Orlando Magic 110, Detroit Pistons 103

Orlando was determined to make better on its effort from a disappointing loss Tuesday night in Detroit. Its fast start helped the team build a large lead that seemed to let the team coast to the finish. Things seemed right in the world.

Then Charlie Villanueva, the free agent acquisition who did not do much Tuesday night, decided to show up and prove why he is worth the money he earned this summer.

Villanueva scored 22 of his 28 points in the final quarter, helping Detroit finally get over the hump and close in on Orlando. His run got the Pistons to within six, but Jameer Nelson and Matt Barnes had the big shots the Magic needed for a 110-103 win.

Orlando got anything and everything it wanted early to build up a 19-point lead. The Magic got out to a 13-2 start and played with the type of energy they lacked Tuesday night in Detroit. More importantly, Dwight Howard was aggressive but not reckless early and set himself and his teammates up for success.

Howard finished the evening with 22 points and 12 rebounds, but more importantly three assists. He has gotten a lot more patient in the post and when he works as a distributor and a scorer, the Magic are simply unstoppable on offense.

The problems for Orlando, of course, came in the third and fourth quarter. The Magic had a 15-point lead at the half and 14 -point lead at the end of three after surviving a few mini-runs. The final onslaught came in the fourth behind Villanueva's strong play.

But that confidence could arguably be built by what the Pistons were able to do to Howard. Howard got into foul trouble again in the third quarter after largely staying out of that column of the box score in the first half.

Howard has not had this many issues with foul trouble in his career and it is something concerning. I was unable to watch this game (listened to it on the radio), but it seems like the perimeter defense is just not where it was last year and the team is relying even more on Howard as a last line of defense. He fouled out again tonight in the waning seconds of the game.

The defensive efficiency is not anywhere near last season's level and that is very concerning. While Orlando is able to seemingly score at well, we have also seen the offense grounded to a halt. With Ryan Anderson day-to-day after spraining his ankle in the third quarter tonight, the offense is reliable but not the crux of a championship team.

Howard is still a great deterrent, but the perimeter defense has to improve. Detroit's guards are faster than most backcourts, but Orlando had problems with them again -- Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey combined for 39 points.

Luckily for the Magic, Jameer Nelson was able to rally the troops with a six-point lead and help the Magic stave off the Pistons and get the win.

Vince Carter's absence is probably hurting a little bit at this point, but this team is still settling in. We have seen them be an offensive juggernaut, but I am still curious how the team responds defensively when the shots stop falling like they did tonight.

They scratched and clawed their way to a win, but the Magic had plenty of opportunities to really put the Pistons away and failed to do so.

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

-Stan Van Gundy tells Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel that he does not expect Vince Carter to play in tonight's game.

-Rookie Austin Daye had played only five minutes of playing time entering Wednesday's game. He then earned some run and got 16 against Toronto on Wednesday. The rookie is still adjusting to his playing time and the role he is going to play, but that is part of the growing experience, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press.

-Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News has more on Austin Daye.

-The countdown to Rashard Lewis' return is slowly coming to an end. And Stan Van Gundy says it will bring a change to the lineup despite Ryan Anderson's strong play. Lewis will be back in the starting lineup when he returns to the lineup against Charlotte on November 16.

-A large free throw deficit doomed the Pistons in Wednesday's loss to the Raptors. Orlando did not take advantage of the free throw line in Tuesday's loss, that is something the team will look to correct this time around.

-Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports that even though it seems like Tayshaun Prince, who will miss his third straight game tonight, is expendable that he is not on the trade block.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily explains why Ryan Anderson has no need for the mid-range jumper.

Magic Wands: November 6, 2009

-Here are the excerpts to the Tim Donaghy book (via Deadspin). I post this because its contents DO matter to everyone who is an NBA fan. I think you will find that the accusations seem a little over the top, but do sometimes ring true and kind of make sense (in a non-cheating way too). Some of the accusations are also hard to believe considering the source. I will say that it is painfully obvious why the book is not going to be published. Donaghy's writing is very poor.

-Oh free NBA League Pass, we hardly knew ye.

-Love him or hate him, Bill Walton will be missed from the airwaves. One last time: "Throw it down, big man!"

