Otis Smith has the right mindset

I am catching up on all things Magic after spending the weekend at the depressing Alamo Bowl in San Antonio.

The one thing I finally watched was Sun Sports' Inside the Magic special on the 1995 Finals team. The show was average and more told the 5-year-old fan exactly what happened without going to deep into anything (that team deserves a 7-part miniseries, it would be interesting and I would watch for sure).

But there was one interesting point made in the telecast -- something I have never heard and something I believe deeply about that team.

At the end of the program Shaquille O'Neal is sitting talking about that team. He has won four titles since his first trip to the finals ended in a sweep to the Rockets. So he knows a little bit about winning a title.

He says in his interview that the 1994-95 team had the goal of making the finals. They did not say to themselves throughout the season that they could win the championship. That Magic team accomplished their goal and did not finish the job. Winning a title is twice as hard as winning a conference.

That team was incredibly naive and young. I was too young myself to remember everything that happened that season. But from everything I read, that was a team that ran on emotion and energy and that they simply lost it to the more experienced, veteran Rockets team.

But the franchise has learned its lesson since then. The Magic certainly know it is special to make it to the second round of the playoffs much less the Finals.

Otis Smith has proudly stated that the team's goal is to win a title. He has posted a picture of the Larry O'Brien Trophy in the locker of every player on the roster. This team's goal is rightly to win a title.

They may not do it. But:

Why Not Us? Why Not Now?

Magic Wands: December 26, 2008

-Guess the European life wasn't working for one NBA emigrant. Chad Ford of ESPN reported last Friday that Nenad Krstic (a European, no less) is going to be returning to the states.

-Shaquille O'Neal is on the verge of history. And if John Hollinger is right, Dwight Howard might be too.

-Despite a 20-6 record, Orlando is still struggling to gain national respect. The win against San Antonio and a national TV appearance yesterday against New Orleans might do that. But Marc Stein tells Marc Kestecher that the Magic are not quite elite yet (go to box seven). He should circle January 19 on his calendar. But Brian Schmitz reports in The Orlando Sentinel that the lack of notoriety suits the Magic fine.

-Ready for a switcheroo? Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports that ESPN will send NBA play-by-play team of Mike Breen, Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy to Durham, N.C., for the Duke-Davidson game Jan. 7. Who will be calling the Heat-Nuggets game after it? Why it will be none other than college basketball analysts Dan Shulman and Dick Vitale. It should be awesome, baby.

-ESPN First Take talks to JJ Redick about Tyler Hansbrough possibly breaking his scoring record in the ACC. Hansbrough just set the school record for points in a career.

-Courtney Lee is finally getting noticed by David Thorpe in his Rookie Rankings (No. 14 now!). He is averaging 5.7 points per game on 48 percent shooting. But what he has done recently is play efficiently. He has had some good games and is playing really well off the bench. Finally the Magic make a good pick in the middle of the first round.

-It is the season of giving. And DeShawn Stevenson is giving up his starting streak for the holidays.

-Golden State Warriors blog Golden State of Mind needs to relax after his team got beat down by the Magic on Monday. Blake Griffin will look really good Warrior blue.

-Had a bad year as a sports fan (hard to imagine with the Magic's success and the Rays right down the road)? No you haven't. Hats off to Seattle fans. They are the best.

-Karma sure is fun. Steve Francis has finally landed where it all began. That is right, Houston has traded Stevie Franchise back to the Memphis Grizzlies for a draft pick. Time to pull out the Steve Francis Vancouver Grizzlies draft night card that I have lying in a box somewhere.

-Dwight Howard will defend his slam dunk championship in Phoenix this February. And you get to choose one of his opponents.

Magic 88, Hornets 68: Merry Christmas (& Hannukah)

A couple quick thoughts after this afternoon's game (it ended, what, nine hours ago?).

Orlando raced ahead quickly and raced ahead often in this one. The Hornets were not ready for the Magic's help defense. To their credit, Orlando covered Chris Paul and the pick and roll perfectly. They kept Paul out of the paint and rotated very quickly around to other players as they looked for a way out.

Offensively it was ball movement that really did the trick. When Orlando was not getting the ball inside they were getting it to the perimeter and making the extra pass every time. Then they made the shots.

Orlando outscored New Orleans 29-14 in the first quarter and 32-17 in the second. Add that up and that was a 30-point lead at halftime. The second half was almost a moot point.

But the Magic played poorly and you cannot ignore that. It was frustrating watching Orlando clank open jumpers and struggle to get anything going offensively. But the Hornets could not get going either and with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, coach Byron Scott pulled his starters.

The only encouraging thing was watching Stan Van Gundy show as much passion in a 30-point game as he would a 3-point game. You know you have the right coach when he is yelling at his players for their lack of effort in a Christmas day game when they are up by 20-plus the entire second half.

Have a Happy Holidays, everyone.

NBA Archetypes where the Magic fit in

A lot of discussion on the blogosphere about player roles and how important some player are to a team's success. TrueHoop wrote about how one bad apple can spoil the bunch a few days ago.

They also linked to a post on Upside and Motor that was very interesting. Read through the hierarchy and archetype, it is actually really interesting and pegs just about NBA player.

It got me thinking though. Where do the Magic fit in? Well I have time to waste this Christmas and here it is:

Dwight Howard (First Tier -- Refined Big Man): Howard probably is not as refined as the poster thinks. But Howard is as refined as it gets. He dominates the paint and causes defenses to shift around him. He is a superstar in another stratosphere right now (although he isn't playing like it right now).

Rashard Lewis (Third Tier -- Pure Shooter): Lewis has more skills than that, but this is what he is most known for. Lewis spreads the floor with his shooting. He also has a little "Mortal Scorer" and "Offensive-Minded Pivot" in him too. But put it all together and Lewis is a pretty complete player.

Jameer Nelson (Third Tier -- Scoring Combo Guard): Nelson is not quite the "Pass-First Point Guard" of the second tier, but he could easily get there. He has always been a scoring point guard and his play borders upon All Star-dom. Nelson has plenty of room to grow.

Hedo Turkoglu (Third Tier -- Three Point bomber): Hedo has been inconsistent his entire career that is until last year. He has always been a good 3-point shooter. He is still working to add more skills and is getting better at it every game. He could certainly grow into being more of a stat-stuffer. Or he could fall back into a Boris Diaw.

Mickael Pietrus (Fourth Tier -- Wing Stopper): Pietrus has been a nice addition this season. His ability to guard on the perimeter is why Orlando signed him and he has filled in nicely.

The Bench:

Keith Bogans- Fourth Tier, Wing Stopper
Anthony Johnson- Fifth Tier, Veteran Floor General
Tony Battie- Fourth Tier, Intangible Role Player
Marcin Gortat- Fifth Tier, Under Construction (slash most amazing player of all time)
Courtney Lee- Fourth Tier, Hustle Player
JJ Redick- Fifth Tier, Under Construction
Brian Cook- Fifth Tier, Chucker
Adonal Foyle- Fifth Tier, Raw Project Center (although not much of a project)

A game that doesn't matter

I am home for the holidays. And when I am home for the holidays I do not miss an opportunity to go to Magic games.

I have been going to games my entire life and it meant so much to me growing up. I will not lie, when I was in elementary school and middle school I was one of those blind, naive superfans who would believe in anything the team did.

It was different going away to college and not being able to watch every game or go to as many home games as I did. The first trip back home for Thanksgiving to Amway Arena felt very odd. I felt disconnected from the team and I felt I needed to catch up on how the team was doing (the only game I had watched to that point was an opening day blowout win versus Chicago).

I have gotten used to this feeling a little bit and have grown to love reading everything about the team.

But something odd happened last night. I made the conscious decision not to attend Monday's game against the Warriors.

My rationale? Look at the final score of the game.

A lot of people I know were kind of shocked when I told them this. I was kind of shocked by my own decision, in fact.

But I think it means something about the team itself. Orlando has reached the point where the team is good enough that this game is not a question. It was a four-point game in the third quarter and then, bam, it was a 20-point lead. The Magic were in control of the game the entire time.

I know I am a bad fan and I salute the 17,461 (that cannot be right, it did not look like there were that many people) that attended the game. But this is the luxury of having a great team.

Don't worry, I still watched the game. And I will be back Thursday afternoon.

Mighty Mouse gets mightier

Dwight Howard is faster than a speeding bullet. He can jump tall buildings in a single bound. But when he went down to injury earlier this week and suffered through the pains of getting re-accustomed to the NBA pace of play, there was only one superhero who could answer the call.

Here comes Jameer Nelson to save the day.

Nelson has been Orlando's saving grace this past month. His stats in December alone are astounding.

The raw numbers: 20.9 points per game, 56 percent shooting, no less than 15 points in eight games this month and just one loss (by a point at that). You want more numbers: I won't pretend to understand the Hollinger-type stats quoted by Third Quarter Collapse here.

The praise is even coming from the always loud and controversial Mike Bianchi.

December has been an incredible month for the Magic. But it has been a coming out party for Nelson.

When everything has crumbled around him and his team, he has been the one to step up. His entire career in basketball has been that.

