Vision of the NBA future

The economic recession is affecting everyone in the country. It is not just a middle class, lower class, Wall Street, Main Street issue. And certainly talking about it through the scope of sports is not going to really lead to any solutions to the problem.

But this is a Magic/NBA blog, so how it affects the Magic and the NBA is something that needs to be addressed.

They say sports is recession-proof. We are going to learn that this is not true this time around. Henry Abbott of TrueHoop has talked a lot about the economy and how it will affect the NBA. He had another one (linked above) Thursday.

In this increasingly murky economic world, it appears that owners are looking to slash payroll and pay as little as humanly possible -- not to just to go after LeBron James in 2010.

This means a few things.

The obvious is that free agent contracts are going to start decreasing. Teams are going to be willing to shell out money less and less.

The not-so-obvious thing is that careers might be shortening. Think about it: Veterans in the NBA are guaranteed a higher minimum salary than younger players. It would not surprise me to see teams willing to go younger rather than take on the contract of an older player.

I am foreseeing careers getting shorter as teams opt for younger minimum talent rather than older minimum talent.

I do not know if league revenues will decrease substantially. But it looks like they will a little bit. This could lead to a decrease in the salary cap. The cap is linked directly to league revenues. So again, this means contracts are going to be decreasing.

It is going to be interesting to see how this plays out next summer (and in the future. But hopefully it does not last too long.

3 ALL STARS!!!!!!!

Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson were selected as reserves for the NBA All Star Game on Thursday, marking the first time that three players from the Magic have been on the same All Star team.

Think about what this means... besides the fact Orlando is really good this season.

Actually that is exactly what it means. The All Star reserves are voted on by opposing coaches (Stan Van Gundy could not vote for his own players). So really Lewis and Nelson's selection is a ringing endorsement of what Orlando is doing and how the team is playing.

Clearly this is a sign that the league believes the Magic are heading in the right direction.

I think both players are more than deserving (I really only have a complaint with David West making the All Star team, but to say Carmelo Anthony is a snub is ludicrous... he is injured, he cannot play anyway).

This is a great accomplishment for the franchise.

Magic Wands: January 30, 2009

-Doc Rivers tells The Orlando Sentinel that the East is back. With three of the top four teams in the NBA and titles in two of the past three years, who can argue with him? Everyone, that is who. 1-8 the West is still better.

-There is no crying in cheerleading. At least not anymore as a Wisconsin court rules that cheerleading IS a contact sport, ESPN Rise reports.

-Don't hear about this often. Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that the Magic have begun thinking about offering coach Stan Van Gundy an extension. He certainly has deserved it after transforming Orlando into a contender in two short years. I hope he makes it through whatever extension he does receive.

-A ringing endorsement for Jameer Nelson as an All Star by Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain-Dealer from Wednesday (the day before the reserves were announced). Of course, his main point was to get Mo Williams consideration after his 40-point outburst against Sacramento on Tuesday.

-The NBA announced the teams for the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge for the All Star Weekend on Wednesday. The glaring omission for Orlando was Courtney Lee. There were plenty of guys who got snubbed out of this game. There are simply too many good guards in this draft as Mario Chalmers of Miami was also left off the roster. But I honestly cannot complain about anyone who got picked ahead of Lee. They too deserve to be there. Better luck next year.

-Darrell Armstrong has accepted a job as an assistant coach with the Dallas Mavericks, according to Brian Schmitz. Armstrong was with the Nets earlier this season but was waived and was trying to get back into the league. No one wanted him and so he begins the second phase of his basketball career. He is definitely someone who will be coaching in the league a very long time.

-Mark Cuban is always relatively entertaining. Read all the bullets for sure, but definitely bullet No. 5. NBA Live is apparently quite useful.

-"All I know is sex sells." -Jameer Nelson. Who is he talking about here? Watch this video.

-With Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis heading to Phoenix. It makes you wonder where else the Magic might be competing during the All Star Weekend. Unfortunately Courtney Lee will not be joining them this year. But word is Nelson will be in the Skills Competition and I would be either Nelson or Lewis will be in the 3-point shootout. And of course, Dwight Howard is in the Slam Dunk Contest.

-Howard was the top vote-getter for the All Star game, but he is just 12th in the list for most popular jerseys in the NBA. Somehow he is behind Nate Robinson. The top 15 are listed on ESPN's Daily Dime today (box three, all the way at the bottom). It is a pretty Magic-ful Daily Dime too, so give it a read.

Orlando Magic 99, Cleveland Cavaliers 88

Wally Szczerbiak was dominating their defense for crying out loud. It was not even LeBron James.

The defense, a sore spot during Orlando's two-game slide and the games surrounding it, was porous. Stan Van Gundy let his team know it at halftime.

And abra-cadabra (I wrote a really bad cliche) the defense finally appeared. And it shut down James. It shut down Szczerbiak. And It shut down the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Orlando held Cleveland to 32 second half points (the amount the team scored in the first quarter) and won 99-88 thanks to a barrage of 3-point shots in the third quarter.

But the key was the defense. After taking its hits and laying back in the first half, Orlando began getting physical and pushing Cleveland outside of the paint. It was evident that the Cavaliers were not going to try and challenge Dwight Howard throughout the game. When they did, they got hit (fouled or knocked to the ground) or had their shot blocked.

Look at James' stat line: 23 points on 10-of-27 shooting, 3 for 6 from the line.

James took only six foul shots because Courtney Lee turned him into a jump shooter -- the only chink in his armor right now. It turned Cleveland into the one dimension offensive team that has been coming up short in past years.

Orlando got the ball to Dwight Howard early and often and it set up the 3-point shooting of Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson, who were both named to the All Star team Thursday. The 3-point shots were not falling in the first half, but they fell in the second.

When they fall at the rate they were in the second half, Orlando is an extremely tough team to beat.

