Drawing attention
My readers all know that I am a Phoenix Suns fan and I have never wandered from that thought, but there are a few teams that I love to watch when I am not working or watching a Suns game.
The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Atlanta Hawks jump to my mind right away, but the Orlando Magic right now is my team of choice. The Magic are sitting in the best position of any team at the top. Everyone’s attention is centered on the great starts of the Lakers(31-6), Cavaliers(30-6) and Celtics(31-9), but Orlando is sitting at 31-8 and winners of five straight games.
They beat a very good Atlanta team on successive nights and blew them out by 34 in the second game thus getting this comment from head coach Mike Woodson: “At one point during the game I turned to my assistant coaches and asked them how much were we down because the score looked so bad and I needed a calculator to figure it out”.
They followed that victory with a win in San Antonio and blew out a hapless Kings team Tuesday night 139-107 while setting an NBA record with 23 three point field goals.
I like the Magic because they are big and versatile and seem to be gaining confidence with every game they play. That confidence will be tested over the next six games against the Lakers, Nuggets, Celtics, Heat, Pacers and Cavaliers. This stretch could propel them to the front of the pack and position the Magic as the best team record wise in the League, because in their next 14 games after that stretch they will face only six winning teams. They have pummeled sub .500 teams this year with a record of 21-3.
What I love about the Magic is their size on the front line. Dwight Howard (6-10), Rashard Lewis (6-10) and Hedo Turkoglu (6-9) present a matchup nightmare for opposing teams and Howard’s tenacity on the glass guarantees the Magic consistent possessions every night. They lead the NBA in defensive rebounding and they shoot the ball extremely well, especially from three-point territory - making 10 per game. This to go along with improved point guard play from Jameer Nelson -16.6 and 5.0 assists.
The player they are waiting to take off is Mickael Pietrus -11.7 points per game- but he has not shown an ability to stay healthy, which would put more pressure on improving JJ Redick to prove he can bring a skill he is known for and that’s shooting the ball.
Keith Bogans and Courtney Lee have had moments this year as well, but the key player in all of this is Dwight Howard and he has dominated the paint like as Shaquille O’Neal coined him earlier this year - Superman Junior - which based on the way Shaq is playing is by no means disrespectful.
I really have no description for Howard because I have never seen any basketball player with a physique like his. He is the most athletic big man on the planet and with his combination of strength he basically scares the daylights out of opposing players although they might not admit it. Why else does he secure rebounds without a fight? Why else does he seem to move anywhere on the court without much resistance?
He has developed a meanness about him that is hidden with a pleasant smile. I saw him pop rookie Robin Lopez with an elbow and after receiving a technical foul went down the court and patted Lopez on the rear and smiled - thus sending a message that it’s not personal. But don’t confuse the smile for niceness, rookie.
Credit has to also go to that dumpy coach on the sidelines that looks like he should be on Saturday Night Live doing a skit. Stan Van Gundy reminds me a lot of the favorite pro-coach I played for and that’s the late Cotton Fitzsimmons. He is constantly in the game on every play and that has sent a message to the Magic players that he will never let them take a play off regardless of the situation.
Energy is required to have this philosophy of coaching and Van Gundy has proven he is capable. He also will dress down Howard for mistakes and that sends a powerful message throughout the locker room amongst the players.
There is a risk with this way of coaching and players can start to tune you out so Van Gundy better continue to give positive reinforcement to offset the constant nagging and whining he does on the sidelines.
It is a fact the Magic will eventually be a Top 3 seed in the East, but which number will depend on their head to head match-ups with Cleveland and Boston in which they are 0-1 (Boston) so far this season.
What I can say is that I love watching their energy and versatility. I love their dumpy coach and I have always been a fan of Superman even if the original son of Jor-El (Shaq) is still playing.
Robbie Said,
January 14, 2009 @ 8:32 pm
Dwight Howard (6′11″), Rashard Lewis (6′10″), Hedo Turkoglu (6′10″)…
jason Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 3:18 am
yeah, magic is great, but I think they are still one more big man from the championship. They got a good point guard, a tons of wing player and a great center in the middle, but they don’t really have another physical big man beside howard. Lewis and Hudo is more like a small forward, so they might need another big man to help Howard, this guy doesn’t need offensive, just be tough, I love Ronny Turaft , they should steal him from Warriors, because Warrior sucks anyway, and they don’t play Defense. I think Ronny will help them on the defense side. But they are still might end up on the Eastern conference finals if they defeat Celtics.
Gerold A. Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 4:37 am
I concur with you whole heartedly sir. I & a buddy of mine witnessed the 3pt melee tuesday night @ Arco & were shocked at the amount of points my team (since ‘94 btw) put up in the first three minutes alone. The game was such an onslaught that we had to vacate, to my dismay, early in the 4th.