I am not going to lie. I am one of his doubters. I thought his perfect role was the one he filled his rookie season -- coming off the bench as a change of pace point guard who could score and distribute behind an established point guard. I thought his defense would never be that good.

As he earned the starting job, it became clear he could score at a pretty consistent rate and get the ball to others. But his defense remained suspect -- especially against Chauncey Billups and the big, bad Detroit Pistons.

This season, he has smashed all his doubters and has looked like a premier player in the NBA (especially the last week).

Nelson has become a starting point guard in the NBA. I believe he has his shortcomings (his height included in there) but he has the skills to overcome them.

He has done it his entire life. It has made him stronger. It has made him the perfect point guard for this Magic team.

Magic 106, Lakers 103: Playoffs come early

Kobe Bryant had his best scoring game of the season and it did not matter. Bryant drove in for a layup with the Lakers trailing by one and found Sasha Vujacic wide open in the corner for a go-ahead 3-pointer and it hopped in and out of the basket.

Dwight Howard struggled the entire game with foul trouble and the entire team struggled from the free throw line, but it was Howard himself making four key free throws down the stretch in a row to seal a 106-103 win against Los Angeles.

I said Thursday that the win over San Antonio was as big as a win in December could be. I stand corrected. Saturday night's victory over the Lakers was as big as a win in December could be.

It was written well before the game (read the previous post) that Orlando has been hungering to be mentioned as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference (this may not even do it). But the Magic may have officially said, "We demand to be taken seriously!"

It started with a struggle for the Magic. Bryant scored 25 first half points and was getting every ridiculous shot he could think to take to go in. Howard was relegated to the bench with foul trouble as both teams had to play around referees who called the game ridiculously tight.

The second quarter was a slow-moving fight for survival as Los Angeles opened up a double digit lead. It seemed that the Lakers might be able to blow the game open. But somehow (even with Brian Cook making mistake after mistake in five second quarter minutes) Orlando kept the game close. It was within striking distance when the teams came out of the locker rooms.

That is when Jameer Nelson took over for the third straight game. Nelson scored 27 points -- 15 in the third quarter -- leading Orlando back into the game. He got into the paint when he wanted and flipped shots over the defense or pulled up when he needed to. He was in complete control of the game and dominated it in every way in the second half.

Then the fourth quarter came in and Howard dominated once again. With four fouls throughout the quarter -- and five with about four minutes left -- he dominated the paint and changed every shot that came through the paint. He demanded the ball and made teams pay from the line even (especially at the end).

Losing Howard in the first half to foul trouble was really the only reason Orlando struggled in the second quarter. Howard's absence was very noticeable. It allowed Derek Fisher to get in the paint at will and find shooters on the perimeter. It allowed Bryant to attack the basket or throw up shots without fear of the rebound being eaten by Howard.

Orlando won the game, simple as that.

The Magic actually defended Bryant well. Keith Bogans played him physically (spending more than a few fouls) and kept him out of the paint for the most part. Bryant had to take a lot of fall-away jumpers. It was clear by the fourth quarter that the defense Bogans and Mickael Pietrus put on him had tired him out.

It is tough to say you played well against him when he scored 41. But they actually did. Orlando lived up to its defensive moniker and gutted out another win.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Lakers 12/20

I am still buzzing after Orlando's impressive win against San Antonio. But it is time to put that away because the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers come to the Amway Arena.

This is the matchup the Magic have been waiting for. Like the Spurs game Thursday, this is a game that will tell us a lot (as much as it can in December) .

Dwight Howard is still working himself into the lineup and he looked a little rusty and frustrated against the Spurs and Tim Duncan. Things don't get easier as the Lakers can feature a big lineup with the crafty Pau Gasol and the young and athletic Andrew Bynum. I don't know how much of both players we will see on the court at the same time, but they present an interesting challenge to the Magic's inside players.

Kobe Bryant. Orlando probably will not be able to stop him without Mickael Pietrus. Keith Bogans will have to do his best.

Jameer Nelson though is playing some of his best basketball of his career this month. He had a career game against Golden State on Monday and led a late Orlando run Thursday that put the game away after San Antonio cut a 20-point lead to six. Nelson had developed into one of the team's leaders. Orlando is going to need another big game out of him tonight to be successful against a very poised and talented Lakers team.

-Despite a win on national TV against the Spurs, the Magic were upstaged Thursday night by Brandon Roy's 52 point performance against the Suns. Maybe that is where the national attention for the Magic have gone. Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel asks the team how they think Orlando can raise its national profile. A win against the Lakers would not hurt.

-John Denton from the Florida Today wonders why the Finals loss has not fired up the Lakers more. They are playing well, but have had some struggles recently including last night's two-point loss to Miami and a loss to Sacramento earlier this season.

-Mark Wangrin from the Associated Press in USA Today writes that Jameer Nelson has taken Orlando's point guard position as his without the safety nets of Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo behind him. Nelson has succeeded so far and proven Otis Smith's risk to give him a big extension was well worth it so far.

-By the sound of Mike Bresnahan's report from Miami for the Los Angeles Times, losing to a struggling Miami team last night might be causing panic in Lakerland. The Heat appear to be the easiest game for Los Angeles on a seven-day road trip that includes trips to Orlando, New Orleans and then home for the Celtics.

-Lakers center Andrew Bynum struggled last night against the undersized Joel Anthony. But he held his ground in his only matchup with Howard two years ago. Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports Bynum is ready to face Superman.

-Lakers minority owner Magic Johnson questions his team's defensive toughness, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports. They will get a good look at a tough defensive team tonight too. Orlando ranks third in defensive efficiency according to ESPN.com. The Lakers are fourth.

-Ramona Shelburne of the Los Angeles Daily News writes that the loss last night to Miami was a long time coming. The Lakers had a few uninspiring victories earlier this week and a superstar like Dwyane Wade took adavantage of Los Angeles' lack of energy.

The Lakers are clearly not playing their best basketball right now. They have been good enough to get away with some wins against mediocre opponents. Coach Phil Jackson was waiting for them to hit the road to see what would happen.

The result last night in Miami was not what they were looking for. Will it serve as a wake up call?

I do not know. I have the feeling that it might and it might be enough for Los Angeles to get a road win against Orlando. But then again, the Magic are playing their best basketball of the season. What gives this game?

I am feeling a little optimistic today. Nelson is going to get where he wants on the floor. Howard is going to dominate in the paint. And Rashard Lewis is going to have a big game as well forcing the Lakers to go small.

Why not give Orlando an easy win and send Los Angeles into a bigger tailspin?

Magic Wands: December 19, 2008

-Dwight Howard spreads a little joy to the Florida Hospital. A really good story and the kind of stories everyone is starving to hear by John Denton of The Florida Today.

-A fellow Orlando sports franchise is fighting for its survival. The Orlando Sentinel had a pretty thorough report of the situation Sunday. Go Predators! Save the Arena Football League! And it didn't take long for the word to get out that the Predators will not be playing this season. It is tough to come back after taking a year off. The Orlando Sentinel has the story.

-A lot of coaches have been fired so far this season (including former Magic man Reggie Theus from Sacramneto). But one thing the NBA does not have problems with that other sports leagues do is black coaches. Race should not play a role in these decisions, but many qualified coaches are not getting jobs in football. Race may or may not matter. In the hiring of new Auburn football coach Gene Chizik, outspoken NBA great Charles Barkley thinks it did. You can't argue in the record of Buffalo coach Turner Gill (who is black), but you can't argue with the connections and history the school has with Chizik either.

-The trade rumors are continuing to bound around the Magic as they look to improve for the rest of the season. We have all heard the Chucky Atkins rumors with Denver (although I haven't put them on this site). But now Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel reports Orlando might be willing to part with Duke alumnus JJ Redick to re-acquire Duke alumnus Grant Hill. That could be a good move... doubt Phoenix would go for it.

-Never too early for a mock draft from ESPN's Chad Ford!

-The economic downturn is affecting everyone. Here is how the Magic have handled it from Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel.

-Funny thing happened at the Magic game Thursday night. Rashard Lewis hit a shot in the corner. I could not see where it was from where I was sitting, but the referees ruled it a two pointer. Then one of the officials motioned to the other official with a circling motion with one of his hands (like he was telling the clock to run). The other official then motioned to the scorer's table. Next timeout, the three referees review where Lewis was on the court. It turned out it was a 3-pointer. This is a case of replay working. I was against referees reviewing the spot of a shot when it was announced because I feared it would interrupt game flow like it does in college. But this actually worked.

-The Simpsons has a rare moment of insight (at least for recent times). The blog Bend it Like Bennett tells the story.

-Dennis Hans writes a great essay on HoopsHype about Dwight Howard's shooting stroke, especially free throws. I always thought his problem was he kind of stops at the top and then shoots, losing the power from his free throw. Uniformed motion is my pet peeve on free throws. But Hans says it has more to do with how he holds his wrist and when he snaps it.

Magic 90, Spurs 78: Beat them at their own game

Dwight Howard was back from a two game injury. The perennial championship contending Spurs were in town. And, TNT was in town to televise it all to the NBA-watching world.

