Q&A: Magic GM Rob Hennigan

Courtesy of Josh Robbins

Orlando Sentinel: What’s your assessment of the team’s first half?

Rob Hennigan: We’ve had an up-and-down season so far. That’s how I’d categorize it. It’s been encouraging at times. It’s been frustrating at times. And, unfortunately, I think we’ve felt more frustration than we have encouragement, so obviously that’s something we need to figure out collectively.

OS: How troubling have the team’s recent struggles been? The win over the Bulls last night was a good win. But, before that, the team had lost 11 of its last 14 games.

Hennigan: Am I disappointed with our team’s inconsistent play? Yes. Am I frustrated with our overall effort and competitive spirit? Yes. Am I frustrated with our recent play after we had a seemingly good start to the season in spite of a tough road schedule? Yes. So it’s on all of us collectively to start turning this around, and I think Step One is rediscovering our competitive spirit and belief in each other and cementing that as a constant. That’s where it starts and then from there I think we can begin to address the residual effects. But it starts with reigniting our competitive spirit — a competitive spirit that we’ve seen in certain games but, as I said, just not consistently enough.

OS: “Reigniting the competitive spirit,” as you say — did you see that lacking in the losses to the Sixers, Hornets and Lakers?  

Hennigan: We’ve seen it in those games, but I think it’s also raised its head at various points in the year. The challenge is figuring out how to smooth the variance of our effort and making it a constant, dependable variable versus a questionable one.

OS: What do you make of the team’s struggles at home?

Hennigan: There’s usually an explanation for everything, and this is an issue of which we’re still trying to pinpoint the cause. We’ll get to the bottom of it, but it’s frustrating. It is. It’s frustrating. We definitely owe it to our fans to put forth a more intense effort and approach to the game each night. Look, we understand the frustration of the fans. Honestly, I’d be concerned if they weren’t frustrated. They deserve to see a more consistent effort from us, especially on our home floor. So our focus is squarely on trying to get back to what we did right earlier in the season and we’ll continue to roll up our sleeves and have some real, honest conversations with each other and keep at it.

OS: The team is 10-15 on the road. Is there an explanation for the improvement there?

Hennigan: I think our guys are maturing mentally and are understanding the discipline and the resolve that it takes to win on the road. And I think because of that we’ve developed a puncher’s mentality on the road, and that’s something that for the second half of the season we need to begin to generate and establish here at home.

OS: What kind of job has Jacque Vaughn done?

Hennigan: I think Jacque has done a solid job. I think there are certainly areas that we can improve as a team. But it’s not our nature to rush to judgment on things. I think we understand there’s a lot of emotion, and we certainly acknowledge that. But as we evaluate anything, it’s our job to kind of eliminate that emotion. I’ve said that quite a few times, but I really do mean that when I say it’s our job to eliminate the emotion as much as we can, especially when it comes to evaluating the team and the staff and especially when we’re trying to troubleshoot challenges that we’re having.

OS: Is his job safe for this season?

Hennigan: Look, we’re clearly in a rut and we need to find our way out of it together. The buck starts and stops with me. I’m responsible for the team and its performance, plain and simple. I’m constantly evaluating myself and ways in which I can do a better job for our team, and that will continue to be the case, and I’ll continue to make sure I’m evaluating every inch of the organization. It’s my job to make sure that we’re constantly evaluating every aspect of the organization from top to bottom. So, to your question, I’d say that everyone and everything is being evaluated right now. I wouldn’t be doing my job if that weren’t the case. I’ll also say that there’s not one isolated problem or issue and that we need to collectively be part of generating the solution.

OS: Then, how do you evaluate your own performance?

Hennigan: Just by taking an honest look in the mirror and trying to figure out ways we can improve the team, things maybe we could’ve done better and just confronting the brutal reality of things that we can improve upon and having the courage to make those types of evaluations.

OS: Is there an area where you feel like you can improve upon?