I’m excited to see what my guys can do against the likes of BOS, CLE, LA & DEN now that all three of our 2s are have proven to be somewhat capable. DET has been our achilles heal the past three postseasons but with continued improvement to our backcourt, Howard’s DPOY campaign & Van Gundy’s leadership; I know this is our year.
We are a year or two away from obtaining total NBA supremacy, given we re-sign Turkoglu or obtain (via draft, trade) a prolific consistent all-around scoring 2 to compliment D12.
Not since ‘95 have I ever been more excited.
Benoit Benjamin Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 4:59 am
Pietrus will a great fit fro them once he gets healthy. And if he can stay healthy. He brings defense, scoring and speed. They’ll be scary once they all come back healthy. But I don’t see them getting past Cleveland or Boston.
Michael Bennett Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 9:33 am
First, I call Dwight Howard THE SMILE. That’s what he is. Always lovin’ the game.
The Magic are an exciting team to watch. They’ve got the dominant center/best big man in basketball. And, when Turkoglu and Lewis are playing well, this team is tough to beat. Jameer Nelson is playing fantastic basketball and really becoming the leader of this team. It took him a while to develop into the NBA player he is today, but he’s there now, which is all that matters.
I don’t think a team has to be Playoff tested to be taken seriously, but Cleveland will beat up on the Magic if they see them in the Playoffs. Why? Because LeBron and Co. know the tricks. I’m not so sure about the Celtics in that regard. They won a championship based off talent and domination - they didn’t do all the little tricks that it usually takes.
What do I mean by tricks? Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson were my teachers in this. They knew how to conserve energy, MJ knew that if he would score 7-8 points a quarter and let Scottie and Rodman control the game on defense, then they’d always at least be within five or so points at the end of the game. They always gave themselves a chance of winning. LeBron knows these tricks. He knows how to get the team involved early and pace himself, and he knows that he doesn’t have to put up 40 to win. It seems like Kobe knows the tricks too, but he gets restless and wants to win it by himself by scoring.
I see Cleveland as the top team in the league. Orlando #2. Lakers #3. Boston #4. And Spurs #5. And, here are my MVPs:
1. LeBron James - Best player on the planet by far. Hands down.
2. Dwight Howard - Best big in the game.
3. Chris Paul - Best PG on the dark horse team of the West (Orlando’s Western equivalent).
4. Kobe Bryant - Second best SG in the league, but finally leading with a champ’s mentality.
5. Dwyane Wade - Best SG in the league.
C Fatz Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 10:06 am
Interesting comments by Mike Bennett again. I disagree with his assessment of Kobe on the chart, but everyone’s entitled to their own.
what I really want to say Eddie is again you have brought to NBA outsiders a perspective that only a player would have. The notes on Stan Van Gundy’s M.O. and what he might need to do so as not to lose his players alone make this column gold
CF
:0)
The President In Times of Heroes | Digg PhotoBlog Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 11:55 am
[...] Magic drawing attention Hoops Hype ,January 15, 2009 I love their dumpy coach and I have always been a fan of Superman even if the original son of Jor-El (Shaq) is still playing. [...]
Jorge Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 12:18 pm
I also like this team and I think they are playing out of their minds…
Something that bothers me about than on the playoffs is the inability of Dwight Howard to make freebies…. it´s got be a concern against cleveland and boston….sure Shaq has the same problem, but at the age Howard is he dominated the game on a whole different level…and still needed kobe or wade to be champion…..so I don´t think they will go further than second round barring injuried to the others teams…..
Sui Generis Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 1:48 pm
Eddie,
You hit the nail on the head. For the first time I find someone’s assessment to be right on point. You sure seem to know what you’re talking about…but keep it quiet. I like the fact that the Magic are always overlooked. This way, when they sneak up on the attention geting teams, I’ll enjoy hearing all commentators and analysts try to catch up with what just blind-sided them.
erivera7 Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 4:40 pm
The Magic don’t need another big man. Both Marcin Gortat & Tony Battie present productive options when the Magic choose to play “big ball”. GM Otis Smith needs to realize Orlando needs another back-up PG because Anthony Johnson has been pathetic statistically this season. His PER is awful (8.87) and given the lack of quality the Magic have behind Jameer Nelson at the PG position, it’s imperative Orlando explores finding another PG that can provide quality production when needed.
–
Contributing Editor
Third Quarter Collapse (An Orlando Magic blog)
http://www.thirdquartercollapse.com
Jacob Said,
January 15, 2009 @ 9:44 pm
Good article, always love the stuff.
