Tampa Bay Sports Blog

It may not have been what they asked for, however, all those Orlando Magic fans out there got something very valuable for Christmas: The Truth!

No I’m not referring to Paul Pierce, who didn’t even play due to a knee infection.

The truth I’m speaking about is the transparent state of the current Orlando Magic, a team with no real leader and a slew of finesse players. Hopefully, this serves as a wake up call, for the always asleep at the wheel GM Otis Smith, to finally make a preemptive strike and make some desperately needed changes to this roster.

On the surface, it may look like I’m another overzealous fan reacting hastily to a tough loss against a very formidable opponent. However, if we take a closer look at the numbers, I think there is genuine cause for concern. The Magic have no low post scoring presence, do not rebound well, with the exception of Dwight Howard,  and rely far too heavily on the 3 point shot to score. Not to mention they are missing one of the most important intangibles of a championship caliber team: Heart.

It was painful to watch the Magic repeatedly get beat to loose balls and out muscled for rebounds on a nationally televised stage against a supposed rival. Their depth and talent will continue to carry them against lesser opponents, but it’s simply not going to get the job done against the likes of the Lakers, Celtics or Cavaliers, who are all rounding into shape and playing excellent basketball.

Dwight “The Coward” Howard, Orlando’s alleged franchise player and dominant big man, only managed one field goal in 43 minutes to go along with 20 rebounds and 7 turnovers. This might be acceptable if he was Charles Oakley or Dennis Rodman, but this is clearly not a performance worthy of the “Superman” status Dwight “The Coward” Howard has somehow managed to acquire.

Could you imagine Shaq, Hakeem Olajuan, Patrick Ewing or David Robinson putting up a 1 for 7 showing in 43 minutes played?

The Magic have to come to the realization that Dwight Howard is not an offensive threat or franchise player. I’m not going to diminish his contributions as a rebounder or defender, where he performs at an All-Star level. However, you cannot continue to try and run an offense thru him. Sorry Patrick Ewing, but your stewardship as Dwight Howard’s offensive guru has been blown way out of proportion and in my eyes is a complete failure. Dwight still lacks the most basic low post moves, cannot shoot free throws to save his life and relies solely on the one signature move in his repertoire; the tomahawk dunk.

The Magic are in desperate need of a reliable low post presence and a player who can create off the dribble and draw fouls going to the rim. In years past, Hedo Turkoglu provided the Magic with a very unique option; a big man who could run the point, space the floor with his shooting and get to the basket.  Unfortunately, with Hedo’s departure to Toronto, the Magic are now left with Vince “Cupcake” Carter as his replacement and he is clearly not getting the job done. Sure, he puts up gaudy numbers and supplies us with some great highlight footage on occasion, but it never seems to translate to wins.

Referees don’t even respect Vince Carter. Look at how often his flailing fade way drives result in no foul calls. Turkoglu was a master at lulling the defense to sleep, then attacking the rim and drawing the foul. Heck, even Rafer Alston gave us a boost offensively last season after he was acquired in a trade and brought some much needed moxie along with him. I guess the old adage,  ”you never know what you got til it’s gone”, may be appropriate here.

What a prefect segue into my next topic of conversation. Welcome back Mr. Jameer Nelson, the Magics mythological leader and All-Star point guard. Shouldn’t we be able to notice a significant change one way or the other from your presence in or out of the line up? Rajon Rondo is probably, no definitely, the worst shooter on the planet. Yet, he managed to blow by Jameer Nelson, even when given a substantial cushion,  and carve up the Magic for 17 points, an impressive 13 boards and 8 assists.

Nelson, much like his replacement in last years All-Star Game, Mo Williams, benefits greatly from the talent that surrounds him and isn’t a game breaker. His size and fragility will, in my opinion, always limit his effectiveness.

Not to be confused with those who just rant and never offer any solutions, I have a few suggestions for Mr. Smith if he is listening. Carlos Boozer would be a great addition to the Magic, addressing both their low post scoring deficiencies and interior toughness. Boozer, will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and Utah will most certainly lose him for nothing. So I’m sure they’d listen to a legitimate trade offer, such as Marcin Gortat or Brandon Bass. There are other pieces such as Matt Barnes or Ryan Anderson who could be thrown into the mix to make salaries match.

