Tampa Bay Sports Blog

Would someone please call the ASPCA and send them to pick up the carcass resembling the remains of the once proud Orlando Magic that lay still on the Verizon Center court in Washington DC.

Last night’s performance by the Magic against the turmoil filled Washington Wizards was absolutely deplorable. Despite the Magics horrific shooting woes which continue to plague them, they managed to build a ten point lead in the fourth quarter, only to fall victim to a frenetic Wizard rally.

The Magic have now lost four straight games against sub .500 teams, three of which came on the road where Orlando has struggled mightily this season.

Before I begin to dissect the plight of the Orlando Magic following last nights debacle, I would like to clarify that I’m in excellent spirits. I would hate for my rant to be attributed to me possibly waking up on the wrong side of the bed. Which would have been impossible anyway since I slept on the good old couch last night (ah yes, one of the many fringe benefits of living with your girlfriend…lol).

It would be easy to point out once again, the Magics dependence on the 3 point shot (they were 7-27 or .259% for the game against the Wizards), lack of effort, poor execution and defensive intensity. However, I feel the problems go much deeper than that.

Yesterday, I questioned whether the team may be quitting on Coach Stan Van Gundy prematurely. However, after listening to Van Gundy’s post game presser last night, I too may be leaning towards severing ties. Van Gundy had the audacity to state that it was his responsibility to get the most out of his star players(which I can agree with), and that he simply does not know how to at this point. That is simply not the answer you give when your being paid to do a job at the NBA level.

Maybe Pat Riley knew something we are starting to find out about Stan “No Longer The Man” Van Gundy? Even Shaq questioned his mental fortitude and I am starting to agree. When things aren’t going well, Van Gundy always looks out of sorts, unable to maintain composure. How can you expect to lead a group of professional athletes, when you start whining and pouting like a fat kid who had his cake snatched out of his hands.

At least in Miami, Van Gundy had a proven leader and warrior in D Wade, not to mention a strong veteran presence in Shaq, to keep players in line and demand better effort on the court, which they exemplified through their own play.

Unfortunately, the Magic lack a veteran who can command that type of respect. Which leaves the coach to shoulder that burden. This is where I feel Van Gundy has failed, since the majority of his core players are all underachieving this season.

Vince Carter, who up until this point in his career, in best known for dunking over Frederick Weiss in the Olympics (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PPhbHMaf7k) and for admitting he quit on the Toronto Raptors by not always competing hard. So I’m not surprised that Vince hasn’t warmed up to the coaching methods used by Van Gundy. This is no excuse for Carter’s recent struggles, however, it may be a part of the reason he is not excelling. If anything, it appears as if he has regressed since joining the Magic.

The Magics other floor general Jameer Nelson has continued to struggle since his return from knee surgery and I would actually prefer seeing him come off the bench for the time being. Let him regain his confidence playing against the oppositions second unit, rather than allow him to be abused further like he was by Derrick Rose earlier in the week in Chicago.

Now for my favorite target, Rashard ” Please Don’t Touch Me” Lewis, who is either the luckiest man on earth or has a world class publicist. How else can you explain a player making that much escarole flying under the radar and not being trashed for his severe lack of production. Lets be honest, aside from his three point shooting ability, there’s not much else to be enamored about with Rashard’s game.

With all that being said, the Magic are still one of the top 5 teams in the league and can definitely salvage this season. In order for that to happen, there will have to be some major changes made. Ever heard the phrase ” drastic times call for drastic measures”? Memo to Otis Smith: We are in Crisis Mode.

If anything can be learned from last nights collapse, it’s how to respond to adverse situations. Here are the Wizard’s faced with all kinds of on and off court distractions, yet, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler showed how consummate professionals are suppose to carry themselves. Hopefully, some of the Magic players took notice.

Technorati Tags: Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler, Chicago Bulls, Derrick Rose, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Frederick Weiss, Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Pat Riley, Rashard Lewis, Shaq, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, Washington Wizards

After watching a frustrating, yet understandable loss at Utah last week, followed by another heartbreaker the following night in Phoenix against the Suns, I decided to take a few days off to see how the Magic would respond.

As expected, they returned home Monday night and won and ugly game against the very physical Indiana Pacers. Followed by an unimpressive dismantling of the feeble Toronto Raptors last night.