-The line attached to the Magic in this Ball Don't Lie power rankings is too funny not to post. Speaking of which, I never saw "Zombieland."

-It took a week for the national media to get attached to Stan Van Gundy's introductions at opening night. Us, well, it's just Stan.

-Details of Disney's transformation of Wide World of Sports using the ESPN brand.

-The Basketball Jones takes a look at NBA costumes from this past Halloween.

-Happy Topping off Amway Center!

-Vince Carter, hall of famer?

-An incredibly addictive game involving Stan Van Gundy eating the Detroit Pistons. You will never be happier to hear "Deeetroit Bassssketball"

What They're Saying: Suns vs. Magic 11/4

-Orlando continues to be bedeviled at the Palace of Auburn Hills after earning its first loss of the season last night in Detroit.

-Dwight Howard was caught on FSFlorida cursing after he fouled out of last night's game. Don't blame the guy. Through four games, he is getting beat up worse than usual and generally having to suffer it. Hopefully he can keep his composure and calmly express his complaints during the game, but he does need to make people afraid to foul him. Making free throws, which he has been doing the last two games, is a good start.

-Don't expect Mickael Pietrus to suit up for Orlando, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel, even though the team has returned home. Pietrus has been feeling better and has been shooting at RDV SportsPlex. Vince Carter is still questoinable.

-Phoenix has a new friend -- the zone defense. It helped the Suns erase a double-digit deficit and hold off the Heat down in Miami. Steve Nash's 25 point, six assist second half did not hurt either.

-Leandro Barbosa sat out last night's game in Miami with a sprained right wrist. Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic reports that it has been bothering Barbosa and he was struggling to catch and shoot the ball before the game last night. He will be re-evaluated before tonight's game.

-Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic says Dwight Howard might be "ornery" after last night's performance, but Amare Stoudemire will ask him and the Magic defense to pick their poison in covering him in the pick and roll.

-Orlando is not in "sky is falling mode" yet, Ben Q Rock of 3rd Quarter Collapse writes, but the Magic could be heading for a rut after an extremely lackluster performance last night in Detroit.

-PhoenixStan of Bright Side of the Sun takes a look at the other big matchup of the game tonight. While the media might be focusing on Dwight Howard's battle with Amare Stoudemire, it is actually Jameer Nelson and Stave Nash we should be watching.

-Tyler Lockman of The Valley of the Suns is still pretty impressed with Phoenix's defensive performance last night and says the fact Howard's shoulder is still sore is something working in Stoudemire's and Phoenix's favor tonight in Orlando.

-Dwight Howard is still not feeling great about his shoulder... or the refs.

-Phoenix took advantage of an odd Miami lineup to improve to 4-0 and erase a double-digit deficit last night in South Florida, writes Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

-Zone defense and a strong fourth quarter were enough for Phoenix to improve to 4-0 for the first time in five years.

-Detroit's quick lineup and attack on Dwight Howard was enough to get them a big win last night at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily further breaks down Orlando's crushing loss to Detroit last night.

-Deep Purple grades the Suns on last night's win. The defense was a surprising B+, the offense a steady B.

Detroit Pistons 85, Orlando Magic 80

There may have been some new faces in the lineup in that familiar red, white and blue. There may have been some familiar faces sitting on the bench with injuries, providing Orlando some hope of stealing a victory. But, oh that result just remained the same.

Frustration. Floundering. Flustering.

Just another game with the Detroit Pistons.

Orlando and Detroit were in a real defensive slugfest tied at 77 late in the fourth quarter. But the speedy Pistons got to Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat and outscored the Magic 8-3 in the final moments to take an 85-80 win at the Palace of Auburn Hills on Tuesday night.

The familiar frustrating Pistons defense bottled up Dwight Howard, who fouled out in 17 minutes after scoring eight points and grabbing five rebounds. Detroit just knows how to defend Howard, it does not matter who is in uniform for them.

With Howard on the bench in foul trouble for most of the game -- and on the bench for parts of the third quarter after re-aggravating the shoulder he strained in Sunday's win over Toronto -- Detroit proceeded to attack the tired and undermanned Orlando defense.

