Posts Tagged → Boston Celtics
July 16th, 2010
Friday’s Magic Word
- Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: “That window of opportunity for winning a championship hasn’t closed yet, as far as the Orlando Magic are concerned and it’s part of the reason they chose to keep J.J. Redick, matching an offer that is likely to cost them more than $30 million in salary and luxury taxes over the length of the contract. Magic General Manager Otis Smith spoke today about matching Redick’s offer, saying Redick’s main boon is that he has a winner’s “DNA.” [...] Smith said the discussion about whether or not to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19-million offer involved some debate money-wise. Because Redick was a restricted free agent, the Magic had seven days to match the offer. The Magic were already at least $14 million over the luxury tax threshold for next season before matching Redick’s offer worth somewhere around $7.5 to $8 million in its first year.”
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “If anyone had any doubts about Matt Barnes’ future with the Orlando Magic, those doubts were erased last night with the news that the Magic were re-signing J.J. Redick. Now, it’s crystal clear that the Magic will go with Mickael Pietrus and Quentin Richardson at the small-forward spot, with the possibility that second-round pick Stanley Robinson can make the regular-season roster if he performs well at training camp. General Manager Otis Smith said this morning that he has not offered Barnes a contract this offseason. This confirms what Barnes and his agent, Aaron Goodwin, have been saying over the last couple of weeks.”
- Matt Barnes delays his announcement.
- General manager Otis Smith is not a fan of text messaging.
- J.J. Redick is flattered with his new contract.
- Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com: “After years of struggling with his consistency, along with battling to find a solid place in Orlando’s rotation, Redick delivered a breakout performance in the Magic’s 2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Boston Celtics. He continued to build on that effort during Orlando’s 2009-10 regular season campaign, averaging career highs in points (9.6 ppg.), assists (1.9 apg.) and minutes (22 mpg.). Always known for his ability to shoot the ball, the 26 year old has now also developed into a serviceable defender against perimeter-oriented shooting guards. He flashed his ability to contain Ray Allen in that 2009 series and reinforced that perception throughout last season.”
- Fans come to see Dwight Howard play: “The Magic finished 5th in road attendance last season, drawing an average of 27,838 fans a game. Attribute that, as well as Orlando’s recent title pushes, to Howard. There’s no guarantee this team ever makes it back to the Finals. Most fans won’t care. They just want to see the premiere big man athlete continue to splatter blocked shots all over the backboards and front rows across the league.”
- The last item on the agenda for the Magic is to sign a third point guard.
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post has some notes from Smith’s presser.
- How does Orlando stack up to the Los Angeles Lakers? Brian Kamenetzky of the Land O’ Lakers blog chimes in: “Stan Van Gundy’s crew has won 59 games in consecutive seasons, including a trip to the Finals in ’09. This summer, they’ve swapped Jason Williams and Matt Barnes for Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson. A wash, basically, but by matching Chicago’s offer sheet on J.J. Redick, the Magic certainly aren’t setting themselves up to slide this season. With Dwight Howard they have a dominant player in the middle, accompanied by a great guard in Jameer Nelson and strong players up and down the roster.”
- Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus examines the dangers of long-term contracts: “Looking over all the data, it appears the sweet spot for free-agent contracts is about three years. Past this, the risk escalates quickly. Predicting performance next season is hard enough, so trying to figure out what a player will be like five years down the line (or even whether they’ll be healthy then) is nigh impossible. For stars, that risk is an acceptable part of acquiring an elite talent. Among the NBA’s middle class, it’s difficult to justify going much more than three years. A four-year deal can be justified because the expiring contract becomes valuable as a trade asset the last year, but five-year deals to marginal talents simply aren’t worth it.”
- By Pelton’s logic, the Magic did well by re-signing Redick to a three-year deal and signing Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson to four-year deals. The length of the contracts are just right.
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 2 Comments
July 15th, 2010
Thursday’s Magic Word
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “If I were a betting man, I’d wager that the [Orlando] Magic will match the Chicago Bulls’ offer sheet and keep shooting guard J.J. Redick. The club has until Friday to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19-million offer sheet for the restricted free agent. Things could change in the next 24 or so hours, but it’s unlikely. General Manager Otis Smith is fielding trade offers from other teams for other Magic players and likely another shooting guard to replace Redick, but the climate in the Magic organization does not suggest Smith is letting go of Redick unless he lands a sweet deal.”
- Tomorrow, Matt Barnes makes an announcement.
- Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse: “The Orlando Magic have decided to retain restricted free agent guard J.J. Redick, matching the three-year, $19 million offer sheet he received from the Chicago Bulls last week. The Magic will make their intention known Friday – the last possible day — but NBA sources familiar with the front-office thinking of the Magic confirmed their decision Thursday afternoon. [...] The offer sheet from the Bulls includes a first-year salary of $7 million, which will cost the Magic $14 million next season because of the punitive, dollar-for-dollar luxury tax threshold the Magic will exceed.”