I think we can all agree that a couple of victories at home against the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors is not quite an accurate barometer of where this Magic team is at.

So I waited on the outcome of tonight’s rematch against the Miami Heat, who narrowly escaped Orlando’s Amway Arena with a victory less than a month ago, courtesy of a last second put back shot by Michael Beasley off an errant D Wade Jumper.

Before giving out my humble assessment of this Magic Team as presently constructed, I want to go on record as having taken into account the Magic are playing 3 games in 4 nights after returning from a long West Coast road trip.

Having said that, I was still completely frustrated by the performance the Magic put on against the Miami Heat tonight. They were simply out-hustled, out-muscled and out-manned. They showed absolutely zero signs of life and continued to struggle against teams who have any low post presence. Amazing, we actually consider Jermaine O’Neal, Udonis Haslem, Dorell Wright, Michael Beasley and Jamaal Magloire a formidable front line. Where have all the good Big Men gone?

Dwayne Wade was efficient and continued his dominance of the Magic, which previously hadn’t always coincided with a Heat victory, pouring in 25 points to go along with 7 assists.

Dwight Howard, who usually has monster games against the Heat, was held pretty much in check, even though he did attempt to assert his aggressiveness. Unfortunately, it wasn’t nearly enough, especially, when none of his teammates bothered to step up. Which is abnormal for the Magic, who usually find contributions from the bench on off nights by the Superstars.

Vince “Cupcake” Carter is starting to show his complacency once again and seems to be losing the desire to attack the rim. I guess with the rest of the Magic jacking up 3 pointers, it can be contagious. Carter and Lewis average  a mere 4.4 and 2.9 free throws per game respectively. Rather startling when compared to slow footed and athletically challenged JJ Redick who averages 2.3 free throws per contest, coming off the bench in a limited role.

What boggles my mind is why Stan Van Gundy refuses to utilize either Brandon Bass or Marcin Gortat. Both have played well when called upon and have also demonstrated a willingness to play physical. Something you will NEVER hear me saying about Rashard Lewis, who seems immune to going anywhere inside the arc.

With Vince Carter,  Rashard Lewis , Mickael Pietrus and Company continuing to hoist up 3’s at will, the Magic are non-existent on the offensive glass

Jameer Nelson will be back in a week or so, however, I’m not sure that will be enough to keep the Magic in the NBA’s upper echelon with the Lakers and Celtics.

If the Magic aren’t going to incorporate Brandon Bass or Marcin Gortat in their regular rotation, they should look to trade one of them for a player who better fits whatever coach Van Gundy is trying to do. Which at this point I can’t quite figure out. The Magic have no identity and are living and dying by the long range jump shot.

The Magic aren’t getting it done on the defensive end and that is in direct correlation with their lack of sustained intensity and effort. Isn’t that a reflection on the coaching staff?

I’ve said it all along and will continue to harp on the fact that the Magic need to address the deficiencies in their roster if they are planning on a repeat of last seasons successful playoff run. They need a rebounding power forward and a low post scoring threat. On second thought, the Magic already have both of those types of players in Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat. Maybe they should actually insert them into the game.

With the economy in the toilet and many teams bracing for the worst, and let us not forget the impending 2010 free agent class, there are key players available and deals to be had. Otis Smith needs to come off his wait and see approach to things and start being aggressive.

Technorati Tags: Brandon Bass, dorell wright, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Jermaine O'Neal, Marcin Gortat, Michael beasley, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy, udonis haslem, Vince "Cupcake" Carter

The Orlando Magic, fresh from a night off, strolled into Utah to take on a Jazz team who just suffered a debilitating loss the night before to the World Champion Los Angeles Lakers. A perfect scenario for the Magic to continue on their winning ways.

As expected the Jazz looked sluggish early on and the Magic were hitting on all cylinders, building what you would think would be an insurmountable 18 point lead. Well, think again folks, because the always tough at home Utah Jazz had other plans.

