Well, I tivoed the game against Portland Saturday night and watched it late Sunday evening. I admit, it was nice to see the Magic win a grind out game against a solid western conference foe. Roy was great for the Blazers as always; it is amazing how polished his footwork is; he isn't the league's best athlete but he manages to create daylight, however slight, to get off his shot. The Magic were solid defensively all game, particularly in the fourth quarter when they took control of the game. It was puzzling to see Anthony Johnson post up on consecutive possessions at one point in the game, but it ended up working out so I held my tongue and abated the diatribe I had ready for my innocent TV.
The Jazz game was one I didn't get to see, but it looks as though JJ Redick was a big part of why we pulled it out. I admit, when we drafted JJ I was somewhat disappointed; a feeling that remained with me through his first couple of seasons as he rarely left the bench (I had actually wanted us to draft Utah's Ronnie Brewer coincidentally, who has turned out to be a pretty decent ballplayer in his own right). But he has come a long way. You can tell that he has put himself in a position to compete physically in the NBA; something that was lacking when he first came into the league despite his great shooting touch.
And what can we say about Jameer Nelson? Welcome back dude! 0-6, great start! Ha, ha. Now that that first poor performance is out of his system I'm sure he'll get back to his normal high level of play very quickly. It was very exciting to see him (albeit it on a 2 minute video clip) back on the court. A backcourt of Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter; Nelson and Carter; Carter and Nelson; sounds good either way doesn't it? If they can both stay healthy, the Magic have a very formidable starting backcourt, which every follower of the Magic already knows without me saying so; it just makes me feel good to write it:) It is nice to see the Magic back in second place in the standings, however narrowly above the Hawks and the Cavs. Just need to catch the Celtics, who are aging by the day(and whom we play on Christmas day coincidentally). It won't be long until Rasheed and Kevin and Ray need wheelchairs, or will at least need to be transferred to the NBA senior league that is in the works, I hear:) I have the utmost respect for the Celtics. I have the utmost respect for the Orlando Magic. Hopefully the two can tangle in May...
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Win over Toronto; old ally; unexplainable thumping
Well, Wednesday night brought a Magic win against our old pal Hedo Turkoglu's Raptors; a team I believe will be very solid when Jose Calderon returns. I read about how Stan Van Gundy believed the fans booing of Turkoglu during the game was ridiculous and uncalled for, but the article also said that Magic fans gave him a standing ovation when starting lineups were announced. Honestly, considering how most fans jump on the opportunity to start booing old players as quickly as possible (ie, during the announcement of starting lineups) I don't think waiting for the game to start is too bad. I will concur with Stan though, in that Turkoglu did great things for the Magic and his not staying a member of the Magic really seemed to be Orlando management's decision; again, they seemed to more highly value Marcin Gortat. In watching the highlights and seeing the box score, Dwight Howard was clearly enjoying the act of blocking shots, as evidenced by his NBALive-like stat of eight! The one he threw back in Jarret Jack's face was pretty sweet, haha; poor fool. All and all it seemed to be a good win, something I can't say of the next night...
What to say about the Heat game? Well, I was at work and didn't get to watch it on TNT, which was probably for the best; just seeing the highlights left me wanting to stuff myself with something absurdly sweet and fattening until the pain went away--I tried a gargantuan piece of pumpkin pie. It helped, but only to a degree. I honestly can't fathom what could have happened that Orlando was down 29 at the end of the third quarter; making the ultimate result seem pretty friendly really when put in this context. Dwyane Wade is phenomenal (those rumors he'd like to play in Orlando with Dwight a while back were certainly intriguing); Beasley is a talented young player, O'neal still seems to have some juice, despite his constant knee troubles; Richardson, Haslem, Chalmers, Cook, give the team some decent overall talent, but really, an 18 point loss at their hands? Really? I had hoped the Magic were at a point in their development that they would never get blown out by a mediocre team; I guess I still have a little waiting to do.
I also saw a post on ESPN that Stan Van Gundy expects Jameer Nelson back pretty quickly. Although that would be cool, I just hope they don't rush him. Excluding last night's debacle, I think the Magic have been pretty solid with Jayson Williams and Anthony Johnson splitting the point guard duties. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Jameer back, but I just want him to be at full strength when he returns.
Checking the standings after the game last night was interesting; not solidly in second place for the first time in a while. Cleveland's been very solid since their 0-2 start, and Atlanta has played very well all season as well. And then Boston, ugh, when are those guys gonna lose again?
It is clear, even in this early part of the season, the Magic will have home court advantage in the first round, but I would be much more comfortable, as a fan, if they went into the playoffs with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. And isn't the comfort of this, and all other Magic fans, what it's all about? :) Play better Magic...give us the comfort that is rightfully ours...