Jason - Tony Battie is a good offset for dwight. He is a 7-0 and can block shots and get rebounds. And hes not a stiff. But what makes them good is they can spread the floor better than anyone in the league, and you cant play man to man with dwight, well 90% of the league cant. To get your additional low post scorer would mean move hedo/lewis to the 2 and taking out a pure guard. Now when doing this remember that Hedo/Lewis will have to chase around a 6-6 sg on the defensive end. Not to fun for near 7 footers.
Orlando will to continue the good play of Jameer but when hes off, the team is off. It goes for any team, look at the celtics, when rondo is off the celtics struggle for a win, when hes on, it ends up being 30 point victories.
kingsblade Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 1:11 am
@Michael Bennett
It’s interesting that you believe any elite player in the league could reach that point without knowing how to pace himself.
Hey how are the Sixers doing again? I seem to recall some predictions made.
Omar Aberilla Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 4:00 am
The Magic seem poised to advance deep into the playoffs this season. It’s all about matchups though, as long as they don’t have to face Cleveland, Boston and Miami in th first round, they’d be alright. Yes, I believe they’re not the best team in Florida contrary to what the early records say. Any team with Wade on it will most likely win.
Michael, I hate to disagree, but LeBron is nowhere near being the best player in the planet. Not when he’s still unreliable in the clutch with his shaky free throw shooting and still suspect jumper. When it’s tight, the Cavs have less and less chances of winning. LeBron thrives in games when they have safe leads. That’s when he displays his marvelous all-around game, but when it’s down-the-wire-every-possession-counts-basketball with a lot on the line, that’s another story for him. I have yet to see his ‘07-Detroit-heroics on a more consistent basis. It’s even safe to say that the Cavs won’t advance in the finals nor win a championship this season. Simply, because LBJ isn’t there yet.
c money Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 10:01 am
I watch every magic game. The magic DO NOT need another big. The Magic have a VERY flex team, that can effectively go big for the more physical CONTENDERS that they may face(lesser teams must adapt to them). Battie and Gortat (yes i did say Gortat) are fully capable bigs. SVG is an awesome coach!! His focus on D and D12 have made orlando one of if not the best defensive team in the NBA. They do not need a doninant wing scorer to be successful in SVG’s system. However, the one thing that i think may hinder this teams championship goals are offensive consistency from the big guy. He IS the most dominant defensive player and His upside is still off the charts, but right now he DOES NOT have a polished offensive game, or a dominant go to move. Teams that have a big that is a solid defensive player do not double him…..like Detroit, which really disrupts the offensive fluidity.
c money Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 10:22 am
Jameer Should be an all-star. I must say I did not see this drastic a change in his play coming, but he has run this team to a top three record, and is deserving. Anthony Johnson IS a capable backup. Stats do not tell define all of a players contributions. When Jameer went down, AJ ran the team quite effectively, and he does what is asked of him on a nightly basis. The Magic do however need an additional PG on the roster. This is the deepest Magic team i have seen…..since….ever.
space Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 10:38 am
turiaf would’ve been an incredible acquisition for the magic. BUT they’ve got marcin gortat but don’t really use him? WHY? that’s going to be their weakness in the playoffs other than pietrus being injured. gortat has alot of game and in some ways wastes away with not much playing time. the celts won’t be able to score consistently enough in a 7-game series to beat orlando. the pistons only won with billups at the 1-spot. the cavs are the most interesting matchup in my opinion. at their current pace they will finish 1,2 or 3 and probably won’t see each other unless its the finals.
—you can’t expect them to go undefeated in their next 6-game challenge but 4 out of 6 makes everybody scared.
c money Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 11:01 am
Gortat plays. Earlier in the season he did not. But since Howard injured his Knee about a month ago Gortat is the first big off the bench. And he does have game, he is the only real 7 footer in the line-up, and is a EXCELLENT defensive player in his own right. He runs the floor well, he also shows more offense than i expected. I have all but given up on Pietruss EVER being healthy….he has a history that has become his story in Orlando since he arrived. They will need him vs. BOS, CLV
Jorge Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 1:13 pm
As for the best player right now, I totally agree tha Lebron is the guy. I just saw him beating the celtics by himself last week, I think the cavs is the team to beat this year, and yes I think they are much better than the lakers.
Also loved that Kobe did cassel´s testicle dance agaisnt the spurs and got beat by Roger freanking Mason….that was awesome…bad timing Kobe….
TarDane Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 1:29 pm
The real question in my mind is whether or not a team that lives and dies by the 3 can succeed in the post-season. All jump shooting teams go cold at one time or another, and if that happens in the playoffs, you are toast. Dwight is the man, but he cannot win a game by himself. The entire premise of this Magic team is to use him to set up the jump shooters - an inside out game. If the out isn’t working, for a game or two, there goes a series against a top calibre opponent.
eddie Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 3:22 pm
my updated list will be out in a few weeks.
januko Said,
January 16, 2009 @ 9:33 pm
Guys, Amare Stoudemire vs Dwight Howard. I love to compare these two players. One is so fearsome the other one is a smiling beast. Offensively, both are so strong but Amare can hit some shots outside the paint. Defensively, well, I’ll go with Dwight though because he is more committed to defend than Amare. But, man! I cannot just get over comparing both these guys!