This was a game Orlando needed. After getting blown out and dismantled on national television at home last week, this was a redeeming trip on TNT for the Magic. It legitimizes them as an Eastern Conference title contender in the national spotlight -- and not some one trick pony that thinks it can compete.

However, it did not seem Cleveland had the same intensity as Orlando defensively. To them, it seemed like a ho-hum middle of the season game and it looked like both teams were trying to conserve energy in the first half.

That is a tough thing to sell to anyone being that this game could go a long way to determining home court in the playoffs (the two teams meet only three times this season). But that is what it felt like.

Orlando has played well against Cleveland and it will be interesting to see how they match up the rest of the season. This loss, the worst of the season for the Cavaliers, will stick with them for a while.

Thinking of trades, maybe?

So ESPN is running a series on players that should be available at the trade deadline. It is a pretty good list and you can peruse it at your leisure on the NBA page on ESPN.com.

But it got me wondering: If the Magic are going to make a deal, what would they be looking for?

This of course is assuming Orlando is looking to deal. There is no indication that general manager Otis Smith is looking to trade any player. But I have the feeling the result of tonight's game against Cleveland will make him think a little harder about his team.

The Magic can be a title team. But I agree with a lot of the pundits that it is missing something. That something might be experience... or it might be something else.

There are not going to be a whole lot of proven title winners Orlando can pluck from in the trade market. But there are plenty of players available for the right price.

So what can the Magic trade?

With Mickael Pietrus back, Orlando has its glut at the shooting guard position. It is a nice luxury since everyone in the group seems to play very erratically. But that is where Orlando should first look to trade.

I think Keith Bogans is ripe to be traded. He is a solid defender that can shoot from the outside and is on a nice, small contract. Courtney Lee's emergence has made Bogans almost useless (no offense, Keith). Lee duplicates everything Bogans does and he has higher prospects at this point.

Who will take Bogans? That is a question for another day.

JJ Redick will also be offered around. But everyone knows what he gives you and the same question has to be asked: who will take him?

Thus a trade is pretty unlikely.

But humor me. What would Orlando want?

Anthony Johnson has been average and not spectacular. It is clear that the team is relying on Jameer Nelson a lot more than they probably should. Orlando might be in the market for a third point guard. There are a few guards that appear to be available but none that fit the experienced bill the Magic are probably looking for.

The other thing the Magic might be looking for is a defensive enforcer. This makes Tony Battie a little bit of an excess, but Orlando needs a guy who can bang around and support Dwight Howard in the post.

This is all just long-winded talk from me. Just stirring the pot whree it doesn't need to be stirred. Orlando is not going to pull the trigger on a trade unless someone offers something spectacular for Hedo Turkoglu.

So get used to this roster. At least until the end of the year.

Picking the East reserves

Thursday the Eastern Conference All Star reserves will be announced on TNT (an hour before the Magic take on the Cavaliers). And it is not at all out of the question that Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson will be joining Dwight Howard in the Phoenix desert.

Here is my two cents on who should go from the East:

Guard Devin Harris, New Jersey Nets -- Harris has been one of the top players in the Eastern Conference all season. The Nets did not have much hope for anything at the beginning of the season with both Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson gone. But Harris has truly elevated his game and become one of the top point guards in the NBA.

Guard Jameer Nelson, Orlando Magic -- Nelson has the pressure put on him early in the season when Otis Smith gave him a big contract extension. He has taken that calling and turned the Magic into one of the elite teams in the NBA. No one thought Orlando would make that jump this season and certainly not with Nelson at the point. He has carried the team offensively at times and has taken total command of the offense.

Forward Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics -- Pierce has always been a stalwart. Even during Boston's championship run, he was the one taking the scoring burden. He is clearly an all star player and his great run with the Celtics will get him a spot.

Forward Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers -- If there is a player that has improved more than Harris, it is Granger. Granger has transformed from pretty solid player with help around him to take the pressure off to a fantastic player who can carry a team. Still too young to get the struggling Pacers to the playoffs. But he is the front runner for the Most Improved Player Award and a superstar of the future.

Center Chris Bosh, Toronto Raptors -- Bosh is another one of those consistent guys on a pretty poor team. Bosh and the Raptors have not had the year they would like. But CB4 is still a solid player worthy of an all star nod. On any night he is likely to go for 40 points, a rarity with big men.

Guard Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks -- Still one of the most underrated players in the NBA. He can get a shot wherever he wants and can score with the best of them. The Hawks are no longer a laughing stock and have become a consistent playoff team (this year will be a second straight year in the postseason, unheard of since a guy named Dominique Wilkins in Atlanta) under his watch and play.

Guard Ray Allen, Boston Celtics -- It is tough not to send all three of the Celtics' big players to Phoenix. All three are so integral to that team's success. It almost seems that taking one out would make the whole team ineffective. Allen is still one of the best shooters in the league and deserves another shot at the All Star game.

Just Missed the Cut: Rashard Lewis, Magic; Rajon Rondo, Celtics; Mike Bibby, Hawks.

And now for the West:

G Brandon Roy, Trail Blazers
G Tony Parker, Spurs
F Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
F Kevin Durant, Thunder
C Pau Gasol, Lakers
G Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
C Shaquille O'Neal, Suns

Just Missed the Cut: Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets; Manu Ginobili, Spurs; Deron Williams, Jazz

Expect Lewis to be heading to the 3-point shootout and Courtney Lee to the Rookie-Sophomore Game.

Magic still not a road draw

So I got a chance to check out the Magic on the road recently. A nice showing of blue in the building for sure -- especially against a division rival. But otherwise, I was underwhelmed by how many total people were at the stadium.

Orlando is not going to ever travel well. It is not the biggest city. It is not the biggest team. It doesn't have the star power of most other teams.

But with one of the best records in the league entering the game, and the team I was visiting playing so well, I figured it would draw a little better. It was a Saturday night for crying out loud.

