- like he's Royal Ivey or Keith McLeod.

D'Alessandro goes on to mention that neither Dooling nor Pelinka should be surprised by the lack of offers. I'll grant him that this free-agent market is loaded with wings, but Dooling was arguably the best available point guard not named Baron Davis. I still can't get over the fact that Chris Duhon was a hotter commodity. Chris. Duhon.

The rest of free agency comes down to what Celtics forward James Posey decides to do. New Orleans is said to be in the market for him. Should he land there, he'd take all the Hornets' mid-level exception, thus whittling Dooling's options even further. Golden State might end up being Dooling's destination, although he might not start there, either. Currently, the Warriors have slotted Monta Ellis, last season's starting shooting guard, as their point guard, pairing him in the backcourt with Stephen Jackson while newly acquired Corey Maggette will man the three.

I'd be truly shocked if Dooling wound up having to accept an offer of less than $3.5 million annually. He's a better player than that. DeSagana Diop, of all people, got the full mid-level...

Brian Schmitz says the Orlando Magic have offered Keyon Dooling a two-year deal worth a total of $3.8 million, hoping it will be enough to retain the team's best defender. Unfortunately for us, Dooling would be wise to decline that deal because it fails to offer the long-term financial security that he desires and deserves.

I don't know whether to applaud Otis Smith for at least making an offer to Dooling or to criticize him for making such a low offer. It's the latest in a series of moves that Dooling could perceive as snubs. First, the Magic offered their back-up point guard job to Chris Duhon, regarded by most fans and media experts as inferior to Dooling. Then, when Duhon signed with the Knick, the Magic turned their attention to Golden State swingman Mickael Pietrus, whom they eventually signed. In so doing, they lost the cap space they could have used to make Dooling a competitive offer.

Bottom line: we'd love to see Keyon back, especially in light of Jameer Nelson's injury history, which Schmitz mentions in the article. But $3.8 million won't get it done. Once Dooling formally declines that offer, the Magic will probably extend it to Anthony Johnson, Jason Williams, or another such bargain-basement point guard in this barren free-agent market. If those options don't sound good to them, they could always try to swing a trade, using out-of-favor J.J. Redick as bait; Schmitz mentions Keith Bogans and Brian Cook are on the block as well.

n8c21 with the assist.

• The folks at Golden State of Mind take a look back at Mickael Pietrus' career in the Bay. The consensus from Warriors fans, as best I can tell, is that Pietrus is a likable and talented player with a low basketball I.Q. Also, check out the comments for some questions as to how to refer to a single Magic, Heat, or Jazz player. One argument that's always annoyed me is that we should refer to Magic players as "Magicians." If that were true, the Magic would not be the Magic; they'd be the Magicians. Ditto for Utah Jazzmen and Miami Heatians.
• For his part, Doug Smith of the Toronto Star thinks Pietrus "is a backup in Orlandoland" and doesn't believe Air France to be a significant upgrade over Maurice Evans.
• Ira Winderman wrote yesterday that most every NBA General Manager left the Pro Summer League by the time play began on the camp's last day, meaning the Magic's practice facility was nearly completely empty and, in Winderman's words, "an eerie spectacle." It's probably just as well, because if the boxscore is any indication, yesterday's Magic/Heat matchup was ugly. The teams combined to shoot 35% from the field. Heat rookie Mario Chalmers lead all players with 2 assists. Magic point guard Cliff Hammonds shot 1-of-10 for 4 points. The good news? Courtney Lee lead all players with 30 points, including 12-of-13 from the foul line. Marcin Gortat and James Augustine added 12 boards apiece for the Magic. Brendan from Believing in Magic was pleased with the team's performance this week, and especially impressed with Lee and Gortat.
• Yesterday, rumors about the Pistons' seeking to acquire Tracy McGrady from the Rockets circulated. I am so glad the Free Press debunked those rumors. The thought of the Pistons getting that good... ugh.

• The most important rumor floating today might not be exactly credible -- it comes from a message-board poster -- but if it's true, I'll be one happy camper, as will plenty of Magic fans. Says poster INeedMoreDarko (via Punisher):

  I've been told Turkoglu will sign a 2 year extension this offseason. Turk loves Orlando(and the Dragon Room), loves Stan, loves the direction the Magic are headed and loves the signing of Pietrus.

