Carney, Who Brings Scoring, Athleticism

By TONY JONES


The Orlando Magic need a shooter. Oh boy, do they need a shooter.

That's been common knowledge for a team that has struggled mightily from the perimeter in recent seasons. For proof, all you had to do was turn on the television.

But while Orlando's need for a 3-point marksman has been forever talked about, the Magic have a few other dirty little secrets as well. They need to get better athletically. They need better perimeter defense. They need a more effective fast break.

In short, they need Rodney Carney, the pogo stick from Memphis.

Carney, a 6-foot-7 shooting guard, will solve a myriad of Orlando's problems in one fell swoop.

· You want a scorer? Carney, playing on one of the deepest teams in the nation, led Memphis with 17.2 points per game.

· You want an athlete? Carney was a track star in high school, and he'll instantly become one of the fastest players in the league.

· You want a pure shooter? Carney hit a career-high 102 3-pointers last season, and he shot 3's at a 39 percent clip.

When you add that up, Carney has the ability to become a very good NBA shooting guard. Of course, things can sometimes change on the fly. And with this promising to shape up as one of the most unstable NBA Drafts in years, other players may become available.

But, with DeShawn Stevenson opting out of his contract, Orlando needs an athletic shot in the arm. It doesn't take a genius to see the Magic have unbalanced players. Pat Garrity and Hedo Turkoglu can shoot, but they aren't athletic. Stevenson is a good athlete, but a poor shooter.

The Magic need difference-makers and they only have one in power forward Dwight Howard.

Could Carney stand to gain a few pounds? Sure he could. Could his shot selection be a bit better? Of course. But, in Orlando's system, I bet Carney will be a hit. Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo are two guards who are very adept at running the pick and roll. Too often last season they penetrated the lane only to kick the ball out to Stevenson, who would then throw up a brick.

With Carney, watch those misses turn into makes. Watch him fly down the court for flying dunks. He'll be a hit with fans because he makes spectacular plays. He'll be a hit with Nelson and Howard because he'll become a great third option. And if Grant Hill somehow squeezes a solid season out of his ankle, adding Carney could vault the Magic into the playoffs next season.

Take my word for it.

Rodney Carney
POSITION: Guard/Forward
HEIGHT: 6-foot-5 3/4
WEIGHT: 204 pounds
COLLEGE: Memphis

ETC.: Conference USA Player of the Year as a senior. Scored a career-high 37 points against Louisiana Tech . . . Had a total of 42 points on 14-for-26 shooting in NCAA Tournament wins over Oral Roberts and Bradley . . . Suffered a bone crack above his eye after a head injury in December 2004 . . . Won the Indiana state championship in the high jump as a senior at Northwest High School in Indianapolis.