ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy peppers his sentences with adjectives such as “incredible,” “great” and “tremendous” when he discusses the moves General Manager Otis Smith has made this free-agency period.

In an interview with the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday, Van Gundy said the additions of power forward Brandon Bass and wing player Matt Barnes, as well as the decision to re-sign backup center Marcin Gortat, will provide plenty of lineup options once the season arrives.
“Otis has done a tremendous job, I think, not only in signing good players but really getting pieces that have a very good chance of fitting together well,” Van Gundy said. “I think that we’ve got several very versatile guys. I think we’ve got about every situation covered. I don’t think that there’s really any kind of lineup that we can’t play.”
Van Gundy said four players — Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson — “would have to perform pretty poorly to play themselves out of the starting lineup.”
For now, however, Van Gundy said he doesn’t have his mind made up on the fifth starter. The competition for that spot will begin when the Magic begin training camp on Sept. 29. Probably the only guys who won’t contend for a starting role are reserve point guard Anthony Johnson and Gortat because of the positions they play.
Last season, the Magic relied on an unorthodox formula offensively, with Howard surrounded by four strong perimeter players who were comfortable shooting from three-point range.
But this upcoming season, that formula could change a bit if Bass cracks the starting lineup and Lewis moves to small forward. At 6 foot 8 and 240 pounds, Bass should offer a physical presence and additional offensive rebounding, but he also would give the Magic a more conventional look.
“I think we certainly have that option to play that way, but I think at the same time, we’ve still got very much the ability to spread people out and play the way we’ve played in the past,” Van Gundy said.
“Brandon certainly gives us a chance to play more conventionally at times and get a more physical presence, but at the same time, I think we also can do even more in terms of keeping the floor spread out.”
Van Gundy added he was excited about Barnes’ signing. At 6 foot 7 and 225 pounds, Barnes is best suited to small forward, but he has played on occasion at power forward.
“The thing he brings to us that we haven’t had enough of is he’s an excellent passer,” Van Gundy said. “He really, really understands how to play the game and how to play with other people. I think guys are going to enjoy playing with him. He’s a pretty good ball-handler. He can shoot the 3. He’s a very solid rebounder.”
The Magic’s top remaining priority is to add another point guard, but unless they can work out a sign-and-trade deal with another team, there are fewer options. Already over the salary cap, Orlando can only offer free agents minimum salaries because it used its entire mid-level exception of $5.854 million to sign Barnes and Bass, and used its biannual exception last year to sign Johnson.
Ideally, any point guard the Magic would add would be young, quick and shoot well from the outside, Van Gundy said. But, he added, “When you’re getting down to who’s left, you’re going to have to give a little on some of those things.”