  Otis also has a great relationship with Lon Babby, his agent. And will extend Turk another 2 years, possibly 3(Similar to Lew's non-fully guarenteed contract for the last year of his). Remember when we inked Battie to an extension out of nowhere? Agent? Lon Babby... I dont know how much he'll be extending for but I hear it will be roughly 8 Mil a year.

  John Denton reported only a few days ago that Pietrus and Turkoglu vacationed together in Turkey earlier this summer, so it makes sense that Hedo would appreciate the Magic signing one of his close friends. I don't know when Turk would sign this extension; Battie signed his near the end of the 2005/2006 season.

  I do not know what the Dragon Room is.

• Denton also says the Magic's front office is keeping its eyes on what happens to embattled point guards Jamaal Tinsley of Indiana and Stephon Marbury of New York. If those players accept buyouts from their present teams, the Magic will consider signing them to back-up Jameer Nelson. Tinsley's a decent enough point guard when healthy and not shooting the ball, but I think I'd feel more comfortable with Jason Williams. As for Marbury... no. A million times, no.

  UPDATE: Brian Schmitz spoke to Otis Smith about the Marbury and Tinsley rumors. There's no truth to them:

  The Magic desperately need a point guard, maybe two, to back up Jameer Nelson.

  So when I asked Smith if he had interest in either the Pacers' Jamaal Tinsley or the Knicks' Stephon Marbury --- two moody, controversial players who might be bought out by their teams and available for a song --- he shook his head.

  No.

  And no way.

  "You know me," he said.

  That's a relief.

Thank goodness it's Friday. One week until The Dark Knight hits theaters. Without hyperbole, I can assure you I've waited my entire life to see this movie. In fact, by this time next week, I will have already seen it.

Batman rules.

• Some summer-league notes...

  • Courtney Lee impressed DraftExpress with his performance in Orlando's losing effort against the Oklahoma City Thundercats on Tuesday. From Jonathan Givony's breakdown:

    Lee was outstanding in his own right, though, doing a fantastic job all game long utilizing the pick and roll, and being incredible aggressive putting the ball on the floor and making his way to the rim. What was interesting was that he started off the game looking more to facilitate and play his role within Orlando's half-court offense, picking and choosing his spots wisely and not forcing the issue in the least bit. As the game wore on and things deteriorated for his team he started to take over much more, finishing the game was an impressive 27 points on 8/14 shooting.

    His range appears to easily extend beyond the NBA arc already, and he looked very comfortable spotting up and knocking down all 3 of the attempts he took as the ball rotated in his direction. He also drove and finished with both hands equally well (always using the glass intelligently, or sometimes with a crafty floater) and did not hesitate in the least bit to pull-up off the dribble from mid-range if his defender cheated and went underneath the screen.

    Lee seems talented, intelligent, and assertive. Nifty. Givony also praises Lee's defense in the piece.

  • Ridiculous Upside ranks Kevin Kruger as the fifth-best free agent in the entire camp. Matt likes Kruger's ability to distribute, and says the team's coaches have "respond[ed] well to his effort." I think Kruger has a shot at making the team as its third-string point guard.
  • In 22 minutes yesterday, James Augustine shot 7-of-9 from the foul line. In 156 career NBA minutes, Augustine has shot 4-of-8 from the foul line. Gotta love the summer league.
• I won't pretend to understand the first, say, 85% of this study, conducted by David Joyner of Little White Stats, but this paragraph from the concluding statements makes sense to me:

  The notably demonstrated fact is that the differential within the third quarter (that is, only in the third quarter, not through the first three quarters) is statistically the most accurate (of the four quarters) in predicting the final game differential. This serves as possible early evidence that the third quarter may be the most important quarter in an NBA game.

  Yup.

• Brian Schmitz has a wrap-up of Mickael Pietrus' introductory press conference yesterday. Check out a photo of the conference, which includes Pietrus holding his no. 20 Magic jersey, by clicking here.