But the story was the same as it has been the last week (and really the past two years). Orlando gutted out a win in a situation the team probably would not have won a few years ago.

The Magic simply know how to win and how to do it any way possible.

This time they did it the San Antonio way -- with gritty defense, timely shooting and a killer instinct to end the game. The Spurs are definitely not playing their best... yet. But beating San Antonio the way Orlando did is saying something. It is as much of a statement as a win in December can be.

Hell, Gregg Poppovich pulled Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili with three minutes left and his team facing a 12-point deficit.

Thank Jameer Nelson for nailing the Spurs inside their coffin on this night. Nelson took over once again in the fourth quarter -- continuing a strong month and thoroughly outplaying his counterpark Tony Parker.

Nelson had 24 points and seven assists. Parker scored just nine points, shooting three for 17. More on Parker in a bit.

The fifth year point guard from St. Joseph's got wherever he wanted on the floor and was abusing San Antonio's defense throughout the fourth quarter. The Spurs cut a 23-point deficit to six in the fourth. Nelson was the one who stepped up and closed the door, helping the Magic extend the lead back out.

He had some help from Rashard Lewis (15 points) for sure, but it was Nelson leading the charge.

Orlando was in control of this game very early. Neither team got off to a good start shooting the ball (and the teams did not finish well either). It was clear that Howard and Tim Duncan were going to be battling a very physical battle down low and that Howard was in no form to dominate that matchup (he did get a double double with 14 points and 13 boards).

But the Spurs continued to struggle shooting throughout the game. Ginobili was just four of 12 from the floor and scored a paltry 10 points off the bench.

That brings me back to Parker. He had no room to operate in the paint. Nelson and the Magic ducked under every screen set for him and let him take jumpers. Parker could not deliver.

When San Antonio made their comeback it was because Parker was attacking the basket and creating holes in the defense. But for most of the game that was not there. It led to 15 San Antonio turnovers and numerous fast break opportunities in the second and third quarters when Orlando built a substantial lead.

This was a game that the Spurs typically win. Instead the Magic were the ones dominating defensively and thriving in a low scoring messy basketball environment. Orlando will not win many of these types of games (especially with Howard as invisible as he was at times).

But they got this one. And it should be a good confidence boost to a tough homestand.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Spurs 12/18

Orlando gets another crack at a national television game -- where the team is 3-0. This one will be a little tougher than Philadelphia or Washington.

The Spurs come calling playing some of their best play. Tony Parker is healthy and playing well. Tim Duncan is his usual consistent self. And Manu Ginboili is also playing at his best.

OK, maybe best is not the right adjective. It is still early in the season and no teams knows how to pace itself like San Antonio.

Orlando, on the other hand, is playing pretty good basketball too. This should be a good matchup between two of the top teams in the NBA.

-This matchup is billed as the battle between two fo the top centers in the NBA -- Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard. But Howard missed the last two games with a sore knee (his first two of his career). Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel says Howard may not go tonight.

-Shannon J. Owens of The Orlando Sentinel examines how the fan might be feeling when they hear their superstar might be hurt. Visions of Grant Hill should not be dancing in your head.

-According to Greg Poppovich, the Spurs were outtoughed last night in a loss to New Orleans. They were doing better for three quarters writes the San Antonio Express-News' Jeff McDonald. But they could not finish it. Might be hungry for a road win tonight.

-Injuries have been the theme early this season. Somehow Orlando has held it all together. The Associated Press has a nice write-up on how they did it in the New York Times.

Orlando is going to struggle in this one if Howard cannot go. It is going to be a tough game even with Howard on the court. The Magic should try to attack this game the same way they would if Howard were not playing. They will need a healthy diet of Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu and contributions from the bench.

You can get away with it against Golden State and an injury-depleted Utah. But not against a good San Antonio team. I am not seeing blowout, but don't be surprised if it is. Bad timing with TNT in town.

Marcin Gortat: Enter the Polish Hammer

Image courtesy of thirdquartercollapse.com.

So I have secretly been a Marcin Gortat fan ever since the Magic brought him over from Poland a few summers ago for a summer league game. I have actually been a huge proponent of the big man relegated to the bench -- think Steven Hunter, Mario Kasun and Andrew Declerq.

But Gortat has been different in his time with Orlando. Beside the fact that he is playing.

The second year player had a career night last night in Oakland, Calif., with 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocked shots. He has played well when given the opportunity and has filled in adequately for Dwight Howard. I would expect him to get more minutes as the season goes on.

But something Gortat has done that those other big men did not was provide some energy off the bench. He is one of the team's biggest cheerleaders.

Watch him the next time he is on the bench. He is one of the first guys standing after a big play and fighting for the team... from the bench.

His dunks and blocked shots are always energy plays. He does not have a lot of skills, and he looks real goofy doing the things he does well. But Gortat is putting himself in the Magic rotation by providing that intangible very few can.

Orlando Magic 109, Golden State Warriors 98

Orlando had a lot of reason to fold and head home after a long West Coast road trip when the team trucked in to Golden State. But the Magic did not give up the opportunity to take out one of the Western Conference's weaker teams -- even without superstar Dwight Howard.

Jameer Nelson tied a career high with 32 points, sparking a third quarter run that put the game out of reach as Orlando finished its road trip 4-1 with a 109-98 win at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Monday.

The Magic survived a sloppy first half -- dominated by turnovers, missed jumpers and thunderous Marcin Gortat plays -- but pulled through in the second half with some hot shooting and stifling defense. They never let the Warriors get comfortable in the game or set the pace throughout.

Golden State shot just 41.8 percent from the floor. Orlando, on the other hand, hit 48 percent of its shots including 10 of 20 3-point attempts.

It was a dominating performance from the Magic all around. Rashard Lewis scored 21 points, Hedo Turkoglu added 12 and Courtney Lee added 16 off the bench. Gortat also had 16 and added 13 rebounds and three blocks. It was his second double double in 16 career games.

The Magic should hold their heads high heading into a difficult week at home. Four wins on this five-game road trip -- two without Howard -- shows this team has a lot of the character traits that winners have and some of the traits they had last year.

Orlando simply did what it had to do to get the win against a far inferior opponent. Now the real test comes with San Antonio on Thursday.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Warriors 12/15

Orlando closes out its five-game West Coast road trip with a trip to Oracle Arena to face Golden State.

The Magic have faced plenty of adversity this road trip. Whether it is their missing defense or losing superstar center Dwight Howard to injury, it has been a difficult but revealing trip.

Orlando won its first game without Howard on Saturday with a gutsy win against Utah. Winning at EnergySolutions Arena is not easy at all. Winning without your best players is even harder.

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Howard will not suit up again tonight.

The Magic will have to work hard against a struggling Warriors team without their big man. Golden State is 7-17, but still have that explosive Don Nelson offense that can get point sin a hurry. Lots of young guys should keep Orlando on its toes for its last game on the trip (often the toughest).

-Gotta love how coach Stan Van Gundy takes everything in stride and with humor. So many coaches have been fired this season (former Magic man Reggie Theus of Sacramento is the latest), but Van Gundy feels he is as safe as he can be with Orlando. Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel reports that Van Gundy has accepted there is going to be a time when he will not have a job in Orlando anymore.

-New Warrior (and former Magic player) Corey Maggette is having a tough time getting used to his new team, Janny Hu of the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Maggette signed a big contract with Golden State this summer after years of constantly being on the block with the Los Angeles Clippers. Maggette is not likely to be traded after signing a new contract.

-Mickael Pietrus won't be playing tonight against his former team, but Marcus Thompson II of The Oakland Tribune reports Pietrus feels he is in a better place than where he was with the Warriors last year, where he did not receive a lot of minutes and was played out of position. There are no hard feelings though. The move worked for everyone.

-Golden State Warriors blog Golden State of Mind has a few good nuggets (and videos!). The blog feels the Warriors will still get pasted by the Magic even without Howard. Plus video montages for former Golden State guys Mickael Pietrus and Adonal Foyle. I sense some hard feelings between Warriors fans and Pietrus though. Blogger Atma Brother ONE writes:

"It's true that when (Pietrus) was with the Warriors MP2 didn't have the greatest sense of where the out of bounds line was, came back from injuries ridiculously slow, was super streaky, and was a little whiny with his trade demands last season, but I always loved the guy's goofiness and friendly demeanor. Flashy player and a cool cat. Hope he's happy in Orlando."

Some of what is said there might not be soo good for Orlando -- especially the "came back from injuries ridiculously slow" and "super streaky" parts. So far, so good I guess.

-Matt Steinmetz of the Golden State Warriors Examiner thinks about what could have happened if Otis Smith stayed with Golden State and what he has done with Orlando. Let's just say that he feels his success isn't just the drafting of Howard.

This is a tricky game for Orlando. Golden State can certainly turn up the heat and score points even without star Baron Davis, whom the Warriors lost to the Clippers over the summer. Without Dwight Howard, the Magic will need another stellar efforts from Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu to get a win and finish the road trip 4-1.

