Posts Tagged → Anthony Johnson
Interview with Dante & Galante, Part II
Here’s Part II of my interview (click here for Part I) with Dante Marchitelli and George Galante, the duo aptly known as “Dante & Galante.” In this segment, Dante and George reveal their future as announcers of the Orlando Pro Summer League.
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Doing the Dante & Galante show for two years, what has that experience been like for you guys?
Dante Marchitelli: It’s been great, man. It’s been a lot of fun. We’ve been doing it for a couple of years, and it just started with the idea of giving the players a different route than their standard interview. Just the opportunity to show the lighter side and their personalities, right?
George Galante: Yeah, for me, I didn’t have any broadcasting experience at all, so I would like to think that hopefully in year two, Dante wasn’t carrying [the load] as much as he had to in year one. But it’s been great, it’s been a lot of fun.
Wednesday’s Magic Word
- George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “Prepped by the [Orlando] Magic PR staff not to react angrily when approached for comment before tipoff Friday, [Dwight] Howard didn’t say a disparaging word. But later in the night, after the Magic were eliminated, he asked a reporter for the whereabouts of Borges. Howard couldn’t locate him, but the unfiltered conversation would have been, um, animated. Given a few days to mull things over and contemplate a season of unfulfilled goals, Howard is taking the road less travelled. Only 24, he has come to understand that life is difficult, and it’s impossible to focus with all the clanging cymbals in his head. On a more simplistic level, Howard is going with the “sticks and stones may hurt my bones but names will never hurt me” approach to the antagonists.”
- Today, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel continues his player evaluations — Adonal Foyle, Marcin Gortat, Anthony Johnson, and Mickael Pietrus.
- The Orlando Magic meet the Wu-Tang Clan name generator.
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post looks back at the respective seasons of Brandon Bass and Vince Carter.
- SLAM ONLINE shares video of the 1995 Roundball Classic, which featured Carter and other then-high schoolers like Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Take a look.
- Dwight Howard: “I want to thank all of the Magic fans out there for the love that they showed us this season. It used to be that we’d go into arenas on the road and we’d never see Magic jerseys on the fans. Jameer [Nelson] and I vowed to one another a few years back that we were going to make Magic basketball more popular. I feel like we’ve done that, but we still need that championship! We’re not bringing that ‘chip home and I’m sure fans are as disappointed right now as I am. I like to think that things happen for a reason, and I think we’ll learn from this. It will take me most of the summer to get over this loss. I know the sun will come up tomorrow and life will be just fine. After some time, hopefully I can get my mind off us not getting back to The Finals and not winning that title. I just need some time right now.”
- Lang Whitaker of SLAM ONLINE looks back at NBA Finals in years past and shares his notes with everyone. Some of the anecdotes are memorable, like this one: “The Magic then replaced the Lakers at the hastily assembled podiums surrounding the court. Jameer Nelson and Rafer Alston were nearly side by side, though Rafer had a microphone and Jameer didn’t, so Skip was basically talking over Jameer. Meanwhile, supplanted back-up point guard Anthony Johnson was sitting alone on the scorer’s table at halfcourt, methodically working his way through a bag of sunflower seeds, a habit he said was a remnant of his baseball career in high school. [...] I sat with AJ for the entire Magic media availability and watched him patiently explain over and over again to a rotating crop of reporters that yes, he’d like to be playing right now, but it was Stan Van Gundy’s decision and AJ was not going to ’cause a ruckus’ at this point in the season. He did a nice job deflecting pretty much every question, though it was kind of amusing to see AJ fish for an inoffensive answer when Marc Berman asked him, ‘Do you believe in the saying, If it ain’t broke don’t fix it?’ ”
- Zach Harper of Hardwood Paroxysm on Matt Barnes: “He’s a sub-par offensive player and an above average defensive player. He’s an agitator on the court and in there to stir things up a bit. He’s basically the Bam Margera of the NBA. There’s not a lot of discernible talent and it’s hard to figure out how he keeps getting on TV. And yet there he is, breaking stuff for no reason and messing with his fat uncle that has the crazy eyes that don’t point in the same direction. Well, he just opted out of his contract after the Magic were eliminated from the playoffs by the hands of the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. Perhaps, you remember the Magic’s run in the playoffs this year. It was the same set of post-season games in which J.J. Redick completely outplayed his teammate and damn near made him obsolete. Perhaps you’re asking yourself why a struggling basketball player would try to get himself a pay raise after a bad run of basketball. Isn’t that the anti-Croshere move?”