Stan Van Gundy admitted as much after the game that Vince Carter could not keep anyone in front of him and that is probably why Carter was sitting on the bench for the entire fourth quarter.

Carter, in his defense, was returning from a one-game absence after spraining his ankle Friday night in New Jersey. Vince finished with 15 points in 30 minutes.

With those two players struggling throughout the night, the offense stagnated for the first time all season. Orlando shot 10 of 35 from beyond the arc and were reluctant to get to the basket. The team had just 16 free throw attempts.

Detroit, on the other hand, used its unconventional three-guard backcourt of Will Bynum, Rodney Stuckey and Ben Gordon to speed its way past Orlando. The Pistons hit on 31 of their 38 free throw attempts. Bynum especially found himself in the paint for much of the night and especially late on his way to 20 points for the game.

The only good news is that the Magic held the Pistons under 40 percent shooting for the night. Not sure how much of it was their defense (I was only able to watch the second half), but the rotations generally looked better. It was hard to tell since Orlando was not making anyone pay tonight, missing open shots and settling for jumpers. That is the simple way to shoot 36.7 percent (29 for 79) from the floor.

That is not beating anybody, even on this night.

Kudos to the Magic for hanging in there tonight and sticking with the defensive gameplan. They kept fighting and scratching even with Howard out and Carter clearly not at 100 percent. The agression was not there and it was clear the team was still a little gassed after playing only nine players in Sunday's game (even after taking Monday off).

They clearly were not ready for the speed the Pistons had and looked, well, a little old at times.

You cannot win all 82 games and I was kind of hoping the Magic would get served some humble pie and mortality. They certainly learned they are not going to shoot 50 percent every game and will have to rely on their defense. Offensively, this was a freak game where shots would not fall and with Howard out, no one could create near the basket -- especially with Ben Wallace becoming Ben Wallace again.

A quick turnaround to play undefeated Phoenix will be another stiff challenge tomorrow. I am more interested to see how this team responds to the defeat in tomorrow night's game.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Pistons 11/3

-Ryan Anderson has stepped up in Rashard Lewis' absence, being the second-leading scorer on the team. But even he knows that the will have to step down when Lewis returns.

-Dwight Howard's free throws made the Raptors pay Sunday and will become important as the season progresses. Also Vince Carter worked out on his own to test his sprained left ankle.

-Both Dwight's speed and quickness should make the Pistons cry for help, Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News writes. Also, Richard Hamilton will be out with a sprained right ankle.

-Ben Wallace seriously thought about retirement after Phoenix bought out the last year of his contract. But Wallace, writes Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press, has been a revelation in Detroit and is finding his second wind.

-The Puns are Starting to Bore Me took the time to break down the raw defensive numbers (not advanced numbers) for Orlando's defense. The number are not encouraging for a team that has prided itself on defense the last few years. But the question the blog asks: "Should we be worried three games into the season?"

-Detroit BadBoys has some reaction to the news that Richard Hamilton will miss tonight's game. It certainly hurts the PIstons overall depth and what they can do offensively with a small lineup.

-PistonPowered scouts everyone's favorite Evans High School alum, Chucky Atkins.

-Vince Carter will start tonight for the Magic while the Pistons will be without Tayshaun Prince tonight and Friday night, John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com reports.

What they're Saying: Heat vs. Magic

-People are still wondering what effect Hedo Turkoglu's departure will have on the Magic's ability to win close games. So The Orlando Sentinel dug up this not-so-distant comparison of Vince Carter and Turkoglu's clutch abilities.

-It's tough to judge Vince Carter after one game -- and a preseason one at that -- but The Orlando Sentinel's Tania Ganguli asks: "What should Carter's role on the team be?"

-Stan Van Gundy said Matt Barnes was the best player for the Magic in Monday night's win. Barnes and fellow newcomer Brandon Bass will get inserted into the starting lineup for tonight's game.

-Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reviews the long and tumultuous journey of camp invite John Lucas III as he tries to make the Heat's roster.

-Heat center Jamaal Magloire is awaiting word from the league on whether he will be suspended after getting into a brief skirmish with the Pistons' Jonas Jerebko in a preseason game Monday.