The fact this is the last game on the trip is also something to watch out for. That is usually a game teams struggle in as they think about sleeping in their own beds for the next couple days.

Orlando has to fight through that. Losing your superstar should create that focus and I think the Magic will win a hard-fought game to close the trip.

Howard's health most important

Saturday's game against the Utah Jazz will mark history whether Orlando wins or loses at EnergySolutions Arena.

It will be the first game that Dwight Howard has missed in his young career.

Howard has been dealing with various injuries this season. He strained his oblique about a week ago that limited him in Tuesday's win against Portland. Howard left Friday's game in Phoenix in the third quarter with some discomfort in his right knee. He has said that he has had some problems with the knee since he was a child and he broke the leg.

The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz reports that Howard tried to warm up on it before the game, but he and trainer Tom Smith decided to play it safe.

When you are trying to defend and Southeast Division title and prove that you belong in the same breath as Boston and Cleveland (perceived to be the two top teams in the conference), playing it safe may not feel right. The Magic have a lot to prove and Howard is the centerpiece of that. You lose him, you lose some amount of fear, and maybe respect.

But there are many things to think about as Orlando makes its decision concerning Howard tonight and for Monday's game at Golden State.

The first is Howard's long-term health. Every person within the organization knew this day was coming. No one can stay healthy for all 82 games of an NBA season for an entire career. Especially when that player takes the physical beating Howard takes in the post.

Howard takes pride in his physical condition -- he shows it off enough. But every body breaks down and everyone gets hurt.

Fortunately, this injury does not appear to be major enough to keep him out a significant amount of time. But it is fair to be cautious. Orlando has long-term interests in Howard. If he suffers an injury that keeps him, the team loses.

This appears to be a nagging issue. But it appears being cautious is the right way to go. Howard has had his best season, and facing a little adversity can only make him, and the team, better.

The second thing this injury does is allow for the other players to gain some confidence without him (or maybe not).

We will learn a lot about Orlando's personnel without Howard. Can Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu continue to carry the offense? Is the Magic's defense really that good without Howard? It sure hasn't looked like it the past two games.

The Magic have a good team. But you learn a lot about the team without its superstar.

Orlando looked to respond without Howard in Phoenix and the team seems to be hanging around with a tough Utah team on the road (103-94 Magic won after they trailed by 10 at the half).

Either way, the Magic have to look out for their investment in the long term and make sure Howard doesn't permanently injur himself. Because losing this season would be bad. Losing next season and beyond would be much worse.

Magic Wands: December 12, 2008

-Supersonicsoul has an interesting look at NBATV ratings. Orlando is not doing so hot (sorry, I have not been home to eat up NBATV in the odd hours of the afternoon). But the league is still as popular as ever.

-According to one scout who talked to Marc Stein on the Weekend Dime:

"I think Orlando is the best team in the NBA that's not being talked about. Everyone loves Portland right now, so everyone talks about them. Orlando is racking up the road wins again, and they're going to be a legit player in the Eastern Conference if they can get that No. 3 or [No.] 2 seed and avoid Boston in the second round. I know people say they have no bench, but once you get to the playoffs you only play seven or eight guys anyway.

"Look at what they do have: Rashard [Lewis] and Hedo [Turkoglu] to spread the floor and one of the few legit big guys out there [in Dwight Howard], even though he's not a great scorer. And Jameer Nelson … his problem is that he's making $8 million instead of $6 million. If he was making $6 million, everyone would think he's a bargain. In the playoffs, I thought the kid was pretty good."

Tell me something I don't know.

-Darko Milicic makes his run for Superman after picking up a foul against Houston on Monday. Better video here.

-Remember when I complained about Tuesday's basketball lineup on ESPN. Marc Stein calms me down in the Daily Dime. Plus, Stan Van Gundy deserves all the credit for the win at Portland (scroll to the bottom).

-Avid Trail Blazer fan Henry Abbott tries to explain why Brandon Roy made the wrong decisions down the stretch Tuesday. Here's a hint: Keith Bogans is good at defense.

-Chicago Bulls assistant coach Pete Myers gets the first crack at playing President-Elect Barack Obama, the Chicago Tribune reports.

-According to a Truehoop reader, residents of Shanghai want resident Yao Ming to play more like Dwight Howard. We will take that as a compliment and a vote for Howard as the best center in the league.

-Early returns from All Star ballotting have Dwight Howard leading the way. Not for centers, but for EVERYONE.

-Former Magic man Cuttino Mobley is going to officially retire because of a heart condition.

-Dwight Howard tells Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel that he will be competing in the slam dunk contest this year. And he has something BIG planned for it.

No respect, no respect at all

I am a journalist. I understand news judgement. I understand knowing your audience and using that to determine what you cover and how you cover it.

But I don't understand ESPN.

Perhaps, I am a bitter Magic fan right now. Perhaps I am making a good point. But tonight's game against Portland, which Orlando won on a last-second shot by Hedo Turkoglu, did not air on ESPN's NBA Fastbreak until the third segment after four other games.

What was shown before this battle between two division leaders that went down to the buzzer?

Let's start with Dallas vs. San Antonio. Not a fantastic game this season. But it has some stars and it went to double overtime. A good draw. Forgiven.

Next, Cleveland vs. Toronto. OK, that is a solid game between two decent teams with superstars in LeBron James and Chris Bosh. That one is understandable.

Last one of the segment: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Sacramento? Sure the Kings upset the Lakers. But this game can't be as interesting as a game between two division leaders (and yes, it is early to look at the standings).

Maybe if Dwight Howard would have had a better game so they could play up the matchup between him and Greg Oden, it would have been put up higher.

I just feel a little disrespected and more sure of ESPN's bias toward bigger markets. If the NBA wants to play up its parity and how every team has a chance, it needs to get the big record games on the top of the ESPN shows rather than the big name games. Sure LeBron is very marketable, but doesn't everyone get tired of seeing him and the Cleveland LeBrons play every night?

OK, the Cavaliers are better this year than last year. But who honestly thinks they can still win a title. I think Orlando is still closer. I guess we can figure that one out on January 29.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Blazers 12/9

Orlando still has not faced a whole lot of quality opponents, but began its yearly December West Coast road trip with a big win in Los Angeles... against the Clippers. The Magic lost to the Trail Blazers about a month ago at Amway Arena. Now they head to the Rose Garden.

This is a big game for Orlando. The team got a solid effort in its first game of this road trip. A win against a good team on the road at the beginning of this road trip will make the Magic more confident heading to the rest of it. Last year, the first West Coast road trip of the season was when the team really bonded and set the tone for the rest of the season. You will find out a lot about the team tonight, win or lose.

-Dwight Howard got some mad love from ESPN's J.A. Adande and Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog after his 23-point, 22-rebound, six-block performance against Los Angeles on Monday.

-Also word from Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel that Brian Cook is Howard's new enforcer.

-Interesting note from NBA.com, Portland just finished a junket out East while Orlando heads West.

-This will also be the first time Dwight Howard faces off against Greg Oden. The No. 1 picks have had completely opposite careers. Howard has played every game and Oden... has not. But one thing they do have in common is rebounding. John Hollinger's Insider Gems (box at the bottom) notes that Oden is rebounding at a higher rate than Howard. I guess this is why they play the games.

-More fun links for tonight's game from OregonLive.com's Sean Meagher.

-Remember Raef LaFrentz? He still plays for Portland, but the team has allowed him to rehab in his hometown in Iowa. Kerry Eggers of the Portland Tribune caught up with the veteran big man... and perrennial Magic killer.

-Magic blogger Ben Q Rock of Third Quarter Collapse adamantly defends Jameer Nelson who got slammed on a post in another blog (and is generally being slammed by other Magic fans). I think Nelson is a good player and a serviceable starter. But ultimately his defensive shortcomings will always hurt Orlando against bigger guards. Now that Chauncey Billups is gone, maybe it doesn't matter. Either way, there are bigger problems the Magic have to fix than point guard. Nelson has played great this season.

-Portland blogger Casey Holdahl of Trail Blazers Center Court by tells the story of assistant coach Maurice Lucas, who returned to practice after fighting bronchial pneumonia the last two months.

This should be an interesting game for sure. Both teams are pretty good. Orlando did not play great last night and had to use a lot of energy. Throw on top that Portland is very tough to beat in the Rose Garden. It should be a close game though, but the Blazers hold home court. Portland 103, Orlando 95

Salaries per minute computations

Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune and Henry Abbott of TrueHoop were thinking of an interesting new way to measure the value of NBA players. Abbott and Siler decided to compute the salary per minute of a few players.

The league-wide average is $3,400 per minute. And Siler computes that the Jazz's Deron Williams made $1,311 per minute. A pretty good bargain for the amount of time he plays.

Wonder what the Magic's roster looks like? Using the salaries on HoopsHype.com, we can find out.

Dwight Howard, averaging 21.5 points and a league-high 14.0 rebounds per game, has played 705 minutes this season. If Howard continues playing 37.1 minutes per game and plays all 82 games, he is averaging $4,522 per minute. Pretty good.

Now to a more controversial contract.