Hennigan: I would say again that it’s not one problem or issue, but I think clearly we can all improve and it’s our job to collectively put our heads together and lean on each other and collaborate in a spirit that will lead to continual growth and improvement.

OS: Primarily last night, players said that part of the team’s identity will be pushing the pace. Is that what the identity needs to be, similar to what was seen last night and similar to what was seen in Portland?

Hennigan: I think we’re still trying to figure out the best pace for our team, and the identity of what we want our identity to be remains the same. We want to play smart, physical, unselfish, defensive-minded basketball, and we need to continue towards cementing an identity.

OS: When you look back on it, was there too much turnover on the roster during the offseason?

Hennigan: I think there clearly have been a lot of new pieces, and with that comes a lot of moving parts, and sometimes it’s hard to quantify how long it takes for players to acclimate to one another and get comfortable with one another. I think that’s a little bit of a factor, but we’ll never use that as an excuse.

OS: What do you make of Channing Frye’s recent struggles and the team’s play at the power forward spot?

Hennigan: I think Channing is still finding his way with us. Like we just spoke about, there’s always an adjustment period anytime a player joins a new team and a new coaching staff. So I think Channing’s still adjusting to all the new variables, and Channing will be just fine. I think that a lot of it has to do with just trying to get comfortable and how to play with all these new teammates. And certainly if you look at our team the first half of the year, that power forward position has been a position that’s a work-in-progress for us.

OS: Now that you’re halfway through the season, how far along do you think this rebuilding effort is? How much more work needs to be done before you guys get to where you want to go?

Hennigan: We have a lot of work to be done. Our goal is to be an elite team. That’s been our goal since Day One and that continues to be our mission and that’s a hill we embrace and want to climb each day. So we have a lot of work ahead of us. I do think we’ve made really good strides in a lot of different areas, and I think we have a group of players and a talent base that can serve us very well moving forward, and it’s our job moving forward to continue to push the program and develop the program and continue to place it on an upward trajectory. That’s our goal. That’s our job.

OS: Is there a way to “reignite that competitive spirit?” Is there a roadmap for that for the second half?

Hennigan: I don’t know if there’s a traditional road map or cookbook for that. I think there are a lot of different pathways we can take. And our focus is on just getting that back — whatever it takes to get back that competitive spirit and that intensity and sense of urgency at all times throughout the game.

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NBA Q&A: Magic GM Rob Hennigan

Courtesy of John Denton

JD: You have talked several times this offseason about how well your young guys have embraced the notion of hard work and how many of them were back in the gym two weeks after the regular season ended. How happy are you with the work that those players have put in this offseason?

HENNIGAN: "It’s very refreshing to see guys who want to get better and are willing to put in the work requisite to make it happen. It’s something that is becoming a mindset and a habit of putting in an honest day’s work. It’s a testament to our players, but also to our coaches for structuring the development that makes it fun and challenging at the same time."

JD: There are several rebuilding teams in the NBA right now, but most of them are devoid of young talent and promise. Your roster appears to be chock-full of talented young players. How encouraged are you that you have players loaded with promise who could be budding all-stars?

HENNIGAN: "We view our players, all of them to a man, as guys who can still get a lot better. Especially our young players who haven’t been in the league very long and are still trying to solidify their niche – it’s a really powerful thing to have that mindset (that you still have a lot to prove). We feel that with the development plan that we have in place for each guy we’re confident that they will be able to maximize their potential. We certainly have high hopes for our young guys."

JD: With the team still in somewhat of a growing phase, how will you gauge success this year both on a team level and an individual level?

HENNIGAN: ``We’ll have some external and internal benchmarks that we will try to analyze to make sure that guys are making steps in the right direction. Some of it is subjective and some of it is objective, but a lot will be based on attitude, approach, effort and consistency. We’ll use those four pegs to determine progress.’’