-Anyone expecting a rematch of last year's exciting 3-point contest tonight will be sorely disappointed as Heat guard Daequan Cook will not play tonight after jamming his thumb in practice yesterday.

-Mario Chalmers knows for the Heat to make improvements on last year's fifth-place finish in the Eastern Conference it will have to start with him. That's why, as Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald reports, Chalmers was taking a lot of the blame for the Heat's struggles against the Pistons.

-The theme of practices, it seems, is getting everybody accustomed to the Magic style of play. That's at least what I got from Third Quarter Collapse's recap of shootaround this morning.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily reveals that JJ Redick really grew and matured from his struggles his first two years with the Magic. Now he just wants a chance to play and prove what he is still worth.

LATE Magic Wands: June 26, 2009

-The Magic may not have won a title, but they still got a parade. Or stood at City Hall and thanked the fans and community.

-This Magic fan is taking the Finals loss a little too hard if you ask me. It was bad, but not this bad. Some teams have more resources than others and are better run. And have one of the best players on the planet.

-Nike and the Hall of Fame are getting sued by a Massachusetts company that claims to have exclusive rights to Hall of Fame logos and merchandise.

-Now Orlando gets to embarrass Shaquille O'Neal at least three times a year... or at least hear Shaq try to desperately hold onto the spotlight for one more year.

-According to EA Sports, Orlando would still beat Cleveland even with Shaq in Wine and Gold. The simulation was run before the Vince Carter trade.

-The Wall Street Journal slowly peels back the mysterious cloak of the AAU. It is partly to blame for the lack of fundamentals young American players have.

-Could the impossible happen? Could Rasheed Wallace really be wearing Magic blue next year?

Time for Magic to take the next step

Last year when Orlando defeated the Toronto Raptors in Game Five, the feeling was relief. Relief that 12 years of playoff futility was finally overcome and that the Conference Semifinals were a reality.

It had been a long time since the Magic could play that deep in the postseason. The last time Orlando was in the second round of the playoffs, Dwight Howard was 12 years old. He and the Magic have done a significant amount of growing up since then.

That series with Detroit was a true growing experience for this young Orlando team. It was a taste of the kind of postseason success this team can have.

Now the Magic are back in the conference semifinals with a year of seasoning. And they get maybe the most seasoned team to test themselves with in Boston. The perfect test.

It will not be easy for Orlando to get past the defending champions. The Celtics are certainly a team that knows how to defend, execute and win.

It will not be an easy road through Boston to reach the team's first conference final since 1996.

But now is the time for the Magic to dig deep and do it. There are no excuses now.

The way the team played in the first round against Philadelphia will not make it against teams this deep in the playoffs. The effort has to be there the entire series in order to close this one out.

Orlando looked like it coasted through its first round series. That is not a championship attitude. The team and general manager Otis Smith has been talking about winning a title the entire season. Now is the time to play like it.

It is said to be the champs, you have to beat the champs. Right now, the Magic have the chance to dethrone the champs -- Kevin Garnett or not.

This is not a chance the team can let go.

I will admit, I do not think this is the year the Magic win their title. I do not think they have shown the maturity or have the seasoning to do it -- plus it does not have that special feeling. But Orlando has proven me wrong throughout the past two seasons. The team has found ways to win games and just grind its way through poor play.

The Magic cannot have this mentality anymore. Now it is time to win. As Dwight Howard says, it is time to dominate.

That is what it will take to make the next step.

What They're Saying: Magic vs. Bucks 4/13

-Last road game of the season and the Magic are an impressive 27-13 on the road, a win will top last year's mark 27-14 mark. Quite impressive to put back-to-back years like that on the road.

-The Magic are admittedly in a "funk" right now and know they have to break out of it to gain some momentum heading toward the playoffs, according to The Orlando Sentinel's Brian Schmitz. It is a precarious balance between getting healthy, which the team looks like it needs to do, and getting mentally ready for the postseason.

-Injury updates from Brian Schmitz in Milwaukee: JJ Redick and Rashard Lewis appear to be out for tonight's game. Rafer Alston is questionable after missing the morning shootaround with a migraine. And Hedo Turkoglu reported no swelling in his ankle after spraining it Saturday in New Jersey.

