Finding Orlando's clutch player

It was clear in Sunday's loss that the biggest question mark for Orlando is going to be readily apparent throughout its playoff run (however long it might be).

With 40 seconds left, Orlando had a chance to take the lead. The ball rotated to Rashard Lewis. He pump faked and took a dribble toward the hoop, taking the wide open mid-range jumper off the back iron. Philadelphia grabbed the rebound with about 24 seconds left and effectively the last possession.

Where did Philadelphia go? There was no doubt.

Andre Iguodala stood at the top of the key and waited for the right moment to attack. Even with Hedo Turkoglu draped over him, his fall-away jumper with 2.2 seconds left was enough to complete an improbable Game One comeback.

With 2.2 seconds left, where would Orlando go with the ball?

This has been the question for the Magic all season. Who gets the ball when the team desperately needs a basket. Sunday, Orlando elected to get the ball to a struggling Hedo Turkoglu on the run from beyond the 3-point line.

The answer all season has been mixed. Turkoglu has hit his fair share of big shots -- see Portland or Boston. Lewis has hit big shots when needed -- see Philadelphia over Thanksgiving week. And of course, Jameer Nelson has also had his game-winners -- see Los Anglees Lakers, Detroit and Phoenix.

Notice how Dwight Howard is not mentioned as an option late in games. One day, one day.

But when push comes to shove, who gets the ball late in games? Orlando has been looking for its clutch shooter all season.

I came across this article from 3 Hoop Fans a while ago and it seemed interesting. It goes through some of the elements that help determine which players are clutch. The point needs to be driven in more after last night's ending.

Where should Orlando go late in games?

It is clear they need a clearer go-to option. I think that option is ultimately Jameer Nelson. But he obviously does not work for this series. Orlando really missed his steadying presence as the lead crumbled yesterday.

But if this situation arises again, Orlando needs to go to the hot hand. The multitude of options can actually be a good thing. It means the Magic can go more ways and be more unpredictable late in games. It makes the inevitable harder to predict, so to speak.

What should the Magic have done in game one? With the way he was shooting his free throws, they probably should have worked to get Howard open in the post and trusted him to make free throws. Sounds silly, but I think it would have worked.