- Matt Moore of Hardwood Paroxysm chimes in on Ryan Anderson and the lack of minutes he got in the 2010 NBA Playoffs: “Anderson’s production has been there. He’s a terrific asset, and he looks like the piece New Jersey shouldn’t have surrendered. That he’s now trapped three deep on Orlando is a shame. He’s capable of so much more, and if the Magic don’t want to use him, that’s fine, but let’s go see what he can do elsewhere. Trapping him long term in Orlando is a waste of his potential. If you’re not going to use him anyway, go get a Collins brother or someone else equally useless. Don’t pen up the kid that can shoot.”
- John Hollinger of ESPN Insider ranks all 66 teams that have played for the Larry O’Brien trophy. The 2009 Magic are ranked ahead of the 1995 Magic, for those that are curious: “Orlando won 59 games and beat two 60-win teams to make the Finals, so the Magic weren’t chopped liver. On the other hand, they tied a record with 11 playoff losses and their playoff scoring margin was in the bottom 15 among Finalists. Magic fans will be pleased to learn, however, that this team ranks ahead of the team’s other Finals entry, which starred the since-departed and now-despised Shaquille O’Neal.”
Monday’s Magic Word
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “If the Orlando Magic defeat Atlanta Hawks tonight in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Magic will become only the sixth team in NBA history to win its first eight games of a single postseason. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the 1982-83 Los Angeles Lakers, the 1988-89 Lakers, the 2000-01 Lakers, the 2004-05 Miami Heat and the 2008-09 Cleveland Cavaliers are the only teams in league history to have started a postseason with an undefeated record of at least 8-0. The Magic enter tonight’s game with a 7-0 record in these playoffs.”
- Vince Carter has been enjoying the playoff ride, so far.
- Joe Johnson states that the Atlanta Hawks will “give everything” they got against the Orlando Magic in Game 4.
- John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “ With his Orlando Magic possibly on the verge of their second four-game sweep in as many weeks, small forward Matt Barnes was asked on Sunday about the prospect of recreating Moses Malone’s famous “Fo’, Fo’ Fo’’’ prediction. “Yeah, Moses Malone, baby,’’ said Barnes, one of the players old enough to recall the 27-year-old prediction. “That would be great, wouldn’t it? It’s a lot easier said than done, but that’s what we’re going for.’’ [...] The Magic have been able to break the will of Charlotte and Atlanta with their ability to build a lead and then dramatically add upon it. Part of the reason is Orlando possessing four all-star starters and the deepest bench in the NBA. But another factor is Orlando’s rising maturity and expanding killer instinct.”
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy chimes in on the firing of Vinny Del Negro.
- Scoop Jackson of ESPN Page 2 wants to thank the Hawks for making him look stupid: “Thanks. That’s the only word that feels appropriate. That’s the only word ESPN will let me use without violating the language code set in place for moments just like this. Thanks for making me look like an idiot for publicly picking you to win the East. Yes, I said “publicly” and yes I did that. Back In January, I went out of my way to tell anyone that wanted to listen that I believed the team from the ATL was going to be the last one standing in the NBA East when it was all said and done. Over Boston, over Cleveland, over the Orlando Magic. Now I look like the last comic standing … without any jokes.”
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post takes a look at Orlando’s success in the postseason: “Uh, yeah, the Magic are dominating on both sides of the ball; just look at that 17.9 efficiency differential! Defensively, Orlando is holding its opponents to below league average in each of the Four Factors as well as offensive efficiency. More impressively, the Magic are beating league average themselves in three of the Factors, with the only slippage coming in the turnover area. If you want to disregard the regular season, then consider this: Orlando scored 114.2 points per 100 possessions against the Charlotte Bobcats, the league’s most efficient defensive team, in the first round. And in their current series, the Magic have limited the Hawks, owners of the league’s second-most efficient offensive attack, to 95.2 points per 100 possessions. So it’s clear that Orlando’s success of late is no fluke. It’s truly firing on all cylinders, so to speak, on both sides of the ball. The Magic’s top-notch execution, coupled with their singular focus on winning a championship, has made them as lethal a team as any other in the league.”