-Zach McCann of Orlando Magic Daily will now calm you down about the end of the season. He notes the struggles of recent title teams in their final games. How you finish the regular season is not necessarily how you finish the postseason.

-Bucks rookie Joe Alexander has had a difficult season living up to the expectations the do-everything small forward had on draft night, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel said. Look, losing to Rudy Fernandez to get into the dunk contest is not THAT big of a deal.

-Magic radio man Scott Anez blogs about which teams might be heading to Orlando this weekend for the playoffs. It will either be Philadelphia, Chicago or... gulp... Detroit.

-Guess it is time to be scoreboard watching. As I said, the 76ers and Bulls are now tied for the sixth spot in the Eastern Conference with the Pistons one game back. That will completely change tonight. Chicago is in Detroit tonight (at 7:30 ET on NBATV). At least Philly will be in the six spot at the end of the night.

-The Bulls are not a good road team, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune says. That will need to change.

-K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune also talks of the redemption of former Gator Joakim Noah. He is thrilled to be back in the postseason.

-Detroit is not guaranteed of even moving out of the eight seed if they beat Chicago, Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press reports.. The Bulls have a better conference record and could win the tiebreaker. The Pistons have a long road to face the Magic in other words.

Magic Wands: March 27, 2009

-Pablo S. Torre asks the question: why do athletes go broke so quickly? That is quite a lot of money to burn though. It is all about who you trust with your money that's for sure.

-Stan Van Gundy is making a big stink again and raising some headlines. This time in defense of his assistant coach Patrick Ewing and his seemingly sour relationship with the New York Knicks' front office. Ewing really should be getting a head coaching job soon. It is clear he is not meant for the Magic much longer.

-Interesting report that Dr. Phillips neighborhood is asking the Magic not to build one of the five gyms in their neighborhood saying that it is needed more in other areas. I actually think this is a very good thing. There are plenty of gyms in the Dr. Phillips area and it could be needed in other areas. I am glad to see people do care about others. Maybe I am not seeing the whole picture.

-Now that Orlando has clinched its fourth division championship, and second Southeast Division crown in two years... where is the banner going to go? There simply is not any room left on that left side of the scoreboard where there other banners are. You cannot put it on the same railing as the Conference championship banner and the retired No. 6 jersey for the Fans.

Interesting maneuvering coming up for this thing. Honestly, it doesn't matter. We shouldn't make a banner for every division title... I guess you should until you win that first title.

-Dwight Howard says (in box two), "Bring on the Pistons!" Not an exact quote, but he believes Orlando needs to face and beat Detroit to get over any remaining mental hump.

-Mike Bianchi also noted the large amount of Celtics fans at Wednesday's game. I have a feeling there were a lot more bandwagoners than Bostonians. At least the home team won. But with the way Florida is, expect a lot of the other team's colors in Amway Arena on any night.

Orlando Magic 107, Chicago Bulls 79

Richie Audubato called this game correctly. It was just one of those few games each year where everything goes right for one team... and everything goes wrong for the other.

The Bulls were coming off a heartbreaking loss to Miami (heartbreaking is not quite the word for it) and were hurt even before that. Plus they had taken it to the Magic last week. Orlando did not forget.

The Magic were coming off a disappointing performance in Detroit and again had that revenge factor in mind. This game had blowout written all over it.

I am glad Orlando penned that book. It shows a lot of maturity as a team to come back after the way Chicago took it to them in Illinois last week and after a poor performance against the Pistons on Monday and put on a clinic. By the time I tuned in, it was already over.

Not much else to say about this game. A very balanced effort from Orlando.

AND NO ONE CAN STOP THE POLISH HAMMER!

Marcin Gortat scored 13 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. And Tony "Batt-Man" Battie had 18 points, including a 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter, and eight rebounds.

Continuing the love for the bench players, Jeremy Richardson got in and scored six points. And for some reason Audubato and Dennis Neuman thought this guy might become part of the rotation in the near future (near future meaning next season... not tomorrow). Interesting...

Are the Magic tough enough?

