January 12, 2022 8:00 a.m.

"I don't care"

I often say it when asked about a coach hired by a team or when a general manager takes control of an organization. It's not because I have no opinion on the new executive or coach. It's just I am being honest about whether it will work or not because it's impossible to know. No one knows if a coach is going to succeed or not. No one knows if a trade is going to work out. We hope and we are there to analyze but we really do not know before the process plays itself out.

Brian Flores went 5-11 in his first season with a roster that some said was the worst had seen in years. The Dolphins went 10-6 and 9-8 and missed the playoffs this season by one game. Flores went from a great hire to fired just like that. And now there are reports of how he treated Tua and other players and that's why he was let go by owner Stephen Ross. The point is you just never know.

"I don't care"

I don't care who gets hired to coach or run a franchise, particularly of teams I have a passion for, I just want them to get better and win. How they get better is up to them. I had no part of the process in the hiring, I just want to follow the results. If you win, I will love you and think it was a great hire or trade after the fact. If you fail, you will be gone in time.

I have applied that to the Orlando Magic for years. I don't care who the GM or head coach is. I don't care who they draft. I just want them to win. I am not into analyzing 16 year old players in Europe that might be a great draft pick in three years. I don't care about the GM's background and who he once drafted. I really don't care where the team's head coach once served as an assistant. It's not because they are not all good people. I have no reason to think Jeff Weltman, John Hammond and Jamahl Mosley are not great people and competent at what they do. I just want the team to win. If they do, we will love those people forever. If the team loses, they may be great people but losing stinks.

"I don't care"

I often argue with some Magic fans who seem to love the off-season of hope. They get caught up in the draft and all the picks the team has or acquire. They overanalyze close games and seem content with coming close in games. I understand that you can watch a game and appreciate a performance by a player or team but we are not playing for a post-game ice cream hoping the team mom brought the cooler of frozen sandwiches. We cheer our teams with the hope of winning. Not every team can win the title every year but we fans want hope and progres. We want to see our rebuild turn into a team that is contending and then becomes a team that can compete for the title.

The Magic and their progress in the latest rebuild can be tied to the team's lack of staying healthy. It sucks. It stalls progress and it leaves a fan base frustrated because the team is no better in what matters, wins and losses.

Jonathan Isaac has played in just 39% of games since he's been in the NBA. His injuries have been severe and there is nothing other than hope to indicate he can return to be a productive player in the next several years. There's more data to tell you he won't become a consistent all-star. Markelle Fultz has played in 43% of his games as a member of the Orlando Magic. Chuma Okeke has played in 40% of his games in Orlando. How can any of those players be part of your foundation? They don't play enough to be. Is that the fault of Jeff Weltman, John Hammond, Jamahl Mosely or Stuff? Of course not. It's no one's fault. But it still stinks.

Rookie Franz Wagner gives you hope the Magic may have found a player in the draft who might be special. Let's hope he stays healthy because the other player taken in last year's draft, Jalen Suggs, has played in only 51% of his games this season.

There is not enough of a sample size to know if Wagner and Suggs will be stars and if the Magic can't surround the two with a supporting cast it won't matter.

There is nothing fun about 7-34. Nothing. It's the worst start in franchise history and the majority of Magic fans have become disengaged. Not because they don't care about the team but because we watch and follow our teams for what they give us. When your team offers little hope other than promising young players who keep games close, your passion is easy to disappear.

I love my New York Giants. I have no passion for them and that's sad. Like the Magic, they have had injuries that provide an excuse. But those hires in the front office and coaching room didn't work. You never know if they will or won't, just like the Magic.

"I don't care"

It's not that complicated. It's rather simple. You need to have talent on your team. You can draft or trade for talent. You can help develop them and surround them with assets to maximize their skill set. When that happens, you win. The problem is the ability to get talent, coach and develop it is not a guarantee. And when you get injuries to the players you think are the foundation of your team then your model to win becomes impossible. And when your team lands in that category, do you know what your fan base starts to say?

"I don't care"

Final thought: The Orlando Magic have not played a game six of a playoff series since 2011 when they lost to the Atlanta Hawks in the first round.