The stadium was pretty full. But not to capacity. I expected a little more people to show up for one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, that is for sure.

No complaints. Respect from the ticket-buying public has to be earned. And Orlando is not quite there yet.

They will be soon.

Making Magic at the halfway point

Orlando decided to start the second half of its season the same way it started the beginning of the season -- with a two-game losing streak.

But it really is no matter. What the Magic have done in 41 games is truly astounding. They have become relevant again and are giving fans real hope that a title is within grasp.

Just take a second to digest what Orlando has accomplished in 41-plus games. The team tied the best start in franchise history at 33-8. It swept San Antonio and the Los Angeles Lakers, teams that have been to nine of the past 10 NBA Finals, for the first time in 20 seasons.

For the first time since the Tracy McGrady-Grant Hill pairing, the Magic might have two NBA All Stars and for the first time every could realistically get three.

It has been an incredible ride.

Dwight Howard has shown some maturity and gotten better in the post. More importantly, he has decreased his turnovers substantially and become a better passer. This has given Orlando more open looks from beyond the arc and made Stan Van Gundy's offense a reality.

Jameer Nelson has transformed from a fringe starting point guard to a true leader on the court. Howard has needed someone on the perimeter to take over and give him the space to operate. Nelson's maturation has helped do that.

He has proven me wrong, among others, and become one of the top point guards in the Eastern Conference. He SHOULD be an All Star for the way he has played this season. He seems to have complete control of the offense, knowing when to score and when to pass.

Rashard Lewis has also become more comfortable with the team and that has led to a more aggressive game from him. Lewis is a great 3-point shooter and has played well from beyond the arc. But he is attacking the basket with renewed fervor and aggression. Lewis has been a big difference in this year's team.

Orlando has gotten a rare thing from a young team -- everyone has improved. The next step is to deal with the pressure that comes with being a top team. It comes from the media, from the fans and from within. It is a pressure the team has not faced.

But to this point, this season has been a dream come true for longtime Magic fans. It has been 12 years since Magic fans could even realistically talk championship.

Orlando is in a good spot right now. In a much better spot than it has been in a long time. I do not think it is relevant whether the team wins a title this season. The perception of the Magic has changed. And that is half the battle.

Miami Heat 103, Orlando Magic 97

10 games. That's how many times in a row Orlando had defeated Miami. A sign of the pure domination the Magic have had over the Heat the last two or three seasons as the two teams have flipped their roles -- Miami winning the title just three season ago.

After a poor effort at home against Boston, it seemed like the perfect way for Orlando to bounce back.

They didn't.

The Heat got superb efforts from surrounding players and their bench, taking a big lead in the third quarter. The Magic were good enough to erase the deficit and tie the game with two minutes left. But they were not good enough when it counted.

Doubling Dwyane Wade every time he touched the ball, the superstar found Udonis Haslem twice for layups and Orlando chirped at the referees after the Heat cleanly swiped the ball.

It was a poor effort throughout from Orlando until they made a big run to close the gap and make it a game. There was not much positive in the game besides the Magic's will to win a game against mediocre opponents when it wants to.

The first half was all about offense. Both teams shot well over 50 percent and the Heat led 56-52 at the break.

Wade was getting to the basket and Miami's shooters were making shots from the outside. That makes them a tough team to defend, but the Magic were not getting down to play defense at all. To Orlando's credit, neither was Miami.

The Heat had no way to stop Dwight Howard. When the Magic got him the ball, he had his way in the paint. Howard finished with 22 points and 10 rebounds. He made some nice post moves and scored in a variety of ways. He looked like he was coming out with a purpose to score after his poor game against Boston.

That fire though was used in the wrong way late in the game. Howard picked up a technical foul in the fourth quarter for arguing a call -- he was being bumped and pushed, but not any more than he usually is. It was an odd loss of composure for Howard.

Miami was frustrating the big guy. The Heat forced the Magic to beat them from the outside in by denying Howard the ball in the post. He was fronted and swarmed by players at all point of the game. Even though Orlando was emphasizing him in its offense, it struggled to get him the ball. It helped slow the team's offense in the third quarter for sure.

Fouls were a big issue throughout the game and lend itself to the larger defensive issue. Miami had 32 free throws in a game. A top defensive team does not give up that many free throws. It was a frustrating game on the defensive end.

Howard did not feel it was being reciprocated and continued complaining about a late no-call (a good no-call) with the Magic trailing by three and was thrown out on his second technical foul with one second left. An odd loss of poise, indeed.

Orlando seemed to be wearing the after effects of that Boston loss still. I think (and Doug Collins made this point Thursday night on the TNT telecast) that the team is a little high on itself after getting four days off after its 4-0 road trip.

These two losses should bring the team back down to earth. It is the first time Orlando has lost two in a row since the beginning of the season.

This does make Tuesday's game against Indiana very important. The Magic have to come out with renewed focus and a lot of energy to get a win.

The Celtics went through the same kind of lull (it is well documented). This was bound to happen in such a long season. You cannot keep up the way the Magic were playing for the entire season. It is a marathon, not a spring.

Magic Wands: January 23, 2009

-All Star voting has closed by now. But Kobe Bryant (THE Kobe Bryant) believes Jameer Nelson is playing at an All Star level. He certainly has and he should be playing in Phoenix in February with Dwight Howard and maybe Rashard Lewis. The Magic will be well represented at the All Star game.

-Marc Stein talks to advance scouts around the NBA. While the national media is not willing to fall in love with the Magic and their title chances, the people who matter are. One scout calls Orlando the best team in the NBA right now.

-It is no secret that a lot of athletes voted for and are inspired by Barack Obama, who was inaugurated as President of the United States on Tuesday. It should be no surprise that so many athletes were going -- sometimes to extreme lengths -- to attend the inauguration. Among those in attendance? Tiger Woods and Dwight Howard.