Another option could be Nate Robinson, who seems to be in permanent exile in New York. He may be contami”Nate” to the Knicks, however, this guy has a ton of game and can provide the Magic with a much needed scorer off the bench, and some grit on the defensive end.

Don’t be afraid Otis, pick up the phone and make some inquiries. Remember the only dumb questions are the ones that aren’t asked.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Brandon Bass, Carlos Boozer, Charles Oakley, Cleveland Cavaliers, David Robinson, Dennis Rodman, Dwight Howard, Hakeem Olajuan, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, Mo Williams, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Patrick Ewing, paul pierce, Rafer Alston, Rajon Rondo, Shaquille O'Neal, Vince Carter

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 Orlando Magic are riding a five game winning streak which included wins against a struggling Celtic team on the road and another three against sub five hundred ball clubs. With Jameer Nelson, the fragile starting point guard out once again for a long duration, things could take a turn for the worst if the Magic don’t pick up their defensive intensity and start executing better offensively as well. If Hedo Turkoglu was considered lackadaisical on the court at times, Vince Carter is now filling his shoes quite nicely.

There is no real true leader on this group, especially, with Nelson out of the line up, who is capable of inspiring championship caliber effort. While Stan Van Gundy may be perceived by some of his players as negative or too hard on them, the fact of the matter is if he doesn’t try to get the most out of his players, the majority will just accept a mediocre effort. Dwight Howard should try and assert himself as a leader and increase his game day intensity. Instead, he chose to ask coach Van Gundy to lighten up on the guys, especially, newcomer Vince Carter. Basically, summing up his lack of dedication to winning and improving his all around game, which is evident in his glaring offensive deficiencies soley relying on brute strength and athleticism, making him a liability in close games. I keep hearing the praise for Patrick Ewing when it comes to Dwight Howards growth as a player, yet I don’t see any significant progress. He is still a horrendous free throw shooter with zero post moves, relying instead on lowering his shoulder and trying to overpower his defender. No wonder he continues to struggle with foul trouble. Marcin Gortat has actually showed a more reliable offensive touch and  much better feel for the game. Kudos to Otis Smith for retaining Gortats services.

The Magic still have one thing going for them that will not change for the remainder of the season. They are playing in the National Basketball Association, where there are still only a few teams that actually have a realistic chance of contending for a Championship. This group does have a good core and there does seem to be an excellent chemistry amongst the players. If there is a player out there that the Magic can plug in to bring some grit and fight into the equation, I still believe they have the potential to be playing in June. Pardon me for being redundant, considering my previous post, but Allen Iverson is just the kind of player who could light a fire into this team. Jason Williams is proving to be serviceable, but lets be honest, he’s no where near the player of A.I. and he has a history of inconsistent play and bonehead decisions. Remember Rafer Alston’s performance in last years playoff run. He brought a swagger that was missing all year and disappeared in the Finals when Jameer Nelson tried to force his will on the series when he clearly wasn’t ready to play.

That is exactly the reason the Magic need to make something happen now. True, the NBA season is a long one, but time has a way of flying by. I hate when GM’s wait until after the All-Star break to add a player, never allowing enough time to gel and build that necessary chemistry. The elite teams in the eastern conference are all struggling out of the gate and have serious deficiencies which are becoming more and more evident with each passing game. Why not trump the competition  and add the final piece to the puzzle. The Lakers grabbed Pau Gasol early last season, and look at how the dividends payed off on that move. Remember Otis, the early bird gets the worm, or in this case the Crown!

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, jason williams, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, Orlando Magic, Otis Smith, Pau Gasol, Rafer Alston, Stan Van Gundy

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

This series is going to be awesome! The Magic came out ugly but they closed the gap late and this thing was absolutely great to watch. If the entire series is like this it will be the best in a long time. Lebron James is one of the most ridiculous athletes I’ve ever seen but the Magic match up very well against them. Watching this game took me back to the old days of the Lakers/Celtics and what not.

