Tampa Bay Sports Blog

Orlando’s short-lived 2 game win streak came to an abrupt halt Monday night in Memphis while the Grizzlies continued on to their 11th straight home win.

The Iverson-less Grizzlies have turned into one of the bright spots in the NBA this season; a young team, with talent and a coach who isn’t afraid to stand his ground in Lionel Hollins, who won the battle and apparently the war with A.I.. Now the Grizzlies are much better for it. They are very similar to the Oklahoma Thunder who also sport a youthful, well coached cast of players led by Kevin Durant, who continues to improve and impress. How Kevin Pritchard still has a GM position in Portland after missing the boat on Durant, electing instead to draft Greg “Droppin Trou” Oden, boggles my mind?

Staying true to form, the Magic came out bombing from long range once again, putting up 35 three point field goals, seemingly oblivious to the fact “Superman” was being guarded by Marc Gasol(who looks more like Dan Aykroyd on the basketball court, than his brother Pau Gasol) and Zack Randolph, two of the worst athletes in the NBA. Dwight still managed to do his damage, collecting 27 points, 15 boards and 6 blocked shots, despite his teammates inability to feed him the rock. Unfortunately, for the Magic, the Grizzlies aren’t as hard headed or poorly coached, and know how to play to their strength; which is inside with Randolph and Gasol along with Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo attacking from the perimeter. Notice I said “attacking”, because, as good a shooter as O.J. Mayo is, he still understands the need to keep the defense honest by driving the lane. Something the Orlando Magic backcourt and wing players refuse to do consistently.

Randolph and Gasol were huge for the Grizzlies, going for 23 points 19 rebounds and 19 points 8 boards respectively, exploiting the Magic’s frontline and exemplifying why both are garnering All-Star consideration. Rashard Lewis and Matt Barnes were simply no match for their Memphis counterparts, leaving Dwight Howard with the burden defensively and on the glass. Memo to Stan Van Gundy: Brandon Bass and Marcin Gortat were both available and willing to work cheap for food!

Add Mike Conley (whose NBA career to this point is disappointing at best) to the growing list of opposing point guards having there way with Jameer Nelson. Conley was impressive as a floor general, and put up 14 points and 7 assists, both above his season averages. Jameer on the other hand, played 26 minutes and managed 1 assist while committing 6 turnovers. Not doing any wonders for his assist to turnover ratio there. To be fair, Neslon has shown glimpses of brilliance at times since his return, however, for the most part he is not getting the job done, especially on the defensive end where the Magic once ruled the realm.

The Memphis game would have been the ideal time to break out the Magics version of the “Twin Towers” with Howard and Gortat(as I have recently been calling for), to try and foil the Grizzlies up front. Instead, Stan” I’m so NOT the man” Van Gundy continues with his game plan: shoot a barrage of three pointers mixed in with a smattering of touches for Dwight Howard.

I know I was a bit harsh on Howard while he went through a tough spell, however, it appears more and more, that a lot of his struggles are a direct correlation to the Magic’s failure to as Keyshawn Johnson would say ;”Get Him The damn Ball”. Understanding how difficult it is to tinker with NBA rosters with the salary cap and teams unwillingness to take on contracts in a dismal economic climate, the Magic’s best option is to “cut off the head”. Sorry coach, but as in Miami, I believe you have worn out your welcome. Not a moment too soon if I might add. If your anything like me, you’d opt to have a root canal procedure  rather than listen to one of Stan’s post game pressers.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Dan Aykroyd, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Kevin Durant, Lionel Hollins, Marc Gasol, Marcin Gortat, Memphis Grizzlies, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Pau Gasol, Rashard Lewis, Rudy Gay, Stan Van Gundy, Vince Carter, Zack Randolph

The Orlando Magic continued their winning ways tonight against the lowly New York Knickerbockers. Concluding an impressive road trip in which they did what a championship caliber team is suppose to do; win games against inferior opponents. Each game saw the Magic get behind early then fight back with their superior talent and depth. All this while actually playing short handed, minus All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson, still out with a knee injury.

After losing a heartbreaker to the Miami Heat on Thanksgiving, the Magic showed a lot of character, going on the road and getting the job done. I have been somewhat hard on newcomer Vince “Cupcake” Carter, since his arrival in Orlando. Mainly, because, he continues to underachieve by most peoples standards for a guy with his god given ability and sheer talent. However, since his arrival in the NBA, he has yet to play with a legitimate title contender, so I’m going to take this into consideration, and give him a chance to lose some of the bad habits he’s picked up in his 12 year career with poor performing clubs.  Through all of that, he still manages to carry the brunt of the offensive load while Rashard Lewis regains his composure after being suspended for the first 10 games of the regular season.