-Feel like your middle school basketball player has college-level skills? So does the NCAA. It now can regulate coach's interactions with seventh graders, deciding that players as young as 11 or 12 are now prospects.

-Jerry Sloan agreed to a one-year extension with the Jazz. Think about that for a moment. He has coached the same team for 22 years and will coach them for one more. You get the feeling though that with only a one-year extension, Sloan sees his retirement coming.

-Jason Quick of The Oregonian reports that Rudy Fernandez will be joining Dwight Howard, Nate Robinson and Rudy Gay in the Slam Dunk Contest. Click here for the official release.

-They say when you are a Playmaker, you can bend the rules. At least that is what ESPN wanted you to believe until the NFL shut them up. Then again, when the President-Elect calls you for inauguration, coach changes practice for his superstar player.

-Brian Schmitz has a solid breakdown of the Magic season so far in Wednesday's Orlando Sentinel now that we have officially hit the midway point.

-Good new Orlando fans. ClearChannel may be returning 740 AM to sports radio. That would give the 20th largest media market two local sports radio stations. Bad news about the job cuts though.

-Stan Van Gundy sure is glad he is not coaching in college football, Mike Bianchi reports.

Boston Celtics 90, Orlando Magic 80

It was billed as a matchup of the top two teams in the Eastern Conference (Cleveland you are 1a or 1b or 1c... I do not think there is much of a difference right now). It turned out to be a growing moment for a young and inexperienced Orlando team.

With the pressure squarely on the Magic to perform and prove they belonged in the conversation of title contenders after a 4-0 junket out West, the Celtics took the game away from them and told the world they are still the world champs.

Orlando has a long way to go.

It was a struggle all night for Orlando. The Celtics struggled to collect rebounds in the first quarter, allowing the Magic to hang around and cling to a lead. But once they fixed that problem, they were in complete control despite never pulling away.

The game never seemed to have a playoff-intensity on Orlando's side (I watched it on TV so I did not have the comfort of Amway Arena to tell me otherwise). Part of that can be attributed to the Celtics' dominating defense.

Few teams can cover Dwight Howard one-on-one. Boston is one of those teams. When no one doubles Howard, it makes things very difficult for Orlando to get open jump shooters.

With Howard bottled up in the paint, it looked like he became uninterested at times and was more or less a ghost -- on a night he was named a starter for the All Star Game with a league-high vote total of more than 3 million votes.

The perimeter players could not get into the paint and draw Celtic players off their man. There were no holes for the Magic to create offense and it suffered in probably the worst offensive performance of the season.

Orlando played very well defensively. Despite shooting just more than 30 percent all game, it never got out of hand. But when Boston needed a shot, the team went to Paul Pierce or Kevin Garnett and got a good shot.

That is why they are the champs and Orlando is not.

This game was an aberration. The Magic clearly showed that at the end of the game when they started penetrating and getting into the paint and getting the space to make the extra pass.

I think (and this point was made by Doug Collins on the broadcast) that the four-day break hurt Orlando immensely. Sitting around after such a productive trip can make any team lose its rhythm -- especially against a great team like Boston. But doing that while hearing everyone talk about how great you are can be disconcerting for a young and relatively inexperienced team like Orlando.

The real test is going to be in Miami on Saturday. The Magic have to have a good effort to keep this from becoming a trend.

After beating the Celtics 2-1 last year, it appears they have the Magic's number. Let's hope Orlando does not see them in the postseason.

Magic No. 1 in ESPN Power Rankings

As of Monday, January 19, 2009, the Orlando Magic are thought to be the best team in the NBA. Marc Stein in his weekly power rankings puts Orlando No. 1 after the team's 4-0 road trip that included a sweep of the Western Conference's division leaders.

John Hollinger too has the Magic at the top spot creating an unprecedented hole in the universe. I feel reality collapsing upon itself as I type this.

This is an incredible accomplishment for Orlando. Not only is the national media finally recognizing Orlando and all its greatness.

The past week has been one of the best in Magic history. And this is its just reward.

But now the question becomes: can Orlando maintain it? Can the Magic keep it up into June and actually compete for a title.

We have already seen Boston (Thursday's opponent) get off to a hot start and hit a swoon, although I think they are pacing themselves a little bit. The Magic undoubtedly are going to cool off and lose some games. The question will become can Orlando bounce back.

The Magic have secured themselves a spot in the elite of the NBA. Now can they maintain it with all the pressures and expectations squarely on them?

This is something no one on the roster (except Stan Van Gundy) has had to deal with.

In Search Of: Ain't No Stopping the Magic

From time to time, I remember certain minutia about the Magic or Magic history. But I cannot quite remember the details. Through exhaustive searches of Google, OrlandoMagic.com and the entire Internet, my quest for this locked away knowledge or forgotten memory hits a dead end. Forever will I be In Search Of...

Ain't no stopping the Magic.

No I am not talking about our general feelings after Orlando completed a four-game sweep out West. Although that trip partially inspired me to remember this secondary Magic theme song.

Often confused with the glorious tune of the late 1980s that led the Magic onto the court for pregame warmups at the Orlando Arena for nine years, this was a rap ballad dedicated to the 1994-95 team.

The team that said, "Why not us? Why not now?" The team that featured the youthful exuberance of Shaquille O'Neal and Penny Hardaway with the calm composure of veterans like Horace Grant, Anthony Bowie, Nick Anderson (he wasn't that old) and Donald Royal.

It was a song that glorified a team taking the NBA by storm and not caring who it left in its path.

"Whoomp, there ain't no stopping the Magic. Whoomp, there ain't no stopping us." It went as it proclaimed Orlando's greatness to the world.

Sure, that team might have been too young to win a title and yes, the 1995-96 edition that fell to the Chicago Bulls juggernaut was a much better squad. But like the song, it was a team that did not think about its future, but only thought about what it could accomplish now.

