EIGHT-MAN ROTATION
Pos	Player	Key Stat	Skinny
PG	Darrell Armstrong	13.8 PPG	Only one of top five '99 scorers still here
SG	Tariq Abdul-Wahad	9.3 PPG	Nick who? Good defender has big upside
SF	Corey Maggette	rookie	Sonics will regret this trade someday
PF	Bo Outlaw	43 blocks	Irreplaceable team player guards anyone
C	Michael Doleac	6.2 PPG	Up-and-comer looking vastly improved
SF	Matt Harpring	4.3 RPG	Rambis-type did well when Outlaw was out
PF	Chris Gatling	5.7 PPG	Gun-for-hire: six teams, four years
C	Ben Wallace	2.0 BPG	Wizard on the boards needs health

		Seven years ago the Magic had a wonderful future. But then that all changed. Shaquille O'Neal and Anfernee Hardaway are gone, as are the coaching staffs are gone. Now they find themselves in a rebuilding period. They don't have a chance of winning right away. It will be a good learning experience for Doc Rivers as a first-year coach, but unfortunately he is going to have to coach every single night. There won't be any easy games. They have to redefine themselves. It's a whole new beginning for them.

Last season, under Hall of Fame coach Chuck Daly, the Magic were one of the big surprises of the league, tying for the best record in the Eastern Conference. Perhaps equally surprising was how they were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by an upstart Philadelphia 76ers team that had not participated in postseason play in seven seasons, which precipitated the changes this offseason.

Although little is expected from this year's Magic team, Rivers is conceding nothing. Even though he takes over a team that traded away four-fifths of its starting lineup of a year ago -- Penny Hardaway, Nick Anderson, Horace Grant and Isaac Austin -- Rivers is determined to instill a work ethic and winning attitude into his makeshift team to solidify a foundation for future championships.

Among the returning players the Magic will be counting on to lead the charge into the new millennium are veterans Darrell Armstrong and Bo Outlaw and second-year players Michael Doleac and Matt Harpring.

Add in lottery pick Corey Maggette, who was obtained as part of the Grant trade with Seattle, the prospect of having some $12 million in salary cap room for the summer of 2000 and three first-round picks in the 2000 draft, and the future looks rather promising.

As for the immediate future, the big question is whether or not the Magic can draw the fans back and keep them interested until this rebuilding project reaches fruition. Only time will tell.

Player to watch

Armstrong No, Doc Rivers is not the best point guard on the Magic. Darrell Armstrong earned awards last year for Most Improved Player and Sixth Man, and now with the team's four other top scorers gone, the former USBL, CBA and Global player has to improve even more or this team is worse than the debut Magic team that won 18 games in 1989-90. On second thought, they might be no matter what Armstrong does.

Point guard
Armstrong had a breakout year last season, winning both the Sixth Man of the Year and Most Improved Player awards. He won't be winning either award this year because he is no longer a sixth man and no longer unheralded. Armstrong is and will continue to be a Rivers favorite because he only knows one way to play -- all out. The only question is whether or not Armstrong's reckless play can withstand being a starter for an 82-game regular season. The Magic picked up veteran Lee Mayberry, but he's been a huge disappointment, displaying an unwillingness or inability to play with injuries. It's likely Mayberry will be passed up in favor of another Darrell Armstrong-in-the-making, Chucky Atkins, who grew up in Orlando. Atkins has won over Rivers with the same kind of gritty play that often characterized Armstrong's early years.

Shooting guard
Rivers realizes that Maggette is not necessarily ready to be a starter in the NBA at age 19. But the rookie keeps doing things in workouts and exhibition games that make his coach think otherwise. The Magic already knew Maggette was blessed with an abundance of athletic talent and quickness, but they didn't know about his work ethic and desire to improve. While he reminds many of Vince Carter with his high-flying game, Maggette has also been putting in extra time after practice with assistant coach Johnny Davis. Tariq Abdul-Wahad was expected to contend for the starting spot at 2-guard, but he's struggled in training camp, particularly at the offensive end. He's been outplayed by Anthony Parker, who has earned a spot on the roster after being a throw-in in a trade with Philadelphia.

Small forward
Rivers has long believed the Magic is a better team with Outlaw in the starting lineup. But given the difficulty the Magic will face in trying to score this year, Rivers has had to rethink that position. While Outlaw provides a lot of the intangibles, his lack of an offensive game makes it virtually impossible to call plays for him. Newcomer Pat Garrity has been a pleasant surprise through the early part of camp and could earn a spot in the starting lineup with his perimeter game. Another possible starter is Harpring, a first-team All-Rookie selection in 1999 who started and was effective for a stretch last season while Outlaw recovered from a lower leg injury. However, Harpring has battled through some nagging injuries to his ankle during camp and has been slow to provide the necessary offensive spark.

Power forward
Much like Outlaw at the small forward spot, the Magic love the athleticism and defensive ability that newcomer Wallace provides at the power forward spot. However, Wallace also lacks offensive skills, which seems to make it difficult for both he and Outlaw to be in the starting lineup together. However, the Magic should get a huge scoring boost from a couple of veterans in Chris Gatling and Armen Gilliam. Gatling, the team's best low-post scoring threat, will be the sixth man, while Gilliam, who had sought his release from the Magic during the offseason, will begin the season on the roster to help provide some much-needed leadership on and off the floor. Derek Strong, who suffered near-fatal cardiac arrest during routine nose surgery during the offseason, is in camp, but is still trying to work himself back into basketball condition.

Center
Surprisingly, this could be the most improved position on the roster. Doleac, another All-Rookie selection last season, bulked up over the offseason and has shown signs of becoming much more aggressive at both ends of the floor. Rivers has said he'd like for Doleac to become a Bill Laimbeer-type of player -- very physical down low -- to accompany his fine high-post offensive game. If he continues to progress all season long, Doleac could keep that Most Improved Player trophy in the Magic family. Gatling and Gilliam are both capable of moving to the 5-spot to provide more offensive punch, while Terry Davis and Wallace will play in the pivot when Rivers needs some defense.

Coaching
Even without experience, Rivers is regarded as one of the bright young minds in the game. He'll draw from his NBA playing experience -- 13 years at point guard -- under such coaches as Pat Riley, Larry Brown and Mike Fratello to guide him during his first year. If anything, Rivers will make sure the Magic reflects the identity of its young, energetic coach: play hard, run hard and work hard. For a team that is lacking overall talent, this is all that any coach could hope for.