- Britt Robson of Sports Illustrated states that the Magic are the team to beat in the postseason and explains why: “With rare exception, such as the ’08 Celtics in the Big Three’s first season together, NBA champions have been tempered and forged by near-misses at winning it all in the seasons immediately before their breakthrough. The experience the Magic gained by outlasting the Cavs in a thrilling conference finals last year and then succumbing to the Lakers has clearly whet their collective appetite. There are some new components at the top of the rotation — a healthy [Jameer] Nelson in place of Rafer Alston or Anthony Johnson, Carter instead of Hedo Turkoglu – but players like Rashard Lewis, Mickael Pietrus and [Dwight] Howard (against Atlanta anyway) are playing with the confidence and savvy of performers who have already been tested on the big stage. They have experienced just the right amount of success and failure to play with a laser focus and big-picture attitude.”
- If only Fran Vazquez had the desire to play in the NBA … M. Haubs of The Painted Area highlights the Spaniard’s performance in the 2010 Euroleague Final Four: “Rubio was particularly devastating when paired in the pick and roll with Fran Vazquez, which made it surprising that Barcelona ran the combination so infrequently. As good as Rubio is at making the decisions and completing passes from all angles, Vazquez seems that good at finishing the play – he has great hands and coordination for a 7-footer. Vazquez can also finish the shot both at the rim or on a jump shot. Vazquez had 11 points and 6 rebounds on 5-6 FG in 22 minutes in the semi, and was a defensive force in the final, contributing 4 blocks in just 16 minutes, to go with 6 points (2-2 FG), 2 rebounds and 2 nifty assists. Frankly, I was surprised Vazquez didn’t play more, because I thought he affected both games whenever he was on the floor. The guy has skill, length, mobility, hands: Fran Vazquez is an NBA center, period.”
Interview with Bret LaGree of Hoopinion
Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images
Hoopinion is known by many around the blogosphere for the past few years as an excellent site that covers the Atlanta Hawks, authored by Bret LaGree. But what people may not know is that LaGree has produced a playwright before, titled “Guyworld” … talk about writing versatility! In any case, if you’re ever in need an educated take or the latest scoop on the Hawks, Hoopinion is the place to go. LaGree drops knowledge, without a doubt.
A few days ago, I was able to ask LaGree a few questions to preview the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Orlando Magic and the Atlanta Hawks.
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Some people have stated that the Atlanta Hawks’ performance in the first round revealed more questions than answers, most notably concerning the team’s inconsistency, head coach Mike Woodson’s coaching acumen, etc. Do you agree or disagree with that statement and why?
Perimeter defense, defensive rebounding, predictability in the half-court (both offensively and defensively) which can be exploited down the stretch of close games, an inability to get to the free throw line, and a lack of depth have all been problems for the Hawks for years but little of that has really taken root in the national consciousness. I suspect that it’s rare that the team who averages the fourth-fewest possessions per game in the league is commonly perceived and frequently described as a devastating transition team.
So, yes, making adjustments isn’t Mike Woodson’s strength (nor does his roster give him a lot of options; granted, some of that is his own doing), and, yes, you’d think that by being a former Larry Brown assistant Woodson would be a good defensive coach but the Hawks have never been a good defensive team under him, and, yes, the Hawks look great when they get out and run but they can’t do that consistently because they don’t rebound enough of the misses they force and, when that happens, they become over-reliant on jump shots created within a half-court system that prizes dribbling over ball and player movement. I don’t think anything that was revealed in the Milwaukee series was news to Hawks fans but the some common misconceptions casual or infrequent viewers of the team were dispelled.
Sneak Preview: Charlotte Bobcats at Orlando Magic, Game 1
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic start the choreographed fun late in warm-ups while the crowd settles in. Players begin with a rhythmic clapping and jumping up and down in a semi-circle. Veteran point guard Anthony Johnson moves into the center as the ringmaster and does a “funky dance” to ignite the pregame ritual. He introduces himself as Tyrone Biggums (a character created by comedian Dave Chappelle) and then introduces Vince Carter, “The DJ,” who pretends to spin records. Johnson will introduce Jameer Nelson as “Baby Yams,”‘ and then Dwight Howard as superhero “Hancock” and Jason Williams as “Bubs.” Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to “The Magic Show.” [...] The show tips off today in a first-round playoff series against the Charlotte Bobcats.”