As Orlando is waltzing toward what appears to be another run toward a title (hard to say another, the first title run barely got its legs under it), I wonder what happened to this song. I long to listen to it and find a way to replace the name of Shaquille O'Neal with Dwight Howard or replace Penny Hardaway with Rashard Lewis or Nick Anderson with Jameer Nelson.

So many parallels between this team and that (even to the playing style), and yet no song to glorify either of them anywhere.

Where have you gone "Ain't No Stopping the Magic"?

Basketball Book Review: The Punch by John Feinstein

So I realized a while back that I only read basketball books. So I figured I might share the good ones with you.

The first one is my favorite: The Punch by John Feinstein.

This book recounts a horrific night in 1977 when Rudy Tomjanovich (the same one who coached the Rockets to two titles) was seriously injured by a punch from Kermit Washington in a game at the Great Western Forum. It was a moment that transformed the NBA in ways that people probably do not even think about.

Feinstein does a fantastic job re-telling what led up to this event, the characters involved and what happened afterward to the league and to those involved.

It is often thought that Washington was the "thug" in this incident and he did blindly throw that fateful punch. But Feinstein does a great job painting him as the person he was off the court not the guy he was on it.

Washington's role on the Lakers was to protect Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and that sometimes meant laying down the law. The initial scrum that ensued that night was because Kevin Kunnert and Abdul-Jabbar were jostling with each other running down the court.

This is a book for the basketball history enthusiast. You learn that this event led to a bigger crackdown on fighting in the league -- something prevalent in the 70s -- and the introduction of the third referee to trail the play.

It changed two men's lives in immeasurable ways and it changed basketball too.

This is a fantastic read. Feinstein is very conversational and does a good job fleshing out the impact it had on Tomjanovich, Washington and the NBA. He works really well to change your pre-conceived perceptions of those involved in the incident and really delves into its impact.

It was a bigger event than you think and every basketball fan should be aware of what happened that night and its consequences. This book is how you do it.

Orlando Magic 101, Denver Nuggets 86

I just finished listening to this one and all I can say is: wow.

Orlando swept a four-game trip out West that featured wins at the three division leaders for the Western Conference. That includes the team's first win in Denver in five years and the completion of season sweeps of San Antonio and Los Angeles (Lakers) for the first time in franchise history.

This game was all about Jameer Nelson.

He was once again the facilitator and generator of offense. Nelson had 23 points and five assists. More importantly it was against his nemesis Chauncey Billups. Billups was held scoreless in the first half before he finished with 18 points.

The starters were on fire even coming off a back-to-back. The Magic had just two points off their bench.

Not ideal, but impressive.

This was a big road trip for Orlando and the team has to be feeling pretty good coming home. It does not get any easier with Boston coming to town Thursday. But this team looks up to the challenge after a gritty and seemingly easy trip out West.

Orlando Magic 109, Los Angeles Lakers 103

It was billed as a battle of MVPs. And neither one disappointed.

Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant each put in MVP-worthy performances pacing their teams to the very end. Fortunately for Orlando, its supporting cast carried the team to the finish and gutted out the win.

It was the could-be (should-be) All Star that delivered.

Jameer Nelson continues to make a name for himself as the closer for this team with a 3-pointer with 30 seconds left that gave Orlando a one-point lead. Bryant tried to will the Lakers to a win, but his 3-pointer rimmed out with his team down three and his team fell short to the Magic once again.

It was a solid effort from the Magic. They got down early but rallied back in the third quarter with a very opportunistic defense. Orlando was getting after the ball and forcing turnovers, shooting into the gaps for steals and starting the fast break.

It was clear that once Howard was out of foul trouble at the beginning of the second half, that the Lakers had no way to defend him. Howard was getting what he wanted in the paint and when he was agressive, he was scoring.

But at the end, the defense was a liability. Orlando could not keep guys in front and could not stop anyone from getting to the basket. But the offense was on.

The Magic have learned to do one thing really well that has turned them into one of the top teams in the league. That is pass the ball.

Every possession, Orlando was making the extra pass to find open players for good looks at the basket. The offense was really flowing and even though the defense was giving away opportunities, it did enough earn the win.

This is a big win for the Magic. They have never swept the Lakers in a season series (let alone win two games in a row against them). Bryant was once again fantastic, getting a triple double through three quarters.

But Bryant could not will a victory against Orlando. That is something he is going to have to learn. What worked for the Lakers was him getting others involved and creating for others. The Magic were not playing him as physically as they were in the first matchup but when it came to crunch time, Orlando forced him to take jumpers and kept him from getting others involved.

Magic Wands: January 16, 2009

-One of the best announcers on TV is taking a leave of absence. Charles Barkley is one of the most entertaining guys on television and his chemistry with Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith on TNT make it one of the most entertaining shows in the NBA. Barkley is always honest. He does not care who he offends. And he knows when an issue is important and needs a deeper discussion. It is unfortunate that his shortcomings have kept him from doing something really good in the world. Here is hoping the best for Barkley.

-Dwight Howard is in the running for MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award. And why not pretend Courtney Lee is in the running for Rookie of the Year. But anyone thinking about Jameer Nelson for Most Improved Player? ESPN is.

-J.A. Adande wonders in Monday's Daily Dime (box 2) where Shaquille O'Neal will have his jersey retired. Apparently the unhealthy break up he left in Los Angeles is not guaranteeing that No. 34 goes up in the rafters. But it seems a pretty safe bet O'Neal's No. 32 will be hanging at the Amway Arena after he retires. I would wait after Darrell's No. 10 is up there though to do it.

-John Hollinger is going to be the pioneer. He is the first member of the national media willing to admit the Magic are title contenders. His numbers cannot lie. He gives the Magic around 20 percent of a chance to win a title now.