What to say about the Heat game? Well, I was at work and didn't get to watch it on TNT, which was probably for the best; just seeing the highlights left me wanting to stuff myself with something absurdly sweet and fattening until the pain went away--I tried a gargantuan piece of pumpkin pie. It helped, but only to a degree. I honestly can't fathom what could have happened that Orlando was down 29 at the end of the third quarter; making the ultimate result seem pretty friendly really when put in this context. Dwyane Wade is phenomenal (those rumors he'd like to play in Orlando with Dwight a while back were certainly intriguing); Beasley is a talented young player, O'neal still seems to have some juice, despite his constant knee troubles; Richardson, Haslem, Chalmers, Cook, give the team some decent overall talent, but really, an 18 point loss at their hands? Really? I had hoped the Magic were at a point in their development that they would never get blown out by a mediocre team; I guess I still have a little waiting to do.
I also saw a post on ESPN that Stan Van Gundy expects Jameer Nelson back pretty quickly. Although that would be cool, I just hope they don't rush him. Excluding last night's debacle, I think the Magic have been pretty solid with Jayson Williams and Anthony Johnson splitting the point guard duties. Don't get me wrong, I would love to see Jameer back, but I just want him to be at full strength when he returns.
Checking the standings after the game last night was interesting; not solidly in second place for the first time in a while. Cleveland's been very solid since their 0-2 start, and Atlanta has played very well all season as well. And then Boston, ugh, when are those guys gonna lose again?
It is clear, even in this early part of the season, the Magic will have home court advantage in the first round, but I would be much more comfortable, as a fan, if they went into the playoffs with home court advantage throughout the playoffs. And isn't the comfort of this, and all other Magic fans, what it's all about? :) Play better Magic...give us the comfort that is rightfully ours...
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Hello, Welcome, Apologies, etc.
Hello fellow Magic fans! I've been wanting to begin a blog dedicated to this wonderful NBA team for a while now, so you may be wondering why it's coming 24 games into the season; wondering how a blogger professing to be so "passionate[ly] devoted" to this team could be so late in beginning. Well, all I can say in my defense is it's been an extremely busy semester. Not so busy that I haven't been keeping updated however. I suppose my thoughts should begin in the past and lead up to the present time.
I became a Magic fan in 1994, when my antenna concerning the game of basketball had first risen and my love of the young duo of Shaq and Penny was almost palpable. I think it's safe to say that team would have won championships if Jordan's Bulls hadn't been around, Shaq hadn't left after the 1996 season, and Penny hadn't started his string of injuries around the turn of the century (yea, asking a bit much I guess, huh? But that's kind of how championship runs are for the teams that win them...everything lines up perfectly). Since Shaq's and Penny's departures I have suffered through seven long seasons (2000-07) of vastly unfulfilled promise; seven seasons that were supposed to be the McGrady-Hill era; the era that would make us Magic fans, still grieving about Shaq and Penny and what could have been, finally forget, or at least move past that era of shattered dreams. During these incredibly frustrating times, which piqued in 2004 with our otherworldly pathetic record, we managed to get the first pick in the NBA Draft and with it, a franchise savior. Dwight Howard, though still working on his offensive game (although I believe he's come a long way this season even compared to last) is a remarkable athlete with rebounding and shotblocking skills to truly envy. Since the time the Magic acquired Dwight in 2004, the Magic have been adding solid pieces to surround him--Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu (up through last season), and now Vince Carter, to name a few. This new team, like the old Magic teams in the mid-90's, is one that has an unwavering love for the three-ball, as the current Magic hoist them at a ridiculous rate. Whatever works though right?
Last season, the Magic had a lot working as they advanced all the way to the finals; a finals which should have been a lot more competitive than it was as the Magic blew (Nick Anderson 2) game four in a scenario that left me angry and on the verge of tears. But in the end, the Lakers were a better team, but I don't believe by as much as the 4-1 series spread might indicate. It was certainly interesting to see all of the off-season moves by a team that had just made it to the finals. I admit, when we first got Vince Carter, I was ecstatic, as I thought, however small the possibility, we would be able to keep Turkloglu as well. When I went back and checked out the salaries, it seemed that letting Turkoglu go was inevitable, but when Turkoglu went on to a 10 million/year contract, and we ended up signing Marcin Gortat for 7 million/year, my attitude shifted from one of "that's just my team working within the salary cap and trying to avoid the luxury tax" acceptance, to slightly bitter frustration. Marcin Gortat is a decent backup center, and Brandon Bass, who is making 4 million/year, and Matt Barnes (who I'm guessing makes roughly the same) are good basketball players in their own right. But if you were the general manager of the Magic and had the opportunity to keep either Matt Barnes or Brandon Bass, and let the other, along with Gortat walk so you could keep Turkoglu, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. I understand the argument that having Marcin Gortat (a true big man) makes us more balanced, and the idea that he is nice insurance should Dwight ever be out during the regular season for an extended period of time. However, I believe keeping Turkoglu and acquiring a drifting big man for cheap would have been wiser. I believe you can find Marcin Gortat's all over, certainly at 7 million/year, but Turkoglu's (guys who can play the 1-4 positions essentially, handle the ball, create for teammates, take and make the difficult shots at the end of games) are much more difficult to come by. Anyway, that is neither here nor there at the present time; the team is what it is, and they are doing very well thus far.