Rashard Lewis is the highest paid player on the team, making $17,238,000 this season, according to HoopsHype. Lewis is averaging 19.1 points per game, second on the team, in 38.3 minutes per game.

If Lewis plays all 82 games at that current pace, he will make $5,489 per minute. Still makes you wonder about that contract Otis Smith gave him. Howard and Lewis are both above the average.

Next, a bench player.

Let's go with J.J. Redick. He is still on a rookie contract so it might be kind of low.

Redick has played in 15 of the Magic's 19 games so far. Let's say he plays 79 percent of the games -- amounting to about 65 games. Sounds somewhat reasonable, I guess.

If Redick plays 65 games and continues to play 18.9 minutes per game. Not that realistic, but here goes nothing. Redick makes $1,742 per game. Could be worse, but it makes you want to play basketball a little more.

Magic Wands: December 5, 2008

-Apparently Dwight Howard is not the only player thinking of skipping the Slam Dunk Contest in February. Rudy Gay is thinking of skipping the fun in Phoenix now.

-Era of impatience continues. Eddie Jordan and Sam Mitchell were both coach of the year candidates last year. Now they are both jobless. Jordan's Wizards got off to a bad start. But Mitchell's Raptors were a respectable 8-9 when he was fired. I don't know what Toronto expected when they acquired Jermaine O'Neal, but he is far from the healthy all star he was in Indiana three or four years ago. This one is on Bryan Colangelo, not Mitchell. 82 games is a long time.

-Sad stories about injuries to some 1990s NBA players. Wayman Tisdale's is an inspirational story. And everyone remembers Rodney Rodgers from his days with the Nets.

-Power Rankings Check: the Magic's injuries have slowed down the party train. They are up to six in ESPN.com, No. 9 by John Hollinger's count (does not know injuries exist). And NBA.com thinks Orlando is No. 4. Of course that was before the loss to Boston.

Searching for J.J.

ESPN's Daily Dime had its No. 1 box on one J.J. Redick by Florida Today's John Denton.

Redick's story is well-known. He languished on the bench for two years. requested a trade in December last season. Re-dedicated himself in the offseason and played fantastic in summer league. Played extremely well in the preseason, earning him the first spot behind Mickael Pietrus at shooting guard. Struggled in the first few games and was buried again on the bench. Then got another chance because of injuries to Keith Bogans and Pietrus.

So far, Redick has not taken advantage of his opportunities.

His stats are less than impressive. The third-year player from Duke is averaging 4.4 points per game in 18.1 minutes per game. He is shooting just 31 percent from the floor and an uncharacteristic 29.4 percent from 3-point range.

Redick is certainly not playing as the poster child of of Better Basketball's shooting videos. Coach Stan Van Gundy still thinks he is a great shooter, and I do too.

So why is he struggling so much?

It does not seem to be so much his shooting form or his effort. He is getting open shots and has always been a player that is capable of scoring when he is on the court -- look at his stats from the past two years, when he is in the game he scores.

But it does not seem to explain why Redick is struggling so much. I have not been able to watch a lot of Magic games. But in the three games I saw this weekend, I could not find much wrong in the way he is playing.

What does seem to be missing is something he had in abundance at Duke.

His trademark cockiness.

Redick knows he is not going to be a star in the NBA (I could have told you that on Draft night when he was picked No. 11). But that doesn't mean he shouldn't act like one now that he has the chance to play.

When Redick was going into games last season, he was going out there trying to prove that he deserved playing time. Now that he is out there, it seems like the fire is gone a little bit -- at least the fire in his attitude, I am not questioning his effort.

For Orlando to be successful right now, the team needs J.J. to find his shooting touch. And it has to start with him. Nothing mechanically is wrong with him. He just needs to go out and prove that the Magic did not make a mistake in picking him.

Still looking for premier win

Thanksgiving has past and Orlando has stuffed its face to a 13-4 record so far this season. But have these wins been nice turkey, or that fatty dark meat?

So far, you have to say it has not been the healthy part of the turkey -- the kind that builds a nice playoff resume and cements your team as one of the contenders in the NBA. Blame the schedule makers partly for this perceived problem. But Orlando, the team that has the fourth best overall record in the NBA, still lacks a defining early season win.

The road success of last season has continued and the Magic have recovered nicely from an 0-2 start. Throw some injuries to key players on top of that (the team is 3-0 since Jameer Nelson went down with an injury), and Orlando should still feel pretty fortunate with its fantastic start.

But with a trip to the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston on the horizon (try Monday) and a west coast trip looming that features games at Portland, Phoenix and Utah, and Orlando is going to need to do a little more than take advantage of games against bad teams.

No, to prove you can win in the playoffs, a team must win games against playoff-caliber opponents in the regular season.

I am sure many of the teams Orlando has played and beaten will be in the playoffs. The team won for the first time in Dallas since 1997, when the team still played at Reunion Arena. That is a sign of progress.

The Magic are a good team. You have to be a good team to be as successful against the small teams as they have been.

But consider this:

The four teams Orlando has lost to have a combined .531 win percentage (which includes a bad loss at Memphis). The 13 teams the Magic have beaten have a combined 71-138 (.340 win percentage), and only one is against a team with an above .500 record -- Toronto at 8-7.

See my point.

Yes, it is very good Orlando is feasting on the bad teams. And the schedule has not afforded Orlando many opportunities.

But that is what makes Monday's game so important. Win at Boston, and everyone knows the Magic are a real threat to an Eastern Conference title. Lose, and they are still a team that can beat those worse than them, but not a premier team.

Magic 110, Pacers 96: Howard is pretty good

Went to my first Magic game of the year tonight. The games are as good as they have ever been. The O-Rena is not rocking quite yet... but it is late November, so not too worried about the fan stuff. The show is still a lot of fun to go to.

But I digress from what is really important. The game. And this one was a doozy.

The Magic built a solid lead in the second quarter and extended it past 20 points in the third. They then had to hold on as Danny Granger caught fire to pull Indiana back to within single digits. But the team never threatened in what turned out to be an easy victory for Orlando.

It was one of those taking care of business nights. The result was really positive.

What else was really positive? I don't know. Maybe Dwight Howard's 32 points and 21 rebounds. It was a simply dominating performance.

It helped that Orlando was making a concerted effort to feed him the ball (much more than they had in the two previous games that I had watched). But he took advantage of every touch. He was 11 of 15 from the floor and very few of them were dunks. A lot of his shots came off of good post moves and very smooth-looking hook shots.

Howard has developed some touch around the basket and is not just all about his power. This is a dangerous development for the rest of the league.

Defensively, he set the tone with some blocked shots and dominated the glass. Howard was even stealing rebounds from his teammates. He was a man possessed tonight and it looked effortless at times for him.

With him off the court, Orlando struggled offensively. But Indiana had no answers and he was the pure reason why the team found itself in a hole.

Granger led the Pacers with 27 points and local product Marquis Daniels added a quiet 21. Hedo Turkoglu followed Howard with 22 points and Rashard Lewis added 24 (or maybe it is the other way around, I am too lazy to switch it... they both played well). Anthony Johnson, starting his third straight game, scored 16.

Magic Wands: November 28, 2008

-Chip Crain of the Memphis Grizzlies blog 3 Shades of Blue has a scary thought for Magic fans. He has noticed that those NBA players with player blogs have not done well. His example starts with Casey Jacobson's blog from last year (he ended up bench by December) and Mike Conley's blog (he is not doing so hot with the Grizzlies). Then, expanding the scope, he notices problem with NBA.com bloggers Gilbert Arenas (two knee surgeries since starting), Chris Kaman and Jerry Stackhouse (both trade bait at this point) and Kevin Love (sitting behind Jason Collins in Minnesota). This is all well and good... except Dwight Howard has a blog on NBA.com. Hope it is not related to the recent streak of play he has had recently.

-Power Rankings Update: the Magic are climbing the opinion polls. They are fifth now in the NBA.com Power Rankings, seventh in the Marc Stein Power Rankings. But John Hollinger and his computer poll still have the Magic 10th (at least Monday, they did). Which rankings do you follow?

-Basketball-Reference.com presents the players with the best and worst supporting casts in NBA history. Michael Cooper of the Showtime Lakers had the best offensive supporting cast, 1990s journeyman Charles Smith had the worst offensive supporting cast. Michael Jordan rose above his teammates' shortcomings the most (hurting my arguments for Bill Russell) and the Jazz's Mark Eaton did not live up to his teammates the most.

-Dwight Howard won't be dunking (as much) in Phoenix apparently. Although, I heard he still has not made a final decision.

-Happy Thanksgiving! Hope you have recovered from the enormous amounts of food you ate.

Magic 105, Wizards 90: Not much to say

Still coming down from all the turkey. But Orlando did not seem phased at all by the extra food or the back-to-back.

Dwight Howard got the Wizards big men in foul trouble early and dominated inside. It did not take long for Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis to follow.

Washington was never close. When the team did make a little bit of a comeback, Orlando stepped on the gas pedal and pulled away. It was an impressive performance -- the kind of effort you want against a 2-11 team.