-The hit parade keeps coming. After Orlando's impressive performance in Sacramento, Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel reports that Bill Walton believes the Magic are a front-runner for the title. Bianchi himself wrote a column on how it is time for fans to start truly believing in this team (I am trying, but I am not there yet). Orlando has not had this notoriety since the mid-90s. And they still have a long way to go.

-David Aldridge reports on NBA.com that Yao Ming wants the injury-riddled Tracy McGrady out of Houston. So maybe that deal wasn't so bad after all. The Magic certainly look better than the Rockets.

-So what does Dwight Howard have in store for us in Phoenix? Supposedly it has something to do with a different superhero (those Superman shirts were real nice on Christmas I have to say). Henry Abbott of TrueHoop has some ideas for whoever joins Howard, Nate Robinson and Rudy Gay in the dunk contest.

-Brian Schmitz muses about the plan this summer if Hedo Turkoglu skips town. Turkoglu is a free agent this summer and Orlando has a lot of money already wrapped up (not including roster improvements through free agency). This might be the last chance the Magic have with its current setup to get to the Finals. But it seems like both the Magic and Turkoglu want to get a deal done to keep him in the Magic Kingdom.

A record night in Sacramento

I am still digesting what happened at ARCO Arena a few days ago when Orlando set an NBA record by making 23 3-pointers. To do that is simply incredible.

Personally, I am not a huge fan of the 3-point line. It has ruined basketball in ways a lot of people do not realize and it has actually decreased scoring in the league as players became more specialized and less solid all-around (where have you gone mid-range jumper?).

But Stan Van Gundy has created an ingenius system around Dwight Howard that has worked to perfection in two season. Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and Mickael Pietrus create so much space for Howard to work with. And it helps that they can all attack the basket and create on their own.

Van Gundy's system is as much a part of Orlando's success as Howard's development. Would Billy Donovan really help the Magic reach 52 wins last season and a 31-8 start this year? I did not think so.

Some of these numbers are incredible:

-All but three players hit one from beyond the arc. And they are the three you think: Howard, Tony Battie and Marcin "The Polish Hammer" Gortat.

-It was not even that the Magic were missing a lot of shots and made them on pure numbers. Orlando shot 62 percent from beyond the arc! That is not even supposed to be possible. Credit Sacramento's defense for some of it.

-Because the biggest thing overlooked in all this hullabaloo about the record was Howard's incredible night. Superman was a beast in the paint against the undersized (and young) Kings. He had a team-high 25 points and 15 rebounds on eight of 10 shooting. Not to mention he hit nine of his 11 attempts from the free throw line.

-No player on the Magic had a negative +/- rating. Courtney Lee had the lowest at plus-2. That is dominance pure and simple.

-Orlando does not win very often in ARCO Arena. I think they have four or five victories in Sacramento in team history. That is not a lot. So always a good win when you win there no matter how bad Sacramento is.

-The Magic did not score less than 30 points in any period of this game. The Magic are playing really well on offense right now (the defense needs to continue to improve and get back into form). But you do not see that stat very often.

-The Kings even recovered with a 135-133 triple overtime win at Oakland, Calif., against the Warriors. They had 105 points in regulation. So good for them.

Take a look at the box score and see if the numbers continue to blow your mind.

Frame of mind all that is left

A few things suck about not being in Orlando. One of them is that I cannot watch the Magic. That leaves me needing to fill time when I would be watching Orlando play.

So after three hours of NBA Live 2004 (the best of the series... that I have played. And yes, I know that was the 21-61 team. But they did not know that at the time), I turned my computer back on and caught the Magic score. The game had just ended and I had no clue what happened.

But the Magic won.

First reaction? That was a solid win. I am impressed.

My second thought? Wait a second, of course we won. We are one of the best teams in the league. Why wouldn't the Magic win?

Thus I found the last hurdle to winning a title. Mediocrity has beaten down into our heads that wins against the elite are a special thing that do not come around very often. That good teams are fleeting and the Playoffs (let alone home court advantage) should be treasured.

If you have been a long-time fan, this guarded optimism should come natural -- as should the feeling of unexpected and immediate collapse. I cannot be the only one who thinks it is crazy that the premier Magic blog on the Internet is called Third Quarter Collapse and that I named my own blog after something that kept Orlando down in the dumps for a decade.

This Orlando team CAN win a title. Repeat after me. This Orlando team CAN win a title. Repeat. This Orlando team CAN win a title.

Maybe repetition will burn it into my skull. Now that the national media is starting to notice the Magic's exploits, it is time for the fans to start believing.

The team believes it can win a title. Otis Smith has been telling them that for three years now, probably longer. The media is beginning to gravitate in that direction.

All that is left is for us, the fans, to believe every game is a win. Which at this point it should be. A win over San Antonio should be as expected as a win over Washington.

OK, maybe that is a little extreme. But wins are expected, losses are shocking. Maybe if I keep telling myself that, I will believe it and will start prepping for June basketball.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Spurs 1/11

Orlando heads to San Antonio to begin a four-game swing out West. The Magic have not fared well in San Antonio -- whether it be the Alamodome or the AT&T Center -- going 3-17 in San Antonio. Their last win over the Spurs was a 92-80 win in April 2006. I remember that game as the one where Tim Duncan told reporters he was glad he was not going to be playing when Dwight Howard was in his prime.

The Magic took care of the Spurs at home earlier this season with a dominating 90-78 win on national television. Don't think Gregg Popovich and the Spurs have forgotten that. But Orlando is playing pretty well right now and own the best road record in the NBA. Should be an interesting one.

-Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel goes into the brutal stretch that the Magic will have until the end of the month. This road trip alone features games against the three division leaders in the Western Conference. After San Antonio, Orlando heads to Sacramento, then to Los Angeles for a match with the Lakers and then off to Denver. When the Magic get home they will see the Celtics and Cavaliers.

