Posts Tagged → Boston Celtics
Monday’s Magic Word
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “Orlando Magic forward Mickael Pietrus is shooting 39.1 percent from three-point range this season, the second-highest percentage on the team and the best of his career. On a team where myriad players have struggled with deep shooting – J.J. Redick, Rashard Lewis, Quentin Richardson and Vince Carter are all shooting below their career three-point percentages – Pietrus’ consistency from the outside has been much-needed. The problem is, that’s all he’s contributing on offense. An absurd 75.6 percent of his field-goal attempts have been three-pointers this season, and out of 115 field-goal attempts, only nine of those shots have come at the rim.”
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “Yeah, the Magic’s four-game losing streak was hard for fans and not kind to Stan Van Gundy’s blood pressure. But fans better buckle in and brace themselves: The turbulence is far from over. Up ahead next week, and all in succession: Atlanta, Dallas, San Antonio and, on Christmas Day, Boston. The Spurs (20-3), Mavs (19-4) and Celtics (19-4) are the hottest teams in the league. You can look at it two ways, of course: 1) The Magic can continue to stagger or 2) they can regain some traction they lost during this recent slide by beating some of the best. Van Gundy said that this was the team’s toughest stretch of the year, beginning with the West trip. The Magic didn’t respond like he envisioned, and not just because they lost —but it was how they lost.”
- Dwight Howard provides some words of wisdom: “This is a long season. We’re going to have months where we don’t play well, and there’s no needing everybody, especially the captain of the team, after everybody’s yelling and going back and forth, trying to figure out what we need to do. We’ve just got to play. The more you talk, the more everybody’s just talking about what you’ve got to do, all the frustration just continues to build up. We’re gonna have bad games. I don’t think people understand that. You’re never gonna go 82-0. You’re going to have losing streaks. You’re going to have winning streaks. All that stuff is a part of playing in the NBA.”
- Howard has more to say on his official blog: “As the captain of this team, I’ve been looking for ways to get our team out of this little slump. We had a meeting the other night after the Portland lost, but I’ve found that it´s better to do less talking and lead with actions in times like these. I actually talked to a really good player on another team who I consider a mentor and he gave me that advice.“
- I wonder who he is?
- ‘O’ is for Orlando’s offensive woes. Rohan of Hardwood Paroxysm explains: “The primary culprits have actually been an increased tendency to turn the ball over and the slightly lower frequency with which they’ve gotten to the line. So far this year, the Magic have turned the ball over on 15.3% of their possessions, which is the second worst mark in the East and third in the league. And while Jameer Nelson has been turning it over a touch more than we’re used to, the real issue is the ball handling of Chris Duhon. Duhon has turned it over almost once every three possessions; toss in the fact that he’s playing more than 20 minutes a night, and the impact is readily noticeable. Of his 37 turnovers, 26 have come via stolen or bad passes.”
Unveiling the Boston Massacre tee
Via Sports Enemy:
Sports Enemy is a new line with designs that are a cross between sports and streetwear, with an emphasis on rivalries intertwined with urban designs and catchy/witty logos and slogans. As Christmas is rapidly approaching, we have recently released our latest design – Boston Massacre 2010, with colorways for the Orlando Magic vs. Boston Celtics matchup on Christmas Day.
Keep an eye out for the tee at Sports Enemy’s website.
Dwight Howard and technical fouls
AP Photo/Eric Gay
Via Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post:
It’s tough to argue, in other words, that one or more of [Dwight] Howard‘s technicals cost Orlando a game just yet. In the grand scheme of the [Orlando] Magic‘s season so far, the technicals have cost the Magic seven points, or one every three games. That’s all.
The cost to Howard isn’t too great either. Per the league’s penalty schedule, Howard’s had to pay $13,000 in fines for those technicals this season, less than one percent of his $16.6 million NBA salary, which doesn’t account for his multiple endorsements.
I don’t intend to trivialize Howard’s technical foul trouble so far this season. The potential exists for him to blow his stack at a real inopportune time and send Orlando to a loss, or for a suspension to keep him out of action against a tough opponent such as the Boston Celtics or L.A. Lakers. But when considering the other issues the Magic may have to contend with in the 61 games ahead of them, this one doesn’t loom too large.