Happy Thanksgiving. The Magic are playing solid basketball with a tough December on the horizon.

Magic 96, 76ers 94: Sloppy, but effective

Rashard Lewis shot seven for 17. But it was shot No. 17 and make No. 7 that mattered most to Orlando.

With four seconds left, Lewis hit a 3-pointer in the corner to give the Magic a two-point lead and an escape from Wachovia Arena with a 96-94 win.

Lewis struggled throughout the night, but finished with 19 points. His offensive struggles were symbolic of the team's overall offensive struggles. After opening a 10-point lead in the first half, Philadelphia slowly whittled away at the lead before taking it entering the fourth quarter on a half-court three by rookie Marreese Speights.

Orlando continued to struggle into the fourth quarter, despite shooting 47 percent for the entire game. The team turned the ball over 17 times and played incredibly sloppy.

Elton Brand anchored the second-half comeback with 21 points and six rebounds.

The Magic struggled to counteract the scoring threat. Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds. Tony Battie added 20 points off the bench -- most in the first half. It was a struggle to find scoring elsewhere in the second half. Hedo Turkoglu went four for 11 and scored only 12 points (he also committed a boneheaded, over-aggressive foul that allowed Philadelphia to take a one-point lead with about 20 seconds to play).

This was my first look at the team all season (that is what I get for working outside of Orlando). And overall it was not a horrible game.

The first quarter showed the full potential of this team. The Magic were getting the ball into Howard in the low post, running effectively and playing fantastic defense. It was a great display of what the team can do.

Then it was a sloppy, turnover prone, 3-point happy team that wasted opportunities and let a worse team come back on them.

It is early in the season, so hopefully it was the quality of the opponent that led to some of the struggles. But it did not seem that way.

The problems stem from some problems with the active team. The 76ers made a big portion of their comeback by using a press when Anthony Johnson was out of the game. Courtney Lee, Turkoglu and JJ Redick are not backup point guards and for the next week it is something that will be exploited.

But a major part of the problem is that Johnson is not a starting point guard. He fills his role and is a good game manager. What Jameer Nelson does though is force action and create for others on the floor. Johnson was not doing that -- and it showed over his 37 minutes of play.

When the shots were falling, Johnson worked fine. When they were not, he and the team struggled.

In the end, this game is a win. The Magic have done a good job the last two seasons of winning games that they do not deserve to win. Orlando did its best to give this game away and then took it back at the last second.

Certainly made it better for the national television audience.

Cuttino Mobley, a heart condition?

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com is reporting that the recent trade between the Knicks and the Clippers is being held up because former Magic guard Cuttino Mobley has an apparent heard condition.

The report is saying that the Knicks raised concerns over his heart condition and are sending him to a specialist. It goes on to say that Mobley had the heart condition his entire career but it was never seen as a major issue. With Eddy Curry on their team though, don't blame the Knicks for double checking.

Mobley had a good half season in Orlando in 2004-05 season before he was traded to Sacramento for Doug Christie (trading an apparent heart case for a head case... I kid, I kid). He was a great 3-point shooter and a solid defender, making the trade somewhat of a head-scratcher.

In any case, it had a huge affect on superstar Steve Francis (writing those words , seems hilarious to me now). Francis and Mobley were good friends and Francis' play suffered significantly since the trade.

All the best to Mobley. I hope to see him in a Knicks (or Clippers) uniform later this season.

UPDATE: today the trade went through. Mobley and Tim Thomas were traded to New York for Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins.

Bogans out 3-6 weeks

As far as injuries go, this one could have been a lot worse.

Guard Keith Bogans will miss at least the next three weeks and could be out 4-6 weeks after fracturing the thumb on his non-shooting hand during Saturday's game against Houston, Andrew Carter of The Orlando Sentinel reports.. Bogans has been the first man off the bench for Orlando this season and beat out JJ Redick and Courtney Lee for the backup shooting guard role. Bogans is averaging 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

The Magic were pretty set at shooting guard with the signing of Mickael Pietrus, the drafting of Courtney Lee and the emergence of JJ Redick during the preseason. If someone was going to get hurt, it could be one of those four.

But don't think this injury is insignificant.

Orlando has been hit a little by the injury bug early this season. Pietrus has missed a game because of injury and Hedo Turkoglu sat out Saturday with the flu. Depth at guard has been important for the Magic's survival this season.

Losing Bogans is no death knell, but it does hurt the team. Pietrus is a good defender, but he has the propensity to foul. With Bogans out, Orlando no longer has its best perimeter defender to help out.

Redick is not the defender Bogans is and Lee has not had enough time on the court to prove he is there yet either.

It will be interesting to see what coach Stan Van Gundy does with his new lineup after the injury. Redick has been getting some favor and has thrown in a few good scoring runs. Lee though is probably closest to Bogans as far as copying his skill set defensively. I would expect both to play and get some time to show what they can do (it is a big opportunity for both players).

Van Gundy told The Orlando Sentinel that he might move Rashard Lewis to small forward more often, which could free up minutes for Marcin Gortat or Adonal Foyle, who put in his best game of the season Saturday.

Either way, this injury will have a big impact on the Magic before the All Star break -- and not just on the court.

With Bogans out, Redick can be played more and be floated out there as a trade possibility for a deadline deal. Not saying the team could get much for Redick, but it could be important to adding that vital piece for the playoff push.

Trade rumors have circled the shooting guard platoon all season. That should quiet until Bogans gets back.

Big is the new small?

Interesting note from John Hollinger on Monday.

Hollinger in his PER Diem section notes how lineups seem to be getting bigger rather than the perceive notion that they are getting smaller (think Phoenix Suns in their heyday). But Hollinger does not note that while lineups are getting bigger, players are not.

He uses the Magic's big three of Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard as poster children of this new movement. The taller players have been getting more versatile and now we are seeing this talent promise played out to its fruition in teams like Orlando, Toronto, Atlanta.

This is an odd development in the history of basketball. Teams are no longer building around the traditional big men and point guard or dominant shooting guard mode. They are now building with versatile players who can use their extreme size to their advantage.

It is catching on in the league and Orlando is at the head of this movement. The Magic are once again nearing the top of the Eastern Conference with an 8-3 record and a five-game winning streak after tonight's win in Indiana.

Big is the new small... literally. Expect this trend to continue until the next NBA revolution.

Magic Wands: November 21, 2008

-Good little nuggets from Marc Stein's Weekend Dime on ESPN.com last week. Nugget 1: Stein wonders how the Magic faithful feel about a possible return for Shaquille O'Neal as a part owner. Shaq feels the city has gotten over it... and I tend to agree. I know, as a kid, I was distraught after O'Neal left and trashed just about anything with his name or likeness on it. After years of booing and jeering him, I feel we have both matured to the point where we understand each other and our motivations. I hope other fans do too.

-Nugget 2 from the Weekend Dime: Stein was invited to help create the NBA All Star ballot. It is a tougher job than it looks. But, I still don't think Jameer Nelson should be on that list (prove me wrong!).

-Sad news for the world of basketball. Pioneer coach Pete Newell died Monday at 93. Newell is known for holding the Pete Newell camp for big men in California. He won a national championship with Cal in 1959 and won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 (with a team that featured Oscar Robertson and Jerry West). The basketball world will miss him.

-Kyle Hightower of the Orlando Sentinel noticed a lot of former players are wearing suits and ties as coaches and general managers. And, the Polish Hammer, Marcin Gortat, wins a bet with Mickael Pietrus (at the bottom of the page).

-Anyone notice how many more fights/flagrant fouls there are in the NBA these days? It is only November and we have had a full-on fight between Phoenix and Houston, Shaquille O'Neal getting suspended for a flagrant foul on Rodney Stuckey and now Kevin Garnett serving a game for a near hit on Andrew Bogut. The NBA is definitley trying to crack down on these incidents by publicly punishing these guys early and harshly. But isn't this adding more attention to a problem the NBA perceives that it has?

-Never too early to start thinking about the playoffs. Orlando premiers in John Hollinger's Playoff Odds as the No. 7 seed behind Miami and Atlanta. The Magic have not beaten anyone yet, but really? The Hawks are sliding and the Heat are good, but can they keep it up for 82 games. Orlando still has some work to do, I guess. About 71 games of it too.

-I know John Hollinger. Mickael Pietrus has been a pretty big surprise for the Magic.

-A mainstay of the NBA media force is leaving Sports Illustrated, Henry Abbott reports.

Former Magic Player of the Week: Brooks Thompson

Brooks Thompson

The Orlando Magic used their first round pick in 2004 on Oklahoma State product Brooks Thompson.

Thompson started his career at Texas A&M in 1989 and transferred after two seasons to Oklahoma State, where he made the Big Eight all-conference tournament team and was a member of the all-conference first team in 1994, playing alongside Vancouver Grizzlies great Bryant "Big Country" Reeves. He led the Cowboys in assists both seasons and averaged 16.9 points per game his senior year.

Thompson averaged 3.6 points per game in 71 appearances in two seasons with Orlando. He was part of the 1994-95 NBA Finals team, starting two games his rookie season.