-Dave Darling of The Orlando Sentinel reports on the ongoing battle for Central Florida fans to watch Orlando on FSN Florida. At the beginning of the year, Brighthouse Networks and FSN Florida agreed to a deal allowing Central Florida fans to get every Magic game. But Lake County fans with Comcast still do not have Magic games on FSN Florida.

-Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News chronicles how Tony Parker has put behind his worst performance of the season in Orlando last month and become a candidate for the All Star team. Parker is a good player and he simply had an off night against Orlando last time around. Parker is playing a lot better now.

-More from McDonald: the Spurs know Howard usually brings his A-game against them and had two days off to prepare for a now-healthy Superman (remember he was coming off that sore knee before the first matchup). Howard has thrown in some pretty big games against Duncan and the Spurs. Also, both teams are pretty solid behind the 3-point line. It is no coincidence that both teams have surrounded their superstar big men with such great shooters. And former Florida player Matt Bonner is getting ready to appeal to Stu Jackson to make the 3-point shootout at All Star Weekend.

-Ben Q Rock of 3rd Quarter Collapse makes an interesting point with the help of stats from 82games.com. Both the Magic and Spurs are near the top of the league in defense -- more interestingly in forcing jump shots. Sixty-eight percent of field goals taken by Orlando's opponents are jumpers. Sixty-nine percent of field goals taken by the Spurs' opponents are jumpers. More interestingly, both teams rank near the bottom of the league in turnovers per game. That is good defense.

-Graydon Gordian of the Spurs blog 48 Minutes of Hell talks to 3rd Quarter Collapse's Ben Q Rock about the Magic this season. Ben Q Rock, like me, believes Orlando has its first title contender in more than 10 years. Now if only the rest of the world would realize this. They also discuss Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard's maturation as players. Thinking about it now, there are a lot of similarities between Orlando and San Antonio in the way they have built their teams.

Back-to-back wins? Tougher than it looks

Orlando put some breathing room between itself and Atlanta with back-to-back wins in three days. It does not get much closer to a playoff series then that and home-and-homes do not pop up on the NBA schedule often.

It IS January and the playoffs are a long way away, but don't think that Wednesday's and Friday's win were not insignificant. The Magic expanded their 4-game lead to six in the division. They could still blow it, but they now have all the confidence and the Hawks don't.

But taking back-to-back games in a home-and-home series is something that does not happen often in the regular season.

Orlando has had a surprising number of home-and-homes. Here are those results:

January 26, 29, 2007 vs. Atlanta (lost at home 93-90 first, then lost on the road 93-83)

February 14-15, 2006 vs. Miami (lost on the road 107-93, then lost at home 110-100)

January 28-29, 2005 vs. Washington (won at home 108-101, then won on the road 103-97)
February 26-27, 2005 vs. Miami (lost on the road 101-98, then lost at home 112-103)
March 21, 24, 2005 vs. Charlotte (lost on the road 102-97, then lost at home 108-94)

January 19, 21, 2004 vs. Milwaukee (won at home 106-99, then lost on the road 113-102)

November 23-24, 2001 vs. Charlotte (Hornets) (won on the road 109-99, then lost at home 103-101)
December 7-8, 2001 vs. Atlanta (won at home 129-94, then lost on the road 107-104)

December 1-2, 2000 vs. New Jersey (won at home 83-80, then won on the road 95-74)

March 2, 4, 1997 vs. Seattle (lost at home 109-101, won on the road 101-89)

November 7-8, 1996 vs. New Jersey in Japan (won the first game 108-95, won the second game 86-82)

March 5, 8, 1996 vs. Charlotte (Hornets) (won on the road 123-97, won at home 117-112)
March 31, April 4, 1996 vs. New York (won at home 98-79, won on the road 98-85)

December 6-7, 1994 vs. Cleveland (won on the road 114-97, won at home 90-75)
April 5, 7, 1995 vs. Detroit (won at home 128-125, then lost on the road 104-94)
April 17, 19, 1995 vs. Washington (won at home 111-110, then lost on the road 123-117)

March 9, 11, 1994 vs. Philadelphia (won on the road 117-101, then won at home 112-105)

April 10, 13, 1993 vs. Milwaukee (lost on the road 108-97, then won at home 110-91)

December 26-27, 1991 vs. Detroit (lost at home 112-100, then lost on the road 106-94)

November 11, 13, 1989 vs. Atlanta (lost on the road 148-109, then lost at home 112-104)

If you made it this far and have been able to draw any conclusions I congratulate you. But it should be no surprise that the teams that were able to win both of these home and homes in a single season were the best in team history.

Centers take time

Dwight Howard is the crown jewel of Orlando's offense. Centers like him come once in a lifetime.

That is why so many teams take the risk to draft big men. You cannot teach height, after all. And most teams who have won a title and continued to win titles had dominant big men -- think Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O'Neal, Bill Russell. You need a guy like Michael Jordan to win a title without a dominant big man.

Height is rare. A skilled player with height is even more rare.

Friday's Daily Dime talks about all the guards that are playing really well in the first seasons in the NBA. From Russell Westbrook to George Hill to the recent emergence of Eric Gordon, guards are dominating the talk for rookie of the year.

Courtney Lee has proven how a guard can quickly adjust to the NBA game.

It is a lot easier for a guard to do so. Scoring from the perimeter is something anyone with a basketball can do.

Playing in the post against much stronger and more developed NBA centers? That is a little tougher.

Remember Howard his first year? He could not score at all int he post. All his points came off rebounds, put backs and fast breaks. His game has been refined over the last five years. But we all know he still has a ways to go offensively to be the force the Magic envision him.

High talent guards like Kevin Durant can make the transition to the NBA a lot easier because the game and the defenses they face change very little from college (strength is not a little thing, but some of these college programs have NBA weight training programs).

Guys like Kevin Love and Greg Oden need some polish to their games. But with time and ptience they both have the potential to become special players. Just not immediately.