That point is especially clear given how Howard has improved his behavior lately. He’s picked up only three technicals in his last 414:22 of court time. Moreover, he’s on a streak of 124:43 without a technical, which is very nearly his best of the season.
Dwight Howard and technical fouls. Two things that aren’t mutually exclusive.
The Orlando Magic are winning with defense
Photo by AP/John Raoux
Live and die by the three.
That’s one of the most common criticisms against the Orlando Magic – they shoot too many threes! This isn’t normal!
Ever since head coach Stan Van Gundy took over as head coach for the Magic, he — alongside general manager Otis Smith — made the conscious decision to surround franchise centerpiece Dwight Howard with scads of shooters on the perimeter, diligently following a blueprint of winning a championship that’s been established by previous teams like the Houston Rockets in the mid-’90s.
Granted, part of the Magic’s chances of winning a title rested upon Howard’s broad shoulders and his ability to develop, and dominate, on offense. Needless to say, based on the early returns, Howard is doing just that. Only a stomach virus has stopped Howard from eviscerating more opponents.
But for all the chatter surrounding Orlando’s schemes offensively and Howard’s growth on that end of the floor, something else gets overlooked.
Defense.
If the Magic are living and dying by the three, then the defense is preventing some gruesome deaths. Three straight Southeast Division titles, an Eastern Conference title, and an appearance in the NBA Finals, all of these occurrences happening in the last three seasons would be evidence for that claim. No, Orlando doesn’t have a championship but they’re always in the discussion.
Because of defense.
Revisiting Jameer Nelson’s rise to prominence, Part I
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
So far, Jameer Nelson has been having a good year for the Orlando Magic.
Fully healthy and springboarding off a strong performance in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, Nelson is back to playing like an All-Star point guard during the regular season. A big reason that the Magic rank fourth in the NBA in efficiency differential (+8.0) and second in point differential (+7.9) is because of Nelson’s stellar production offensively. It may surprise people, however, that Nelson is doing more to help Orlando on offense with his passing than at any other point in his career.
Is this trend sustainable?
It remains to be seen. But let’s go back in time and offer a refresher course on how Nelson emerged as one of the better point guards in the league for the Magic.
How about January 16, 2009 against the Los Angeles Lakers?
There are many Magic fans that remember that date vividly because it marked not only the “official” arrival of Orlando as an elite team and championship contender, but it was Nelson’s coming out party as a clutch performer and emergence as an All-Star caliber player in front of a nationally televised audience. Yes, Nelson had big games against the likes of the San Antonio Spurs and other good teams earlier in that year but this was the Lakers. At Staples Center. In primetime.
It was something more than just a regular season game for the Magic.
And for Nelson, it was his christening.
For the evening, Nelson had 28 points and eight assists while all of his damage came in the fourth quarter when the game was going back-and-forth between Orlando and Los Angeles in a matchup of two heavyweights.
The traits that people have been accustomed to seeing from Nelson — deadly shooter, drive-and-kick extraordinaire, pick and roll maven — these past few years were on full display against the Lakers in the period. It was an iconic sequence of events for Nelson because not only did it reveal his growth in head coach Stan Van Gundy‘s system but also unearthed his potential to be an impact player for the Magic when the stakes were high.
Nelson displayed flashes of brilliance in the 2008 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons, but everything came together that night.
The ongoing saga involving Gilbert Arenas
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Via Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post:
The Orlando Magic have engaged the Washington Wizards in an ongoing trade dialog centered around Wizards shooting guard Gilbert Arenas, Orlando Pinstriped Post has learned. What Orlando would send Washington in return for the three-time All-Star is less clear, but the proposed deal likely includes shooting guard Vince Carter, according to a source. Wizards big man Andray Blatche, Magic forward Rashard Lewis, and Magic center Daniel Orton could also be involved. Both teams have a mutual understanding of what the trade might include, the source says, and it’s unclear what factors are holding up the trade. What is clear around the league, however, is that Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith has his eye on Arenas. If Orlando is to make a major trade this season, Arenas will likely be the target.
CBS Sports’ Ken Berger reported the Magic listened to trade offers regarding Arenas this summer, but rebuffed the Wizards due to concern over the salary remaining on his contract, which runs for three seasons after this one, at a total cost of $62.4 million. In early November, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported “the Magic have cooled on the notion of a Vince Carter-for-Arenas exchange,” citing “NBA front-office sources.” However, the source who spoke to Orlando Pinstriped Post contradicts Stein’s report, saying Orlando has indeed initiated the discussions with Washington of late.