The Magic traded him to the Jazz with Kenny Gattison and a future first round draft pick for Felton Spencer. Thompson played two games with Utah before going to Denver where he averaged a career high 6.8 points per game and got 16.1 minutes per game in 65 games.

He finished his playing career in 1998, playing for Phoenix and New York. He averaged 4.5 points per game in 10.2 minutes per game during his three-year career. Thompson's career high was a 26-point effort against the Suns in 1996 while with the Nuggets.

After retiring, Thompson went into coaching. In 2002 he took the jobe at Yavapi College in Prescott, Ariz., where he went 55-14 during two seasons there. He became an assistant coach with Arizona State in 2004 before accepting the head coaching job at University of Texas-San Antonio in April 2006.

Thompson led the Roadrunners to a tie for sixth place in the Southland Conference last season after going 13-17. He has a record of 20-29 overall entering his third season in San Antonio.

Image courtesy of orlandomagic.com.

Attendance problems in Orlando

Nick Friedell from Yahoo!Sports' Ball Don't Lie blog filed a great report on the state of attendance in the NBA.

With the economy as bad as it is and people not looking to spend money on luxuries -- like, say, sporting events -- NBA attendance is taking a little bit of a hit. Friedell cites one columnist who even believes some NBA teams might be thinking of suspending operations because of financial problems. I don't think this will be the case. It is November and the perception is the season does not really start until February.

But this has to be a concern for Magic fans.

With only six games so far at Amway Arena (No. 7 tonight against the Toronto Raptors might draw a few more people because of last year's playoff series), Orlando is the only team with a winning record ranked in the bottom third of the league (at No. 20).

The Magic have always had attendance problems. Ever since Shaquille O'Neal left and the sell-out streak of the mid-90s ended, it has been an up-and-down roller coaster of support in the city. Usually by playoff time, people care. But generally, they do not.

I know last spring in the playoffs, people were going nuts over a team that advanced out of the first round for the first time in 12 years. Attendance that season was not even that great.

It did not help that Orlando lost local draw Carlos Arroyo. Despite Arroyo's mediocre play, it can't be doubted he drew a significant amount of the Hispanic market of the city (that Orlando had been trying to tap in to for years) to the arena. After the team acquired him, the next three games sold out and Puerto Rican flags could be seen waving throughout the stadium. His loss hurt ticket sales this year.

Don't underestimate the passing of the Orlando Events Center legislation either in attendance. It was a controversial topic and now that it has passed, maybe fans are expecting a little more from the team and organization.

The economy is not getting better any time soon. So expect attendance numbers to drop throughout the league.

All the team can do is win and put a pleasing product on the court so when someone decides to shell out $50 for a basketball game, they will want to do it in Orlando.

Howard's bad night against the Bobcats

People went a little crazy over Dwight Howard's struggle in Charlotte on Sunday.

Howard turned in his worst game of the season scoring four points and seven rebounds in 26 foul-plagued minutes. Henry Abbott of Truehoop broke down Howard's game and (probably correctly) concluded the game was an aberration.

Everyone has an off night and everyone gets into foul trouble eventually.

What does get pointed out is Howard's tendency to "drift" when he is not involved in the offense. His problem has always been that he loses his aggression on both sides of the ball when he is not involved in the offense.

I could not watch last night's game, but that seems to be what happened. Read John Hollinger's analysis of Howard's game from the offseason -- it is pretty dead on.

While the national media is going crazy over Howard's poor game (again everyone has bad nights), the Magic somehow pulled out another win when they played poorly.

After pulling a come-from-behind victory at Dallas, Orlando again rallied for a big road victory. Again, the Magic are not beating anybody impressive quite yet, but road wins are important either way.

All starters outside of Howard scored in double figures and it seems like everyone on the team has the capability of picking up the slack of struggling players. Pulling out these games is a sign of a good team. It looks like Orlando is going to be just fine after some struggle at the start.

The poor shooting cannot continue. But like last year, a win is a win at this point. And as unimpressive as they have looked, the Magic are building confidence for another late season push.

Magic Wands: November 14, 2008

-The world famous Dunking Dancers took their show to Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan., for the national champions' Midnight Madness. I have always found the Dunking Dancers hit or miss. Something about launching yourself off a trampoline to dunk the ball seems a whole lot of fun though.

-Courtney Lee is apparently not doing too bad, according to David Thorpe. He is slowly climbing his Rookie Rankings. Hopefully it means he will get to see the court.

-Trevor Ariza is playing well. He certainly is no Maurice Evans and Brian Cook. Ariza of course is averaging 9.4 points per game and 5.0 rebounds per game. Evans is not on Orlando any more and Cook is buried on the bench.

-Power Rankings Watch: I know these come out at the beginning of the week. But the Magic climbed in both the ESPN and NBA.com power rankings. And Dwight Howard is holding steady at No. 6 on ESPN NBA Awards Watch. He also leads their tally for Defensive Player of the Year. Now if only, the Magic could play defense as a team. And there is finally enough data for John Hollinger to rev up his Power Ranking machine. The Magic premier at 17.

-A really good look at Josh Childress' life in Greece from Mark Schwarz. Looks like it might not be a viable option for NBA players. Not until entire leagues become financially viable, at least.

-The economy is tough. Let the New Jersey Nets help you. Anyway you can get the butts in the seats. Actually Northwestern University is throwing a similar promotion for college students in December. They will have several businesses in the arena to meet with students and others around the area in a Networking Night.

Dwight Howard is Superman

I have seen a lot of things in basketball. But when I read Dwight Howard's stat line from tonight's game, my jaw just dropped.

30 points, 19 boards, 10 blocks.

Let that sink in a minute. Then watch the highlights here.

This could be one of those games you talk about for a very long time. And it happened on a night where the team and its fans had to be cautiously optimistic (as Brian Schmitz points out in his recap of the game).

Howard has been on a tear this season. You put this game in comparison with his 29 point, 16 rebound effort against Portland on Monday. And it is amazing he played so poorly in the Olympics.

I doubt he can keep up this pace for the entire season (he definitely started strong last year and then faded). But if he can play this well in the playoffs, we are looking a guy who CAN carry a team through the playoffs -- especially with the talent around him.

UPDATE: did some digging around the Media Guide.

The last triple double by a Magic player was Hedo Turkoglu's 23 point, 13 assist, 10 rebound night against Atlanta last March.

This was also not the first time blocks were used to make a triple double. Shaquille O'Neal had a 24 point, 28 rebound, 15 blocks game against New Jersey in 1993 (read about from the Magic Vault here). Still got a ways to go Dwight to catch up.

Of course, being the pessimistic Magic fan that I am becoming, I remember attending Howard's first triple double. A 21 point, 16 rebound and 11 turnover performance in a 94-87 win at Chicago on Feb. 26, 2007. Don't worry Dwight, I won't tell anyone. Shoot.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Oklahoma City Thunder 11/12

The Magic make their first official visit to play the Thunder in Oklahoma City tonight. After the game at Memphis earlier this season, Orlando should not be putting this one in the bank yet.

Like the Grizzlies, the Thunder are a young and energetic team with a pretty good scorer. Kevin Durant is probably more talented than Rudy Gay at that. The Magic will have to be on their toes tonight after a disappointing effort Monday against the Trail Blazers.

-Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel reports on Orlando returning to the road. Last year, the Magic had a better road record than home record. Now they get ready for their first road trip of the season (they head to Dallas and Charlotte next). For Orlando to make it back to the Southeast Division title, the team has to repeat last year's road performance.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel has word that Dwight Howard might have some sort of nagging injury. I would call Dr. Doobie Howser before Dr. House though. Apparently, it is something that has bothered him since he was 15.

-Schmitz also reports Stan Van Gundy might tinker with the bench more. Expect more Courtney Lee in any event.

-John Denton of Florida Today writes that the Magic could use the upcoming road trip as a way to bond. Last year, the beginning of the schedule was very road heavy -- including a preseason trip to China -- and forced the team to come together quickly. While a three-game road trip is no monumental task (especially against the teams they are playing), it might be what the team needs to turn around and find some consistency.

-Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports Kevin Durant will be a game-time decision after re-aggravating a preseason ankle injury in Monday's game against Indiana.

-Developing 7-footers is tough -- See Hunter, Steven -- but here is a look at the man that will be guarding Howard tonight. The Thunder like what they see out of Robert Swift, but he is still working to live up to his potential in games, writes Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman.

Early November returns

J.A. Adande in the Daily Dime on ESPN.com today made an interesting point about the first month of the season. The cream rises to the top quickly. The best teams for most of the season start strong and rarely fade out of the playoff picture.

Maybe Magic fans should worry because one of the teams he focuses on are the 6-0 Atlanta Hawks. But it is an interesting point to consider. Orlando has always done decently in November -- December is usually the team's bad month because of the West Coast road trip thrown in there.

But being curious, here is Orlando's records from November (and October) the past 19 years by win percentage and that team's final record.

