Tampa Bay Sports Blog

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

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

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 headed out west last week looking to remove any doubts any of us may have had about them and what they could accomplish this year. I’m on board now! They came out last night in a game that could’ve easily been dropped with Howard out and the boys lagging from the tough trip that it was. Jameer Nelson wasn’t about to let that happen though. Nelson stepped up a dropped 32 points on the Warriors, which matched a career high, as he dropped bombs from the arc in the fourth quarter in finishing off Golden State. Nelson has been out of his mind lately and there’s nothing prettier than that high arching shot of his going through when he’s on. The way he shoots really lends to prolonged slumps during a long season, but when it’s on it’s sooooo pretty. Turkoglu was driving the lane like a wild animal and Marcin Gortat stepped up with a 16/13 effort in Howard’s absence. We have come to expect this type of play from Turk, but Nelson and Gortat have shown tremendous strides in their game and the mental toughness they both displayed on this road trip really impressed me. Turk shot like crap again, but has really showed he’s capable of running this offense when he’s needed. It’s good to see him taking on such a leadership role with this team and we shouldn’t freak out about his shots not falling because we know they will. Rashard Lewis is staying consistent right now as he contributed 21/8/5 and Courtney Lee also sparked things with 16 off the bench. Lee has been tremendous off the bench since he’s been given an opportunity and I see no reason that won’t continue. The final last night was 109-98 and the Magic finished up their road trip 4-1 with their only loss being a 1 point loss to the Suns on a final shot by Grant Hill. Outstanding trip to say the least. Speaking of Grant Hill, there are rumors circulating that the Magic are interested in re-acquiring the enigmatic Hill from the Suns for JJ Reddick (hat tip to Third Quarter Collapse for that one). I would be extremely disappointed with this move. Not that I would miss JJ Reddick, but why bring back a guy that essentially flattened this franchise for years with injuries and average play. Hill is not a player that we need here anymore and hopefully the higher ups recognize that as well. No Grant Hill! Anyway, it was a great trip and the Magic now sit at 19-6 and are 3.5 games up on Atlanta in the Southeast. We can’t rest easy now though, tough games are coming with San Antonio, the Lakers, Golden State and New Orleans at home. We really need for Howard to be back Thursday when Tim Duncan and the Spurs come to town, let’s hope he’s ready to go then.

Technorati Tags: Courtney Lee, Dwight Howard, Golden State Warriors, Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson, JJ Reddick, Los Angeles Lakers, Marcin Gortat, New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, Phoenix Suns, Portland Trailblazers, Rashard Lewis, San Antonio spurs

   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

  Looks like the Spurs swooped in and snagged Kurt Thomas away from the Magic. Not that it was anything set in stone but this is someone I thought the Magic had a shot at who actually made sense for the team. The Spurs netted Thomas for G Bret Barry, C Francisco Elson and a first round pick in 2009. That makes a total of 3 first round picks the Sonics have got related to the Rashard Lewis deal. Nice job Seattle.

Technorati Tags: Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Kurt Thomas, Orlando Magic, Pat Garrity, Robert Swift, San Antonio spurs, Seattle Supersonics