Everyone gets a voice on OrlandoMagic.com, including the fans. The Fan Voice is orlandomagic.com's official fan blog - written by a member of the Magic's Message Board community. This fan blogger's alias is "Live or Die Magic" and his frequent blogs have instantly become a hit!
Also, make sure to check out more of "Live or Die Magic's" blogs on the Magic Message Boards.
Click here to read some of his past blogs.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, June 3, 2008, 10:08AM
Three Week's Withdrawal
Denial is a powerful mental construct. If we allow ourselves to embrace it, we can easily forget difficulties in our lives, or forget grievances we’ve either given or received. In the case of a sports fan, it is the one and only sanctuary available once your favorite team has lost that last game and bid farewell until another season.
I’ll have you know that I am very accomplished at embracing denial. I only just found out yesterday that the Magic aren’t in the Finals. When they announced that Otis Smith had received a contract extension but made no mention of the preparations for the next game, it got me a little curious!
I’m sure many of my fellow Magic fans took a more proactive approach to dealing with our loss to the Pistons. In fact, I’ve been asked multiple times why I haven’t been posting blog updates, to which I gave rather testy responses. It is nice to see other Magic fans moving on...as evidenced on the boards, most of you have now moved on to discussing who we can get with the 22nd pick in this month’s draft. Depending on your feelings about the Magic’s draft history, we either can’t win or can’t lose with this pick. But, as bad as we do with non-lottery picks, just remember, we could be the Bulls and have a history of blowing top-5 picks. Yep, I think the Bulls are going to blow it again too.
But speaking of moving on...everyone’s favorite Magic Message Board blogger has actually been a little bit more passive in my recovery from this year’s ouster. I have tried to find other non-NBA things to occupy my time. I recently remembered that I have a family...their company sufficiently occupied my time for at least a week. Then I tried underwater basket weaving. It is much harder than they tell you. I also briefly tried to watch a Tampa Bay Rays game, but it only served to reinforce my complete and total lack of interest in the MLB (the only league more corrupt than the NBA seems to be). So, then I turned to horse racing, only to find out that it’s like two weeks between races and the races only last 2 minutes! Oh, and apparently if you lose, they kill you, right there on the track!! So, I decided to turn away from sports entirely and had a friend let me borrow his X-Files DVDs. This was not the move to make! Now I see conspiracies everywhere! I swear that all my neighbors are letting their dogs use my front lawn as their toilet. And it has only served to reinforce my feeling that the NBA did everything they could to get a Lakers/Celtics matchup. So, as a last resort, I found one thing to occupy my time...it was a novel thing actually, I believe some people refer to it as “work” but I’m not sure.
As for the series itself, it wasn’t so much the losing, it was the way we lost. The series was just full of “coulda, shoulda, woulda’s” – too many to deal with at once. If we had been swept by the Pistons but lost by a point in each game, it would have been frustrating, but at least we would have known that we fought them, hung with them, but just weren’t quite ready. But the games didn’t play like that at all. We were handed a gift opportunity and failed to capitalize. All indications so far this offseason point to a restructuring of this team. So we will never know just how good this current lineup could have been with a little more time together (yes, I know we need an SG and more beef up front!).
So, I suppose it is time to get over myself, throw off my self-pity, and take stock of the successful season my favorite team had. I think there is much to be proud of and yet much still to do in order to take another step next year. But we have the core group of players, the coaching staff, and now, for the near future, the GM committed to winning a title. Now that is an outcome for which there is no denying!
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, May 13, 2008, 2:01 PM
Dig A Hole
“Dig a hole.” It started out as a humorous moment in Jameer Nelson’s post-game press conference immediately following the Game 3 victory in Orlando last Wednesday night. Nelson seemed to stumble over his words while trying to state that the Magic didn’t want to dig themselves a hole by going down 3 games to none. When he finally got his words straight and everyone had a good laugh about it, he comically repeated the phrase “dig a hole,” just to prove that he could say it without stumbling.
Of course, the irony is that the Magic did manage to dig themselves a hole on Saturday night with the most bitter loss yet in this extremely bitter series with the Pistons. This time there were no excuses. There was no controversial call. In fact, the Pistons spotted us their best player. It should have been another double-digit victory. Jameer had another solid performance in Game 4, save for one area. He missed four out of six free throws. As I watched him miss those four free throws, especially the one late in the game that could have put us up by two with 44 seconds left, I couldn’t help but picture Nelson wielding a large shovel, making a larger hole with each clank.
Perhaps it was his knowledge that he played a crucial role in the loss that caused Nelson to make a guarantee for victory in Game 5. Personally, I was glad to hear it. He doesn’t cost himself or his team anything if he proves himself right, and any ridicule he receives if the Magic lose will be brief as the media and fans of other teams quickly shift their focus back to other, more compelling playoff matchups.
Nelson may be taking some hits now, but I think all of the pundits are saying what they are saying because they are surprised - much like we are - that the Magic didn't even this series at 2 each. Think about it...Charles Barkley, instead of ripping Nelson, would be saying "the Pistons are in serious trouble" if we had pulled out that Game 4 win.
In a way, we deserve to have the dirt already thrown on our coffin. We had a ready-made setup for a victory. Instead, we allowed the Pistons to dictate the game both offensively and defensively in the 2nd half. And it would appear that when neither team’s best player shows up, the Pistons win.
One thing I have surmised from these four games is that we are a capable team. We have the components in place to be a strong team in the East, one that is capable of advancing deep in the playoffs. Jameer Nelson has had a tremendous playoff run, free throws aside. He may still have some defensive deficiencies, but he has stepped up his consistency and most importantly, he has demonstrated his ability to be the captain and leader of this team on the court. Prior to these playoffs, it just seemed all talk. If he can continue his performance next year and beyond, then Magic fans will be praising his contract, not cursing it.
Rashard Lewis has also stepped up his game, showing he can do more than shoot from the perimeter. Dwight Howard had a monster series against the Raptors and even though he has slowed his pace against the Pistons, it is a testament to two things: the Pistons have the game plan and the personnel to counter him, and let’s face it, he’s 22 and still very much learning on the fly. Hedo Turkoglu is the only one that I just can’t figure out. He finally seemed to come alive near the end of Game 4, so perhaps he just had one of his spells that was the hallmark of his game prior to this season. Maybe Turk is the one that really explodes tonight. This team is full of talent and the future is bright. Another year of seasoning will only result in an increased win total and better awareness of what the playoffs are all about.
But I hate how us fans get too caught up in the “next year will be better” mindset. It is the quicksand trap for all sports fans. As the reality of the current season’s shortcomings sink in, we shift our focus to the promise of the season to come. It is human nature, and certainly it is something that fans of 29 NBA teams have in common each season.
I am very proud of what the Orlando Magic have accomplished this season, but personally, I am not ready for the season to be over. I have had more fun this season than in any since the “Heart and Hustle” year, and I want one more chance to join up with my fellow Magic fans for one more home game. I think we come back and win tonight. Whether it means that we can actually take this series is a limb that seems to creaky for me to step out on. But I think the Magic have one more victory in them. So, Jameer, I’m taking you at your word! Put the shovel down, put this team on your back if you have to and give us one more victory!
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Wednesday, May 7, 2008, 12:54 PM
Blown Calls; Blown Chances
It has been an interesting couple of days on the official Orlando Magic Message Boards. Intense debate, usually reserved for the Arroyo/Nelson argument or the JJ Redick argument was instead focused on the “refs vs. self” argument. By this I mean, did the refs cause us to lose Game 2 in Detroit or was it our own fault?
Many board members expressed strong feelings on the matter. Those that felt the Magic did themselves in made a point to berate the ones expressing frustration with the refs, amazed that they couldn’t see the Magic’s own lack of execution down the stretch. Those in the “ref” camp took issue with their fellow Magic fans not appreciating the affect a blown call (or three!) could have on the flow of the game. In fact, the handful of Pistons fans who have blessed us with their presence on the boards only had to sit back and enjoy the internal turmoil the Magic fans were having.
I spent most of Monday night and all of Tuesday sitting firmly in the “ref” camp. As I sit here on a Wednesday morning, I think I have finally had time to reflect on the issue and gain some perspective that only time and reading many, many posts, can provide. I still believe that the refs, through their execution of league rules, and their choice of calls, especially late in the game, had a significantly greater impact on the outcome of that game than is intended.
This doesn’t mean that I am choosing to ignore the fact that our “Big 3” had 17 turnovers, Lewis shot only 29% from the field, and our bench had no impact whatsoever on the game. The fact is, we finally were playing Orlando Magic basketball! The Detroit Pistons were reeling in the 3rd quarter. Had that momentum carried over into the 4th, it is possible that we could have had a lead which would have changed how we played and what decisions were made in the final minutes. All that momentum was taken away with that bogus shot by Billups.
But it wasn’t just that call. It was the foul on Dooling when Detroit was inbounding the ball, the inexplicable awarding of possession to Detroit after Turk grabbed a tough defensive board in traffic and it bounced off of Ratliff, and the fact that the refs selectively called fouls against Howard’s defenders for rough fouls but automatically called touch fouls on anyone guarding Detroit’s shooters.
Many have expressed anger at Turkoglu for his quick shot with less than a minute left. It was a bad decision certainly. But it might not have occurred had things prior to that gone differently. The cause and effect is too obvious to ignore. Turk had spent the third quarter setting up many of those beautiful three-pointers that got us the lead.
I’ve heard fans say, “well, the Magic players and coaches aren’t blaming that blown call on the loss, why are the fans?” First off, the players and coaches don’t have the luxury of stewing in their frustrations like us fans do. They have to focus on the next game. Furthermore, their mindset has to be that they finally showed that they can hang with the Pistons and get a lead. And finally, I’m pretty sure that the league still fines players and coaches who overtly criticize officials.
The Detroit Pistons are a great team and Game 2 should have been, could have been a close Magic victory. We have little margin for error against them to have any chance to compete in this series, or even win a game. But when there appears to be a third group of players on the court, well that is just too much to overcome. Turnovers, poor shooting, poor decision making, poor execution, and all that stuff, it can be overcome. Many a playoff victory has come when the winning team has stunk up the court. These problems are something that the Magic players and coaching staff can correct, either during a game or in preparation for the next one.
And herein lies the real reason that Magic fans are frustrated: the influence and impact that the refs have on a game is completely and totally out of the players and coaches control. In this case, the refs blown calls were much more detrimental than any turnover or bad play could have been. That’s my opinion, and I’m sticking to it.
Smurf Out!
It’s all unofficial of course, but if you have blue body paint and any white/blue clothing arrangement, you might consider wearing it to the game tonight. Or, even better, if you don’t have that stuff, you might just want to be on the lookout for some of your fellow Magic fans looking a bit like those lovable little sky-blue creatures. If the Magic prevail tonight, it could lead to a trend.