1995-96: 13-2 (60-22, conference finals No. 2)
1994-95: 10-2 (57-25, Finals No. 1)
2007-08: 14-4 (52-30, conf. semis No. 3)
2006-07: 12-4 (40-42, first round No. 8)
1992-93: 8-3 (41-41, missed playoffs)
1998-99*: 10-4 (33-17, first round No. 3)
1996-97: 8-4 (45-37, first round No. 7)
1997-98: 10-6 (41-41, missed playoffs)
2004-05: 8-5 (36-46, missed playoffs)
2002-03: 10-7 (42-40, first round No. 8)
1993-94: 6-5 (50-32, first round No. 4)
1989-90: 7-7 (18-64, missed playoffs)
2005-06: 7-7 (36-46, missed playoffs)
1999-2000: 7-8 (41-41, missed playoffs)
2001-02: 7-9 (44-38, first round No. 5)
1991-92: 6-8 (21-61, missed playoffs)
2000-01: 5-11 (43-39, first round No. 5)
1990-91: 3-12 (31-51, missed playoffs)
2003-04: 1-16 (21-61, missed playoffs)
*1998-99 season began in February because of lockout.

Notice a little pattern there?

The team's three best seasons (1996, 1995 and 2008) had the best starts. Every where else is sort of hit or miss. But if Orlando wants to be an elite team, it takes a great start to get there.

The Magic's current record is 4-3. Not impressing anyone. You certainly can make the playoffs with a bad start as the data shows. It just becomes a lot tougher to earn a higher seeding in the playoffs and advance to the finals.

Here is a look at the start for the past five NBA Champions. Interesting stuff to note.

2008 Boston Celtics - 13-2 (finished 66-16)
2007 San Antonio Spurs - 11-5 (finished 58-24)
2006 Miami Heat - 9-6 (finished 52-30)
2005 San Antonio Spurs - 12-3 (finished 59-23)
2004 Detroit Pistons - 12-6 (finished 54-28)

Anything is possible but it is clear getting off to a good start is key to winning a title.

Solving the bench problem

A lot has been made of Orlando's bench this season.

It started with the surprise run of JJ Redick in the preseason and the perceived lack of depth behind Jameer Nelson. Then it exploded with the eight-man rotation Stan Van Gundy has used throughout the first week of the season.

Believe the writers when they make such a big deal out of this. A good bench is key to a good season.

A good bench gives the starters plenty of rest. A good bench lifts a team in the dredges of the season. A good bench is a tradeable asset.

A good bench, the Magic do not have.

The Redick experiment has completely failed. Keith Bogans has come off the bench and become a more consistent producer. Tony Battie does what Tony Battie does -- which is not much statistically.

Other than that, the bench is not very productive. This puts an incredible amount of pressure in the starters to score.

That clearly can work, but Dwight Howard is not going to score 29 and grab 16 every night and Hedo Turkoglu will not get 35 a night either. Then again, Rashard Lewis will not struggle like he did last night.

As it stands now, those three players are carrying the team -- like they did last year. And they need help and more than Mickael Pietrus and Jameer Nelson can give.

The Magic are going to get killed by opponents' benches. And it is going to reflect in scores pretty soon. We already saw it happen against Portland.

But the real effect will not happen until game 30, 50 and 80. Howard is a horse, but even a horse gets tired. Orlando has been incredibly lucky with injuries the last few years. That luck will run dry if Howard and Turkoglu have to continue to play 40 minutes per game.

The bench has to begin producing at a higher and more consistent rate. But Van Gundy also has to start playing more bench players.

The season is a marathon, not a sprint. But Orlando is running it like a sprint to the end. The starters need a break and the bench needs to step up for the Magic to make a run at the Eastern Conference title.

Magic Wands: November 7, 2008

-Looks like our sister team fell the expansion bug too. The Orlando Magic were infamously the first victims of the Charlotte Bobcats in 2005. Now the Minnesota Timberwolves are the first victims to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Chin up guys, someone had to be first.

-Weekly Power Ranking Check: NBA.com (15, down five spots), ESPN.com (16, down three spots).

-Remember when Josh Childress bolted the NBA for Greece? Yeah, I am not trying to think about that either. But the economic hard times in the U.S. not only have players and David Stern thinking internationally, but also other athletes. Phil Mickelson is apparently being enticed by the larger purses of European Tour events to consider jumping across the pond. This could be an interesting trend in sports.

-Also an American first (but not for soccer), David Beckham is on loan to AC Milan from the Los Angeles Galaxy. Is the world of American sports moving toward players as tradeable commodities moving to an interleague and international stage?

-So Dwight Howard is not the greatest writer in the world and maybe giving him a blog was not such a great idea. It is nice to see his more playful side. He is not liking a lot of people after they said bad things about him after the team's 0-2 start. Do not worry Dwight, we know you do a lot for the community and you deserve that awesome new house. Just block all those bad comments -- or use them as motivation for another 29-point performance.

-The Magic have not had an MVP candidate since Tracy McGrady in 2003. Dwight Howard might change all that. He is seventh on the Race to the MVP list on ESPN.com. Not to eliminate himself completely, he seems to be the frontrunner for defensive player of the year with his display of blocking prowess so far this season.

-Speaking of award winners. If defending Most Improved Player Hedo Turkoglu were in the running for an award it would be least improved player. Turkoglu is averaging 17.3 points per game this season but is shooting only 29 percent from beyond the 3-point line. His poor performance Monday against the Bulls drew the ire of coach Stan Van Gundy.

-Van Gundy said Turkoglu came to camp out of shape and "when he gets a little tired, he doesn't want to do anything except jack up jumpers." Them's fighting words. I think Van Gundy is trying to light a fire under Turkoglu like he did with Howard last year. I do not know if Turkoglu is the type to respond to harsh criticism like Howard is. But we will find out. Either way, it still looks like Orlando will not be able to resign Turkoglu and if he continues to struggle it might be time to see what the team can get for him.

-Now we know why most owners vote Republican. Good thing Drew Rosenhaus is not in the NBA.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. 76ers 11/6

Orlando gets its first crack in front of a national television audience against Philadelphia tonight. It could be very ugly if the Magic continue playing the way they are playing.

Or it could be really ugly if the 76ers play the way they have been playing. Philadelphia is a turnover-prone team and has stumbled out to a 2-3 start despite the high profile signing of Elton Brand.

Matchup to Watch: Dwight Howard vs. Elton Brand. They may not be matched up directly at the beginning of the game, but by the end (if it is close), it will come down to who can make plays -- Howard or Brand. Howard still seems to be on a tear from two difficult losses to start the season. He has had some success against Philadelphia, but this will be his first time going up against its new front line.

-As mentioned before, both teams are really struggling. One thing that needs to change for both teams to fulfill their lofty preseason expectations is to fix their turnover problems. Matt Beardmore of STATS writes on NBA.com has a pretty comprehensive preview of tonight's game, including a good stat about how Jameer Nelson has almost as many turnovers (11) as assists (14) so far.

-Free agents have transformed a couple teams in recent years from pretenders to contenders. Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel takes alook at how the Brand and Rashard Lewis signings have raised expectations for the teams in tonight's game.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel further writes that if the Magic are to make some headway, November is the time. Orlando is in the midst of a five-game home stand right now and the team's first extensive road trip is not that difficult. Plus, JJ Redick will not be the first one off the bench tonight after Keith Bogans' strong game against Chicago.

-Stan Van Gundy admits it is a little early for a must-win game. But tonight's nationally-televised matchup against another up-and-coming team should get the Magic's blood growing, John Denton of Florida Today writes. At least Van Gundy hopes it will get them fired up.

-Former Florida player Marreesse Speights has become a fan favorite in Philadelphia... even if he is not getting any playing time yet, Kate Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer writes. Coach Maurice Cheeks did say that whenever Speights goes in, good things happen -- mostly because he has only played in blowout wins.

-It has been a while since both Orlando and Philadelphia mattered enough to be on national television. I know I am excited to get the chance to watch the Magic on national television several times this season. And apparently so are Sixers fans. Jsams over at Liberty Ballers, a 76ers blog, is very very excited to see his team in HD tonight.

-No wonder the Bulls could not complete an improbable late game comeback Monday night. Chicago's offense seems confused and frustrated, KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune writes after the team's 107-93 loss at Cleveland. The Bulls have always needed a primary scoring option and that seems to be hurting this team more than ever (maybe they should have taken Michael Beasley, no matter how good Derrick Rose is playing right now).

Prediction: the Magic seem to be heading in the right direction after a solid victory over the Bulls. But there were plenty of things to be worried about from that game. Turnovers will be an issue for both teams in this incredibly ugly basketball game.

The game will come down to whether Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu can take care of the ball. They have both started extremely slow. The Sixers are as likely to score 100 points as they are 80 (as they showed in a 106-83 loss to the Heat last night).

But the Magic have not shown they are consistent enough this season to beat a top team. Expect Philadelphia to come in to Amway Arena a lot more focused than they were last night. The Magic desperately need a wake-up call and another morale-shattering loss could be in the works very soon.

Philadelphia edges Orlando out in this one thanks to Andre Iguodala and Andre Miller taking care of the ball better than the Magic.

76ers 100, Magic 93