There is really no one on Orlando to step up against James to make it a Bird/Magic thing, but it is fun to watch. The Magic have more good players than Cleveland, but James counts for like three so it evens out. After the game started I thought Cleveland was going to run away with it, but the Magic stepped up and really showed something. Rashard Lewis hit the clutch three late to put the Magic up and it actually held up. I thought for sure that Lebron would find a way to finish it off, but it didn’t happen.

I can’t believe the Magic pulled this game out but I’m happy they did. There isn’t anything more I can say to get my point across, you had to see it to understand.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis

It was an odd night in the NBA last night. A couple of not so close games has some odd behavior attached to them. The Magic got handled fairly easy by the Celtics in game two, but it was Rafer Alston’s girly behavior that caught my attention.

It’s not shocking that the Celtics came out with a lot more fire and intensity last night. They finally had some time to recover from the wild Bulls series they had in round one. They also needed to take that game to avoid going to Orlando down 0-2. What surprised me was Alston. Eddie House was going off last night (he finished with 31) and it finally got to Alston. It was funny but will probably land Alston on the sideline for game 3. After Eddie House hit a three pointer (in Alston’s face) Alston decided to slap him in the head as turned to run down the court. That’s right, he “slapped” him.

He’s lucky House didn’t turn and pummel him, but even House had to laugh at the girly attack Rafer laid on him. It was so pathetic that the ref’s didn’t eject Alston and gave he and House both technical fouls on the play. Hey Rafer, if you’re gonna get mad and hit someone, at least pretend you’re a man and throw a punch.

In the Laker game there was an incident between Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest. A lot was made of this and I completely disagree with the decision of the officials to throw Ron Artest out of the game. Kobe and Artest were battling for a rebound and Kobe threw an elbow after Artest was shoving him from behind. It was just some good old fashioned physical basketball. The Ref’s threw Artest out after he got in Kobe’s face and it was stupid. He didn’t throw any punches, he just wanted to let him know that he was pissed about being elbowed in the neck.

They completely overreated to it and tossed him. After the game it was nice to see Artest having a sense of humor about it saying “doesn’t he know who he’s messing with?”. All in all it was a good night of playoff ball.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Eddie House, Houston Rockets, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA, Orlando Magic, Rafer Alston, Ron Artest

The Magic jumped out to a big lead early and held on late to beat the Celtics in game one. Both teams are fighting injuries with Courtney Lee and Kevin Garnett down and this set up opportunities for some others to step up. The Celtics had no one to step up in Garnett’s absence against the Magic and they exploited that enough to win game one. From what I saw though there are some huge holes out there that the Magic can take advantage of and really take hold of this series.

We really shouldn’t expect Rafer Alston to do what he did to Rajon Rondo last night in every game, but he needs some props for what he did. Rondo still had 14 points and 8 dimes, but Alston helped force Rondo into seven turnovers last night and that was great. Alston was all over Rondo and this could be a short series if he keeps that up.

Mickael Pietrus stepped up off the bench with 17 crucial points and played with the toughness and intensity that this team needs. Let’s not forget that Pietrus was a starter earlier on the season until an injury allowed Lee to take over, so this shouldn’t be a surprise.

My last thought on things is this. The Celtics have no answer for Rashard Lewis with Garnett out and that should lead to Lewis having some big games in this series. If Boston keeps matching Davis up with Lewis, he will go off. Lewis is too quick and athletic for Davis to handle and that should lead to more opportunities for both Lewis and Turk.

It is troubling that the Magic let another big lead dwindle down to five, but it was in Boston and it’s not anything to freak out about yet, but we’ll see.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Courtney Lee, Hedo Turkoglu, Kevin Garnett, Mickael Pietrus, Orlando Magic, Rafer Alston, Rajon Rondo, Rashard Lewis

The Magic are going to be stuck playing the Celtics in the second round and that could be good. Dwight will do his thing against Perkins, Garnett or whoever squares up on him. Lewis will continue to be effective yet erratic. Turk will be the enigmatic figure that he has become with the injury. Alston will get torched by Rondo throughout every game. The key will be Courtney Lee.