Orlando Pinstriped Post’s report was later refuted by general manager Otis Smith.
Still, it’s a topic worth discussing.
One of the most common criticisms of the Orlando Magic, when determining their chances of winning a championship this season, is that there is no one on the roster that can serve as a go-to scorer on the perimeter. The Los Angeles Lakers have Kobe Bryant, the Miami Heat have LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, the Boston Celtics have Paul Pierce, and the San Antonio Spurs have Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. These are players that have proven themselves when the stakes are at the highest. But what about the Magic?
There’s Jameer Nelson. If there’s anyone on the roster for Orlando that comes closest to being regarded as a go-to scorer (the main knock is his consistency), it’s Nelson. There’s no question that Nelson has been a clutch performer for the Magic not only this year, but in years past. It’s a shame that Nelson played through an injury in the 2009 NBA Finals because it would have been interesting to see how he would have fared against the Lakers, a team he demonized in the regular season that year, with the bright lights on him and fully healthy.
There’s Vince Carter. It’s fair to say that his performance in the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics is a major reason why people are skeptical that Carter can be relied upon when the going gets tough.
And that’s it.
Which is why, for better or worse, Gilbert Arenas’ name keeps getting mentioned in trade rumors with Orlando. But is Arenas really the answer?
Really?
There’s a possible answer to that question. Problem is, no one will know until the trade deadline comes and goes in February. Until then, everyone is going to try to determine whether or not the Magic need Arenas.
Orlando Magic Unveil New Black Alternate Uniforms
Via the Orlando Magic:
The Orlando Magic unveiled today new alternate black uniforms, which will serve as the team’s third uniform to go along with their home white and road blue uniforms. The Magic will have the new black adidas Rev30 jersey available for purchase on Friday, November 26 beginning at 5:30 p.m. exclusively at the Magic Team Shop presented by adidas at Amway Center and OrlandoMagicShop.com. Each fan that purchases the new Magic black adidas Rev30 jersey on Friday night will also receive a free Magic/adidas T-shirt.
The uniforms were developed through a collaborative effort between the team, the NBA and adidas. The Magic’s new black alternate uniform team debut will be on Tuesday, December 14, when the Magic travel to Denver to face the Nuggets. Fans will have the opportunity to watch the Magic wear their new black “unis” in person at Amway Center on December 23 vs. San Antonio. The team will also wear them for select road and home games this season: 12/14 @ Denver; 12/23 vs. San Antonio; 1/12 @ New Orleans, 1/13 @ OKC; 1/15 @ Minnesota; 1/17 @ Boston; 2/3 vs. Miami; 3/3 @ Miami; 3/9 @ Sacramento; 3/11 @ Golden State; 3/13 @ Phoenix; 3/14 @ L.A. Lakers; 3/16 @ Milwaukee; 3/21 @ Cleveland; 3/23 @ New York; 3/30 @ Atlanta.
Second Look: Orlando Magic 104, Miami Heat 95
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Night and day. The Orlando Magic team that suffered a blowout loss to the Miami Heat on Oct. 29 wilted under pressure, played stagnantly on offense and looked just plain awful. The Magic team that defeated the Heat 104-95 on Wednesday night answered a late Miami run, played energetically and hit big shots. [...] The Magic received big performances from Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Dwight Howard and Brandon Bass to deal the sputtering Heat their third straight loss. Nelson spent much of the night passing the ball. Until a teammate corrected him. With the Heat about to complete a fourth-quarter comeback, Bass took Nelson aside. [...] Nelson did exactly that. With the score tied at 89, Nelson hit a pull-up jumper from the foul line. On the next possession, he drove down the lane and sank a floater. On the possession after that, he logged his career-high 14th assist, driving to the foul line and kicking the ball out to Redick for a jumper.”
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “It’s hard to believe the Orlando Magic played the same team Wednesday night they played on Oct. 29 in Miami. The Magic played better in every facet of the game: they passed more, shot better, played crisper and protected the ball. Nearly a month ago, the Magic were embarrassed by the Heat. On Wednesday night, the Magic showed the world that game was an anomaly. Perhaps the adrenaline from the first game really did propel the Heat on Oct. 29. Maybe the Magic are a better team than the Heat — at least right now. Maybe Jameer Nelson is capable of carving up Miami’s defense the way Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Rajon Rondo have.”
