Ignoring the rookies the Magic drafted, the veterans on the roster would combine to average just 75 points per game for the Magic if they produced at the same efficiency levels as they did last year. Will the additional offensive output of Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Mario Kasun, and Grant Hill (no games last year) be enough to get the Magic into triple digit territory?

Much of the Magic roster has been reshaped to fit the tough, team-oriented concept that John Weisbrod espoused upon being named General Manager. With lots of new faces from lots of old teams, one would expect that the total minutes per game would add up to more than the total 240 (48 times 5) that are in a standard, non-overtime game. Indeed, the total minutes played add up to 262, or just a little less than the equivalent of a single-overtime game.

But the total offensive output should have been greater than the typical 90 points that most teams were able to reach last season. Instead, it adds up to just 82.4. Scaling that back down to the 240 total minutes in a regulation game, that means the expected offensive output would be just 75.5 points per game.

Dwight Howard is not ready to average 20 points per game. Jameer Nelson probably won't see enough minutes to get so many points. Mario Kasun is at best a third-string center. Grant Hill could be very effective, and Pat Garrity should do well, too, but on a team deep with swingmen, they would be cutting into the minutes of the players who are otherwise the most productive anyway, Mobley and Francis.

Here's a complete summary of each player's results from last year:

Stacey Augmon 20.5 minutes, 5.8 points
Tony Battie 20.2 minutes, 5.6 points
Keith Bogans 24.5 minutes, 6.8 points
Michael Bradley 6.1 minutes, 0.9 points
Kelvin Cato 25.3 minutes, 6.1 points
Andrew DeClercq 17.1 minutes, 3.2 points
Steve Francis 40.4 minutes, 16.6 points
Pat Garrity 11.0 minutes, 1.0 points
Grant Hill 0 minutes, 0 points
Dwight Howard 0 minutes, 0 points
Mario Kasun 0 minutes, 0 points
Cuttino Mobley 40.4 minutes, 15.8 points
Jameer Nelson 0 minutes, 0 points
DeShawn Stevenson 30.6 minutes, 11.4 points
Hedo Turkoglu 25.9 minutes, 9.2 points

Total: 262 minutes, 82.4 points

Unless someone steps up quickly to score 20 points per game, the Magic will continue feeling the loss of the NBA's scoring leader for perhaps the entire season.

TEAM NOTES
The Second Annual Garrity Bass Classic is Sunday, September 19.

The Orlando Business Journalwrites: The Orlando Regional Chamber of Commerce presents the Orlando Magic Tip-off LuncheonOct. 22, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m., at the Doubletree Hotel at the Entrance to Universal Orlando. Scheduled to appear are players Steve Francis, Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, Head Coach Johnny Davis and General Manager John Weisbrod. For more information, call (407) 835-2448.

NEWSLINES

Lou Whiymire ofThe Mansfield News Journalwrites: Elijah Torrence plans to go to Duke University, play in the NBA and maybe become a bio-medical engineer. For now, 10-year-old Torrence is happy to be a fifth-grader at Mansfield Community School... His favorite class is math. "It's my best subject," he said. After school, he also likes playing basketball -- he's an Orlando Magic fan -- and he likes Xbox video games.