Lee is fighting off an injury himself, but he’ll be there. Injury or not, if the Magic turn him loose, he’ll go off. Courtney Lee has shown what he’s capable of this year and hasn’t even touched the surface yet. Lee is quick, tough, athletic and a defensive animal that will leave the Celtics wondering what happened to them if Van Gundy gives him the keys to the offense.

Alston has helped and hurt at the same time. It’s obvious. He would be great behind Nelson, but that’s not an option. I loved the strides Jameer Nelson made and he’s is the biggest reason the Magic became an elite team earlier in the season. When he went down it was awful. Alston gave us hope and has done enough to keep the Magic alive thus far.

Now it’s time to play inside. Let’s stop relying on 400 three pointers a game to get by. Time to hit the hole hard and angry. Time to bring it with force, give facials and draw fouls. This sounds like porno movie script, I know, but it will be a winning formula for this team.

It looks like the NBA is angling for a Laker/Cavalier finals so this series shouldn’t be overofficiated too much. We’ll see what happens, but I’m keeping hope alive.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Kendrick Perkins, Kevin Garnett, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Rajon Rondo, Rashard Lewis, Stan Van Gundy

Rafer Alston came over to the Orlando Magic last week in their big trade deadline deal and looks like he’s going to fit in nicely. He has played two games, starting one, and helped the Magic get victories against the Heat and Bobcats. Alston is a true point guard and increase scoring opportunities for everyone else. The deal came shortly after the Tyronn Lue deal and that’s what leaves me scratching my head. It’s obvious at this point that the Magic threw everything they had into the Alston deal and are counting on him to lead them to the promised land.

Prioritizing these things, I like the Alston deal. It will help the team this year and should help in the next season or two, assuming that Alston takes the back seat to Nelson next year with a good attitude. The Lue deal still irks me and is one of the dumbest moves the team has made to date. Lue already played here and didn’t work out. He is younger than Anthony Johnson yet looks less athletic. He wasn’t an upgrade over Johnson and dealing away Keith Bogans for him was completely stupid and was a knee jerk reaction to Jameer Nelson going down that shouldn’t have happened.

All that being said, every team makes dumb decisions sometime and the Magic at least made the deal for Alston to attempt to fix things. I would still rather see Bogans coming off the bench in playoff time, but that doesn’t matter now. The one thing we all need to see is how well Alston plays against Boston, Cleveland and Detroit. Those are the teams that matter and that is the only thing that will show us how well this deal will work out.

The Magic head to Chicago tonight and I’ve got a feeling we’re gonna see another big game from Dwight so tune in and see if I’m right.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Keith Bogans, Miami Heat, Orlando Magic, Rafer Alston, Tyronn Lue

The Magic host the Celtics tonight at 8pm on TNT. It’s the biggest game of the year so far for the Magic, who are currently the best in the NBA. Enough said.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Orlando Magic

Orlando capped of their 4-0 road trip last night with another convincing win, a 106-88 victory in Denver. The Nuggets are a good team but the Magic turned it up in the fourth quarter to run away with it. Turk, Nelson and Lewis took it to the Nuggets combining for 77 of the Magic’s 106 points. This win was impressive because of the night before. After the game they played the night before against the Lakers, you could see a letdown game coming. They didn’t let that happen and are establishing themselves as THE force to be reckoned with in the NBA. They have the best road record in the league and have done so while beating teams like the Lakers, Nuggets, Spurs, Hawks and so on in their buildings.

That Laker game was everything I thought it would be by the way. Jameer Nelson stepped up again with 28 points, which included 15 in the fourth quarter. Howard showed Andrew Bynum that he still has some growing up to do as he dominated the paint despite getting into early foul trouble. It was an outstanding game and I come away even more impressed than I already was. It was nice to see Jameer hit the big shots in the fourth, especially as Kobe missed. Everything is going pretty well right now, hopefully they’re not peaking too soon, and I am now looking forward to the future match-ups with the Celtics, Cavs and Pistons.

Technorati Tags: Andrew Bynum, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Courtney Lee, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis, San Antonio spurs

I’m not going to bother going over it too much because I’m sure everyone out there saw the aerial bombing that the Magic dropped on Sacramento on Tuesday, but it was amazing to watch. Normally when teams get hot like that you just sit back and wait for them to cool down and see what happens from there. It never happened and the Magic embarrassed the Kings at home 139-107. It was awesome and got me extremely excited for tomorrow’s game with the Lakers.

