The Magic Unravel Charlotte’s Web
Sunday, 24. January 2010
It was NASCAR night in Charlotte, where the Orlando Magic needed overtime to eventually outpace the Bobcats 106-95.
The Magic earned the right to take their victory lap with some timely 3 point shooting and tough defense in the overtime period.
Yesterday, I called for better production from the Magic’s starting backcourt and Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter definitely responded. Nelson led the way with 21 points and 7 assists, while Carter chipped in 21 points and 5 assists to go along with his stellar defense against All-Star candidate Gerald Wallace.
The Magic used there outside shooting to build a decent cushion going into the fourth quarter, then suffered a cold spell and allowed the Bobcats to crawl back into the game. Unfortunately, as good as Jameer Nelson was offensively, his defense down the stretch against D.J. Augustin could have cost the Magic the game. This is becoming a very unwelcome trend with Jameer allowing opponents to go off on him.
The biggest story line for the Magic, at least from my perspective, is the outstanding play of Dwight howard, who is finally looking like the player who carried the Magic to the Finals last season. Howard was huge, snatching a game high 20 boards and swatting away 7 shots. Dwight sets the tone for the Magic, and lately, he looks like a man on a mission, displaying a tenacity that was missing most of the season.
The move to Matt Barnes in the starting line-up over Mickael Pietrus is continuing to pay dividends as well. While his numbers don’t always jump out at you while perusing the box score, his effort and intensity are clearly evident when watching him play. The same can be said about JJ Reddick, whose hard work and dedication have helped him become a consummate pro. Otis Smith’s decision to hold onto Reddick looks like a brilliant one.
Now it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t use this or any other opportunity to blast off on good ol’ Rashard Lewis. Sure, he had what appeared to be a nice game with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. However, he took 13 three’s and made only 4, a couple of which came when the Magic already had the game in hand. Excuse me if I’m missing something, but on what planet is it ok for a 6′10″ power forward to jack up 13 three point shots? Mercury, Juptiter, Venus or maybe Uranus? I’m not sure about those places in the solar system, but here on Earth, this simply isn’t acceptable. Dude, drop a shoulder and drive the lane, trust me what doesn’t kill you will make you stronger. At this point, some girl push-ups might even be an improvement. Rashard apparently got gypped out of his “Roid Rage”, while he was using performance enhancers, since I’ve never seem him express anything remotely close to aggression.
As much as you fall in love with them when there going down, you cannot simply rely on 3 pointers to be the focal point of your offense if you want to win consistently. Last night the magic hoisted 39 three’s and while it helped Orlando build their lead, it also almost cost the Magic the game.
With that being said, there are still a lot of positives for the Magic to build on, and if Dwight Howard continues his ascent back to last years form, the Magic should be in great shape the rest of the way.