Another bright spot continues to be the play of the inspired JJ Redick. It is becoming clearer with each game why Otis Smith held onto Redick while some including JJ himself felt he should be dealt. Not only has he found his collegiate stroke which had been missing in his first couple of seasons. Now he has improved defensively and is even showing the ability to put the ball on the floor when pushed off the 3 point line. With the off season additions of Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, who also stepped up big in Milwaukee, the Magic have become one of the deepest teams in the NBA. This bolds well  for them when playing a grueling regular season and will prove to be the difference when it comes to seedings in the Playoffs. With the other 3 elite teams in the Eastern Conference, Boston, Cleveland and Atlanta, playing inconsistent and showing transparent flaws in the early goings, the Magic continue to get stronger and are exemplifying a cohesive unit able to withstand the ups and downs of the long haul.

Not to be lost in all the praise for Vinsanity and the other the role players, is the continued resurgence of Dwight Howard as the games premier dominant center imposing his will on all comers. Howard needs to continue to assert himself more as a leader and defensive juggernaut if the Magic are going to fulfill expectations. With that being said, I sincerely believe the Magic need to add another piece to the puzzle if they have serious title aspirations. Memo to Otis Smith: Iverson is still ripe for the taking. Jason Williams is not going to hold up much longer and despite Anthony Johnson’s nice showing against the Atlanta Hawks, he is not a legitimate force on the 2nd unit. If there is any merit to the cliche there’s “Strength in Numbers”, then the Magic need to be proactive in addressing their need for a spark plug to get their motor going. This team is still not where it should be and a little A.I. could do a lot in the way of helping the Magic reach their full potential.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Anthony Johnson, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Brandon Bass, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, jason williams, JJ Reddick, Matt Barnes, Mickael Pietrus, Milwaukee Bucks, NBA, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Rashard Lewis, Vince "Cupcake" Carter, Vince Carter, Vinsanity

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

The Answer is unequivocally yes. As I watch the NBA these days I cannot help but become disenchanted with the poor play and uneventful nature of most games. It boggles my mind that in an age where athletes are pretty much all  prima donna’s, that a player of Allen Iverson’s stature cannot find employment. Why should we even be talking about how a player is in the locker room or how good of a teammate he may or may not be? Are most people afforded the luxury of choosing their coworkers in the real world? The bottom line here is that most professional sports leagues are so diluted that it is almost impossible to field  competitive first teams, let alone reserves. Aside from A.I’s undeniable stats, he is also regarded as a player who always shows up and gives maximum effort, which is more than we can say for countless professional athletes.

Watching my beloved Orlando Magic, it is painful at times to watch the cavalier manner in which some of the Magic players approach playing the game. Dwight Howard’s constant grinning and Vince Carter’s half hearted drives to the basket and nonchalant passing down the stretch of games makes me wanna jump through the screen and yank him off the court myself. It is no wonder Jason Kidd couldn’t wait to get out of New Jersey. He hated playing along side a player who didn’t compete night in night out. Don’t get me wrong, I value sportsmanship, being a good teammate and citizen. However, those things alone aren’t going to win you any prizes at the end of the day. We are paid for production in all professions, so why should sports be any different? Especially, when the salaries are so astronomical.

Allen Iverson is still capable of giving a team 20 points and 7 assists every night. Look around the NBA at the starting guards for some of the so called elite teams and tell me how many players you find capable of coming close to that. Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics just signed a $55 Million Dollar contract and is shooting 20% from beyond the arc and a mere 25% from the free throw line. With the Big 3 aging rapidly, his deficiencies are glaring and can no longer be hidden. I’m going to love watching Danny Ainge try to trade that albatross of a contract in a few years for spare parts. Derek Fisher, a clutch playoff performer at times, is a low percentage shooter, inconsistent and vastly declining. Mo Williams in Cleveland is another example of an inconsistent player who pulled one of the greatest disappearing acts of all time in last years playoff series against Orlando. I could go on, but I’m sure you get my drift.

Unless there is something we are not privy to as fans, I cannot fathom how teams aren’t chomping at the bit to sign a sure fire first ballot Hall of Fame player, who still has some gas left in the tank, for a pro rated veterans minimum of $1.2 Million Dollars. If the experiment doesn’t work, you simply cut him and move on. Even the magic can afford to eat such a pultry sum of money. Not to mention he will probably increase there initial ticket sales to defer any loss in salary that could occur. I cannot help but think there are other things at work here that either the media, GM’s or coaches are somewhat responsible for. We saw it happen with Barry Bonds, a still capable star left for dead because of the stigma that went along with him.