I could be setting myself up for a huge letdown, but I’m excited none the less. I can’t wait to see if they can keep the hot shooting going, how Courtney Lee does defensively against Kobe Bryant and if the Magic can beat one of the NBA’s best on their home floor. If they pull out the win I think it go a long way toward this team believing that they can go all the way and give them a little more swagger in future match-ups against Cleveland and Boston. This team has come a long way this year and there is no ceiling on what they can do. I once again encourage everyone to watch this team that hasn’t yet and I think you’ll be hooked when you do.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Courtney Lee, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings

What we have seen so far from the Orlando Magic this season has been remarkable so far and all of us fans should be excited for what may be to come. The Magic are now sitting atop the NBA along with Boston and the Lakers as the first teams to clinch the 30 victory mark and don’t look to be slowing down at all. I’ts been an awesome sight to watch this year and it has been highlighted the last week with an impressive road victory in San Antonio last night and the absolute destruction of Atlanta on Friday.

Last night’s 105-98 victory over the Spurs really set them apart as the leagues best road team and has helped them let everyone know that they’re for real and need to be in the conversation as one of the best in the NBA right now. If they keep this pace up they should be considered elite, but they need to show and prove in the playoffs to really make their mark.

There are a few things different this season than in the past that make me believe that this team is ready to snag a title and I’ll go through them quickly.

• The emergence of Jameer Nelson as a better floor captain and scorer is probably the biggest improvement in the team this season. Nelson is on pace to set or match career highs in FG %, PPG, FT %, rebounds, steals and 3 pointer %. Nelson has probably set himself up for the most improved player award at least.
• The recent addition of Courtney Lee to the starting lineup is going to do nothing but help this team that has been lacking at the SG position for some time. Lee is an animal defensively, is lightning fast and will do enough offensively to keep the job he has earned. His scoring will slowly improve as he gets more time, but I wouldn’t expect too much from him there with Lewis, Howard, Turk and Nelson doing most of the damage.
• Rashard Lewis looks like he finally understands how talented he is and has improved his game on both ends of the floor. I have dogged Lewis in the past for not driving the lane enough and I must stop that now. He could probably go to the hoop more, but with Lee in the lineup, it’s not near as necessary as before. Lee will be aggressive inside so Lewis can light it up from the outside and these guys really seem to understand that and are playing very well together.

All of these things coupled with coach Stan Van Gundy’s relentless defensive approach has set this team apart from the rest of the league and should have this team believing they can take down Boston as NBA Champs.

Technorati Tags: Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Courtney Lee, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Championship, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis, San Antonio spurs, Stan Van Gundy

I’ve got a lot on my mind right now within the sports world and in trying to kick off the new year with more posts I just wanted to comment on a few things I thought about over the weekend.

• The playoff games I watched this weekend were pretty good for the most part. The Ravens showed everyone who the real Chad Pennington was and Ed Reed proved that he is the sickest defensive ballhawk we’ve seen since Deion Sanders and you could even make an argument that he might be better.

• Tony Dungy may have coached his last game with the Colts and I would find it pretty sad if it was his last game ever coached. I do get the feeling that he wants a little time away from the game and if anyone deserves it, it’s Tony Dungy. I would like to think though that Tony would jump back into the coaching ranks after a few years of sitting home with the family. He’s only 53 and he would still be fairly young by coaching standards if he jumped back in five years from now. I hope it’s not over for Tony Dungy.

• The Patriots are supposedly going to put the franchise tag on Matt Cassel and that’s a very smart move (not shocking from the Pats). I will say though that I don’t see a better fit for Cassel than with the Vikings. That game would’ve been different had the Vikings had a real QB. I don’t know how many picks the Vikings have, but if the Patriots are confident enough in Tom Brady coming back healthy that they do shop Cassel, Minnesota should be first in line to snatch him up. Imagine the Vikes pulling that off and signing a good WR, say Antonio Bryant, and that team would be set up for a nice run at the Super Bowl next year. I could also see the Vikings looking at Jeff Garcia as a starter or backup this offseason.