Magic Wands: January 9, 2009

-Marc Stein's Weekend Dime on ESPN.com has some interesting minutiae. Box One is all about how Stephon Marbury might end up a Celtic. But if you scroll down to the bottom of the page you will find another interesting tidbit. Last Friday (when the Magic defeated the Heat) was the first time in 29 years that all NBA teams were in action in one day. Happy New Year.

-Last Friday's win over Miami gave Orlando its best 33-game start at 26-7. That mark ties the 1994-95 club (that went to the Finals) and the 1995-96 team (that lost to the 72-10 Bulls). Pretty good company.

-ESPN has some predictions for the '09 year. Interesting things might be coming down the pipe for the NBA. Mostly the salary cap implications of the recession. For the first time in a long time, don't be surprised that the salary cap actually decreases.

-Mark Cuban is going to save my job and change journalism's and newspaper's future.

-You know that moment after a timeout when the crowd stands up and cheers the team, pushing them to a big win? Well Keyon Dooling would love to know when that moment is in New Jersey. It got so bad that they began booing him after he missed a free throw (a rare moment, they probably should keep that ticket).

-Courtney Lee earned his first start Tuesday against Washington. He has certainly earned that playing time and my nice column this week espousing how awesome it is to get a draft pick right. David Thorpe in his weekly Rookie Watch says Lee has become successful because he is filling the role the Magic need. It is so easy when you do something better than anyone else can on a team.

-Way off topic. But Magic Kingdom without Space Mountain? A crime against humanity... or at least Orlando.

Lee the home run we have been waiting for

Geert Hammick. Anthony Avent. JJ Redick. Rodney Dent. Johnny Davis. Brian Evans. David Vaughn.

The number of useless and empty mid-first round draft picks is astounding in the Magic's history. But it seems like Orlando has finally hit one right.

Dwyane Wade scored 33 points in the game against Miami last Friday. He had none in the fourth quarter. Who was guarding him in the final moments of the game? It was the rookie from Western Kentucky.

Lee has been the biggest and most pleasant surprise of the season.

It has always been difficult to gauge Orlando's draft picks. When it is not a slam dunk home run (like Dwight Howard, Shaquille O'Neal or Penny Hardaway), Orlando's drafting has been suspect. Mike Miller was a top five pick and panned out OK.

But after the Magic make the playoffs? You will be hard pressed to find someone who contributed to the team immediately. Keith Bogans did, I think. Other than that, there are not that many to name. Michael Doleac and Matt Harpring were good for the Magic.

Keyon Dooling was good... six years after Orlando drafted him.

Tough to pull those name out of the hat. The Magic were looking for their diamond in the rough. Their Gilbert Arenas, Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, Manu Ginobili or Tony Parker. That late round steal.

But Lee is bucking this trend.

In June, it was clear Lee was the best option for Orlando. He was a seasoned player who knew how to score and could defend a little. If anything his success should prove that the longer you stay in college, the more ready you are for the NBA.

He struggled at the beginning of the year, but is demanding playing time now. He has fit in perfectly with Orlando and is replenishing the team's talent. His presence has allowed Orlando to survive injuries to Mickael Pietrus and should allow the team to let go of older, unwanted or too costly talent.

Lee is the home run draft pick Orlando has been waiting for.

Redick's real problem

Look, I am not going to pretend that JJ Redick is an important part of the team. His trials and tribulations on the Magic have been well-documented. Who knows if he will be traded or if he will get another chance at the rotation now that Mickael Pietrus is out.

But I noticed something important from Redick at last night's game at Amway Arena.

You see, Redick's biggest problem (at least that I can see, I don't know what he is like in practice) is his attitude and demeanor on the court. It kind of looks like his head is not in the game right now.

A big sign to me was his reactions during pregame introductions. As the team gathered after Dwight Howard was introduced, Redick meandered his way to the huddle. Howard was done saying what he needed to say to the team before Redick reached the huddle. He then looked up and acknowledge a fan and appeared to say something to him.

I know it is a little thing. But when you see a guy like Marcin Gortat standing and cheering and providing energy at all points of the game, it is no wonder that he broke the rotation and Redick has not.

When you are a bench player, breaking into the rotation is all about how you can add something different to the game and stay in the game. Energy is a big part of that.

Redick is a good player. He has one of the best shots in the game. He is lacking a little confidence right now. But when he was playing earlier in the season, he certainly looked like a stronger player.

Now he just has to find his way back into the rotation. He might be getting his chance very soon.

Magic Wands: January 2, 2009

Sorry there is not much here. I was in San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl for much of the week (read more at NUfootballinsider.com). Let's just say, it was great except for the end of the game. Here is what I could scrounge up.

-I remember reading back when the Magic played the Warriors that Golden State fans complained about Mickael Pietrus' durability. Well it looks like that might be somewhat true. I am not saying Pietrus is trying to get hurt, but he is back on the shelf again making Magic fans glad they have a lot of shooting guards. The Orlando Sentinel is reporting he will miss a month.

-After a year of arguments Bright House Networks, the largest cable provider in Orlando, and Fox Sports Florida have reached an agreement, reports The Orlando Sentinel. That means every Orlando Magic game will be on Brighthouse Networks (and the Marlins, Rays, Panthers and Seminoles basketball to name a few).

-SportsIllustrated.com has a roundtable discussion on where the Magic fit in among the Eastern Conference's elite. Are they at the same level as Boston and Cleveland? For the most part, they believe the Magic have improved and are certainly getting there. We will find out as the season goes on, I guess.

-Dwight Howard still leads everyone in votes for the All Star Game. Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis have to keep working to get love from the coaches it looks like.

-SportsIllustrated.com has a roundtable discussing where the Magic fit in to the Eastern Conference's elite. Is Orlando as good as Boston and Cleveland? For the most part they think that the Magic are an improved team and certainly deserve consideration. We will find out as the season progresses, I guess.