I suppose my biggest gripe would be over the loss to the Pistons; what is it about that team that is so difficult for us to overcome? I know they used to be (quite recently actually) a really good team, but that is simply not the case these days. So why we lose to them, with Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince out no less, is beyond me. Oh, I guess the loss of Jameer Nelson was pretty disappointing at the time too, however, it has given Jayson Williams the opportunity to prove, again, what he is capable of doing, particularly with the amount of talent surrounding him on this team. My biggest concern with Jameer is that his knee is not going to be in a state where it will hold up throughout the remainder of the season when he does return. He seems to be falling into that vicious spiral that so many players have gone through with knee problems. I hope he does a 180 and proves me wrong.
That's all for now my fellow Magic fans. I will be writing again soon.
I became a Magic fan in 1994, when my antenna concerning the game of basketball had first risen and my love of the young duo of Shaq and Penny was almost palpable. I think it's safe to say that team would have won championships if Jordan's Bulls hadn't been around, Shaq hadn't left after the 1996 season, and Penny hadn't started his string of injuries around the turn of the century (yea, asking a bit much I guess, huh? But that's kind of how championship runs are for the teams that win them...everything lines up perfectly). Since Shaq's and Penny's departures I have suffered through seven long seasons (2000-07) of vastly unfulfilled promise; seven seasons that were supposed to be the McGrady-Hill era; the era that would make us Magic fans, still grieving about Shaq and Penny and what could have been, finally forget, or at least move past that era of shattered dreams. During these incredibly frustrating times, which piqued in 2004 with our otherworldly pathetic record, we managed to get the first pick in the NBA Draft and with it, a franchise savior. Dwight Howard, though still working on his offensive game (although I believe he's come a long way this season even compared to last) is a remarkable athlete with rebounding and shotblocking skills to truly envy. Since the time the Magic acquired Dwight in 2004, the Magic have been adding solid pieces to surround him--Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu (up through last season), and now Vince Carter, to name a few. This new team, like the old Magic teams in the mid-90's, is one that has an unwavering love for the three-ball, as the current Magic hoist them at a ridiculous rate. Whatever works though right?
Last season, the Magic had a lot working as they advanced all the way to the finals; a finals which should have been a lot more competitive than it was as the Magic blew (Nick Anderson 2) game four in a scenario that left me angry and on the verge of tears. But in the end, the Lakers were a better team, but I don't believe by as much as the 4-1 series spread might indicate. It was certainly interesting to see all of the off-season moves by a team that had just made it to the finals. I admit, when we first got Vince Carter, I was ecstatic, as I thought, however small the possibility, we would be able to keep Turkloglu as well. When I went back and checked out the salaries, it seemed that letting Turkoglu go was inevitable, but when Turkoglu went on to a 10 million/year contract, and we ended up signing Marcin Gortat for 7 million/year, my attitude shifted from one of "that's just my team working within the salary cap and trying to avoid the luxury tax" acceptance, to slightly bitter frustration. Marcin Gortat is a decent backup center, and Brandon Bass, who is making 4 million/year, and Matt Barnes (who I'm guessing makes roughly the same) are good basketball players in their own right. But if you were the general manager of the Magic and had the opportunity to keep either Matt Barnes or Brandon Bass, and let the other, along with Gortat walk so you could keep Turkoglu, wouldn't you do it? I know I would. I understand the argument that having Marcin Gortat (a true big man) makes us more balanced, and the idea that he is nice insurance should Dwight ever be out during the regular season for an extended period of time. However, I believe keeping Turkoglu and acquiring a drifting big man for cheap would have been wiser. I believe you can find Marcin Gortat's all over, certainly at 7 million/year, but Turkoglu's (guys who can play the 1-4 positions essentially, handle the ball, create for teammates, take and make the difficult shots at the end of games) are much more difficult to come by. Anyway, that is neither here nor there at the present time; the team is what it is, and they are doing very well thus far.
I suppose my biggest gripe would be over the loss to the Pistons; what is it about that team that is so difficult for us to overcome? I know they used to be (quite recently actually) a really good team, but that is simply not the case these days. So why we lose to them, with Richard Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince out no less, is beyond me. Oh, I guess the loss of Jameer Nelson was pretty disappointing at the time too, however, it has given Jayson Williams the opportunity to prove, again, what he is capable of doing, particularly with the amount of talent surrounding him on this team. My biggest concern with Jameer is that his knee is not going to be in a state where it will hold up throughout the remainder of the season when he does return. He seems to be falling into that vicious spiral that so many players have gone through with knee problems. I hope he does a 180 and proves me wrong.
That's all for now my fellow Magic fans. I will be writing again soon.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