JD: Congratulations, you’re no longer a first-year GM. How are you different now than you were 16 months ago when you first took the job? What was the hardest part of your first year and what was the most surprising part of the job?

HENNIGAN: ``The most challenging part was putting together an entire basketball operations staff that fits together and creates synergy together. A year later, we could not be happier with the staff that we have working toward a common goal. The most rewarding thing was just watching our guys continue to flight, claw and keep getting better every day. Going through a transition period and a building phase like this, it’s not for the faint of heart. You have to have resolve and resilience and really want it every day. The fact that our guys showed that desire was impressive. The fact that Coach (Jacque) Vaughn and his staff were so resilient every day with their message and coaching style, so that was really rewarding to see.’’

JD: You are a very humble guy so I can imagine what your answer will be to this question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. What is your reaction to the fact that people around the NBA now are saying that the Magic ``won’’ the trade last August that sent Dwight Howard to the Lakers? At first, there were a lot of people who had questioned you and the deal, but now they have seen the promising parts that you acquired. Does that reversal give you some satisfaction?

HENNIGAN: ``You know, I think anytime someone declares whether a trade was won or lost it’s very subjective. I’m sure we’ll make a trade or two in the future that doesn’t work out. Things have a funny way of balancing out in the end.’’

JD: Tobias Harris was hardly playing in Milwaukee, buried on Scott Skiles bench. What did you know, what did you see in him at that time that told you that he could come to Orlando in the February trade and average 17.3 points and 8.5 rebounds, score 20 points nine times and hit 30 points twice?

HENNIGAN: ``Well, we didn’t know and it was an educated guess, if you will. A lot of it was based on how he approaches the game, what he’s about and what he wants to be. A lot of it came down to us valuing what he values as a human being and as a player and seeing a fit with how we want the rest of the team to gel and look.’’

JD: You have said that when building a team you never want a roster that is too old or too young and that having a mix of both is vitally important. How do you like the mix of veterans that you have in Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo and Glen Davis to go with all of the young talent on the roster?

HENNIGAN: ``I think balance is the name of the game and it’s a critical element to how your roster comes together. It’s also a critical element to living life. I think that balance provides a yin-and-yang effect that can be powerful and help build chemistry.’’

JD: What’s the latest update on Glen Davis after he had to have a second surgical procedure on the broken bone in his foot in July? Will he be ready for training camp next week or for the start of the regular season?

HENNIGAN: ``He’s progressing on schedule and he is progressing slowly. And that’s by design. One thing that we want to make sure of is that when Glen does come back we don’t want him to re-aggravate that foot. So we’re being very cautious and very vigilant in how he is preparing. He is moving along as scheduled but we still don’t have a firm timetable yet to when he will return.’’

JD: How about the status of Arron Afflalo? Is there any lingering effects from the hamstring that he tore late last season?

HENNIGAN: ``He’s fine. He spent the majority of the summer really tapping into his body and doing some things that are different than he did in the past in relation to his weight-training and his diet. He’s feeling great.’’

JD: As it relates to rookie Victor Oladipo, do you see it as out-of-the-box thinking when you take an athlete who played almost exclusively at shooting guard in college and you turn him into a point guard in the NBA? Or is that just the position that you project him to have the most success at in the NBA because of his skill set and size?

HENNIGAN: ``You look at players and you look at the game, but we try to look at it a little differently. We try to look at players who we feel can fit the style that we want to play. It’s not as much about allocating a concrete position as it is identifying what are the areas of the game that Player X can impact. We’re trying to find players who can impact a lot of areas at the same time regardless of what position they are playing.’’

JD: In Jacque Vaughn, you have a head coach who is about teaching, consistency and patience – things that you often preach. How confident are you that he is exactly the right person to mold the young players on this roster?

HENNIGAN: ``We couldn’t be happier or more excited about the job that Jacque and his staff have done. His leadership, consistency and fairness to how he coaches and motivates players are incredible assets for us. We feel incredibly confident in his ability to lead us where we want to go as a franchise.’’

