Sep. 28--When Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith finally got away from working the phones this summer, he vacationed at an exclusive Key West resort. Its rules required you to relax.
"You couldn't take your cell phone out of the room," Smith laughed.
Smith and the Magic officially head back to work Tuesday for the opening of training camp.
They are coming off their best season in a dozen years, having advanced to the second round of the playoffs after winning 52 games and the Southeast Division title.
The Sentinel sat down with Smith for a preview of 2008-09:
Q: This offseason you added two shooting guards (Mickael Pietrus and rookie Courtney Lee) and a backup point guard (Anthony Johnson). Eyeballing the roster, there are logjams at shooting guard with Pietrus, Keith Bogans, J.J Redick and Lee, as well as at power forward with Rashard Lewis, Tony Battie, Brian Cook and Marcin Gortat. Is this clutter or competition?
A: The competition looks really good. I like it a lot. Love it. We didn't bring in a lot of guys by design. We could have made a deal in the summer to relieve some of that pressure at the 4 and the 2. But I didn't think it was necessary. You have to let things play out.
Q: So you could have moved, say, Cook and either Bogans or Redick?
A: Some teams had interest in them, some teams had interest in Brian. It's hard for me to move guys that can have an impact on your team. We have to get some value back. It has to make some sense. And to me it doesn't make a whole lot of sense just so you can create space. We don't have to do something just to feel like we're . . . busy.
Q: Would you make a trade depending on how things play out in camp?
A: It's something you have to evaluate.
Q: The most dramatic changes have come at point guard. You did not re-sign Keyon Dooling or Carlos Arroyo, two veterans. Isn't it clearly Jameer Nelson's show now?
Go Gators 666 