- Eric Freeman of The Baseline comments on a dormant rivalry between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat that is ready to explode.
- Daniel Marks of Dime Magazine lists Rashard Lewis‘ contract as the 10th-worst in the NBA. Same old song and dance: “Rashard Lewis is the classic case of a general manager overpaying for a need. The Magic needed a shooter and second gun to take some pressure off Dwight Howard so they vastly overpaid him to be their number two guy. Lewis played well his first two years in Orlando, and is a solid player, but he doesn’t play defense and is not a true power forward. His playoff performance, or lack thereof, is most likely a sign of things to come for Lewis who still has three years left on his deal.”
- Unfortunately for Marks, he’s incorrect in saying that Lewis doesn’t play defense — he does. By the way, what’s a true power forward? Last time I checked, power forwards in the league have different skills and strengths. Lastly, Lewis’ performed fine in the playoffs until he played against the Boston Celtics and was defended by Kevin Garnett. And Garnett is one of the best defenders in NBA history.
- Are the Magic building a squad to beat the Heat?
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 9 Comments
July 14th, 2010
Magic Basketball Mailbag, 7/14/10
Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images
Here’s another installment of the Magic Basketball Mailbag.
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If the Orlando Magic can’t obtain a top star, why not build one up and invest time into Marcin Gortat or Ryan Anderson to be our power forward in the starting line up? They both have size.
Against the elite teams in the NBA, which — for now — includes the Los Angeles Lakers, the Miami Heat, and the Boston Celtics, it makes little sense for the Orlando Magic to start either Ryan Anderson or Marcin Gortat at power forward. The main problem, more than anything else, is that Rashard Lewis would start at the small forward position and that would mean he’d have to defend players like LeBron James, Paul Pierce, and others. At small forward, Lewis doesn’t have the lateral quickness to keep players in front of him or the speed to chase them on the perimeter. This isn’t new, by the way. Lewis dealt with the same issues when he played with the Seattle SuperSonics.
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in Analysis • 10 Comments
July 13th, 2010
Tuesday’s Magic Word
- George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “All of these are ancillary moves in the big-picture scheme of Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, [Rashard] Lewis and [Vince] Carter. They are the nucleus of the Magic roster that has to wrestle with the James Gang in South Florida. You can’t rip [Otis] Smith because James bolted for Miami. Smith put together the best team possible — in his estimation — to compete and win an NBA title. Stuff happens along the way. The Magic regressed by not advancing to the Finals again last season. Will they regress again in 2011? At least they are in the conversation of teams contending in the East, joining The Other Big Three — coming back to Boston — and the Heat in the preseason shuffle. Holding onto [J.J.] Redick or plugging in [Quentin] Richardson for [Matt] Barnes will not shift the odds in Orlando’s favor, but it will keep Smith’s game plan intact for the most part. It appears that will have to be enough.”
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Otis Smith insists he hasn’t made up his mind whether to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19 million offer sheet for shooting guard J.J. Redick. Smith has been known to misdirect the media on player personnel moves, so take that with a grain of salt. But one thing is certain: If Smith decides he wants to retain Redick, he’ll have to receive approval from Owner Rich DeVos and the team’s president and chief executive officer, Bob Vander Weide. After all, re-signing Redick would add significantly to the Magic’s already hefty luxury-tax hit.”
- John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “Because the Magic are already a luxury-tax-paying team, Chicago reportedly front-loaded its contract offer to Redick to make it more difficult for Orlando to match. The deal calls for Redick to make approximately $7.5 million in the first year, $6.5 million in the second season and $5 million in the third. Smith admitted that those figures were somewhat surprising, but not surprising considering the improvement that Redick made this season and the toughness that he played with during the playoffs. [...] The Magic must make a decision by Friday, and Smith plans to use all of his allotted time to make that decision. Richardson, 30, is primarily a small forward, but he can play shooting guard as well. Because Barnes is still considered in play, the decision for Smith could come down to Redick or Barnes. Whichever one it is will be the 12th player on the roster with only a minimum-salaried third point guard left to still add.”
- Quentin Richardson stays with a contender.
- Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse: “Instead of sitting behind James in Miami or Paul Pierce in Boston, Richardson will likely be starting at small forward for the Magic, who were looking to replace free agent Matt Barnes. That role will make him the guy assigned to slow both James and Pierce — the Magic’s Big Show stopper. In replacing Barnes, who is expected to sign elsewhere, Richardson is giving the Magic a better shooter, bigger scoring threat and a defender who is about the same. And like many around the league, he is more curious about Miami’s Big Three — and how they will come together — than worried about them.”
