Otis Smith has the right mindset

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

They may not do it. But:

Why Not Us? Why Not Now?

Magic Wands: December 26, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have a Happy Holidays, everyone.

NBA Archetypes where the Magic fit in

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Bench:

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

A game that doesn't matter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mighty Mouse gets mightier

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

Here comes Jameer Nelson to save the day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magic 106, Lakers 103: Playoffs come early

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orlando won the game, simple as that.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Magic Wands: December 19, 2008

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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