Matt Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 2:06 am
Edward-
Howard almost lost that game against the Lakers. I don’t think he has the mean streak to be a great player. He’s just a freak physically. He laughs the entire game! I’m glad he’s having fun, but he ain’t no killer. I would love to see Tim Duncan’s brain in Amare or Dwight’s body. Then you’d have a player.
Tom Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 4:29 am
Battie and Gortat are both decent bigs, but can’t really score. They need another big besides Dwight that could score in the paint, and Hedo and Rashard, who starts at the 4, are both perimeter players. They need more overall depth on the team, and a maybe an impact player that could come off the bench. But other than that, they look pretty good this year, and are one of the top defensive teams.
Philip Barnett Said,
January 17, 2009 @ 2:47 pm
How does any team “jump” into your mind? Do they get a running start? Are you sitting down, which would make their “leap” easier? Does the whole team doing the “jumping” or is it just the starters? When they “jumped” into your mind did they displace anything already occupying the space?
The reason I’m asking these questions is because I’ve never heard the phrase you used. Now, I’ve read that someone, or some group, “comes to mind,” but “jump” is a new one. Maybe it’s a phrase unique to basketball.
baller Said,
January 18, 2009 @ 10:11 pm
i have watched every magic game. Battie and Gortat are as good a big man as the magic will get in a trade. The fact is that with Lewis and Turk on the team there’s no time for anyone else to get in. At 6′10″ both of them post players up when they need to. they’re beating teams with defense and that’s why they have been winning. All they have to do is keep doing the same and they have a great chance of making it to the finals
Jams Said,
January 19, 2009 @ 8:34 am
I don’t think the Magic can go far because in a playoff series Howard can be shut down due to his limited offensive repertoire. When he gets shut down like this he gets a bit mopey and doesn’t play as well defensively also.
c money Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 10:56 am
I do think they can go far…..do I think that they will win it all this year NO but I do think they can. Their window for a championship has just began to open. D12 has just scratched the surface on the offensive end. Three point shots are not the only reason for the Magics 31-8 start they are the top ranked defensive team in the league. You have to call them contenders after sweeping LAL and SA (with full roster availability excluding Omberto, Farmar)
Sterling Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 4:22 pm
Januko, how can you possibly compare Ama’re and Dwight. I watched the Celts and Suns last night and Ama’re was inexcusably horrendous, he didn’t make any attempt to close out on shooters off pick and pops, pulled down his first and only rebound in the THIRD quarter, and scored three points. Every offensive possession that ended with an Ama’re shot also ended with him whining. I can’t believe the Suns think that this is the one player they have to hold onto once Steve and Shaq are gone, he will never win you anything as your franchise piece.
c money Said,
January 20, 2009 @ 6:24 pm
Sterling I agree. They are total opposites. The only thing they have in common is good physique. STAT is primarily a high post offensive player that can either attack or shoot from there. D12 is a low post player who attracts, but will demand double teams. STAT plays almost no defense D12 is in consideration for defensive player of the year. Both are and prob. will be perennial all stars…..however STAT would be better (in my opinion) in a more uptempo offense.
olympiakos7 Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 4:59 am
greetings from Greece Eddie! there’s much talk here over the last two days, about Olympiakos wanting to sign Marbury, till the end of the season! have you heard anything and what are your initial thoughts about something like that?
wish you well, ou’re always in our heart…
Don Dada Said,
January 21, 2009 @ 7:13 pm
Very good regular season team who needs a better bench to make a deep impact in the playoffs….but definitely the most entertaining team of the league..after the lakers
PEACE
januko Said,
January 22, 2009 @ 1:45 am
Well, c money is right! Thanks for the enlignment! The only similarities I have seen is the way they dunk the ball, intense! Yes, I also agree that Amare loves to attack that is why he is better suited at the high post while Dwight is a pure low post scorer. I am still baffled why some so called “experts” wanted Amare to be put in Team USA in the last Olympics. I think Bosh was the better fit in the last Olympics than Amare.
Do The Right Thing » January notes (part II) Said,
January 24, 2009 @ 12:47 pm
[...] il principale punto debole di questa squadra sembra essere la panchina. A tal proposito Eddie Johnson sostiene che Micheal Pietrus potrebbe essere l’uomo della provvidenza, mentre un maturato (?) [...]