At the Buzzer
Watching Jason Maxiell play so effectively the last two games has served to sharply increase my already strong dislike of Fran Vazquez.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, April 30, 2008, 4:50 PM
Satisfaction
Satisfaction at least begins to describe the feeling I had Monday night while watching the closing seconds of Game 5 between the Orlando Magic and the Toronto Raptors. It took me a few moments to fully comprehend the meaning of the victory. I kept hearing the announcers say that it had been 12 years since we had advanced past the first round. Even though I know that to be true and I was there the last time it happened, all I could think was “twelve years, is that all?”
Hope and despair have been the two consistent, conflicting emotions the Magic fans have felt since the end of Game 4 against the Chicago Bulls in the 1996 East Conference Semi-Finals. The actions that led to the hope oftentimes also led to the despair. This is evident in moves such as a desperate trade for Rony Seikaly, the signing of coaches and staff like Chuck Daly, Julius Erving, and Doc Rivers, and the entire revamping of a roster to make room for saviors like Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill. These moves were all made while trying to recover from the blow we took when Shaq skipped town. At least twice we have tried to reinvent ourselves since then, each time thinking that this was the move that would get us back to that “magical” place. It speaks to the fortitude and loyalty of the long-suffering Magic fan that for all that hope and despair, we are still here to enjoy this wonderful, magical moment.
“Satisfied” describes how I felt on Friday when I wore my white “Blue and White Ignite” playoff t-shirt to work and had 4 different co-workers stop me and ask me about the shirt and ask if I was excited about the Magic. These are co-workers who have never once discussed the Magic with me until that day. Satisfied is how I felt when my mother watched Game 3 with me, her first Magic game in a couple of years – and started yelling at the TV when the Magic quickly got behind in their one loss in the series with the Raptors. The highlight of the night had to be when the camera focused on Stan Van Gundy and my mom exclaimed “who is that!?” I said “that’s our coach.” To which she replied: “That guy? He’s our coach!?” Satisfied is how I felt when my mother called me up Monday night after game 5, telling me how she had watched all of it and that Keith Bogans shoots the 3 as well as Dennis Scott. Considering that my mother’s Magic “fandom” is stuck in 1995 where Nick Anderson is perpetually stealing the ball, I have to call this progress.
Satisfied describes how I felt yesterday morning when I was again wearing a Magic t-shirt as I ran errands. Three different strangers stopped me and asked me if I had watched the game last night and exclaimed how awesome it was that the Magic are playing so well. One of them was an older lady who referred to Jameer Nelson as “Jammer.” I could be cynical and say that the playoff success is bringing out the casual or “fair-weathered” fan, but that would mean I am failing to give credit to the power that sports can have on a community. We are nowhere near approaching the levels of the 1995 Finals run, but the progression is the same. Anytime that something positive occurs, even if it only involves a sports team, the impact and influence are amplified when the community recognizes it and chooses to embrace it as if it is something that happened to them. And in fact, it IS happening to us!
Playoff success, is still a new and alien experience for us. It all happened too fast in 1995, in only our 6th season of existence. Perhaps we took it for granted. It showed when we chose to believe that we could still win without Shaq. We thought a team that had gone to the Finals, even if it no longer had Shaq, could at least make it out of the first round! Unfortunately, that core of Horace Grant, Penny Hardaway, Dennis Scott, Darrell Armstrong, and Nick Anderson would only get two more cracks at the playoffs before being busted up in 1999. That led to a long-stretch of time in which the Magic making the playoffs at all, much less advancing, seemed to be an effort. In fact, that seeming sense of uncertainty about just how good a team we would be didn’t end until February of this year, when we finally survived our January swoon and pushed forward.
So, now we are 19 seasons old and I’d venture to say that the Orlando Magic have a solid core of veteran NBA fans now. But this core of fans still can only fondly remember what it was like to watch as our favorite tall people marched through the rest of the league. So, in many respects, our community at large, be they Magic fans or not, is still very much new to all this NBA playoff success (yes, a 2nd round berth qualifies as success around here!). The good news is that regardless of how far we go next year, we can once again begin to take for granted that we will be here again soon!
An Exile’s Lament
I can be seen regularly on the official Orlando Magic Message Boards, but this past week has seen me take a much longer hiatus than I’m used to. Since even Magic fans must work regular jobs in order to afford all of those tickets, OCTB’s, t-shirts, OCTB’s, DirecTV satellite dishes, and therapy, I regrettably found my work life trumping my sports life. Business travel had me in Atlanta from late last week until late Monday night. My flight arrived back home just in time to catch the end of Game 5. Thankfully, I was able to watch the majority of Game 4 on Saturday from my hotel in Atlanta. But watching the game there just wasn’t the same as watching the game with a gathering of my fellow Magic fans. Having no other Magic fans around to share my joy after the Game 4 victory made me feel all the more lonely.
I was staying on the 16th floor of the Omni Hotel in downtown Atlanta. This hotel is 28 stories and it is immediately adjacent to Phillips Arena, where the Hawks play. Having my Saturday evening free, I briefly toyed with the idea of going downstairs and trying to get a cheap ticket to Game 3 of the Hawks/Celtics series. I chose to watch the game in my hotel room. I got a kick out of watching (and hearing) all the rowdy Hawks fans streaming out of the arena after the victory. Hundreds of them whooped and hollered for a good half-hour up and down the street below my hotel.
My traveling calendar is blank for the month of May but kicks in again in June. Let me just say this: I would absolutely love to have a scheduling conflict between my travel and the Magic games in the month of June.
Speaking of “Satisfaction…”
“Satisfied” also describes my feelings after watching the end of the Spurs/Suns series. I know that Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill are good people at heart. I know that they did a lot for this organization while they were here and that many of the long-term members of the Magic organization choose to remember them fondly. But for us fans who weren’t in the position to know either of them personally, we can only judge them by how their tenures (and departures) affected the Magic on the basketball court. Because both O’Neal and Hill left this team under circumstances that could be described as acrimonious at worst and “not-gregarious” at best, I would venture to say that I was not the only one to get a slightly bent, slightly sadistic kick out of watching O’Neal and Hill go out in the first round of the playoffs.
For O’Neal’s part, we have to share our satisfaction with Lakers fans and Heat fans. O’Neal may be the first superstar in NBA history to have poor relationships with the fans, owners, or management of every team he played for.
As for Grant Hill, I couldn’t help noticing the delicious irony in the fact that Grant Hill joined the Phoenix Suns because now that he was finally healthy, he wanted a chance to advance in the playoffs and try to win a championship. Well, guess what, when the Suns needed him most, Grant Hill suited up for them, unfortunately, it was the three-piece variety. Sound familiar Magic fans?
At the Buzzer
Just thought I’d let you guys know that the Philadelphia 76ers and the Atlanta Hawks are officially my second and third favorite teams, at least for the next week.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, April 24, 2008, 3:43 PM
Game 2 Observations
• I once again took the opportunity to tailgate before the game with some of my fellow Magic fans and Message Board Members. I really enjoyed it, even though I was the only one dressed like a tool and wearing a shirt and tie. I was introduced to two new things for me: “Amp and Vodka” and “Bubba Burgers."
• Our group must have shown well enough because a gentleman from 580 AM came over to interview “Crazy Magic Fans.” Our very own Marc Acres 3:16 did the interview and nailed it. About 40 minutes later, we were able to hear it on the radio. Good stuff.
• During pre-game intros, Stuff descended from the rafters over the court wearing fireworks – ignited fireworks. Word has it that Marc Acres 3:16 was strangely absent from his seat at the time. Hmm…..
• The Magic once again start out hot from the floor, building a 18 point lead in the first quarter. Two games in a row now, Hedo Turkoglu has dunked twice in the first quarter.
• The level of aggressiveness in the opening quarters has been extremely impressive – drives, blocks, steals, often by people you wouldn’t expect (Rashard Lewis).
• By halftime, the Raptors had finally made a game of it. Talking to some media members at half-time, we all agreed that the Magic might benefit later from having to win a close game or two against the Raptors.
• 3rd quarter – our first deficit in the series didn’t last long.
• Dwight has turned things up a notch…he went from dominant to DOMINANT!
• I am very proud of Jameer Nelson. He continued to push and press the ball every time he took possession of it. He became a leader out on the court.
• The Magic crowd is larger and more boisterous than the one that showed up on Sunday for Game 1. I saw absolutely no Raptors fans around my section.
• My favorite fans of the evening were the ones that started the “Ref You Suck” chant right below my seat.
• This may not have been obvious to the fans seeing him on the Jumbotron, but the fan who won the “Fan of the Game” award was wearing a Steve Francis jersey! Come on, that just aint right.
• I’ve got an insider’s tip for you…be on the lookout for Magic Smurfs in the audience if the Magic should advance to the 2nd round. Now, if that doesn’t win “Fan of the Game” I don’t know what will.
• The only thing that could possibly make my Magic playoff experience (so far) any better would be an appearance by Former Magic Dancer April. I’m just throwing that out there.
• I’m noticing more and more of the “Stan Van Damme” t-shirts in the audience. Those shirts are great. I especially love the “roundhousing his way through the NBA” line on the back of the shirt. I wonder how I would look in one of those, say, in an XL.
• Pleasant surprise of the night: seeing both Carlos Arroyo and the “Warlock” Marcin Gortat get some action in the 3rd quarter.
• I watched the last minute-and-a-half from the tunnel with Hoopsworld's Eric Lopez. Can't begin to describe how tense I was. I was just hoping the Raptors would leave us a second or two after they scored to go ahead. But Superman stepped up, with a little help from his friend (Bosh).
• The post-game press conferences were very interesting. Raptors coach Sam Mitchell was extremely candid, even gregarious, with the media. Surprisingly the Toronto media contingent took it pretty easy on him.
• The funniest part of the press conference was when Jose Calderon was up on the raised stage, answering questions by himself, while Turk, Nelson, and Howard were off to the side, unnoticed, waiting their turn. Calderon was making comments about how the Raptors would definitely be back in Orlando (for a Game 5) and talking about what they would do differently to beat the Magic. Meanwhile, the three Magic players were listening intently to what Calderon was saying, with huge grins on their faces. Calderon didn’t notice they were there until he stood up to leave. I’m sure Calderon wondered why so many members of the media were grinning while he spoke. We could see the Magic players, but he couldn’t.
• Once Turk, Nelson, and Howard took the press conference stage, it was all they could do to keep a straight face. Howard had to keep his face in his hands to keep from laughing and Turk just wore a goofy grin on his face the whole time.
• The funniest moment was when someone asked him about his “21 points” in game 1. Nelson quickly interrupted him and said “24. It was twenty FOUR points.” Hilarious.
Good luck in Toronto guys. One win would be nice, but two would be better!