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The first time it was Miami’s Big Three against Orlando’s Only One and it wasn’t a fair fight on Oct. 29. Wednesday night, in the rematch with the Heat, Dwight Howard received plenty of help to even the season series and continue Miami’s free-fall to 8-7. Jameer Nelson made key baskets down the stretch and set a career high with 14 assists to go with 17 points. J.J. Redick, starting for injured Vince Carter, scored 20 points and looked like a guy who starred in a shooting video. Brandon Bass scored 18 points off the bench and — get this — was even inserted late for defensive purposes. Rashard Lewis added 14 points, dodging foul trouble. And, of course, Howard was brilliant, scoring 24 points, grabbing 18 boards and keeping the Heat thinking more about outside shots. (Most amazing stat from Howard: zero fouls).”
- John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “Considering the heartbreaking fashion with which the Orlando Magic lost two days earlier maybe it was only fitting that they had to scrap and claw down the stretch on Wednesday night for their biggest victory of the season. Tied with arch-rival Miami with 4:36 to play, the Magic strung together four straight baskets by guards Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick and used a game-sealing 12-2 run to smother the Heat and win 104-95 at noisy Amway Center. The way the Magic (10-4) hung tough in a pressure situation, continued to move the ball and got key defensive stops allowed them to beat a Heat team that continues to plunge downward in a bizarre spiral. [...] The Magic’s victory was sweet revenge after they were humiliated 96-70 by the Heat in Miami on Oct. 29. The two teams play next on Feb. 3 in Orlando. They close the season series on March 3 in Miami. Both games, just like the first two meetings, will be nationally televised. But this one, clearly, meant quite a bit to the Magic.”
- Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “Miami didn’t lead at all in the second or third periods, but stormed back early in the fourth period, with scores on 7 of its first 9 possessions, taking an 88-87 lead on Wade’s three-point play at the 6:48 mark. At that point, though, the Magic’s defense stiffened once more and turned the Heat into an ineffective, jump-shooting group despite the presence of James and Wade, two of the league’s most dynamic drivers. On their next nine trips, the Heat scored 1 point and took 7 jumpers; Bass fouled Bosh on a layup attempt for Miami’s only point during that span, and Bosh fumbled away a lob pass in what proved to be the Heat’s only inside shot attempt. Zydrunas Ilgauskas missed two open pick-and-pop looks, Wade and Eddie House missed three three-pointers, and Wade and James missed two long two-point tries. It’s important to note, though, that one of House’s threes came after Nelson batted away an attempted alley-oop pass, a play which doesn’t show up in the stat sheet but nonetheless affected the game in a major way. Also important: at no point in the fourth quarter did Orlando permit Miami any second looks, as it grabbed all 12 available defensive rebounds. For the entire fourth, the Heat’s offense was one-and-done, a huge coup for the Magic.”
- Shandel Richardson of the Sun-Sentinel: “The Heat was hardly the team that defeated the Magic by 26 points at AmericanAirlines Arena less than a month ago. They looked like a group still searching for an identity, offensively and defensively. The Magic led most of the way before Wade broke free from a shooting slump. He entered having made 1 of his last 23 field goals, and hit just 5 of 18 against the Magic. But Wade scored seven of his 18 points in the fourth quarter, his 3-point play giving the Heat an 88-87 lead with 6:48 remaining. From there, the Magic (10-4) went on a 10-1 spurt behind point guard Jameer Nelson to regain control and close things out.”
- David J. Neal of the Miami Herald: “How you view the Heat’s 104-95 loss in Orlando depends all on perspective. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade saw a great effort Wednesday night. The NBA standings will see it as a loss. James and Wade saw it as just one of those nights against a good team on the road. Fans will see it as a loss against the kind of opponent the Heat needs to start beating. [...] They didn’t get it, in the end, because Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson snatched the game. In addition to his 11 fourth-quarter points, Nelson dished off to J.J. Redick for a short jumper and drew a couple of fouls before taking his game and going home. Nelson was called for his second technical foul with 39 seconds left.”
- Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald: “Just take a snapshot of the Heat 15 games into the season. It’s a hideous picture. Dwyane Wade hasn’t looked this out of sorts, maybe ever. You can see him second-guessing his shot as he’s releasing it. He missed a couple of layups in the first half against Orlando that he could have made in his sleep. He tried to reincorporate a midrange game that has been nonexistent this season, and it looked out of rhythm. He threw up an airball three-pointer with no one near him. He recovered for a few minutes in the final quarter, but that happened with James on the bench. When James came back in, Wade’s short-lived flame fizzled. Coincidence? Maybe. But it won’t be looked at that way. Not on this team. Not when the losses are piling up and the gettin’ is good. And James? He’s the picture of confusion at the moment. He talked about having fun playing basketball, but it seemed to ignore all the other elements required for success.”
- Kevin Arnovitz of The Heat Index: “A few seasons ago — back when the Celtics has just assembled their big 3, the grizzled Pistons were still competent and the Cavaliers were riding LeBron James, — the Magic assumed the role as the up-and-comers in the East. Dwight Howard was still a pup on the block. Van Gundy surrounded him with shooters, and a system was born. Van Gundy might look like an unmade bed, but the schemes he has implemented in Orlando over the past few years are crisp and clean. Howard and Nelson have been the foundation of the Magic’s system. On Wednesday night, the Magic’s lethal big-small combination executed the playbook with precision as Orlando racked up 104 points in a methodical game that featured only 90 possessions — an outstanding rating of 115.6 against Miami’s fourth-ranked defense. The first principle of Orlando’s offense is to attack. That’s Nelson’s function, whether it’s a dribble-drive with a kickout to a shooter, or via a pick-and-roll. Nelson was brilliant against Miami, racking up a career-high 14 assists to go along with 17 points before his unceremonious ejection for mouthing off to Eddie House.”
- Brian Windhorst of The Heat Index: “There were six minutes left and the Miami Heat were ahead by one point. Dwyane Wade had just scored two baskets and assisted on two others by baiting the defense and finding the open man. The Heat had eliminated the Orlando Magic’s once sizable lead. The horn sounded and LeBron James tore off his warm-up and bounced onto the floor. The crowd at Amway Center was worried, so worried it forgot to boo James as it had been doing all night. So this was it. Wade and James on the same team and ready to take control of a close road game against an elite team as they’ve done so often in their careers. When they were on that Miami stage back in July it was these moments they were dreaming of, eventually in June it was assumed. Double-barreled superstars in superstar time, right? No, it was more like Wile E. Coyote pulling the trigger only to display a little sign that read “bang.” Wade and James did nothing in those final six minutes save for a couple garbage-time baskets for James and a couple of free throws for Wade when the Heat were down nine points with 30 seconds left.”
- Michael Wallace of The Heat Index: “If Spoelstra’s seat on the bench is growing warmer by the loss to Orlando, it very well could reach a boiling point should the Heat hit rock bottom with a defeat at home on Friday to Philadelphia. Injuries have depleted the Heat’s bench. Wade and James continue to be more oil and water right now than basketball’s version of Crockett and Tubbs. There are still some lapses in effort, energy and focus, although there were signs of improvement in those areas against the Magic. But during a stretch that has included five losses in the past eight games, the Heat have bounced between demoralizing losses and moral victories. At this stage, the only solution to Miami’s issues is accountability. The question is, who assumes that burden? “
Wednesday’s Magic Word
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Stan Van Gundy is one of the most candid coaches in professional sports, but as Wednesday night’s highly anticipated game between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat approached, he did not deviate from a time-honored cliché. Although he acknowledged the game would reveal areas where his team needs to improve, Van Gundy insisted that the matchup against the Heat had no special importance. [...] It would be easy to dismiss Van Gundy’s contention as “coachspeak,” but at the same time, it cut to the heart of a question the NBA has faced ever since the 1983-84 season, the first year the league allowed 16 teams to qualify for the playoffs. Just how important is a game in November if a league plays an 82-game regular season and allows more than half of its franchises to qualify for the postseason? That question is especially interesting in the case of the Heat and the Magic, two franchises closely connected by geography, star-studded rosters and enormous expectations.”
- Dwight Howard is not friends with the Miami Heat.
- For the Orlando Magic, tonight is just another game.
