ORLANDO, Florida. (AP) – Sinibak ng Orlando Magic ang kanilang general manager na si Rob Hennigan sa paniniwalang kinakailangan na ng kanilang koponan ng ibang direksiyon kasunod ng limang taong kabiguang makausad sa postseason.
“The facts are we regressed this year and we made the decision that five years under this leadership team was enough to show improvement, which we have not,” pahayag ni Magic CEO Alex Martins. “I believe we have provided all of the assets, the autonomy and the tools necessary over the past five years in order to build a successful program.”
Sa edad na 30 Hennigan ang pinakabatang general manager sa NBA nang kunin siya ng Magic noong Hunyo 2012. Ngunit sa panahon ng kanyang panunungkulan , bigo ang Magic na umabot ng postseason sa nakalipas na limang taon kung saan nakapagtala ang koponan ng 132-278 (.322) record –ang second-worst sa NBA sa nagdaang limang taon at worst five-year stretch sa kasaysayan ng koponan.
Ngayong taon, nagtapos ang Magic na may 29-53 record sa ilalim ng bagong coach na si Frank Vogel.
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Ang Magic assistant general manager na si Matt Lloyd ang itinalagang interim GM habang naghahanap pa sila ng papalit kay Hennigan. Ngunit sinabi ni Martins na isa na si Lloyd sa mga kandidato para sa posisyon.
“This organization has seen great success over the years but this five-year period has unfortunately not seen that same success,” ayon pa kay Martins, na siya ring sumibak sa dati nilang assistant GM na si Scott Perry. “We feel as if we have fallen behind several of the teams that started this process at the same time that we did or even after we had started.”
Sa ngayon si Lloyd ang siyang may kontrol para sa Magic at siyang mamumuno para sa koponan sa kanilang NBA draft sa susunod na buwan kung saan mayroon ilang dalawang first round draft picks.
“Matt brings solid experience and his appointment as general manager on an interim basis will allow us to seamlessly continue our preparations for the upcoming draft,” ayon pa kay Martins.
“Ultimately what we weren’t able to do is compile a roster of talent and individuals to work together to get us back to the playoffs in five years,”ani Martins na ang koponan ay may top 10 payroll ngayong season. “That’s the compilation of a lot of different decisions and moves that were made over those five years that didn’t get us to the playoffs.”
Sa ilalim din ni Hennigan, ang Magic ay nakailang palit ng coach.Katunayan, nakatatlo silang coach sa loob ng limang taon.
Kinuha ni Hennigan si Jacque Vaughn noong 2012 at si Scott Skiles noong 2015. Tumagal lamang si Skiles ng isang season bago ito nagbitiw at pinalitan ng defensive-minded na si Vogel noong nakaraang offseason.
Nagsimula ang matinding suliranin para kay Hennigan nang magpa-trade si perennial All-Star Dwight Howard pagkaraang kuning GM ang una para sa Orlando.
Mula nang mawala si Howard, hindi na nakausad sa post seaon ang Magic.
Bigo rin ang koponan na ma-develop ang mga batang manlalaro na kanilang kinuha sa draft habang bigo din silang makakuha ng mga big-name free agents.
“Some would say he didn’t have the benefit of luck in the NBA Lottery, which is true,” ayon pa kay Martins. “But sometimes you have to make your own luck, which we believe we haven’t done enough of.”
