What They're Saying: Rockets vs. Magic

-No one doubts Mickael Pietrus has played very well since missing a good portion of last season with injuries. But the thing you may not know, Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel writes, is Pietrus is still hurting from that wrist injury he suffered in Detroit last year.

-Stan Van Gundy will be jumbling lineups throughout the preseason so expect a new starting five tonight against the Rockets. Also, Matt Barnes' full-court heave.

-Chuck Hayes of the Houston Rockets is in an odd position, Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle writes. He is a 6-foot-6 center with limited offensive abilities, yet the glue that holds the rag-tag bunch of Rockets together.

-Trevor Ariza has been struggling with his shot entering his return to the Amway Arena -- not sure how I should feel about him as a Magic fan anymore. Also, Shane Battier is still working his way back from a pulled hamstring. Don't expect to see him tonight.

-Rocket Buzz asks if Aaron Brooks is the team's future at point guard.

What They're Saying: Lakers vs. Magic Game Five

-IF Phil Jackson wins his 10th NBA title, Henry Abbott wonders if he might be willing to hand the reigns to superstar Kobe Bryant much like Red Auerbach handed the reigns to Bill Russell.

-A reflective mood at Saturday practices as Jackson approaches breaking Auerbach's title mark. The Magic? Hedo Tukoglu looks at the 3-1 deficit as a chance to show Orlando's character once again.

-Sunday might be the last time Orlando sees Hedo Turkoglu or Marcin Gortat in a Magic uniform. It is simply an issue of dollars and cents. For Turkoglu, it is going to take some interesting cap maneuvering and maybe some back breaking. Apparently, Orlando is willing to pay the luxury tax to keep him.

-Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times is very convinced Kobe Bryant will be a Laker for a long, long time.

-Orlando can rain on Los Angeles' parade in more than one way. Even if the Lakers win, they may not get their victory lap around Staples Center.

-Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse writes sitting on the bench has been the toughest thing for Anthony Johnson to do. The journeyman has earned his way to the Finals, but has not seen a minute of action so far.

-It has been a wild ride for Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher since they both entered the league together in 1996. They were both at the top earlier this decade and have had to claw their way back.

-Mike Bianchi of The Orlando Sentinel also does not want this ride to end. The Magic's success has meant a lot to the city and legitimated the large investment the area put into the team with the new arena.

-George Diaz of The Orlando Sentinel guarantees a Game Five victory for the Magic. Why? The loosey-goosey, jovial mood at practices. This team has played well under adversity this postseason.

-Orlando is confident there will be a ring ceremony at Amway Arena next season, writes Brian Schmitz of The Orlando Sentinel. That is certainly the attitude the Magic will need to complete the improbable 3-1 comeback.

-Mark Jackson tells the Orlando Sentinel that the Magic did not lose Game Four because of experience. The Lakers executed and made the plays they needed to do win -- a very proactive analysis of the game. Los Angeles' cast of characters seem to have that destiny feeling around them. But then again, so did Cleveland.

-Otis Smith said dealing Trevor Ariza was a very difficult decision. He simply did not fit in with Orlando's new makeup and, as Kyle Hightower of The Orlando Sentinel reports, has fit in perfectly for Los Angeles after the team's failure to beat Boston last year.

-David Thorpe of Scouts Inc. says experience helped the Lakers stay calm in the closing moments of Game Four (not hampered Orlando). He says the Magic did a lot of things right, but their attitude is the most important heading into Game Five.

-Anthony Johnson continues to work hard, knowing full well he probably will not play in Game Five, writes Andrea Adelson of The Orlando Sentinel.

-Turnovers have been key for the Magic all series long. Josh Robbins of The Orlando Sentinel says Orlando's turnovers are up to 15.0 per game this series.

Basketball's citizenship crisis

Hopefully I will channeling my late season thoughts into some blog posts over the next couple days. They may or may not have anything to do with the Magic.

But I ran into this story on ESPN the other day. Milwaukee's Charlie Villanueva was released by USA Basketball on April 11. That means he is free to go play for the Dominican Republic. Villanueva has Dominican parents and the article says that he is not doing this because the U.S. is ignoring him as a player. It seems genuine.

I am in no way calling out Villanueva for what he is doing. But basketball has reached something of a citizenship crisis (now might be the time to fix it without any major basketball competitions on the schedule). It seems as if players can declare ancestry and join new countries for their sports citizenship.

This is not the way things were meant to be. Chris Kaman had no ties to Germany, yet he suited up for the Germans in the Olympics. Word is now that Trevor Ariza is also looking to join the Dominican team.

Yes, it is difficult to make the American squad. But trying to pick and choose a country you may have ancestors from is not the answer. Some players are meant to play for their international teams and others are not.

I do not doubt the genuineness of Villanueva's effort. But why did he make the switch now rather than when he first started his career? If you have to appeal to make the switch, you probably should not be making that switch to begin with.

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.