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 3:39 PM
5-Year Wait is Over
The last time the Magic won a playoff game, it was a momentous occasion. The O-rena was rocking, and dynamic young players like T-Mac, Gordon Giricek, and Drew Gooden were taking it to the pre-title Pistons, who nonetheless were the #1 seed in the East. I have always found it ironic that we won three first round playoff games in the very first season that the NBA went to a seven game series in the first round. One year earlier and we would have advanced.
I was in the O-rena for all three home games against the Pistons during that series, so I remember the sheer joy of Games 3 and 4 and the sense of finality of Game 6. Last year’s games against the same Pistons only seemed to reinforce the sense of futility I felt as a Magic fan, trying to get over this Pistons hump.
All that went away on Sunday. The Amway Arena that was rocking, dynamic young players like Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, and Maurice Evans were taking it to the hapless Raptors. That first quarter was magical, and the boys in blue and white had enough at the end to pull away from the Raptors and take a very comfortable Game 1 victory, the first Magic playoff victory in five years. Anyone care to guess how many more years it will be before we DON’T have a playoff victory?
NBA Basketball, It’s Tailgate-tastic
I’m a veteran of many a tailgate party at UCF home games and Tampa Bay Bucs home games. Still, I had never even considered tailgating at a Magic game. Well, this past Sunday I did just that! I met up with some of the other Magic Message Board members and we had some suds, some chips, and some brats over in the parking lot on the North side of the O-rena. It was the first time tailgating at a Magic game for all of us, and this was a collection of some vet Magic fans. I only heard after the fact that the Magic organization put on a bit of a tailgating show of their own. So, kudos to them. I’m especially sorry that I missed out on the Beer Garden. I’ll be sure to check that out tonight!
I think this is a situation where, once you start a tradition, you can’t stop it. The Magic got first round home court advantage. So, they need to keep doing that. The Magic fans – at least the group that I’m a part of – started tailgating before Magic playoff games this season. No doubt, this will continue. In fact, why do it just for the playoffs? Any weekend regular season Magic game makes a great tailgating opportunity!
Two Up, Two Down
Guess what, the Magic are going to win tonight. I think the Raptors will try to address their issues from Game 1, but the fact is that no one on the Raptors can stop Dwight and even if only two of our five 3-point threats are shooting well, it should be enough to win – even if it’s a close game.
Canada is going to seem much more friendly to our Magic men when they head up there at 2-0.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, April 15, 2008, 4:27 PM
Brand New Magic Fan
Blogger’s note: allow me to apologize to my loyal readers, both of you, for being absent from this space recently. I would now like to present to you an entry that I have been adding to, off-and-on for the last couple of weeks. It is a long one, so kudos to those of you who make it through to the end.
While this entry may be long and perhaps even self-indulgent, it still stands as an account of what an awesome experience it can be to attend a Magic game for the first time, especially for a young child. I hope you enjoy it.
Sometimes it really isn’t about the winning or the losing, but about the enjoyment along the way. I never would have believed that prior to attending the Magic vs. Hornets game the other week. I’ve always viewed any Magic loss as a bad game and therefore, a bad experience. But then I had the pleasure of taking my son to his first Magic game, and I saw everything from a different perspective.
My son, let’s call him “LOD Jr.,” just turned 6 years old. I took him to a Magic game back when he was 2 years old but obviously he doesn’t remember that. I had hoped to wait until he was old enough to really appreciate the experience before I took him back to another one. He watches the games on TV with me, but he seldom has the patience to make it through an entire game, and most of them end well past his bedtime.
But as my involvement with the Magic has increased this season, so has his interest in the team. All season, every time I would go to one of the home games, he would ask me, “Daddy, when can I go to a Magic game with you?” I would always tell him that it would be very soon. As his birthday approached, I arranged to get good seats in the lower bowl for a game.
I went out a bought a nice, white Magic hat and a blue and black Magic t-shirt. I also got a Magic team poster (handed out at a recent game) from a buddy. All these items were placed in a gift bag along with the two tickets. I saved that present for last, and I gotta be honest, I was as excited and nervous about him opening it as he was. I was literally shaking from excitement, hoping that he would react in a positive way. He grabbed the hat and the shirt and seemed to like both of them, but it was when he saw the tickets that his face really lit up. He grabbed the two tickets, held them above his head, and yelled to everyone in the room – mom, grandparents, aunts, uncles, friends, etc. – “Whoa! Magic tickets!!” His face was beaming and my heart swelled. I didn’t have to tell him who the other ticket was for, he knew that daddy was taking him to the Magic game. I told him that we would also try to get some cards autographed by the visiting New Orleans Hornets. He said he hoped we could get Dwight Howard’s autograph too! You gotta give the kid credit, he shoots for the stars.
The weekend before the game, I went through all my old basketball cards, looking for any New Orleans Hornets players I could find. LOD Jr. was still holding out hope that he could get some Magic players to sign but I told him that the visiting team is usually easier than the home team.
On the day of the game, I made sure to get off from work as early as possible. When I got home, LOD Jr. was ready, wearing his shirt, his hat, and a huge, huge smile. Mrs. LOD said that since at least the middle of the afternoon, LOD Jr. had jumped at every noise, thinking it was daddy coming home to take him to the game. When I got home, I changed into my own Magic hat and shirt, grabbed our tickets, our cards, my camera, and we hit the road!
On the drive to the O-Rena, the conversation was typical of any that involve 6 year olds, primarily focusing on how much cotton candy and popcorn would there be at the game, how much of said cotton candy and popcorn he would be allowed to consume, and whether he’d be able to sit near Dwight Howard. We got to the O-Rena at about 5:45 PM. I made sure to take his picture in front of the marquee at the Northeast corner, the one that said “Orlando Magic vs. New Orleans Hornets.”
As we were heading over to the South side of the building, we passed people who were handing out black Geico “snap armbands.” LOD Jr. grabbed one of these and wore it proudly. Well, that is, he wore it proudly when he wasn’t taking it off and trying to “snap” it on everything in sight.
When the doors opened at 6 PM, we met up with my friend Tony and headed down to where the fans are allowed to wait for visiting players to leave the court after pre-game warm-ups. As chronicled in this space several weeks ago, I had only recently experienced this for the first time myself. So, I was very excited to do it again with my son. We waited patiently with about 15 other fans and the first Hornets player we saw was Morris Peterson. I instructed LOD Jr. to hold his card out through the rail and wait to get Peterson’s attention. Unfortunately, as he tried to stick the card through the rail, he dropped it about 8 feet down to the tunnel floor below. Peterson saw what happened, saw that it was a young kid that did it, and acted accordingly. He feigned surprise and said “Hey, it looks like I’ve got a new card now!” He then bent down, picked the card up and turned back to LOD Jr. and said “This is my card now, right? I get to keep it?” LOD Jr. was too nervous to do anything but wag his head a little. Peterson then cracked a smile, signed the card, and handed it back to LOD Jr., who was now beaming. I told him to say thank you, which he did. The two O-rena ushers nearby, as well as the handful of Magic fans who witnessed the interaction, were all extremely delighted to witness such a personal “moment” between a player and a young fan, even a moment as short and simple as that one. Peterson certainly endeared himself to me with how he treated my son (Edit: that endearment disappeared with that bogus foul call on Mo Evans near the end of the game, but that’s a different story!).
We ended up getting autographs from three other Hornets players: Chris Andersen, Julian Wright (on a rookie card), and my personal favorite, David West, on a rookie card. I must say, the players that signed made sure that everyone had a turn. But the two very friendly O-Rena ushers that were present went out of their way to make sure that LOD Jr.’s cards got signed. At one point, one of the ushers actually took the card from my son and personally handed it to the player to sign.
By the time the fourth card was signed, LOD Jr. had caught the bug and was looking for bigger fish. He looked across the court to wear Dwight Howard was warming up with Patrick Ewing and asked if we could go over and see if we could get his autograph. I told him that I didn’t think that was possible, but that I thought we could maybe try to get a photo of him standing near the court with Howard in the background. We were heading around the court just as Howard was walking back toward the tunnel. We hurried our steps and made it over there just as he was walking by. There was too large a crush of people to get a good photo, but I was able to lift LOD Jr. up to get a closer view of Howard. Incidentally, Howard did stop and sign for at least two or three fans.
When Howard left the court after pre-game warm ups, the crowd around the NorthEast tunnel diminished significantly. We were able to stand very near the court and watch as Magic owner Bob Vander Weide and former Magic stars Dennis Scott and Nick Anderson practiced shooting for the festivities surrounding Vander Weide’s 50th birthday celebration. Magic general manager Otis Smith was standing nearby watching. Sensing an opportunity, I asked LOD Jr. what he would think of having his Magic hat autographed. He thought that this was a great idea, so when Otis Smith came near, I told LOD Jr. to take his hat off and politely ask Mr. Smith if he would sign for him (I had a Sharpie at the ready). Otis Smith graciously accommodated him, signing on the bill of the hat. LOD Jr. thought this was fun enough that he wanted to try to get more, so when Vander Weide came near, he approached him as well. Vander Weide took his time with LOD Jr., asking him for his name and also how old he was. I took a photo of Vander Weide bending down and autographing my son’s Magic hat while wearing his Magic warm-up outfit on his 50th birthday. I thought that was a memory my son will appreciate when he is older. Next up, my son approached Dennis Scott and got his auto on the hat as well. We waited another 5 minutes to try to see if we could get Nick Anderson, but he was shooting the whole time. LOD Jr. knows that Nick is my all-time favorite, so he was hoping for that one. But, now we have something to shoot for the next time we go. Autos of Otis Smith, Dennis Scott, and Bob Vander Weide on your Magic hat is not too shabby for your first Magic game!
With the autographs out of the way, we proceeded on to an even more important Magic game activity: food! I gave LOD Jr. the run-down of the usual O-rena fare, leaving it up to him to choose what he wanted. After considering all the options, he decided that the O-Rena Chicken Tender Basket sounded best. The impact of what I am about to tell you cannot be overstated: I have never been more proud of my son than in that moment! You must believe me when I tell you that I did nothing to influence his decision. Chalk it up to good genes that my son would be able to quickly and decisively identify the single greatest sports venue fare that has ever been bestowed upon a lucky sports fan. The breasts were juicy and tender that day my friend. And the fries-on-the-side brought their “A” game. As if all of that wasn’t enough, LOD Jr. almost went into pre-emptive sugar overload when he found out he was splitting my Mountain Dew with me!
I found out the hard way that getting yourself and a six year old – with all four arms full – through a crowded O-rena concourse is a cumbersome, yet simultaneously delicate task. We found empty seats in the raised seating at the top of the lower bowl where we were able to sit and eat our food prior to tip-off. Between hot juicy bites of chicken tenders and cold, tangy sips of Mountain Dew, LOD Jr. proceeded to take in all the sights down on the court, and asking me a different question what seemed like a every 5 seconds. I gotta point out once more how much he enjoyed the OCTB. He even particularly mentioned how he liked the seasoning of the FOTS. I told him that this is why daddy always gets that meal and he asked me, in total seriousness, “Daddy, can we ALWAYS get the chicken tender basket?” Let’s score that as proud moment of the evening #2!
