A year ago, free agency came up aces for the Orlando Magic. They landed Grant Hill and then they scored a marvelous coup by snatching Tracy McGrady from Vince Carter's statue.

	Ewing didn't produce for the Sonics, but the Magic aren't asking for great numbers.

This summer, free agency came up deuces for remarkably innovative general manager John Gabriel. Unable to dump Bo Outlaw's $27 million in these tight money days, Gabriel lost out on Antonio Davis, who would have made Orlando the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

Instead, Gabriel reached out and signed a couple of creaky -- in one case make that creaky and cranky -- big men, combined age 75 years, combined NBA wear and tear 30 years. Is this Magic trick enough to vault Orlando from seventh to the top of the East?

(Pause a moment here until the laughter subsides.)

But seriously, folks...

If you believe in the power of positive thinking, the Magic made the great leap forward when Hill got full clearance from a Baltimore surgeon who did the second repair on the fractured bone in his left ankle.

	McGrady

	Hill

That Doc Rivers got his team to the playoffs with Hill available only four games says something very good about this young coach and his hard-working team. Add Hill's career numbers -- 21.6 points, 7.9 rebounds, 6.3 assists -- to McGrady's marvelous 2000-01 season -- 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists. Mix in second-year forward Mike Miller's 11.9 points and 41 percent three-point shooting and this is a three-pronged slashing, perimeter shooting attack that outstrips every team in the East, including Milwaukee's Ray Allen-Sam Cassell-Glenn Robinson combo.

You can argue that Rivers should start all three with Hill and McGrady alternating as the point and Darrell Armstrong playing off the bench with the reduced minutes he requested late last season.

	Grant

So, here comes Patrick Ewing, at the end of his career and willing to play for $2.25 million, chump change for the old Knicks dinosaur until his stock plummeted faster than Lucent's. Ewing clanked around for a career-low 9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and Seattle missed the playoffs. Down in LA, ex-Magic forward Horace Grant produced 8.5 points, 7.1 rebounds as one of Shaq's spear carriers.

These moves will move the Magic up on the basis of experience and know-how if they do nothing else. If Rivers can hold their minutes down to the low-20s they should be able to remain injury free and productive on the inside while Hill and McGrady dazzle the competition from any spot on the court they want to call home.

Add good-shooting Pat Garrity, hard working Outlaw and tough DePaul rookie Stephen Hunter into the mix and the Magic have a tough, dangerous rotation.

Ewing says he fits, that he can only help the Magic running game and Rivers agrees. "Before, we could only run mostly off turnovers," Rivers said. "Now, we know we'll get the rebound instead of hoping to get it."

After laboring in the Knicks' slow down game for years, Ewing says, "It's basketball. Whatever style you play, it's still basketball. There's two ends to the court. They might run. They ran last year. I run when I have the opportunity to run with them, and if I don't, I'll get the rebound, kick it out to whoever and I'll watch them. It'll be sort of like Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar) was with the Lakers in their heyday."

On the other hand....

You can argue that the Gabriel, Rivers and Ewing are working a dream that will never see reality. Ewing played only 26 minutes a night for the Sonics, missed 20 games his last season with the Knicks, played only 26 games in 1997-98. The words championship and Ewing will never be linked.

It's this sort of unrealistic statement that goes to the heart of Ewing's problem: he is out of touch with reality:

He says, "Naturally, I'm not the same athlete I was when I was younger, but in some way, I think I'm better than I was then. I know the game better, I'm mentally stronger and tougher, and I feel that I have something to prove."

(Second pause for laughter...)

Of course, Grant's time passed long ago. So what if he was the starting power forward on a championship Lakers team. That position is so irrelevant, the Lakers won a title with A.C. Green in the same spot. The Lakers thought so much of Grant they replaced him with Samaki Walker. Notice that they still rank as the best team in the NBA?

So Ewing and Grant become the power tandem, backed by the likes of Outlaw, plus Andrew DeClercq and Don Reid, if Gabriel brings them back. So, if either of the senior citizens needs a little winter vacation, or a few weeks recuperation in the Golden Age home, then Hill, McGrady and Co. are back to crumbs on the inside.

But wait a minute, you say. Compared to the other contenders/pretenders in the East, the Magic did make some moves, right?

This is true.

The 76ers and Bucks have done little to improve their standing.

The Raptors overspent to stay even and create a warm environment for Carter. The Pacers -- not Reggie Miller -- will improve marginally with experience but need inside help.

Charlotte lost Eddie Robinson and Miami has only four bona fide starters under contract, including Alonzo Mourning. The Knicks agreed to pay $100 million to keep Allan Houston, indirectly revealing behind-the-scenes strife with his teammate Latrell Sprewell.

Since Houston is the sixth-best shooting guard in the East behind, Miller, Allen, McGrady, Carter and Michael Jordan, how are the Knicks' better? Oh, of course. Forgot they signed Clarence Weatherspoon.

Orlando's looking better all the time.

Jeffrey Denberg, who covers the NBA for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, is a regular contributor to ESPN.com.