JD: Your stated mission is that you want to build a sustainable winner in Orlando, and you are well aware that it will take time to do that. You are a former athlete and as competitive as the next guy, so how difficult is it for you to stay patient and continue to preach process?

HENNIGAN: ``It’s a challenge in real time, but if we can manifest the right kind of discipline and toughness as we build our team, looking back we’ll really appreciate the path that we took and the adversity we’ve had to deal with while getting to that point.’’

JD: You told me that the most influential book that you read this summer was, ``Thinking Fast and Slow.’’ Sounds like there are probably a lot of things in that book that could come in handy as a GM who has to balance the short-term with the long-term future of a basketball franchise. What did that book teach you?

HENNIGAN: ``It was just about decision-making and all of the complexities that factor into making decisions. As a management staff, we’re always trying to educate ourselves on the best mechanisms to do that. We’re as thirsty for knowledge and as thirsty for ways to gain advantages as anyone is. Reading books like that can provoke and stimulate thought, and that’s never a bad thing.’’

JD: A big part of being a wise leader is knowing how to surround yourself with smart people. How much do Assistant GMs Scott Perry and Matt Lloyd make your job easier with talent acquisition?

HENNIGAN: ``Our staff is incredibly talented and incredibly hard-working. Scott and Matt lead the charge on that front. Their expertise, their leadership abilities and how they are able to motivate and connect with our basketball staff and the people in our organization speaks to how committed they are and how unselfish they are to the common goal.’’

JD: I know that you prefer to stay in the moment and focus on the present, but do you ever close your eyes and think ahead to a time when Nik, Mo, Tobias and Victor are deeper into their careers and in their primes? Do you see that group being able to grow together and make the team something special?

HENNIGAN: ``Certainly, we feel like those guys are going to get better and they want to become really good players. It’s incumbent on us as an organization to have the infrastructure in place to allow them to do that. We’re excited about their futures.’’

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Magic GM talks why he passed on Bynum

It was the safe trade to make, big man for big man, but for some reason Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan decided against acquiring Andrew Bynum when the franchise traded Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers.  Hennigan recently took to the airwaves to explain exactly what it was that swayed his decision away from Bynum.  

"A lot the decision stems from having a core set of values on what we want to be about on the floor as well as off the floor," Hennigan said. "When we were doing a lot of our analysis about what the best option was to trade Dwight, we felt really comfortable on the research we had done on Nik Vucevic, Moe Harkless and Aaron Afflalo. Obviously, we wanted draft picks as well ... but we felt really good about (those three players) and the potential they would have when given the opportunity to play for a coach like Jacque Vaughn, who really develops and believes in players......I think it (Bynum's health) was a concern as we did our research into the history of his career. Certainly, the fact that he missed the whole season was unfortunate for everybody."

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According to sources, Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan and his staff will fly to Los Angeles and deliver a face to face presentation with their disgruntled superstar in an attempt to convince Howard to remain with the Orlando Magic.

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The head coaching search in Orlando seems to be coming to an end as recently front runner Jacque Vaughn had a second interview with the organization.  Vaughn has ties to the organization that hasn't been spoken about yet but it should land him the job.

• Vaughn played for the Magic during the "02-03" season
• He worked in San Antonio while Magic GM Rob Hennigan was in that front office
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Dwight Howard has requested to be traded.....again!  Howard's destination of choice is still the Brooklyn Nets and according to ESPN, Howard has even looked into filing blackmail charges against the Orlando Magic with the NBPA.  Howard made his wish to be traded known once more when he sat down with new Magic GM Rob Hennigan.  At this time, the NBPA has no plan to file blackmail charges against the Magic.

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According to sources, Dwight Howard and new Orlando Magic GM Rob Hennigan will meet within the next few days to discuss the direction of the franchise going forward.

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