I can’t help but think that the momentum change was spurred on when Rashard Lewis pulled a Scottie Pippen in the 2nd quarter; refusing coach Van Gundy’s orders to get back in the game. Lewis, saddled with 2 fouls, later claimed he felt Ryan Anderson had it going and didn’t want to interrupt his hot streak.  Unbelievable as it sounds for a player making a cool $118 millions bucks to refuse a coaches instruction. Stan Van Gundy himself, who has coached some questionable characters in his career, claims he has never had a player question his authority in this manner.

Even if Rashard Lewis thought he was being unselfish, is this the type of attitude you want to permeate throughout your team? An All-Star player feeling that his substitute can provide more effectiveness than himself.  Could you imagine Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan or Dwayne Wade not seething at the opportunity to get back on the court no matter what the score or situation.

Whatever transpired inside the Magic locker room at halftime, seemed to carry over onto the basketball court. The Jazz came out in the 3rd quarter and simply wrestled the game away from the Magic outscoring the Magic 68-51 in the final 2 quarters of play.

Deron Williams was spectacular tallying 32 points and 15 assists while the Jazz also received significant contributions from Carlos Boozer, Mehmet Okur and C.J.Miles.

The Jazz imposed their physicality upon a soft Magic team who wilted under the pressure of a hostile crowd at EnergySolutions Arena.

Tonight, the Magic get a chance to regroup against a far less physical, yet equally athletic club, in the Phoenix Suns. On the bright side, Rashard Lewis should be well rested. While on the flip side, Jason Williams will have his hands full with 2 time MVP Steve Nash and Dwight Howard will have to deal with Amar’e “The Stat Sheet Stuffer” Stoudemire. Without having to look into my crystal ball, I predict an early appearance from Marcin Gortat to spell Dwight Howard after he picks up a quick 2 fouls.

Technorati Tags: Amare Stoudemire, C.J. Miles, Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, jason williams, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, Mehmet Okur, Michael Jordan, NBA Finals, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter

The Orlando Magic and Diwght Howard got back on track last night with an impressive road victory against the up and coming Atlanta Hawks. More importantly, Dwight Howard finally found his offensive game and played with aggresiveness we haven’t since yet in the beginning stages of this season. Hopefully, this is indicative of what we can expect from Mr. Howard and the rest of the Magic from here on out.

It is expected for a team who reached the NBA Finals just six months ago to suffer a bit of a letdown when embarking on another long regular season. So I give the Magic a pass for some of their lethargic play early on. They’ve still managed to pick up some nice road wins in Boston, Toronto and now Atlanta. They say winning starts with defense and that has been the one consistent formula the Magic have put on display. Lead by Mickael Pietrus who has done an excellent job against some of the biggest names in the game, such as Paul Pierce, Dwayne Wade and Joe Johnson. Pietrus is also contributing on the offensive end with some very timely long distance shooting. Hopefully, he starts attcking the basket more, which will make the Magic even more dynamic offensively.

The most impressive aspect of last nights victory was the way the Magic fought their way back into the game in the second half, rather than mailing it in and blaming it on a tough back-to-back road game. Apparently, coach van Gundy challenged his team during his halftime pep talk and they definitely responded. So much for the notion he is losing his team.  With Orlando’s depth at several positions, they should be able to combat fatigue and the occasional off nights by their starters. Evident last night  with Anthony Johnson, who I owe a sincere apology to, putting up 17 points to make up for Jason Williams ineffectiveness.

Again, I can’t stress enough how important Dwight howards tenaciousness is needed to keep the Magic rolling. Every team plays off their best player and while Orlando may have other All-Star caliber players, Howard is clearly the emotional leader of the team. He set the tone in the second half and the rest of the Magic follwed suit. If this continues, the magic could be headed for anpother trip to the finals. Up next is the Milwaukee Bucks and rookie phenom Brandon Jennings. Without Jameer Nelson, this will be a tough assignement for the Magic backcourt. Can’t help but think what might have been had the Magic reached out and grabbed Allen Iverson after he cleared waivers. I guess I’ll have to settle for “White Chocolate” vs. the next “A.I.”.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Anthony Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, brandon jennings, coach Van Gundy, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, jason will, joe johnson, Mickael Pietrus, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, Orlando Magic, paul pierce, Stan Van Gundy, Toronto Raptors, Vince Carter

Last night was a classic example of a good team letting their inferior opponent stick around too long and having the rug pulled out from underneath them. The Orlando Magic appeared to have their 13th consecutive win against the Miami Heat all but sealed up midway through the 4th quarter, until you guessed it, Mr. Dwayne Wade himself took matters into his own hand. As much as I’d love to put the onus on Vince “Cupcake” Carter, I have to give the “Goat” award to Dwight Howard and the rest of the Magic frontline. They were clearly out hustled and showed zero heart or intensity down the stretch.