• The Celtics and Cavs both lost yesterday which further proves that the Magic belong in the discussion with them, even though the Magic lost also.

That’s all for now, more later on.

Technorati Tags: Antonio Bryant, Baltimore Ravens, Boston Celtics, Chad Pennington, Cleveland Cavaliers, Deion Sanders, Ed Reed, Indianapolis Colts, Jeff Garcia, Matt Cassel, Miami Dolphins, Minnesota Vikings, New England Patriots, NFL Playoffs, Orlando Magic, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Tom Brady, Tony Dungy

Yesterday I posted about how the Magic have been winning games and that people need to respect what they’re doing so far. I still think that’s the case, but I may have gotten crazy with the cheeze whiz in lumping them in with the Lakers and Celtics as far as being elite type. I still think they can do it, but last nights contest against Detroit showed that they still have some work to do. Detroit is not the same team that has beaten up on the Magic over the last few playoff seasons, yet they still have the intimidation factor over them. I talked about this back in November and it is holding true as we speak. Rashard Lewis showed last night that his new found backbone may not be temporary as he was the only real offensive force for the Magic. Jameer Nelson went cold as did Dwight Howard in combining for 27 points together. They both did their part defensively but the team couldn’t muster up enough offense to put Detroit away.

The Pistons contested damn near every shot it seemed like, especially in the fourth quarter, and the Magic just couldn’t get enough shots to fall in the end. They did show a more physical style than they have in past years and hung with Detroit much better in this sense. The Pistons spread the ball around nicely and Orlando did a decent job of contesting shots, but they need to find an answer for Antonio McDyess. McDyess was all over the boards in the fourth quarter and made some incredible hustle plays to keep things from getting away from the Pistons. The Magic bench was all but non existent and the final ended up 88-82.

There were some good things within the game, but we are at the point now where we need to win and not look for consolation within a loss. These are the games that the Magic need to outhustle and outshoot to get over the hump and into the elite. I’m not disappointed with them, they were due for a bad game after running off seven straight, but we need to see more fire in upcoming big games in order to keep this thing going.

Box score

Technorati Tags: Antonio McDyess, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Los Angeles Lakers, Orlando Magic, Rashard Lewis

The idiots on the four letter network keep driving me insane with their doubting of the Magic because of their schedule. It’s not college football you assholes! They don’t get to pick who they play, they play the schedule they’re dealt and all they can do is win. Guess what dumbasses, they’re winning! It’s not like they’re playing St. Mary’s high school or a pickup game in the back yard. They’ve won on the road against the Western Conference and they’ve beaten good teams at home. They beat up on San Antonio and New Orleans at home and won tough games on the road. They’re doing this all without really having the entire team clicking on all cylinders. It took Lewis a while to get his offense going and Dwight Howard hasn’t exactly been lighting things up lately while he nurses an injury. They won while Nelson and Pietrus were out and nothing seems to be slowing them down at this point. Since their tough loss in Boston earlier this month the Magic are 13-1, with the only loss being on a last second shot by Grant Hill in Phoenix.

I’m sick of hearing people doubt this team because they want to hang all over LeBron James’ sack. Get over yourselves idiots. The Magic are in Detroit tonight for a big game and follow that up with another tough one in Chicago on Wednesday. Next month they will get Boston at home and have to play the Spurs, Kings, Lakers and Nuggets in a brutal West Coast trip. If they bomb out there then you can get on them, but if they win these games now, you need to get on board with the rest of those that think they’re finally reaching elite type status. I can’t wait to see what this team can do with everyone healthy and playing well and everyone out there should be looking forward to it as well. We’re seeing Jameer Nelson mature into a very good player and could be on the verge of something really great with Courtney Lee. If Rashard Lewis’ sudden newfound toughness isn’t temporary we could really being seeing something special out of these guys. I hope they keep winning and the four letter network retards keep overlooking it until they’re holding up some hardware.

Technorati Tags: Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls, Courtney Lee, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill, Jameer Nelson, LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers, Mickael Pietrus, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Rashard Lewis, Sacramento Kings, San Antonio spurs

   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