Magic Hour 2032/2033

[false9]

One moment can change the entire course of history. Patrick Edmunds hitting a buzzer beater shifted the future for the Magic and the rest of the league. In the span of seven seconds, we went from being three time champs and running it back with the same team to....losers. No ring. No history to chase. Emptiness.

Heading into the offseason, we faced a tough choice. For a moment, sentimentality washed over me. I wanted to run it back, win 70+ games again, and go for another championship. But facing a hefty tax, and aging squad and no possibility of a four-peat, I made the decision to blow it up. Out went JJ, Acuna, and Boban, thus ending the Boban experiment. We've got quite a few first rounders in 2035, but it's too far ahead to look at that right now. We're welcoming some fresh faces- Wyatt Battle, Ash Ketchum, JJJ, and Richard Hunt will all be getting heavy minutes.

So what's the goal this season? Honestly, winning isn't the priority this season. We're probably a .500 team this season. It's not as good as the last three seasons, but really what could be?

The main goal is the tax. It's going to take the work, but I'd like to get under the apron, but at minimum I'll be reducing my tax bill further.

I'll take your questions now.

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Now that the Magic have traded away a monster team that posted a 221-25 record over the last three seasons, who do you see as the powerhouse in the league, and with teams in the wings like the Phoenix Suns, when seems like an opportune time to strike again?

[IamQuailman]

How are you looking to shape the roster in the future? Do you have a plan in place for the type of team you would like to see?

[MexicanMamba]

Be honest ... did you put a tiny timebomb inside Boban when he had surgery to repair his playoff injury?

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[false9]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: Now that the Magic have traded away a monster team that posted a 221-25 record over the last three seasons, who do you see as the powerhouse in the league, and with teams in the wings like the Phoenix Suns, when seems like an opportune time to strike again?

For this season, I think the Raptors are the team to beat. They should win close to 70 games, and they have some interesting salaries with Alpert and Gebhart if they wanted to be an absolute machine with one more move. Longer term, the Suns have interesting talent, but I'd like to see more activity from their GM before anointing them.

As far as building another Magic contender, it's hard to say. With all the 2035 picks, everything points to a long-term rebuild. Having tasted so much success the past few seasons, it's difficult to resist the temptation to always be in it- I'll always continue to monitor the player market for value. It takes a lot to exercise patience and discipline, but I wouldn't count the Magic out for long.

[NOLa.]

Rumors are swirling around the league you're wanting to create another Boban through paid trainings. Do you have that type of player on your roster yet or do you still need time to find him?

[false9]

How are you looking to shape the roster in the future? Do you have a plan in place for the type of team you would like to see?

I generally follow a pretty standard template of the team I want to create. From my observations, the game engine is still pretty routed in "traditional" basketball- big men matter much more compared to the compared to real life (then again this game is 10 years old). I'll always go for a star heavy team- I care more about the guy playing 40 minutes than the guy playing 10. The tricky part is identifying and acquiring those stars.

[false9]

Be honest ... did you put a tiny timebomb inside Boban when he had surgery to repair his playoff injury?

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No. Signing and trading Boban was probably the hardest sim decision I've had to make. He'll still be very good, it's just up to the next GM to maximize his talents- good luck, MM. You'll have fun with him.

[false9]

Rumors are swirling around the league you're wanting to create another Boban through paid trainings. Do you have that type of player on your roster yet or do you still need time to find him?

You'd think that would be the plan, but it's been done already. There's no Boban on the team currently, and the next Boban is over in Philadelphia. If everyone could be Boban'd, we'd all have Bobans. I'm curious to see if anyone can do it, but it's not easy.

My plan for my next sim project was going to be radically different, but also really stupid. For now, the Magic will be a typical build chasing a title.