Iverson is not without blame in this equation either, and he should stand up and take some responsibility for where he stands right now. Acknowledge that you are aging, stop worrying about stats, since we already know you can fill a box score like few others, and join a contender in whatever role they see fit. If he is willing to accept that, which ultimately I think he would, since he did come off the bench in Detroit before the deceitful coach Michael Curry manipulated  him and Rip Hamilton, then one of these mindless GM’s needs to step up to the plate and get this man a uniform. This is not Stephon Marbury part two, Allen Iverson actually has a ton of game and puts it on the line every night. So lets hope he gets back in the NBA soon, since I’m sure there are many like me who still miss watching him perform.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Barry Bonds, Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, danny ainge, Derek Fisher, Detroit Pistons, Jason Kidd, michael curry, Mo Williams, New Jersey Nets, Orlando Magic, stephon marbury, Vince Carter

The Pistons are still torturing the Magic and it has really become disturbing. The Pistons are not the same team that were perennial NBA Finals contenders of years past, but the Magic still can’t get over whatever it is that makes them struggle so much against the Pistons. Chauncy Billups is gone, Rasheed Wallace is looking like a shell of his former self and the Pistons defense has a lot more holes than it ever has. Allen Iverson hasn’t seen a minute of time against the Magic in the last two meetings yet, even with all of this, the Magic can’t get over on Detroit.

The fact is that the Magic still have no answer for Rip Hamilton and Teyshawn Prince. Hamilton has been the major killer against Orlando recently scoring 60 points in the last two against them. What also seems to be a huge problem is this, whatever adjustments the Magic make, the Pistons already have an answer. There is always someone else stepping up for them when needed. Rodney Stuckey, 1,000 year old Antonio McDyess, etc.

The one positive I guess we can take from all of this is that it appears to be getting closer. The Magic were in it until the final minute last night in Detroit and just couldn’t finish down the stretch. If the Magic can get their bench to step up a little more in future match-ups, they might be able to finally get it done. I do know one thing now though, I am hoping the Magic don’t have to face the Pistons in the playoffs this year.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Antonio McDyess, Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, Rasheed Wallace, Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey, Teyshawn Prince

The Magic are tearing through the NBA right now with a 33-8 record and look like serious title contenders right now. The improvement on both sides of the court is relevant to everyone picking up their game. Turk is what he always has been, a cold blooded beast that attacks other teams defense’s with the reckless abandon of a football player. Dwight Howard is dominating inside the paint and has dramatically improved his defense, namely his shot blocking skills. Rashard Lewis has gotten with the program and has shown a much tougher side to him on both ends of the floor. Courtney Lee is doing right now what we expected from Mickael Pietrus and when Pietrus is healthy again the bench will get that much deeper. Aside from Lee, we’ve seen all of these guys play at this level before during their careers. The one guy that has really taken giant steps forward is Jameer Nelson, and that has translated into the Magic taking a giant step forward.

Nelson is having a career year for the real Orlando Blue Man Group and is bringing the team with him. If anyone said they didn’t notice before, the Laker game should’ve gotten their attention. Nelson outplayed Kobe Bryant in the fourth quarter of that game and led the Magic to the most notable victory this season. That win not only solidified them as a top tier team, but served notice to the rest of the league that they can beat anyone anywhere. Now I’m not comparing Nelson to Bryant, that would be silly, but I’m saying that it’s time to start giving the man some run as a legitimate MVP candidate. He’s not putting up numbers like Bryant, James or Wade, but he’s doing as much for his team as anyone. He’s hitting clutch shots, spreading the ball around and helping create opportunities for Lewis, Turk and Howard to get theirs. The team has improved as much as Nelson has and that’s no coincidence.

Nelson is not only putting good numbers up, he leads all guards in field goal percentage. That’s right, he’s shooting at a better clip than James, Bryant, Wade or any other guard you want to name. He’s twentieth in the NBA in overall FG% and that’s comparing him to guys like Howard and Shaq who get most of their points off dunks and easier shots inside. He’s also fifth in the NBA in 3-point percentage and he’s doing all of this while basically being the fourth option offensively here. I’m not trying to make a case for the guy to be the MVP, but he should at least be in the conversation. When a player improves as much as Nelson has, and subsequently his team does as well, it’s time for everyone to take notice of it. I would just like to see him mentioned within these MVP rankings I see tossed up and, other than Third Quarter Collapse and Orlando Magic Blog, haven’t seen too much about Nelson put out there. Like I said, he’s not top three or maybe not even top ten, but he should at least be in the same class as Paul Millsap and Allen Iverson right now, don’t you think?