- The Heat’s plea to their fans to show up on time at American Airlines Arena is “embarrassing.”
- Vince Carter will not play against the Heat.
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy sounds off on Phil Jackson: “First of all, to second-guess the other coach and comment on a situation he knows nothing about, it’s inappropriate and it’s also ignorant. I don’t mean that commenting on Phil’s intelligence. He’s obviously a very smart guy. I mean it as ignorant. He doesn’t know what that situation was and he doesn’t know what the situation in Miami is now. I don’t think that, unless their relationship’s changed drastically, that he and Pat talk on a regular basis. So, I would doubt that he would have any information whatsoever on what’s going on in Miami.”
- Shandel Richardson of the Sun-Sentinel on Miami’s addition of Erick Dampier: “I never imagined a guy who played in the 1996 NCAA Final Four would receive so much attention on a team that features LeBron, Bosh and Wade. Dampier likely won’t play tonight, but his name has been on the minds of fans and media since the Heat’s struggles began. Time will tell if he can help. Dampier had a poor workout the last time he auditioned for the Heat. If he’s in solid shape like he says, then I could see him bringing muscle to a team lacking physical toughness. If not, the Heat will have wasted their time and added to the already existing chemistry problems.”
- Is Orlando ready to play on prime-time? Sekou Smith of the NBA’s Hangtime Blog tries to answer that question: “There is nothing more entertaining than a supremely talented team struggling to find its motivation. And make no mistake about it, these Magic are one of the three most talented teams in the league — and are a group rarely spoken about around these parts. They went flat in the Eastern Conference finals last season against Boston and it’s like we’re all scared to take them seriously since then. It certainly doesn’t help the cause when Dwight Howard and his boys fail in measuring-stick games — the Heat routed them by 26 points in Round 1 of the Sunshine State Classic in Miami on Halloween weekend, the Jazz stunned them with a monster comeback win Nov. 10 and the Spurs handled them Monday night. Tonight’s rematch against the Heat in Orlando provides the perfect opportunity for Stan Van Gundy’s team to show us that they are free of the psychodrama that has plagued them since the Eastern Conference finals.”
- Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse has more on Van Gundy’s comments towards Jackson.
- Howard likes to perform on Thanksgiving Day.
- Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie: “Van Gundy, to his everlasting credit (and bank account statements) has steadfastly stuck with the company line ever since. And who knows, the company line might be the correct line, but we’re also correct in pointing out how all signs point to an unceremonious departure for Van Gundy back in 2005, and how it mirrors what’s happening right now. And it’s not cool for Phil to say what’s on his and our minds … why? He’s not allowed to say what has been on the tip of every sports writers’ tongue, seriously, since it became news that the Heat were going to clear cap space to try and add another star two years ago? Pull up some cable chat show from two years ago, and I guarantee that’s the first quip out of someone’s mouth.”
- How overpaid is Rashard Lewis? No one really knows.
It’s Not All About Dwight Howard
Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images
As seen on The Heat Index.
Before the Orlando Magic faced off against the Miami Heat on October 29, the conversation surrounding the matchup centered on Dwight Howard‘s ability to exploit the Heat’s front line. Nearly everyone said, “Who is going to stop him?”
Yet few bothered to ask how the Magic would score on the perimeter against LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, two of the best wing defenders in the NBA.
In the first half of their initial meeting in Miami’s regular season home opener, Orlando got a lot of production from Howard but little else from the likes of Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter and others. Howard was dominant in the first two quarters. He executed to near perfection on the low block and displayed an array of lefty and righty hooks, spin moves and jump shots.
Unfortunately for the Magic, Howard was a one-man show because head coach Erik Spoelstra elected not to double-team the big fella in the low post and instead concentrated on stopping the perimeter attack.
Let Howard get his, and stop everyone else on the Magic’s roster.
It’s a strategy similar to the one Boston Celtics employed to beat Orlando in the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. In this case, Wade shut down Carter while James acted as a rover on defense, using his elite athleticism to make it nearly impossible for Orlando shooters to get clean looks from the perimeter.
The strategy worked, as the Heat were able to pull away from the Magic in the third quarter thanks to a barrage of shots from James and Wade. The Magic posted their worst offensive night in more than two years as they fell 96-70 in Miami.
What can Orlando do differently this time around?