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Prepare yourself, Orlando. I believe we are about to see a Vince Carter we’ve never, ever seen before. A Vince Carter who won’t admit it but knows his entire basketball biography can be rewritten with 16 victories in the next two months. On Friday, before the first practice of the postseason began, Carter swished a miraculous shot from the free-throw line into the basket at the other end of the court. And then in one of the first plays of practice, when the Magic were doing a routine two-on-two pick-and-roll drill, Carter drove forcefully down the lane and dunked so hard it rattled the rim and made the entire team take notice.”
- John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “While Howard is undoubtedly the heart of the Magic, I’ve always made the argument that Nelson is this team’s soul. He is the leader in the locker room and the player others respect most on the court to direct the traffic and keep the team under control. And often, Nelson is the barometer for how well the Magic play. Howard, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis are the first, second and third options, but when Nelson is probing the lane and in attack mode that’s when the Orlando offense is at its best. When he gets into the lane, the threes tend to come in bunches, Howard gets lobs and Nelson certainly has the ability to score on his own. And down the stretch, it’s Nelson who will have the ball in his hands in pick-and-roll sets with Carter. Coach Stan Van Gundy has the confidence and trust in Nelson that he will make the right play – whether it’s a drive-and-kick pass or a clutch 3-pointer.”
- Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer: “An NBA opponent scout, who wants to remain anonymous, breaks down the Charlotte Bobcats entering the playoffs, in an interview with Observer NBA writer Rick Bonnell: [...] ‘They have been trapping constantly of late, almost like a college team. Everybody knows Larry calls his preferred trap a “42″ – it’s his version of a run-and-jump trap. It fits right in with their high-energy disposition. It’s especially effective against the other team’s second unit. Your second-team point guard had better be able to handle pressure because this team will absolutely test him that way.’ ”
- Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer: “An NBA locker room generally has one alpha male – the player that everyone else defers to both on and off the court. Michael Jordan was the ultimate example, but most teams willingly cede this control to the club’s most talented veteran. That veteran clarifies the team’s emotional tone and schedule daily – from who gets picked on the most to how much attention the head coach should be paid to where to go on an off night in Atlanta. The Bobcats, though, have ended up with two alpha males. Jackson and Wallace not only peacefully co-exist but have built a solid friendship. The transition since Charlotte traded for Jackson in November has been mostly seamless because Jackson and Wallace so respect each other’s work on the basketball court.”
Interview with Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
Ben Q. Rock is a man that needs no introduction, at least to Magic fans that frequent the blogosphere, but deserves one. Rock covers the Magic at Orlando Pinstriped Post, my former stomping grounds for over a year, and has done excellent work for the past three years. For instance, Rock has been doing a great job of previewing the first round series between the Orlando Magic and the Charlotte Bobcats the last few days. I highly suggest reading what Rock has written, so far, as it’s about informative as it gets.
Rock promised, when I left OPP, that he’d collaborate with me from time to time so here we are.
A few days ago, I was able to ask Rock a few questions concerning some of the major storylines surrounding the Magic with the 2010 NBA Playoffs starting on Saturday.
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I’ve always been of the opinion that Jameer Nelson is the x-factor for the Orlando Magic. When he goes, so go the Magic. But certainly the same thing could be said about Vince Carter, given his talents and what he’s proven to be capable of in a Magic uniform. So, between Nelson or Carter, who must produce and take his game to another level for Orlando to win a championship?
Well, I mean, both Vince [Carter] and Jameer [Nelson] are important, and I’m not sure there’s one who’s more key to Orlando’s title chances than any other. I suppose you could say that Vince is going to end more possessions and thus will have more responsibilities, and thus he’ll have more chances to affect the Magic’s playoffs. Thing is, I feel like he’s more consistent. He’s going to get his 15-to-18 points per night, as he’s done for the last few months. Whereas Jameer’s been more up-and-down.