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Mickael Pietrus, MVP, Orlando Magic, Paul Millsap, Rashard Lewis, Shaquille O'Neal

   The Magic have played four games since my last post and had put on a good showing in all but last night’s big one against the Celtics. Now I’m not going to pick on them for losing an away game, in Boston, while down three major contributors in Mickael Pietrus, Keith Bogans and Jameer Nelson. Pietrus hurt himself in the Philly game and is going to miss at least three weeks with a torn ligament in his right thumb. The Magic have been getting hit hard with injuries and Pietrus is just the latest victim to be sidelined. Orlando had two very good showings on national TV last week against Philly and Washington on the road. The Philly game was the tough one as Rashard Lewis stepped up and hit a big three in the final 5 seconds to give the Magic the win. Lewis has definitely stepped up big lately and may finally be developing into the offensive force the Magic hoped they were getting when they first acquired him. I get on Lewis a lot and it’s playing like he has been that’s going to shut all of us up that pick on him. We all know he’s talented enough to play this way and have been waiting for him to show it consistently. In the other national game the Magic beat up on the hapless Wizards 105-90 who still look awful without Gilbert Arenas. Pietrus scored 17 points in the Washington game while trying to play through his injury, but in the end it was too much. Howard has been consistent and is doing a better job of staying out of foul trouble. Turk is still driving the lane and doing a good job of drawing fouls, though his shots aren’t falling the way we expect. The Indiana game was an awesome display of what this team is capable of. Howard dominated inside with 32/21 and Lewis and Turk dropped bombs from the three point line going 8 of 15 combined. It was a beautiful thing to watch but the Boston game showed once again that the Magic need more to compete with the elite in the Eastern Conference. If the Magic are going to get by Boston they are going to need a complete lineup that includes Pietrus, Nelson and Bogans. This holds true for Detroit as well and we may get to see most of tat lineup by the time the Magic get to Detroit at the end of the month. The Magic big three of Howard, Turk and Lewis should be enough to carry them to that point, but they are going to need more to break the Piston’s hold over them. The Detroit team they will face is not as good without Billups and Iverson seems to be doing more harm than good since his arrival, but it’s more a mental thing with that match up and the Magic need to break through that before they head into the playoffs. I’m calling the Celtics game a wash and looking forward to getting a healthy Magic team on the floor before I pass judgement on them. They should be able to handle the T-Wolves tomorrow night and I’d personally llike to see a lot of Courtney Lee and JJ Reddick in that one. It would be nice to see them take advantage of the injuries and get these guys more time on the floor as it would improve the bench dramatically when the team is healthy.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Boston Celtics, Chauncey Billups, Courtney Lee, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, Indiana Pacers, Jameer Nelson, JJ Reddick, Keith Bogans, Mickael Pietrus, Minnesota Timberwolves, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Rashard Lewis, Washington Wizards

   The Orlando Magic have looked pretty good so far this year. A 9-3 record is good enough for first place in the Southeast. Quality wins over the Sixers, Mavericks and Bulls help build some confidence toward the long road ahead. The real season starts for the boys in blue next month though. That’s when we’re going to find out how much progress they’re making as a team this year. They start off on the road in Boston to face the defending champs. Then, after two games at home, they head out on a very tough West Coast swing that includes the Clippers, Blazers, Suns, Jazz and Warriors. They then come home to face the Spurs and Lakers among others and finish off the month on the road again to face the Pistons and Bulls. It’s gonna be a tough month however it winds up and we should know a lot more about this team before New Year’s Day. The key matchups are obviously the Celtics and Pistons. Both are away games and both teams are the elite of the Eastern Conference. The Celtics returned most of their team and have looked like they haven’t taken any steps backwards so far. The Pistons have struggled a little, especially since the Iverson/Billups deal, but are still among the best. They carry the intimidation factor as well when they face the Magic. Teyshawn Prince has been sick so far this year and Rip Hamilton still poses nightmares for the Magic. We’ll have to see how big a difference Mickael Pietrus can make. Pietrus was brought in with Hamilton in mind. The Magic have had no answer for Hamilton in playoffs past and now have to contend with Iverson as well. I don’t want to pass judgment on anything until we see, but it’s hard to see Magic containing the Hamilton/Iverson/Prince trio come playoff time. There’s no need to break down the Celtics big three, we already know what they can do. Jameer Nelson looks to be improving the way we had hoped (finally) and Mickael Pietrus has been a little better than expected so far. What’s troubling to me is the fact that Pietrus and Howard have been getting in early foul trouble a lot. What happens when they deal with the tougher matchups that are really gonna beat up on them? It’s also been a rough offensive start for Turk and Lewis. We know my opinion on Lewis already so I’ll leave it be, but the Magic need Turkoglu to maintain his presence on the offensive end. He’s uhh, how you say, the straw that stirs the drink. It’s going to be an interesting month for these guys and I personally can’t wait to see it.

Technorati Tags: Allen Iverson, Boston Celtics, Chauncey Billups, Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Rashard Lewis, Richard Hamilton, San Antonio spurs, Teyshawn Prince, Utah Jazz