Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux), Nekias Duncan of The Dunker Spot podcast and BasketballNews (@NekiasNBA) and Mike Prada of Prada’s Pictures Substack (@MikePradaNBA) break down the NBA’s Southeast Division.
They discuss how the Heat, Wizards, Magic, Hornets and Hawks fared in the off-season, including which teams improved and what moves stood out. The three also predict the season to come, including projected finish, breakout players and rookies they are most excited to see.
Jonathan Isaac rose to prominence as a contrarian personality within the NBA when he stood for the national anthem during the NBA's restart in 2020 in Orlando. Every other player, except Meyers Leonard, took a knee in protest of police killings of Black people.
“I’m not going to sit here and point my fingers at one group of people,” Isaac, who is Black, tells RS. “I would do it again.”
Isaac is also proudly unvaccinated.
Isaac considers un-vaxxed players to be vilified and bullied, and he thinks “it’s an injustice” to automatically make heroes out of vaccinated celebrities.
“You can play on the same court. We can touch the same ball. We can bump chests. We can do all those things on the court. And then when it comes to being on the bus, we have to be in different parts of the bus? To me, it doesn’t seem logically consistent.
“If you are vaccinated, in other places you still have to wear the mask regardless. It’s like, ‘OK, then what is the mask necessarily for?’” Isaac continues. “And if Kyrie says that from his position of his executive power in the NBPA, then kudos to him.”
The Orlando Magic have signed free agent forward Admiral Schofield.
Schofield (6’5”, 240, 3/30/97) played in 14 games last season (11 starts) with Greensboro of the NBA G League, averaging 10.1 ppg., 5.7 rpg. and 2.1 apg. in 26.2 minpg.
J.J. Redick announced his retirement from basketball on his The Old Man and the Three show. Redick played in the NBA for 15 seasons.
Redick spent the first six-and-a-half years of his career with the Orlando Magic. He was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks during the 2012-13 season. Redick then played the next four years with the LA Clippers, before moving on to the Philadelphia 76ers for two seasons. Redick then signed with the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019. He was traded to the Dallas Mavericks at the 2021 trade deadline.
Over 940 regular season games, Redick averaged 12.8 points per game. Redick was one of the NBA's most-feared shooters, as he shot 41.5% from behind the arc for his career. In the regular season, Redick buried 1,950 three-pointers.
During his career, Redick's teams made the playoffs in 14-of-15 seasons. In 110 postseason games, Redick averaged 10.9 points and shot 37.1% on three-pointers.
The Orlando Magic and free agent guard E'Twaun Moore have agreed to terms on a one-year contract. Moore will make the veteran minimum with Orlando for his 11th NBA season.
Moore was part of the Phoenix Suns 2021 NBA Finals run. He played in just 27 games for the Suns in the regular season and just seven playoff games. However, Suns coach Monty Williams and several players lauded Moore for his veteran leadership throughout the season.
That leadership is likely why the Magic are adding Moore to the roster. They have a lot of young guards, from 2021 first-round pick Jalen Suggs to 2020 first-rounders Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton to Markelle Fultz. Those young players will benefit from Moore's experience in the locker room and on the bench.
The Orlando Magic have signed Jeff Dowtin, Hassani Gravett and Jon Teske to training camp contracts. All three deals are likely to be non-guaranteed.
Dowtin is a 6'3'' point guard. He averaged 6.5 points and 2.5 assists in 15 games off the bench for the Lakeland Magic in the G-League bubble in 2020. Dowtin was a four-year starter for the University of Rhode Island.
Gravett played for MZT Skopje in Macedonia last season. The 6'2'' guard averaged 12.2 points and shot 49.5% from the field for MZT Skopje. In 2019-20, Gravett spent the year playing for Lakeland in the G-League.
Teske was teammates with Dowtin during the 2020 G-League bubble season. He played in all 15 games (12 starts) and averaged 6.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in 19.8 minutes per game.
Jonathan Isaac said he’s getting closer to making his return to the court from a torn ACL and meniscus, but he remains unsure of a timetable as the 21-22 season approaches.
Isaac suffered the tear on Aug. 2, 2020 and missed the entire 20-21 season.
“We’ll see,” Isaac said about being ready for the season opener, which is 45 days away. “I’m on the court. I’m weaning out of the brace. I’m jumping. I’m finishing around the basket and such. I’m easing my way. ... I’m getting there.”
Isaac signed a four-year, $80 million extension during the 2020 offseason.
Host Danny Leroux (@DannyLeroux) and Arturo Galletti (@AmericanNumbers) break down the over/unders for the Eastern Conference.
They discuss the win total, division, conference and title odds as well as any pertinent individual award lines for the Magic (10:15), Pistons (17:03), Cavs (26:13), Wizards (33:59), Raptors (39:59), Hornets (47:37), Knicks (52:45), Bulls (57:37), Pacers (1:04:55), Hawks (1:08:16), Celtics (1:12:54), Heat (1:19:50), 76ers (1:26:07), Bucks (1:34:12) and Nets (1:42:09).
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