It is March. That means t-minus one month and a half until the playoffs. And whether anyone likes to admit it or not, the playoffs are officiated much differently than the regular season.

The playoffs are a much rougher, physical animal. They beat you physically and demand that you put series away early so that you can be as fresh as possible for the next physically grueling series.

Physicality is certainly not the Magic's forte. Their playing style is a finesses style that naturally shies away from contact.

But for Orlando to reach its playoff potential -- and a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals is certainly a very realistic possibility -- it is going to have to adapt to this physical brand of play.

The evidence that they can do this is scarce.

In two games with the Celtics this season, the Magic were manhandled physically by Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins. In any game against the Pistons from the past, say, three years, it has not even been close who has controlled the pace and tempo of the game. Detroit simply knows how to guard Dwight Howard.

It is clear that if Orlando is going to do well in the postseason, it is going to have to adapt and adjust to this playoff style of basketball.

Stan Van Gundy's little spat with Shaquille O'Neal has again raised the question of whether Orlando is tough enough to win in the playoffs or, as Shaq put it, a "front-runner" who cannot finish.

But Van Gundy is also quick to point out that physical toughness starts with mental toughness. And there is no doubt that this team is mentally tough.

Look at the road record. The past two seasons the team has played exceptionally well on the road. Orlando had a better road record than home record at times last season. The same has been true this season.

Entering Sunday's game against the Celtics, the Magic trailed in the fourth quarter in each of the three games of their three-game winning streak. Orlando somehow found a way to pull out each win.

This mental toughness has been the big difference between this team the past two seasons and the mediocre teams of the Orlando Magic past.

Orlando has that going for it at least. But even a fast-paced team like Cleveland has found a way to become a physical team in the postseason. The Magic's fate rests on how well it adapts when things are not going their way. So far the Pistons and Celtics have troubled the Magic and dominated the pace and control of their regular season games.

Orlando may not have to face either of those teams in the playoffs, but they are the most battle-tested playoffs teams and the measuring stick for the future.

Ultimately this postseason will be a debate on whether the spread the floor 3-point style of the Magic can succeed in the playoffs. It would not surprise me if the Magic are going to have to use more traditional lineups to find playoff success in the future.

Detroit Pistons 93, Orlando Magic 85

Orlando took an eight-point lead at the end of the first half. The offense, which had sputtered through nearly 24 minutes of play, had finally picked up the pace and gotten the ball inside to its superstar, Dwight Howard.

And then like a mirage, it disappeared. The Detroit Pistons just know how to do that.

Detroit came out storming out of the locker room, transforming the deficit into a nine-point lead. The Magic made a run in the fourth quarter bust still could not solve the riddle of the Pistons, falling at Amway Arena 93-85 on Friday.

This is no longer an issue of Detroit having Orlando's number. The Magic would have played well enough to win on most nights.

This was not most nights.

The 3-point shots were not falling. And the Pistons did their usual fantastic job denying and frustrating Howard. But even with that Superman scored 21 points and grabbed 13 rebounds.

What made this night more different than anything else was the complete lack of energy. Even in the first half when things were going well, there was no sense of urgency. I would be more concerned with that than with anything else.

THIS WAS THE TEAM THAT ELIMINATED YOU FROM THE PLAYOFFS THE LAST TWO YEARS AND HAS VIRTUALLY OWNED YOU FOR FIVE-PLUS SEASONS.

That needed to be in all caps, I am sorry.

The Pistons are a better team without Allen Iverson. It was painfully obvious from how much space Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince and Rodney Stuckey had to operate. They were much more efficient -- Rasheed Wallace was not even a factor tonight -- and played a much smoother game than I am sure they have played in some time.

But when things got rough, it was when the Pistons plodded up the court and ran their half-court game to perfection. Orlando played decent defense, but were just generally frustrated. The team could never take control of the pace of this game.

The fact the Magic stayed so close in this game despite such a poor performance from beyond the arc speaks wonders about how good this team is. But they just cannot seem to put it all together right now -- at least not like they were earlier in the season.

This team right now is playing .500 ball. That simply won't get it done. They seem out of rhythm since the injury and something has to change. I do not know what that has to be, but it must be something.