While you're hangin' out, consider responding to erivera's rankings of Eastern Conference teams as they stand today.

The dominoes keep falling into place for the Magic. Tuesday, they agreed to terms with free-agent guard Mickael Pietrus; Wednesday, they decided they would not re-sign Keyon Dooling, according to the Orlando Sentinel's sources. Essentially, team made a marginal upgrade at its weakest position, only to make a significant downgrade at its second-weakest position one day later. At best, they've broken even. Dooling is, without a doubt, the best point guard left on the market. The best the Magic could hope for now is -- gulp -- over-the-hill Jason Williams, who just happens to be interested in signing here, also according to the Sentinel.

Whoop-de-freakin'-do.

The only thing keeping me sane right now is the knowledge that this team won 52 games last season. No need to panic, is there? I mean, it's not like other Eastern teams are making moves to get better. HAHAHAHAA!

Shoot me in the head.

Best of luck to you, Keyon, wherever you go. And I'm sorry you had to hear about the Pietrus signing while on vacationing with Jameer Nelson and Tony Battie in the Bahamas. That must have been... awkward...

Maybe the team will get a solid contributor in return for J.J. Redick, who seems to have accepted that he's finished here; for what it's worth, Otis Smith thinks differently. The Nile is not only a river in Egypt, friends.

What a miserable day.

A couple more details from the Orlando Magic's signing of Mickael Pietrus have trickled in. The team will host an introductory news conference to introduce its new starting shooting guard this Thursday, says Brian Schmitz.

• John Denton, who first broke the news of Pietrus' signing, has more details. It's a four-year deal worth $25.1 million. If you ask me, the Magic overpaid, but Pietrus fits their system and upgrades their weakest starting position from last season. Here's my favorite nugget from the piece, though:

  Also, Pietrus is close friends with Magic small forward Hedo Turkoglu and the two families recently vacationed together in Turkey for a week.

  So he's friends with Hedo and knows Otis Smith from his Golden State days. He should be comfortable here, especially since he'll play his natural position.

• Sean Deveney of the Sporting News spoke with Bill McCandless, Pietrus' agent, and gives us this information about which other teams pursued Air France:

  McCandless said 11 teams were interested in Pietrus but only five were serious. It came down to Orlando or Detroit, with Atlanta also a possibility. For the Pistons, Pietrus would have been a reserve. With the Magic he will start, McCandless was told, not at power forward, but at the more natural shooting guard spot.

  "It was not the most lucrative offer," McCandless said. "But the opportunity, combined with the money, to start for an up-and-coming team was too much to pass up. He could have gotten the same money, or more, from Detroit. But he would have been coming off the bench. ... It becomes a matter of timing. Orlando had the perfect spot for him. You have the threat of someone else moving into the spot. We did not want to wake up tomorrow and find that Otis had signed someone else."

  First, I love that we beat Detroit to signing Pietrus. I'm sure it's no big loss to Pistons fans, but it feels good to get something from them for once. Jeez.

  Deveney notes that the four-year deal includes an Early Termination Option for Pietrus after the third season.

• If you're wondering what this signing means for the Magic's chances of re-signing Keyon Dooling, you aren't alone. Dooling himself doesn't even know what's happening. When reached for comment, Dooling told Brian Schmitz the following:

  "It looks like they have filled their position at the 2. Pietrus will help us," Dooling said. "I don't know what's going to happen. Things are all over the place."

  The switch from third-person to first-person probably doesn't mean much, -- dude was probably a bit frazzled -- but it can't be a good sign that Dooling isn't confident he'll return. And, frankly, why should he be? The Magic made overtures to Chris Duhon, to Corey Maggette, and to Pietrus, but have yet to present him with an offer.

  The Magic can sign him, but doing so will bring them close to luxury-tax territory, which they want to avoid. The Magic's best bet is to make Dooling a long-term, front-loaded offer, which would give Dooling the money and security he wants while simultaneously freeing-up cap space as the salaries of Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson increase.

Woof. Busy offseason ahead. Either J.J. Redick or Keith Bogans will surely move via trade -- the smart money's on J.J., as he has more value -- and the Magic still have plenty of holes to fill.