After wiping our hands and polishing off our drink, we made our way over to our seats. While sitting, LOD Jr. was still in a perpetual state of awe as he continued to be enraptured by all the activity taking place around him in the stands and on the court. He managed to startle me when he suddenly yelled “Ooh, ooh! Look at that” while pointing his finger in the air. He had seen the TG LEE “mini-blimp” floating overhead, dropping small pieces of paper to the crowd below. He was fascinated by the blimp and asked several blimp-related questions throughout the course of the evening, apparently assuming that I am a mini-blimp expert (point of fact, dad’s are experts on everything). Unfortunately, the blimp never passed directly overhead, but just the idea that it could, at any moment, pass overhead, kept my son on the edge of his seat as much as anything that was taking place on the court.
Other things that kept LOD Jr. on the edge of his seat and chatting in my ear included: the guys and girls walking up and down the stairs hawking ice cream, the guys and girls on the court firing t-shirts and other items into the crowd, and believe it or not, the Magic dancers! Now, before you think I am corrupting my young son’s innocent mind, let me state that it was the simple fact that they continued to change outfits, along with his observation that they continued to change location, that most interested him.
Prior to getting to our seats, I had told LOD Jr. that he could have cotton candy at halftime. About 2 minutes into the first quarter, he turns to me and says: “how do you know when it’s halftime?” All I could do is smile, laugh, and tell him that it was still a little while away. But I did take the opportunity to point out the scoreboard and clock. Oh, and by the way, he never did get any cotton candy. That became an afterthought from the moment he saw the first dude hawking ice cream! For those of you that might need the information for future use, a six year old is fully capable of eating most of an OCTB, an entire container of the “Dibs” ice cream bites, and still ask for more snacks afterward! Oh, what the hell, let’s call this proud moment of the evening #3, for those scoring at home. And no, I have no idea why all three proud moments revolve around food.
As the game got underway, LOD Jr. and I paid attention to what was happening on the court. He got really caught up in the “numbers” aspect of an NBA game. He continued to tell me the score, reminding me that the Magic were still ahead, or that the Magic now had “this many points” or “that many points.” He was also an extremely astute observer of even the most obvious facts. He said that #3 for the other team (Chris Paul) was “very fast” and that #6 (Tyson Chandler) was “very tall.” The kid can really get straight to the point. He’s concise. I think this kid has tremendous upside. In fact, his natural knack for brevity puts him head and shoulders above Bill Walton already.
At halftime, we watched the absolute most-perfect entertainment for a kid attending for the first time. All the NBA team mascots, the kids from the Boys and Girls Club, and even Bob Vander Weide, playing dodgeball at center court was an absolute treat. LOD Jr. didn’t realize this was a rare occurrence; he thought that every Magic game included dodge ball and multiple mascots, including one, a Raptor maybe, who appeared to actually eat whole one of the Magic dancers. They repeatedly showed this on the jumbo tron, prompting LOD Jr. to proclaim loudly to everyone within earshot: “I sure hope that dinosaur doesn’t come over here!” Good times.
In the 19 years that I have been attending Magic games, I have never once caught a t-shirt or whatever else they throw into the audience. This fact has never really bothered me much. But on this night, I suddenly found myself screaming at them to “shoot it over here! Hey!!! Over HERE!!” while waving and flapping my arms around like a duck caught in a tar pit. LOD Jr. wanted a shirt pretty bad, so I set out to get one for him. It didn’t happen, and he was disappointed, but he knew for sure that his daddy had made every effort to make it happen. I usually save that level of yelling for the refs.
The game ended up being a tight one, and I think LOD Jr. could sense that we were all on edge. He must have thought the game was similar to a movie, because he kept asking me “Daddy, are the Magic going to win?” much like he is always asking me what happens next when we’re watching TV. I could only say “I sure hope so, son.” Ultimately, it ended bad for the home team and the home crowd, but you wouldn’t have known it from watching my son’s face. He was just as happy and full of energy while we were walking out as he was when we walked in. While I am sure that some of that was the sheer volume of sugar coursing through his blood, I also know that some of it was the magic – both the literal and the figurative versions – that he experienced that evening.
This was the first of many games that I intend to take him to, now that I know he is a Magic fan for life. The best part for me is that this experience enabled me to view it all through the eyes of my son, which only served to reinforce all the reasons why I’m a Magic fan and why I love attending the Magic games, win or lose (or in my case, live or die!).
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Monday, March 24, 2008, 5:17 PM
"I Survived FSN...So Where's My T-Shirt?"
Those of you who have remained Brighthouse customers throughout this current Magic season are keenly aware of the significance of tomorrow night’s game against the San Antonio Spurs. It is the last game of the season to be broadcast on Fox Sports Net. The remainder of the regular season games will be broadcast on Brighthouse-friendly Sun Sports or nationally televised on ESPN.
I am not going to rehash the issue between the Orlando Magic, Brighthouse Networks, and Fox Sports Net. By now, most everyone is aware of the details. But I will say that it appears that those Magic fans who jumped the Brighthouse ship early and switched to one of the two major satellite providers may have been the smart ones. I certainly didn’t feel that the dispute would last the entire season. Now that one season has passed with no resolution, what’s to stop the impasse from continuing indefinitely?
I never would have thought I could make it through an entire season with not being able to view such a large number of Magic games. Were it not for my ability to see many of the home games in person this season, I think I would have gone into Magic game withdrawal. But after tomorrow night, I will no longer need to worry about checking the schedule to determine if I can actually watch the game. It has made me look at a Magic telecast in a different light. What I took for granted for 18 seasons I now see as a luxury. The ability to sit in the comfort of my own home and watch a Magic away game is now at a premium.
My personal situation prevented me from leaving Brighthouse Networks. If by this coming Fall, a resolution has not been found, I and many others may find that any barriers to making the switch to a provider with an agreement with FSN don’t look quite as insurmountable.
This has been a trying season for the average Magic fan, at least those fans who subscribe to cable. We managed to make it through, though slightly worse for wear. It has been a breakout season for the Magic team on the court, but unfortunately the vast majority of Magic fans who live in Central Florida had to miss many Magic victories. Here’s hoping that the 2007-2008 Magic season is an aberration in this one respect.
Oh, and by the way, my size is XL.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Thursday, March 13, 2008, 12:39 PM
"Wizards > Magic > Cavs?"
Well, it would appear that we are better than the Cavaliers because we beat them on Monday. It would appear that the Wizards are better than us because they beat us last night. It would appear that the Wizards are also better than the Cavs because Wizards guard Deshawn Stevenson says that LeBron James (and therefore the Cavs) is overrated! No, I don’t actually buy any of that, at least not at face value. But it does appear that all is not settled in the East.
Who says all the playoff intrigue is out West!? I say NO! If you look past the actual won/loss records (which by comparison is unfavorable to the East), you will see that there are plenty of interesting possibilities and storylines in the Eastern Conference playoffs. Oh sure, it will likely still come down to who wins Game 7 of the ECFs between Detroit and Boston, but up until that point, many exciting things will happen. For instance:
• If the Wizards jump the Raptors for the 5th seed, we may see a great matchup between the Cavaliers and Wizards. LeBron may have played off Stevenson’s comments, but I still think that he will have a little extra motivation should they meet. The biggest beneficiary of the extra attention paid to the Stevenson/James spat might be Agent Zero himself. I haven’t forgotten the way LeBron James got into Gilbert Arenas’s head two years ago when Arenas was at the free throw line during their playoff matchup. If James has his focus on trying to punk Stevenson, maybe Arenas goes off and makes it a longer series.
• Atlanta as the 8th seed. If Atlanta pushed New Jersey out of the final spot, it could make for an entertaining 1 vs. 8 series. Boston will beat Atlanta. I’m not saying it won’t happen. It will. But Atlanta will give them a good test. Atlanta has extremely strong guard play, and by the playoffs, Mike Bibby should be fully acclimated. But the real fun will be in the front court where Josh Smith and Al Horford can match Boston in athleticism, if not in overall talent. A team like Boston doesn’t really care who they get in the opening round, but if they had to choose, I’m sure they’d prefer to see the Nets, who would guarantee a quick sweep and some rest.
• Who “lucks out” with the 76ers? I know the Sixers are playing well, but of all the teams from 5-9, they are the one that offers the easiest possible first round matchup. They are strongest at guard, but lack any real depth and also lack experience. I reserve the right to change my opinion about them if they should take it to the Magic tomorrow night.
• Orlando vs. Toronto in the 1st Round. I just can’t decide if this potential matchup is scarier for me as a Magic fan than a matchup with an Arenas-led Wizards team. At full strength, the Raptors give us fits. This matchup will come down to two things: home court advantage, and coaching. Thankfully, we own both those categories.
Observations – Magic vs. Cavaliers (March 17th, 2008)
• I was so pumped for this game, and I was so happy to see it turn out to be as good a game as I hoped.
• Still WAY too many cheers for LeBron during intros.
• Next time you are at a game, make sure to watch how all the Magic players interact near the bench just before tip-off. There is some seriously funny rituals going on over there!
• Not sure if you can hear it on TV, but the Magic organization play the theme music to the “Super Man” movie when Howard goes to the free throw line.
• Most popular jersey in the crowd tonight: the green Redick #7 jersey.
• Second most popular jersey in the crown tonight: LeBron James’ high school jersey, the “Irish.”
• I saw former Magic GM John Gabriel down in the tunnels, he was doing some TV work at the game. He isn’t with the Trailblazers anymore, but I asked him if he knew anything about Greg Oden’s knee. He said he thinks the knee is fine but that he also thinks the Blazers wish they were picking again.
• When Keyon Dooling entered the game after a long injury lay-off, it appeared that he was trying to make up for all his shot attempts at once!
• The game featured three overall #1 picks: LeBron, Howard, and Joe Smith.
• Even though Mike Brown took the Cavs to the Finals last season, I am still getting a “Doug Collins with the late 80’s Bulls” vibe from him. Sorry to perpetuate any LeBron/Jordan comparisons.
• The crowd at home missed an interesting half-time act: “Trust in Plastic.” A five-piece percussion act on plastic drums. Good stuff.
• Did you know that Pat Garrity still plays for the Magic? Neither did I! But he sure showed up and gave a solid effort in a big win. When he hit that three, the roof came off the joint. During the post-game press conference, SVG just gushed about Pat’s effort and professionalism in stepping in when Rashard Lewis and Brian Cook got in foul trouble. The Sentinel’s Tim Povtak asked SVG if he didn’t just play Garrity because it was St. Patrick’s Day. After a nice laugh from the media contingent, SVG said that the thought actually crossed his mind.
Observations – Magic vs. Wizards (March 19th, 2008)
• Dwight is allowed to have a bad game. So is Rashard Lewis. It is just unfortunate when they have a bad game at the same time.
• The bad thing about Dwight’s 3 points was that it came on only 6 shot attempts. I could have lived with the 3 points coming on 1 for 14 shooting because then at least you know he’s getting the looks.
• I liked Deshawn Stevenson when he was with the Magic. I think it was unfortunate the way he left and what happened with his agent. But after observing him saying “choke” over and over again in Jameer Nelson’s direction while he was at the free throw line late in the fourth, I can say that any affinity I had for him is gone.
• Do you really need for me to make any observations about the officiating in this game?
• It was great to see a strong contingent of Magic Message Boarders at the game against the Wizards, including in no particular order: Marc Acres 3:16, Echo4papa, High Class Trash, Nick Anderson 4 President, Davcivic, WPMagic, Hutchence, and ST since 90. Echo4papa scored himself a particular hot, tender, and juicy looking OCTB.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Thursday, March 13, 2008, 12:39 PM
"Short Clips"
Can I just tell you something? I absolutely love the LA Clippers. No, they aren’t one of my favorite teams or anything like that. I only have one favorite team. I love the Clippers because they are a great benefit to the NBA. They allow the other teams in the league to pencil an “easy win” on their calendars. And they allow us fans to attend a game with the relaxed certainty of going home happy.
The Clippers actually have some pretty good pieces and a great coach in Mike Dunleavy. But the combination of bad luck (injuries to Elton Brand, Shaun Livingston, Chris Kaman), bad location (playing in the West), and bad ownership (Donald Sterling), have the ’07-’08 Clippers pretty much playing the string out for one more month.
But let’s talk about why this was such a good thing for yours truly last night! I attended last night’s game with an actual ticket (vs. my media seat), along with several other members of the Magic Message Boards. I was able to experience some things at a Magic game that I had never experienced before:
•An hour before tip-off, we went down to where the Clippers were having pre-game warm-ups and waiting for them to leave the court. One by one, as the players headed back into the tunnel, they paused to sign autographs. We got autographs from Al Thornton, Corey Maggette, Elton Brand, Cuttino Mobley, and Shaun Livingston. It was the first time that I and fellow moderator Davcivic, who was with me, had ever gotten autographs before a game. We were very surprised how easy it was! The other people that were there getting autographs seemed to be “veterans” of the process and knew which players were more likely to sign. For instance, it was apparently a big deal that Corey Maggette stopped to sign autographs. We were also able to see known Magic killer Smush Parker sitting in street clothes. He had just been signed by the Clips but was still unavailable to play for them.
•While standing near one of the bars on the Concourse, Davcivic, Marc Acres 3:16, and myself noticed the Magic’s very own “Fat Guy” walking past us with a woman I assumed to be his wife. He is actually much shorter, and less “fat” close up than I would have imagined. Things got weird when about 30 seconds after he passed us, I turned and saw him approaching us again from the same direction as before!! I asked Davcivic and Marc Acres if someone had hit the Twilight Zone rewind button because it looks to me like the Fat Guy is coming by us again. Marc Acres, without missing a beat, says “No, he’s just already lapped the Concourse again, he’s just that fast.” This led to a brief discussion of places where the Fat Guy should do his laps. The Fat Guy’s alter ego is mild-mannered lawyer Dennis Salvagio. So we’re thinking that after his closing arguments, the Fat Guy runs around the courtroom, firing everybody up, getting the jury to do the wave. Please feel free to post your own ideas for places/times where the Fat Guy's laps are needed.
•During the 2nd quarter, Davcivic and I walked over to where Rock Chalk Magic sits and spoke with him for a bit. On the way back to our seats, we noticed a woman walking in front of us who was wearing jeans. Nothing strange so far. But here’s the thing, the right back pocket – basically one-half of the back of her jeans – was ripped away and was hanging open. Essentially, one half of this woman’s backside was visible for all to see. And there were plenty of people – young and old – seeing it. What can I say, stitch quality has suffered since Levi’s moved their shops overseas.
•Sitting near us, there was a rather loud gentleman who continuously referred to Jameer Nelson as “bridge troll.” I have no idea what that means, and from the looks of those around us, neither did anyone else. At the end of the game, this same interesting gentleman threw what appeared to be a large nut of some kind toward the court. It takes all kinds I guess.
•Saddest site of the night, even more sad than that poor woman with the defective jeans, was a man wearing a Drew Gooden Magic Jersey. He wore number “0,” he has bad grooming habits. Let’s move on.
The game itself was enjoyable (except for the first three minutes when the Magic were stagnant) and if anything, the Magic should have won by more. I was pleased to see how aggressive Rashard Lewis was, especially on the boards. There was great balance from the starting five but I was disappointed to see Keith Bogans continue his “on one game, off the next” routine.
Near the end of the fourth quarter, the chants for JJ began. There was a group of ladies to our right that just kept screaming “JJ” over and over again. When he got in the game, our section got even louder. The interesting loud guy near us practically blew his lungs out screaming “J – J Red – ick!” over and over. Every time JJ touched the ball, the crown swooned. A guy behind me went ballistic when Dooling didn’t pass the ball to a wide open Redick, never mind that Garrity made the shot. Unfortunately, JJ never took a shot. But he did have a very exciting drive in the lane that ended in a turnover. This was a game where JJ, Pat, and the rest should have been in at the 6 minute mark. I’d love to see what he can do when he has a chance to get comfortable.
The win over the Clippers secured a winning season for the Magic, first in five years. I didn’t realize how nice it would feel to be able to write that. The wins should keep coming too, beginning tomorrow night…if you thought the Clippers are accommodating, may I present to you the World Champion Miami Heat?
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Tuesday, March 4, 2008, 9:52 AM
"Marching On"
The month of March brings 10 home games for the Orlando Magic, more by three than any other month of the season. It’s good timing too, because the Magic seem to have finally figured out how to have success at home – winning their last four at Amway Arena – as well as on the road. The Magic are still in a three-way tie for most road wins in the NBA at 21. But they now have 17 home wins and should soon be able to claim more home wins than road wins.
The heavy home schedule isn’t the only thing that is working in the Magic’s favor. Of the nine home games left this month, starting with tonight’s match up with Toronto, six of them are against Eastern Conference teams and five of them are against teams with a sub .500 record. We do have tough match ups against a revamped Cleveland and a streaking San Antonio, but the Magic have a tendency to play up to the big teams and we should be able to grab a victory in one of those games.
Factor in a reasonable soft road schedule – at Washington, Miami, Atlanta, and Milwaukee, and the Magic have no excuse not to grab 10 victories this month, including the win they already have over the Knicks on Saturday night. As I have stated many times in this space, as long as the Magic beat the teams they are supposed to beat, we should exit the month of May within spitting distance of the 50 win mark.
With that said, here are my bold predictions for this month’s games:
• March 4th - Vs. Raptors (No Bosh? No problem! Contain Calderon and put the subs in early.) – Magic WIN
• March 5th – @ Wizards (Of late, Wizards are giant-killers, this is the one road game we drop all month.) Magic LOSE
• March 8th – Vs. Warriors (This should be an exciting game with lots of points and little defense. I’m seeing a big shot from Turk near the end.) Magic WIN
• March 10th – Vs. Hawks (For some reason, we let this team get to us. They won at Amway earlier this year, but Dwight gets up for the Hawks.) Magic WIN
• March 12th – Vs. Clippers (If there can be a cupcake from the West, the Clippers qualify. They are in a tailspin, having lost 6 straight.) Magic WIN
• March 14th - @ Heat (What’s the over/under on Pat Riley still being on the bench and Wade still being on the court by the time this one arrives?) Magic WIN
• March 15th – Vs. Pacers (Back end of a road/home back-to-back, but this is one the Magic have to have.) Magic WIN
• March 17th – Vs. Cavaliers (It’s either the momentum of a 5 game winning streak, or the leprechauns in the building.) Magic WIN
• March 19th – Vs. Wizards (The “magic” had to end some time, and now they begin to wonder about that #3 vs. #6 matchup in the first round.) Magic LOSE
• March 21st – Vs 76ers (Philly found a formula that works and go with it again. Miller and Green again run all over the Magic guards.) Magic LOSE
• March 22nd - @ Hawks (A very frustrated Magic team do some venting in Atlanta. I feel sorry for the Hawks.) Magic WIN
• March 25th – Vs. Spurs (Let’s be realistic here, can the Magic count on another incredible alley-oop to beat these guys? Maybe not, but they make a game of it.) Magic LOSE
• March 28th – @. Bucks (After two days rest, the Magic end the month on a high note against an overmatched Milwaukee squad.) Magic WIN
And there you have it, 10 wins and 4 losses for the month, putting us at 47-27 as we head into April. You can mark it down…it’s science.
Trade Deadline Withdrawals
Despite it being well over a week now since the trade deadline passed, I still open up ESPN.com’s main page with a flutter in my chest, expecting to see something big in the “breaking news” section. As the teams out West kept making big move after big move, I kept a defibrillator handy when I was surfing the Internet for information. There was so much activity leading up to the deadline, and so much anticipation that the Magic would get in on the act, that once the deadline passed, I was left with an empty feeling.
Like many of you, I thought for sure that Otis Smith would make a move – even a small one – at the trade deadline. With all the expiring contracts, and with our need for size, I truly thought we would be saying goodbye to some combination of Carlos Arroyo, Pat Garrity, Keith Bogans, James Augustine, JJ Redick, etc. etc.
What we do know is that Otis was active leading up to the deadline. He was listening to offers and was willing to make a deal if he heard one he liked. He says now that he is happy with the team he has and I have no arguments to make, despite my fantasies of seeing players like Reggie Evans, Kurt Thomas, Chris Wilcox, Udonis Haslem, or even Ron Artest in a Magic uniform.
This team should be primed for a second round playoff appearance this season. No one wants it to stop there, but it just seems like a natural progression for this team. Perhaps the case is this: we may know more about what tweaks this team needs after watching our performance against a team like Boston or Detroit in the second round.
Otis Smith is likely to still have some work to do this Summer. There are decisions to be made on players like Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, and Maurice Evans. And there still may be a trade that brings that unnamed player we’ve all been ranting about, we just may have to wait a few more months for it.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Wednesday, February 28, 2008, 9:43 AM
"Q & A With John Denton"
Members of the Magic Message Boards, and basketball fans in general, know that the primary source of information about any NBA team is the beat writer. The beat writer covers the hometown (or home region) team for the local newspaper. It is the beat writer that attends the games, the practices, and the press conferences, wherever and whenever they occur, so that the readers get their daily dose of news, anecdotes, scuttlebutt, rumors, and opinion about their favorite basketball team.
With the proliferation of news content on the internet, this information is even more accessible. Oftentimes, the reports from the beat writers hit the newspaper’s websites long before the newspaper itself hits the subscribers’ driveways. Now, beat writers have more and quicker ways to get information to fans – blogs, chats, online game previews – but it also means more responsibility for the beat writers themselves.
As much as these beat writers are purveyors of information about our team, they are also recognized authorities about the team and the game of basketball itself. A good beat writer can impress just as much with his/her thoughts and opinions as with timely reports or juicy interviews. Case in point: Orlando Magic beat writer John Denton.
John Denton covers the Magic for the Florida Today and for USA Today. He is considered by many Magic Message Board members to be among the best beat writers out there. I thought it would be very interesting to get a peek into what a beat writer does and Denton was extremely gracious and willing to answer the following questions that I posed to him.
On Separating being a “fan” from being a reporter:
Live or Die Magic: I am sure that you are a fan of the Orlando Magic, but much of what you do as a reporter of their comings and goings must be objective. For instance, you can’t cheer for them while watching them in person and you have to be able to ask the tough questions of the players, coaching staff, and administration. How difficult is it for you to remain objective?
John Denton: If you can't be objective, you can't be taken seriously as a reporter. We reporters, we pull for the story, not the teams. I really could care less who wins; I just want a compelling story. A veteran reporter once told me when I was first starting out that the best teams to cover are ones who are a couple of games better than .500. That way you have enough success, some failure and obviously some turmoil. Personally, I'd prefer covering a team that goes deep in the playoffs because postseason drama is so fun to cover.
Of course, it makes my job a little easier when the players are happy and winning. Because we're around these guys so much -- sometimes more than our families -- it's only human to develop friendships with them. And to some extent you pull for them to do well. But never if it means sacrificing your credibility and objectivity.
On the Grind of the NBA Season
Live or Die Magic: I have friends who are season ticket holders and they say that it is often a burden to have to attend 41-plus Magic games, especially during home stands like the one we are about to begin. As a beat writer, you have to not only attend the home games, but also the practices, and the road games. Is it as tiresome as it sounds? Is it made easier if the team is enjoying success?
John Denton: One of the things I like about covering the NBA as opposed to the NFL is that there are lots of games. After all, it's all about the games. But when you are playing four in five nights or on a nine-day West Coast trip it can become a grind at times.
It's a looooong season. We always joke that the newspaper monster is always hungry and you have to feed it every day. So every day we have to come up with stories, ideas, trends, controversy, feel-good stories. During the season, my mind is always racing with ideas for stories, blogs, questions for coaches, etc. Because that monster will be hungry again tomorrow and the next day and the next day.
But I'll never complain about my job. Hey, I get to go to basketball games for a living!!! It's really hard to believe sometimes. Covering basketball has taken me to China, Australia, Canada and practically everywhere in the USA. I'm a basketball junkie, so sometimes covering games and dealing with these players is like stealing money.
On Relationships with the Players, Coaches, and Staff
Live or Die Magic: Is it beneficial for you to try to cultivate positive professional relationships with members of the Magic organization so that they are more receptive to your questions and interview requests, or do you keep them at arms length to help maintain objectivity?
John Denton: Like I said earlier, it's only natural to develop friendships with some of these guys because we're around them basically every day for eight months. Naturally, some days are good and some are not so good.
You want them to view you as someone who can be trusted and is as a hard-working person like themselves. Players know who knows the game and who doesn't. I take some measure of pride in knowing the game and what players go through and think after having played basketball and football in high school and football in college.
You deal with each player differently. Hedo and Rashard are so mellow, Jameer likes the back and forth, Dwight is a silly kid, J.J. has that swagger. Don't go in that locker room if you can't take some ripping from time to time. I can handle it, I'm a big boy.
Live or Die Magic: Also, it would seem that some players/coaches are more gregarious with the press than others. Do you naturally gravitate to those players or is it necessary to try to “work on” the players who might avoid the press more? In the press conferences that I have attended so far this season, Stan Van Gundy seems very short with the media, even after victories. Is this just his personality or does he have issues with some members of the Orlando Magic media contingent? I ask this because he seems less short with some members of the media than with others.
John Denton: Stan is actually a great, great talker because he's intelligent and brutally honest about his players most of the time. His rant after the Utah home loss was an all-time classic. He has insight, can be funny and pulls few punches.
But he is hardly warm and fuzzy. Unlike most coaches, he has taken no time whatsoever to get to know the media in town. True story: We're in China, it's the day after an 18-hour flight and I walk past Van Gundy in the hotel in Shanghai. I say, ``Good morning, coach.'' Nothing, nada, never broke stride. All I could do was laugh.
On Sifting Through the “Spin”
Live or Die Magic: I read a report from Memphis after the Gasol trade in which the GM, Chris Wallace, was extremely candid about the trade, about the prospects for his team, and about the likelihood of certain players on his roster staying with the team. It has been a long time since I have heard an NBA GM be that open, honest, and blunt about personnel decisions. I certainly don’t remember Otis Smith ever making comments that could be taken at such face value. The average Magic fan’s perception of Otis Smith is as someone who is very adept at playing the “spin” game. He seems to say what you want him to, but open further reflection, it seems he isn’t saying anything at all. This difficulty in getting any kind of information out of Otis Smith is one of the more frustrating things that Magic fans have to deal with.
Does this assessment seem accurate to you? When you are interviewing Otis Smith, or SVG for that matter, do you have to sift through their comments to find the truth, or to at least find a valid, if not thorough, answer to your question?
Are GMs coy with the truth or with what their intentions are because their jobs depend on it?
John Denton: I have no complaints about Otis. He's available every day, always calls back and treats me great. It's an art form for these guys to talk without saying anything. I think Otis holds guys accountable for the most part and will be truthful when evaluating players. We often disagree on how good or bad a certain player is and how good or bad the Magic might be.
Of course, he's never going to reveal his hand when it comes to trades or signings. But that's OK. Much of this job is sifting through the spin and chasing down the real truth.
The Easy Stuff!
Live or Die Magic: Who is your favorite player to interview on the Magic? In the NBA?
John Denton: J.J. Redick and Tracy McGrady.
Live or Die Magic: Who is your least favorite player to interview on the Magic? In the NBA?
John Denton: Dwight Howard can be tough sometimes because he gets bored with the process and goes into robot mode. But he's a great talker when he lets his playful personality shine. Least favorite in the NBA? Steve Francis.
Live or Die Magic: Do you have a favorite player on the Magic?
John Denton: You spend five minutes around Turk and you can't help but like him a lot. Rashard is an entirely normal, down-to-earth guy. Adonal Foyle is the most intelligent player in the NBA. JJ is a cool guy and a great, great talker. Dwight is hilarious with his voices and locker room humor. Jameer is always stand up. Pat Garrity gets killed by the message board posters, but there's not a more decent guy in the NBA.
Live or Die Magic: Which NBA arena provides the best food to visiting media?
John Denton: Toronto is strong, Staples Center has a soft-serve ice cream machine, but I'd have to say Phoenix. Great Mexican food, multiple choices and lots of desserts.
Thanks to all of you for reading my stuff on floridatoday.com. JD
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Wednesday, February 20, 2008, 3:57 PM
"Mixed Bag O' Dunks"
OK, so basically, I have all this stuff to cover since my last blog so I am just throwing it all into one blog. I figure if a trade happens, there will be lots to cover, so I’ll get this stuff out of the way now. It's a long read...but well worth it!
Well, I Guess We Solved That Nickname Question!
All that talk about what nickname Dwight Howard should have came to a head this past weekend. We no longer have to worry about whether “Daily Double” or “D12” is good enough. Superman has arrived and the name isn’t likely to go anywhere. Especially considering that the Magic are already planning promotions using the name and images from the dunk contest.
It is too much biased hyperbole if I say that Saturday night’s dunk contest was the greatest non-game basketball event that I have ever witnessed? I remember being floored by Vince Carter’s performance in the 2000 Slam Dunk Contest. But see, I didn’t have an emotional investment in him. He wasn’t on my team. I found myself actually shaking, physically shaking, when Jameer unfurled the cape and Dwight unveiled his Superman shirt. I was that excited. My heart raced and I felt such strong pride in being a Magic fan and having a player like Dwight Howard on my team.
His ability to engage everyone made the dunks themselves secondary. The fact that Howard was able to energize an entire arena and millions of viewers around the world was just a tremendous moment. His performance was the highlight of the entire weekend, and not just for us Magic fans. We will see his “behind the backboard” dunk, his “Superman throw-down” dunk, his “self-ally, switch hand” dunk, and his “little basket to big basket” dunk for many years to come.
One thing that gave me great satisfaction was hearing the announcers – primarily Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Reggie Miller – mention that we could have been witnessing this type of performance last year if only the judges – yes, you Michael Jordan, and you, Dr. J – had been paying attention. In fact, Howard should be celebrating his 2nd straight dunk title right about now. Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith are absolutely tremendous. Smith can be over the top sometimes, but it is usually highly entertaining stuff. As for Sir Charles, he should forget about his political aspirations and start doing stand-up comedy. He’d make a lot more money.
In general, TNT does a fantastic job with the All-Star weekend. I only have one request. Can you please, please get rid of Cheryl Miller? I know she’s one of the greatest female players ever, I know she is a knowledgeable female reporter in a sport with very few of them, but she’s awful! It doesn’t help that she has the exact same face as her younger brother and that he is on the same telecast! They could just put a wig on Reggie and he could fill-in! Can we at least look into this?
On a side note: I would like to present the “Tyronn Lue Memorial Award For the Non-Star Who Crashes the All-Star Festivities” to Damon Jones of the Cavaliers. Jones barely gets off the pine for the Cavs this season, but you would have thought he was leading the league in scoring by how much camera time he and his mohawk got during the weekend’s events. At one point, Reggie Miller even asked if Damon Jones was still in the league! God bless you Reggie Miller, you still shoot with high accuracy. A close runner-for the award has to go to Dikembe Mutombo who has spent much of his 37th season on the inactive list for the Rockets. Mutombo and Jones did some kind of tandem body flailing when Dwight doffed his jersey. As if that wasn’t bad enough, after Dwight’s Superman throwdown, who does he chest bump? Not Jameer Nelson, who gave him an absolutely beautiful pass, not LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler, or some other all-star standing courtside. No, Dwight Howard chest bumped Jerome “Junkyard Dog” Williams, a player who retired a couple of years ago. I’m not sure that Dwight even knew who Williams was, nor should he have.
Dwight hinted shortly after the event that he doesn’t know if he will compete next year. To paraphrase, he doesn’t know if he will have any new dunks by next year. As nice as it would be to see him go out on top, I think the league and all the fans, need Dwight Howard back next year. Instead of scaring opposition away, perhaps he can convince his fellow mega-stars to compete with him. If you think this dunk contest was good, imagine having Howard compete against a field featuring LeBron, Kobe, D-Wade, and Amare Stoudemire, just to name a few.
To Trade or Not to Trade?
So, we are only a day away from the trade deadline and still no activity from the Magic. But for all I know, a trade will have occurred by the time you are reading this. Personally, I would prefer that we move our expirings for a solid PF. I just don’t know that we can do anything with our salary cap flexibility this Summer. But I do know that we can get help now.
“I get tired of the "next year" mindset. Fine, so we won't win a title "this year," but come on at least make a strong playoff push. At least lock up a top-4 seed, at least get into the second round. Hell, at least win a single playoff game! For now, I'll settle for winning the games we are supposed to win (re: non-playoff teams) for the rest of the season, and splitting the ones against playoff contenders.”
I think that we can do this by making a small trade to get a PF. I think that ultimately, a small deal will get made. It is more likely to for someone like Kurt Thomas or Chris Wilcox of the Sonics as opposed to Ron Artest or Udonis Haslem. Too many other teams are wanting Artest. If he had a say in the matter, I think he'd prefer to move East again. He has a greater chance of impacting a team's playoff chances in the East. As for Haslem, I think that Riles will just demand too much to improve an in-state rival.
If we do make a small move, I hope it doesn't involve Maurice Evans. He is a guy I'd love to see us resign in the offseason. If we can get him for 3 years and 10 million, it would be tremendous and he helps add offensive and defense energy, even if it is off the bench.
Pre-game Warm-ups
I’ve been arriving early for all the games and standing just off the court when the Magic are doing warm-ups. Before every game, Dwight is out there with Patrick Ewing, practicing some moves and practicing free throws. There is usually another big man there as well, sometimes Marcin Gortat, James Augustine, or Adonal Foyle.
Ewing is constantly in Howard’s ear; constantly coaching. He is in warm-ups as well and actually looks like he is still in game shape. When you see them standing side-by-side in high-tops, it is obvious that Ewing is slightly taller than Howard, but not near as wide.
One time, Dwight was working against Foyle from the corner of the key and he spun out and away from Foyle and made a beautiful fade away from about 18 feet. If Dwight could consistently hit 18-footers, he would be unstoppable.
The irony about Dwight’s free throws is that each time I’ve watched him practice during warm-ups, he nails them. I mean they are perfect: great arc, great follow-through, and the ball snaps the net. So, clearly Howard has the mechanics down…there just must be a mental issue during the actual games.
Observations from Media Seating - Magic's Homestand
Magic vs. Heat – Jan. 30th, 2008 (Win 107-91)
• No Dwyane Wade, No Shaquille O’Neal, No Udonis Haslem. No problem??
• Does a victory over this team provide any personal satisfaction for Stan Van Gundy if they are this depleted?
• Dwight is nailing them free throws!
• End of 1st Quarter: 30-25 Magic. I expected a much bigger lead. I mean, seriously, no way this depleted Heat team should score 25 points in a quarter!
• 2nd Quarter: Foyle goes in for Howard and provides a big lift. You must fear the Foyle. Can you smell what the Chef is cooking?
• Jameer Nelson’s first game back after sitting out 5 games…comes of the bench, gives solid minutes and handles it like a pro.
• With Wade, O’Neal, and Haslem out, the burning question is how many shots can Ricky Davis get up?
• They just showed Orlando Arena usher Larry Powers on the jumbotron. I’m pretty sure it was actually “George,” Donald Trump’s right-hand man from the Apprentice.
• This game finally reverted back to normalcy in the 4th quarter. The blowout should have started much, much sooner.
Magic vs. Mavericks – Feb. 4th, 2008 (Loss 98-107)
• I’m reading the press game notes for the Mavs game and it has Arroyo listed as 6 foot, 2 inches. Nelson is listed at 6 foot. I’ve seen Arroyo and Nelson standing side by side from up close. It is hard to believe that Arroyo is two inches taller than Nelson.
• You know what I miss? The unique pre-tip off entrances that we used to have from guys like Nick Anderson. He would always jump off the scrub mat just in front of the scorers table as Paul Porter announced the tip-off.
• Avery Johnson is 173-54 as the Mavericks head coach. How much you want to bet he remembers those 54 losses much more vividly than the 173 wins.
• Maybe I’m just getting cranky in my old age, but does anyone actually LIKE the music they blare in the O-rena? Near as I can tell, it all seems to revolve around slammin, bumpin, and booming.
• Proof the Magic started the game cold: the Mavs had 9 rebounds in the first four minutes.
• Brian Cook enters the game in the 1st quarter! Only good things can come of this!
• Here’s a crazy statistic: 5 players on the Mavericks roster have averaged over 20 points per game for a season at some point in their careers. The players are Dirk Nowitski, Jerry Stackhouse, Eddie Jones, Juwan Howard, and Josh Howard. A sixth player, Jason Terry, came extremely close with 19.7 points per game one season. I wonder if there has every been a team with that many one-time and current scorers on their roster.
• My sentiments at the start of the second half: “I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Magic vs. Lakers – Feb. 8th, 2008 (Loss 113-117)
• Wow! Lots of loud boos for Kobe Bryant during introductions!
• Jameer Nelson is back in the starting lineup. Not a big surprise. The point guard position is a study in the “first-to-worst” phenomenon. If you are not starting, then you are not playing. Unless your Keyon Dooling. He seems to be unaffected. It’s like those desk toys you see with the balls on strings. You lift up the ball on the end drop it and it hits the next ball but it is the ball on the other end that goes flying. Dooling is the middle ball, Nelson and Arroyo are the two balls on either ends, taking turns flying. Geez, did I just type all that? Let’s just move on.
• The Lakers are very tall now across the frontcourt: Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Radmanovic. It isn’t too often we come across a frontcourt as tall as Howard, Lewis, and Turk.
• There is a ridiculously large amount of Lakers jerseys, caps, and shirts in the audience. At one point in the first quarter, there were enough Lakers fans to start a very loud “MVP” chant while Kobe was at the line.
• It doesn’t do much good to score a record 44 points in the first period when you let the opposition score 33. I kinda wish we could stop the game right now because I don’t see this continuing.
• Ok, more on the Lakers fans…every time Kobe scores, the place erupts! I’m so disappointed.
Interesting bit of karma in the 2nd quarter: two quick fouls on Howard (total BS by the way) followed by two quick fouls on Kobe! Nice!!
• Proof that the Magic starters were in foul trouble: Pat Garrity and JJ Redick make first half appearances.
• I loved the exchange between JJ and Vujacic…I’m dying to know what Vujacic said to JJ to get him so riled up.
• You know what, I don’t mind admitting this: after all these years, I still love the Fat Guy.
• We still lost the game, but Keith Bogans played exceptional individual defense on Kobe. There is only so much you can do to that guy, but Bogans made him work a bit harder and kept him honest.
Magic vs. Cavs – Feb. 11th, 2008 (Loss 111-118)
• Another Magic sellout, and yet another crowd filled with jerseys, shirts, and caps from the visiting team. It is very frustrating to hear just as many people yell when the opponent scores as when we score.
• The best thing that came out of the first quarter is that the Magic tried to feed it into Dwight Howard and establish the post. In fact, there was only one three-point attempt!
• 2nd quarter: so, how quickly can a game turn? We go from an 8 point lead to start the 2nd to a 3 point deficit in less than 4 minutes.
• You know, I’d love to see the Magic get Udonis Haslem or David Lee. But I’d be pretty darn happy to have Drew Gooden back.
• Much like the other night against Kobe, our two guards are playing solid defense on LeBron James. However, our point guards are getting absolutely eaten alive by the much-maligned Larry Hughes.
• This game was over in the third quarter…too much Larry Hughes. I can’t believe I just typed that.
Magic vs. Nuggets – Feb 13th, 2008 (Win 109-98)
• We keep having these announced sell-outs…but where is everybody? I see thousands of empty seats.
• The Nuggets starting five is tremendous, yet they are only 8th in the East! This team is fighting it out with Golden State for the final playoff spot. This Nuggets team would be a top-4 seed in the East.
• So, do you think Howard is responding to his call out by SVG? In the first three minutes of the game he had 4 points, 5 rebounds, and a block.
• During a break they brought out this dance act from the Villages. Now I feel sorry for Davcivic.
• Howard’s 1st quarter stats: 8 points, 7 rebounds, 2 blocks.
• Linas Kleiza…this guy killed us during the game in Denver. Can we convince Linas to go wait for the Great Pumpkin?
• Brian Cook just had an offensive put back! I wasn’t aware that he had a short game.
• Dooling and Cook were absolutely tremendous off the bench tonight...Cook should get 30 minutes a game if he can keep performing this well.
• It would appear that Rashard Lewis has decided to take over this game. ‘Bout time.
• I’m sorry, I know that you shouldn’t enjoy seeing your own player ejected, but I absolutely loved the fire that Maurice Evans showed in arguing a foul call and getting “T’d” up twice. We could use more passion like that and I believe it energized the team.
• Not the greatest home stand – only 2-3 – but at least we ended it on a positive note with great performances by Lewis and Howard.
I’m Just Saying...
As honored as I am to win the Garrity for Most Valuable Poster, I think that Marc Acres 3:16 was more deserving. Nonetheless, I’ll gladly hold this over his head for the next year.
Coming Soon!
A question and answer session with John Denton, Orlando Magic beat writer for the Florida Today and USA Today. Keep checking this space, you don’t want to miss it!
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Friday, February 8, 2008, 2:25 PM
Star Gazing
You guys remember how last Summer we were all lamenting the fact that we didn’t have a “go-to” scorer? We said we needed someone like Vince Carter to be able to get us the crucial basket in the fourth quarter of a close game. We said that this was what was missing from our team. It was the one area that needed to be addressed in free agency. It was the need that was supposedly assuaged by the signing of Rashard Lewis.
Well, as it turns out, we have had our go-to scorer on our roster for four seasons now. Ironically, he didn’t reveal himself until after we had spent 100 million on Rashard Lewis. In the last 4 weeks or so, Hedo Turkoglu has transformed, literally before our eyes, from a versatile, all-around offensive player, into a bonafide star, capable of carrying his team if called upon to do so.
Matt Guokas, in his color commentary of Magic game television broadcasts, has taken to calling him “Mr. 4th Quarter.” This has become a popular title lately. Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and even Ben Gordon are all currently known as “Mr. Fourth Quarter” for their respective teams. With all due respect to those three great players, Turk has done some things lately for this team that makes him just as worthy of that moniker, at least in Magic-friendly territory. He is currently among the league leaders in 4th quarter scoring, averaging roughly 6 points in the final 12 minutes. Oh, here’s an interesting fact: while wearing a Magic uniform, Tracy McGrady’s average a then-record 8.6 points per 4th quarter during the 2002-03 season (The Elias Sports Bureau began keeping the statistic in 1997).
This season, Hedo Turkoglu has presented himself as a classic case of a player gaining confidence in his ability and having that increase confidence result in an exponential increase in his productivity on the court, especially at crunch time. Even though Turk didn’t make the all-star team this season (well, he still might), he has certainly played like one. He has won back-to-back Eastern Conference Player of the Week awards (a first for a Magic player) and has been on the tip of many tongues of late. In fact, you could argue that his not making the all-star team has created more buzz for him than if he had made it. He seems to be the consensus “biggest snub,” at least on the Eastern Conference side.
It is no coincidence that the Magic’s emergence from “the annual January slide” began when Turkoglu took his game up a notch. It was 10 games ago, against the Portland Trailblazers, who came in to Orlando as the hottest team in the league. In that 10 game span, the Magic have gone 8-2, and Hedo has averaged 22.7 points, 6.2 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game. His shooting has been a stellar 52% from the field, including an amazing 47% from 3-point land (why is this guy not in the 3 pt. shootout??).
What is surprising about his increased impact is that it hasn’t come with increased shots. In that 10 game span, Turkoglu took 152 shots from the field, for an average of 15.2 shots per game. His shot totals stayed consistent game-to-game as well, with a low of 13 and a high of 18. There was greater variation in the number of 3 point shots taken, with a low of 2 and a high of 8. Likewise, his free throw attempts fluctuated greatly. Twice in that 10 game span, he went to the line 12 times, but in four other games he went to line twice or less. This last statistic doesn’t really reflect Turkoglu’s aggressiveness because we all can see that he is just as likely to drive the lane for an easy lay-up as he is to camp-out around the arc. In fact, the games in which he shot more free throws were against physical teams with strong perimeter defense like Detroit and Boston. The games in which he had fewer attempts were against up-tempo offensive minded teams like Memphis.
What excites me about the upcoming playoffs is that we now have a player who should be able to not only keep us in a game, but help us get, and keep, a lead late in the fourth. We may get beat in a playoff game, but I just don’t see us getting blown out anymore.
This praise for Hedo Turkoglu is by no means a knock on Dwight Howard or Rashard Lewis. In fact, were it not for them, I’m not sure we would be seeing Turk becoming a star player. Dwight’s ability to secure the paint on defense while also becoming a greater focus on defense, has allowed Turkoglu to completely open up his game. Rashard Lewis being positioned on the opposite side of the key from Turk has forced most opponents to split their focus up. Ultimately, Dwight IS the Magic. Within two more seasons, his game should be polished enough that he can be counted upon late in games to get a basket when needed, doubly so if his free throw shooting continues to improve. But in the playoffs, we will still need a player who can score from anywhere on the court, pretty much anytime he wants.
The real question is what are the Orlando Magic prepared to do about Hedo Turkoglu’s future with the team? In an online chat yesterday, ESPN.com’s Chad Ford suggested moving Turk to get a PF. It is ludicrous to even consider trading him. Gaining a power forward is important, but at the expense of Turkoglu? No way! If anything, the Magic should already begin discussing what it might take to keep Hedo in Magic pinstripes. He is signed through 2010, but that last year is a player option. Does anyone honestly think that Turk won’t opt out in the Summer of ‘09, especially if he is possibly coming off his first all-star season?
So, how do you explain to Turk’s agent that despite the fact that his client is performing better than Rashard Lewis, he can not be offered a contract like Rashard Lewis. Based on next year’s salary of 6.8 million, Turkoglu could receive a “max” contract similar to what Dwight Howard just signed (starting salary of 13 million for 5 years). Now, I’m not suggesting that Turkoglu is a max contract player. But would he be willing to settle for let’s say, 11 million a year, if by that point Rashard Lewis will be making nearly 19 million? How ironic is it that our highest paid player will not even be our 2nd leading scorer?
Having Dwight Howard as a teammate, combined with the fact that we should be primed for a deep run in a year or two, should definitely help our case. Hedo seems to really like it here, after all, it was his choice to join the Magic. He has developed a great relationship with Dwight off the court and a tremendous rapport with him on the court. But at some point, business and logic have to come into the equation. Hopefully, the answer will make sense.
For now, I will stop dwelling on a cloudy future and will instead continue to enjoy watching our new star come into his own.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Monday, January 28, 2008, 3:36 PM
Hedo the Hero
Like every other Magic fan, I was bummed Friday night while I watched the Magic lose to the Pistons in Detroit. I knew that the only thing that could make me feel better about that loss was a victory over the Boston Celtics at the Amway Arena. Despite a nail-biter of a game, and losing a 16 point second half lead, the Magic pulled out a second victory over the East-leading Boston Celtics with a clutch 3-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu at the buzzer. It was the first time in two seasons that an NBA game ended with a walk-off 3 pointer.
I have already heard people handicapping this victory because Kevin Garnett didn’t play. Even Coach Stan Van Gundy said that it was “one of those where you come here and you say ‘I’ll take it.’” I personally think that having Garnett out made it even more imperative that the Magic get the win, even if it was on a buzzer beater. Imagine what people would be saying about the Magic if we had lost to the Celtics at home without Garnett? Sure, an easy victory over the Celtics would have been preferable, and a close victory over the Celtics with KG would have been sweeter, but clearly the Celtics are still a good club without Kevin Garnett, and let’s not forget that we already beat these guys once when they were fully loaded.
After the shot, many of the other media reps were joking that Hedo had just given the Eastern Conference coaches something to think about as they turned in the all-star ballots. What we didn’t expect was to have Stan Van Gundy joke (or half-joke?) about that very thing:
“It was an iso, and they came up and trapped him. We were kidding him afterwards – I was half kidding, I think everybody else was kidding – that the three bad shots he took prior to that helped him gauge the distance. He’s usually a little more solid than that. We kept running pick-and-rolls with he and Carlos and we weren’t very solid down the stretch. I think he wanted to set it up so he could hit a miracle and make his final bid for the All-Star Game. If we win by seven, no drama and he doesn’t make that good of a case, but take those three bad shots, let him get back in the game and he’s got the drama. I think that was his plan. I hope there was actually a plan to it.”
Van Gundy said all of the above in a very casual, almost relieved manner. You could tell that as upset as he seemed near the end of the game, especially with the defense on Ray Allen’s last shot, he was glad that things went his way this time.
As for Turkoglu, he is still a long-shot to make the all-star team as a reserve. Apparently, Doc Rivers voted for him, but that’s only because he can’t vote for Paul Pierce. He still probably needs to perform like this for another full season before the coaches will give him his first bid. It’s a shame though, because wouldn’t it be awesome to see Hedo throw a sweet alley-oop to Dwight Howard over Tim Duncan and Amare Stoudemire? In fact, that possibility is probably the best reason to send Turk to the game! Certainly the national television audience, and the NBA, would love to see that! Especially since Dwight Howard will be coming off of a win in the Slam Dunk Contest!
For now, Hedo Turkoglu may have to be satisfied with being “Mr. 4th Quarter” for the Orlando Magic.
Observations from Media Seating – Magic vs. Celtics •Yes, Fendi, I jumped the railing again!
•With Kevin Garnett out, do the Magic have any excuse not to win this game?
•In the first quarter, it appeared that the Celtics without KG were better than the Magic without Dwight Howard, who sat early because of two personal fouls. The Celtics just had much more energy.
•Hey, the Sentinel’s Mike Bianchi is here! I guess the Celtics are a big enough opponent.
•Doc Rivers seems extremely relaxed. He must have enjoyed the short drive from Winter Park for today’s game.
•Brian Scalabrine gives hope to us all.
•Speaking of the Celtics, there were some decent sized pockets of green in the stands, but not nearly as bad as the Pistons game.
•The Magic picked up their energy and defensive intensity in the 2nd quarter. Why can’t they do that in the 1st quarter!?
•Turkoglu is playing great defense on Paul Pierce. However, Pierce is getting the refs respect and is getting the calls. Meanwhile, the refs are giving Pierce much more leeway on the defensive end against Turk, Pierce is all over him!
•Stop me if you’ve heard this before: the NBA refs have less integrity than any other sport’s refs, even before the Tim Doneghy fiasco.
•3rd quarter: just who is this “Brian Cook” guy?!
•Even though Dwight Howard went 6-6 from the line, I still don’t think we should be chanting “MVP” while he is at the line!! Let’s keep it quiet people! He’s shooting 60% on the season!
•When Jesus Shuttlesworth hit the 3 to tie it at the end, it seemed half the arena stood up and cheered. It is very frustrating to see that many fans for the opponents at our home games. If you are a season ticket holder and you sell your seats for these big games, please, please make sure that the person buying your tickets is a MAGIC fan!!
Who Needs College?
As a product and proponent of continuing education, I like hearing about players staying in college to get more experience. But in looking at the Magic roster, it seems that for our team at least, less college is more. The three primary contributors for the Orlando Magic – Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu, and Rashard Lewis – have no US college basketball experience.
There are other teams who can claim two of their top players – Houston, Golden State, LA Lakers, and San Antonio – but no team has a top-three with the kind of star power the Magic have, combined with no college experience.
Sunshine State Discount?
I need to provide a brief follow-up to my last blog about Carlos Arroyo and his potential decision to stay with or leave the Magic. In speaking to some Magic staffers, I found out that a desire to stay in Florida might be a very important factor in the free agent status of both Arroyo and Keyon Dooling if both of them are still on the Magic roster this off-season. Neither player is interested in uprooting their lives and families from our State if it can be avoided. Considering that there are only two franchises in this State, it might limit the options for both players, especially if both find themselves competing for money from the Magic.
At the Buzzer
During the timeout after Ray Allen’s three-pointer to tie the game, I went and stood in the tunnel behind the Magic’s bench to watch the last play. I was standing behind Nick Anderson and he was yelling “get it to Turk!” When Turk hit the shot, I couldn’t help but be excited and Nick was extremely excited! He turned toward me screaming and pumping his fists and then he saw me and he raised his arm and gave me a high-five! Are you kidding me! I get high-fived by my favorite player of all time while standing near the Magic’s bench watching the Magic beat the best team in the league on a last-second shot? I mean, come ON! I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
Posted by Live or Die Magic, Friday, January 25, 2008, 4:55 PM
"CARLOS'S CHOICE?"
With the exception of JJ Redick, no Magic player is discussed more than Carlos Arroyo. Not Rashard Lewis, not Hedo Turkoglu, and not even Dwight Howard. The only reason that Jameer Nelson might be close is that it is often hard to discuss Carlos Arroyo without Nelson coming into the conversation and vice versa.