It might simply be a mid-season swoon. They happen in an 82-game season. But now is the time to get geared up for the playoffs. Complacency is not an option.

This was not a game Orlando should have been complacent. But they were for some reason. The response, which the Magic have done well with in this stretch, might come tomorrow in Philadelphia.

Ding Dong Billups is Gone

All the munchkins from Orlando Magic-land can come out of hiding. Dorothy might have crushed the Pistons.

After five straight appearances into the Eastern Conference Finals, Joe Dumars shook up the Detroit roster in a big way. Dumars traded Chauncey Billups, Antonio McDyess and Cheikh Samb to Denver for Allen Iverson.

Iverson is no friend of the Magic either, but he has not killed Orlando like Billups has. Billups has been a thorn in the team's side since the 2005 Playoffs when he helped Detroit erase a 3-1 deficit. Every time since then it seems that Billups is the primary offensive option against the smaller Jameer Nelson.

Now he is gone. In steps Iverson.

Iverson nominally makes the team better. But I think it is a significant downgrade for the Pistons. Iverson is not the distributor and playmaker Billups is. In fact he needs the ball more.

I think it hurts Richard Hamilton a lot. He needs a good distributor to set up his cuts and runs at the basket. It also turns Tayshaun Prince into a spot-up shooter.

The move makes the Pistons' control of the division very tenuous. I do not think Cleveland is that great, but they can certainly challenge Detroit for the division title this season.

For the Magic, it means there might be less fear of seeing the Pistons in the playoffs. They will still be a bruising team, but the offense will be much easier to predict and maybe control. If Orlando can get out of its current funk, the team should be better than Detroit this season.

Magic Wands: October 24, 2008

New feature alert! Here is a (hopefully) weekly amalgamation of Magic news and tidbits. Kind of like Truehoop's bullets... or morning cup... or late bullets (you get the picture).

Still feeling out (trying to find time for) the blog so this may become a rolling feature throughout the week as news items get added or it may just be a weekly thing. Enjoy either way.

-So Orlando is involved again in changes to the replay system. The NBA Board of Governors voted to expand the use of instant replay this year to include decisions on whether a shot was a two- or three-pointer.

Of course this started when Chauncey Billups got an extra 1.5 seconds before hitting a three to end the third quarter in the decisive game five of the Eastern Conference Semifinals last season against the Magic. The referees ruled in that case that the clock started late, but they could not use that as a ruling and had to make the call as it stood.

The Pistons went up four to end the quarter and won the series.

Now the referees can make clock determinations and decide whether the clock started late or not and whether that shot would have gotten off in time if it does start late. That is a good decision.

The bad decision is letting referees stop the game besides at the end of quarters. The college game uses replay this way and it takes a long time to go through the challenge of a three-point shot. This is not a good way to keep the game moving. Stopping the game for five minutes while they zoom in as close as they can to the line will kill team's momentum and possibly change games more than just one point.

The NBA is trying to do something good here, but it will inevitably cause more harm than good. Referees are right most of the time (except you, Tim Donaghy), trust them.

-So Dwight Howard has his own blog now on NBA.com. Outside of the grammatical errors and general PR'ishness the blog will have, it will be interesting for readers to get to know his personality off the court.

Howard is reported to be a pretty fun-loving guy off the court. Hopefully he will get to show this personality in the blog a little bit. It will be interesting to keep up with.

More interesting is his plans to unleash DwightTV on the world. Think Chris Bosh's videos except with Dwight Howard. I am expecting some good battles between the two both on the court and on YouTube.

-All the previews are coming out (including mine which will hopefully drop Tuesday night or shortly thereafter), and the consensus seems to be the Magic will finish fourth in the East and win the Southeast Division by default. Go to your favorite sports site for your favorite talking head.

More interestingly is the respect Orlando is getting from the GMs. The NBA released its annual GM polls and Howard and coach Stan Van Gundy had pretty solid showings.

Howard tied for second with Tim Duncan for best interior defender (Kevin Garnett won) and he was third for which player you would build your franchise around. Howard is mentioned plenty more times in the poll.

Van Gundy also got some love as one of the best coaches in the league. Pretty big expectations for this year's team. Regular season is only days away now.