Given the choice, most opponents would rather limit Carter and take their chances with Nelson firing away, so Jameer has to answer the call there. To me, the biggest thing for Jameer is to cut the one-on-one play. Get into the teeth of the defense, kick the ball out. He has to take enough of those 18-footers in pick-and-roll situations, but he can’t keep settling for them. Vince has to avoid that as well, but you and I both know that Carter’s much more likely to put his head down and draw contact than Nelson is.
So now I’ve talked myself into believing Nelson is more crucial. Fair enough, but it’s not a huge margin.
What makes this discussion easier is that J.J. Redick and Jason Williams have been so reliable off the bench. I trust them more than I did, say, last year’s version of J.J., or Anthony Johnson. If Vince and Jameer don’t have it some nights, I’d be comfortable counting on their backups if I were Stan Van Gundy.
Wednesday’s Magic Word
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “Dwight Howard is a better defensive center than Bill Russell. Matt Guokas, the color analyst on Orlando Magic telecasts on Sun Sports and Fox Sports Florida, said that on the air last week and I wrote a column about it over the weekend. As you might expect I have been getting hammered by readers and blogs all over the country for this basketball blasphemy; for even suggesting that there’s a chance Howard may be better than the iconic legend of the Boston Celtics. [...] Guokas, an astute observer and student of the game, is a former NBA player and coach who actually played against Russell. This is not to say Guokas’s opinion is right, but his opinion is much more credible than the opinion of many of critics who have e-mailed me to tell me how stupid Guokas is for saying what he said and how idiotic I am for writing a column about it. I’m willing to bet that 95 percent of those e-mailers never saw Russell play a single game.”
- Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: “Every Magic player went through shootaround this morning at RDV Sportsplex, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said, so minor bumps to Magic guards Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson and Anthony Johnson won’t be an issue when the Magic take on the Washington Wizards tonight at 7 p.m. What will be an issue is the Magic’s ability to stay focused and take some momentum into the playoffs. With just five games remaining on the schedule, Orlando has clinched the second seed in the Eastern Conference and clinched the Southeast Division.”
- Rob Mahoney of ProBasketballTalk chimes in on the Magic clinching the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference.
- Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus looks at the five best and worst teams in the NBA “in terms of fewest marginal dollars spent for each marginal win. The statistic, derived from the one pioneered at Baseball Prospectus for the MLB by the late Doug Pappas, measures how much teams are spending above the NBA’s salary floor (75 percent of the cap) for each win above what a replacement-level team could muster.” Unlike last year, the Magic are not an economically efficient team this year.
Media Log: Orlando Magic 110, San Antonio Spurs 84
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
I was able to speak with head coach Stan Van Gundy amongst the media, as well as talk with Jameer Nelson, Marcin Gortat, Rashard Lewis, Matt Barnes, and Dwight Howard after the Orlando Magic defeated the San Antonio Spurs by the score of 110-84.
Stan Van Gundy
Rashard Lewis got things going in the first quarter and it seemed like you ran a few plays for him to get him going. Could you talk about his performance tonight?
Well, I thought … certainly the first play … I wanted to get the ball in his hands on a play where I thought he had a chance to get a shot. I just wanted to get him into the flow right away but yeah, he played well tonight and shot the ball well. Everybody is going to have ups and downs but he’s always been a guy that’s bounced back and I thought he had a good night tonight.
Jameer Nelson
With Tony Parker absent from the game, how do you think that changed things for the San Antonio Spurs?
Well, he’s a big part of what they do. He’s a one-man machine on the fast break and they need that. They need easy buckets and we didn’t allow that tonight. We all got back, for the most part. We shut down the paint and made them shoot jumpshots.
Could you talk about your relationship with Anthony Johnson? What has he taught you?
Well, he just … each game we warm-up, he stays on me about practicing certain shots. We [are] out there practicing certain shots before the game in the layup line. Every timeout, he’s in my ear about certain things that he see and he could be not playing, he could be one of the guys that’s just … ‘aw, I’m not playing, I’m not going to say anything’ but he’s not like that and he’s the ultimate professional. I’ve been very fortunate to have him, guys like Grant Hill, and other guys around me that are great professionals.