It looks as if the recurrent theme of the Magic’s season is going to be their lack of killer instinct. Until Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis realize referee’s are not going to blow the whistle on weak finger roll drives to the basket, or Dwight Howard starts to make critical free throws, the Magic will continue to falter in close meaningful games. Dwayne Wade’s humiliating block of Vince “Cupcake” Carters 4th quarter fade away drive to the basket, was reminiscent of last years finals series against the Los Angeles Lakers, when Kobe Bryant snatched both a ferocious rebound and Dwight Howard’s heart all in one play. Wade stole the momentum of the game and Michael Beasley picked up the scraps, putting the final nail in the coffin of the Magic.

Unfortunately, lost in what has to be a debilitating loss for the Magic, was another solid effort from Jason Williams. He scored 25 points, dished out 8 dimes and had only 1 turnover. However, his 2 missed free throws down the stretch proved critical for the Magic’s chances to seal the deal. Vince Carter showed some resilience hitting a huge 3 point field goal to put the magic up 3 with 14 seconds left, only to be foiled by Wade and company. Ultimately, it was Dwight Howard’s failure to block out Jermaine O’neal or anyone else on the Heats frontline that proved to be the most damaging. It’s unfathomable a player of his stature doesn’t have more pride or determination, and further solidifies my point that he is a “Super Liability” when it counts the most. Let’s hope Stan Van Gundy reverts back to his negative, berating self. Maybe, that can somehow inspire a bit of toughness out of Dwight Howard. If not, can we see Marcin Gortat get at least a cameo role in the Magic’s 4th quarter production?

The beauty of the NBA season is the Magic have a chance for redemption against a soaring Atlanta Hawks club tonight and can quickly put last nights bad memory out of their minds. Another test of their intestinal fortitude will be on display and I’m hoping they don’t wind up resembling America’s traditional Thanksgiving Dinner. TURKEY!

Technorati Tags: Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, jason williams, Jermaine O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Michael beasley, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter

The Orlando Magic take on their Florida Rivals the Miami Heat tonight at Amway Arena. If recent history holds true to form, Dwayne Wade will have a monster game, and the Magic will prevail. This game should serve as a barometer of where Vince Carter is defensively and also serve as a great opportunity for Dwight Howard to get back on track offensively. Howard usually has big games against the Heats smaller line-up, averaging a double-double in the last 12 games in the series.

Wade, who’s career average is a cool 30 points per game against the Magic, has been feasting against all his Southeast Division foes over the last 3 seasons. Hopefully, Vince Carter is reminded of this by head coach Stan “I’m a Nicer Man” Van Gundy, and accepts the challenge of thwarting Wade on the defensive end of the floor. If not, expect Mickael Pietrus to get the nod. JJ Redick has continued to make strides but is clearly no match for Wade.

Jason Williams, who has performed more than adequately while Jameer Nelson continues his usual injury Hiatus, gets a chance to face his former team, where he was the starting point guard on their championship team. Williams has been adept at finding his teammates and even better at not turning the ball over, averaging just 1 a game in his 3 starts. I will root for anyone who can keep Anthony Johnson glued to the pine. Watching him play is almost as uncomfortable as remembering Carl Lewis singing the “National Anthem”.  I guess Johnson is a hell of a locker room guy, Dwight Howards best friend, or has serious dirt on Otis Smith. Otherwise, what could explain how he is still on the roster?

Miami is coming into the game banged up, with starters Mario Chalmers, Quentin Richardson and Jermaine O’neal battling injuries.  Let’s hope the Magic come out of the gate strong and pounce on a clearly weaker Miami Heat team. These are the games that help define how a team is going to play the rest of the year.

Technorati Tags: Anthony Johnson, carl lewis, Dwayne Wade, Jermaine O'Neal, JJ Reddick, mario chalmers, Miami Heat, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, quentin richardson, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter