it COULD work, its possible, but JC or Q has to go because theres too much talent on this team to having some of these guys play 3 minutes a night.

Posted by HARDCOREKNICKSFAN:

I hope you're holding up okay, Mins. Alot of us are sad to see Reezy go too.

Thanks for lookin out Hardcore. I'm holding up o-k. I think its for the best. I would have loved it if he were still a knick but at the same time the way things were going here he would have spent more time inactive than actually playing. He was fun to watch though. I'll still keep an eye on the guy. Hopefully he'll get to play & get better with this new opportunity. Its not like we're "rebuilding" and developing the kids or anything lol...but whatever direction the team is going in I just want results. Check out this article I found this morning:


http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/local/orl-magic2406feb24,0,5132489.story?coll=orl-sports-headlines

A new story
New Orlando forward Ariza happy to escape New York

Brian Schmitz | Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted February 24, 2006

Trevor Ariza was sitting in a barber's chair in Harlem getting a haircut when his cell phone beeped.

His agent, David Lee, told him he had been traded by the New York Knicks to the Orlando Magic. Then Isiah Thomas, the Knicks' president of basketball operations, called to wish him well.
How excited was Ariza to be leaving the Knicks' bench for playing time in Orlando?

"I tipped the barber $80,'' Ariza said, laughing.

Ariza and Penny Hardaway were dealt to Orlando for Steve Francis on Wednesday, but Magic fans only will be able to watch Ariza. (You can see Hardaway in a Magic uniform on ESPN Classic.)

Magic Assistant General Manager Otis Smith said Hardaway -- a former Magic guard from the franchise's mid-'90 heydays -- likely will be waived today and forward Bo Outlaw will return to the club.

Outlaw was waived to make room for Hardaway's expiring contract.

Ariza will have to work for his court time, especially with forwards Hedo Turkoglu and Grant Hill coming back from injuries, probably sooner than expected.

Smith said that Hill (strained lower abdomen) will not play tonight against the Seattle SuperSonics at TD Waterhouse Centre, but he likely will return sometime during the club's upcoming West Coast trip, which begins Tuesday in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

Smith said Turkoglu (sprained left ankle) might be available tonight.

Smith also said the club "looked at a couple of things'' before Thursday's 3 p.m. trading deadline, most of their attention focusing on adding a shooting guard.

Turkoglu was receiving the most interest, but Smith said, "We decided to stand pat.''

While the Magic (19-34) are rebuilding on the fly and in the midst of an eight-game losing streak, none of it fazes Ariza.

He played in New York, remember, and for Larry Brown, the NBA's mad professor, the first half of the season.

Brown, who arrived this season in New York after leading the Detroit Pistons to a title in 2004, had sentenced Ariza to the bench.

Brown even called Ariza "delusional'' after the second-year forward claimed Brown never told him he was being dropped from the rotation in early January. Brown also advised Ariza to "grow up.''

When asked about Brown, Ariza took the high road.

"We talked, we communicated, we understood each other,'' he said. "I understood what he wanted, and he understood how I was, how I have a passion to win.

On the back page of Thursday's New York Daily News, the woeful Knicks were called "The Biggest Mess in Sports.''

"It is a hard time right now [with the Knicks]. Everybody is a little jumpy,'' Ariza said. "Nobody really knows [what is going to happen]. . . . I was in it with those guys. So I really know what it feels like. It is hard. It is really, really hard.''

Ariza could not practice with the Magic on Thursday because he hadn't taken a physical yet.

Smith said he believes that the 20-year-old Ariza is "a diamond in the rough'' despite Brown's assessment.

"He had to get out of that barrage in New York,'' Smith said.

Ariza, 6 feet 7 and 200 pounds, was taken in the second round by the Knicks in the 2004 draft and is considered a strong defender. He averaged 4.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 36 games.

"There was no way I was going to get an opportunity to play [in New York],'' he said. "I think the Knicks did a good thing by giving me a chance to go someplace where they see fit that I play.''

Brian Schmitz can be reached at bschmitz@orlandosentinel.com. Josh Robbins of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.

i dont' really get the sense that Ariza has a big head from this article... he's just happy to go someplace where he's likely to get an opportunity to play... it's natural for any young player to feel this way, especially one that's in his contract year.

yea, I agree joe, and I am a huge ariza fan, I was dissapointed that he did not improve his handles and jumpshot, I still think he can be a player in this league, but next year is his third year in the league, when will he start putting in the time? I wish the best for him, he is a good kid, a little delusional like LB said, but a good kid...

I like how Ariza is labeled arrogant when LB was the one who lowered himself to name calling. Seems logical enough.
Also LB has a habit of publicly calling out his players, making comments and "pointing fingers" at them whether they are young or a veteran. Nothing wrong with questioning a player's efforts or intentions but there is correct manner to do so. Furthermore, I dont think a coach regardless of his resume is exempt from such scrutiny either.