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post has notes from Richardson’s media availability.
- The top 25 dunks of the decade, featuring Vince Carter, Dwight Howard, and others.
- Daniel Marks of Dime Magazine rates the Orlando Magic as the second-best team in the Eastern Conference behind the Miami Heat: “While the Magic will finish second in their own division, they will also be second in the conference. With two straight trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic have a ton of talent still on the roster. If they trade Marcin Gortat for some wing help (in addition to signing Quentin Richardson), they will probably be back there. Also, the roster has had a year to gel, and with no major changes like last offseason when Hedo Turkoglu left and Vince Carter was brought in, they should be ready.”
- A must-read Q/A with Rony Seikaly.
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 2 Comments
July 13th, 2010
2009-2010 Free Agent Evaluation: Quentin Richardson
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
Synergy-fueled player evaluations, with the help of other metrics, are always fun.
Today, Quentin Richardson.
| 2009-2010 regular season | Quentin Richardson |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 76 |
| Minutes Played | 27.4 |
| adj. +/- | +3.30 |
| net +/- | +6.0 |
| statistical +/- | +1.82 |
| PER | 12.9 |
| WARP | 1.4 |
| Win Shares/48 | .133 |
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in Evaluations • 12 Comments
July 12th, 2010
Monday’s Magic Word
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic replaced one well-traveled 30-year-old small forward with another on Monday, signing Quentin Richardson and likely parting ways with Matt Barnes. [...] It is believed that Richardson signed a multiyear deal — likely three years — for between $7.5 million to $8 million. He received what remained of the Magic’s mid-level exception after the club signed point guard Chris Duhon last week. Barnes told the Sentinel that he never received an offer from the Magic and is virtually resigned to the fact his stay in Orlando is over. [...] [Stan] Van Gundy said that it is his understanding that Richardson’s signing will not directly impact the Magic’s decision to match the Chicago Bulls’ three-year, $19 million offer for [J.J.] Redick.”
- More from Schmitz: “If they want to keep [Redick] as the heir apparent to Vince Carter (who is off the books at season’s end), they will match Chicago and attempt to perhaps trade other contracts to lessen the blow. Or maybe owner Rich DeVos nods his head, pays Redick without making other sacrficies and the Magic continue to try to add a swing man and a third point guard. The Magic have assets to move. They matched backup center Marcin Gortat last summer and are paying him $34 mil over five years to play about 12 minutes behind Dwight Howard. That’s not bang for your buck, and the same could be said for little-used power Brandon Bass (four years, $16 mil).”
- Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com: “Although we still don’t know what each team will exactly look like when the 2010-11 season begins in the Fall, we do know that the Magic and Heat will be two of the best teams in the NBA. NBA analysts and critics are already predicting that the Lakers, Celtics, Magic and Heat will be the top four teams in the league. This will be the first time since the Magic entered the NBA in 1989 – one year after the Heat arrived – that the two Florida franchises will be championship contenders at the same time. Orlando and Miami met in the playoffs just once – but it was just a first round matchup in 1997. This could also be the first long-term rivalry for the Magic. Orlando squabbled with the Chicago Bulls in the mid-90’s, but that really only lasted for two NBA seasons. It’s had a brief enmity with the Cleveland Cavaliers, but that contention is officially over since LeBron is no longer involved.”
- Reminiscing on Vince Carter’s dunk over Frederic Weis in the 2000 Summer Olympics.
- Matt Moore of ProBasketballTalk thinks it won’t be easy for the Orlando Magic to re-sign J.J. Redick, given the offer sheet he’s received from the Chicago Bulls is lucrative.
- Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse: “Redick, a restricted free agent, received a 3-year, $19 million offer sheet last week from the Chicago Bulls that is front-loaded at $7 million the first year. Magic general manager Otis Smith said over the weekend that he “anticipated” matching the offer to keep Redick, who the Magic made the No. 11 pick in the 2006 Draft. Keeping Redick, though, would be especially costly. Because the Magic already are over the luxury tax limit of $70 million, any money they pay Redick would be doubled under the dollar-for-dollar tax. The offer sheet presented by the Bulls was designed to deter the Magic from matching. With the luxury tax, the Magic would be paying $14 million to keep Redick — unless they can move others off the roster.”
- According to Rey Jefferson of Dime Magazine, Jameer Nelson and Dwight Howard are the second-best point guard/big man tandem in the NBA: “How many ESPN “Top 10 Plays” need to happen before defenders realize the obvious? If you single-cover Dwight with no weak side help, he’s going to live on alley-oops from Jameer.”
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 2 Comments
July 10th, 2010
Orlando Magic Announce AirTran Airways All-Summer League Teams
Via the Orlando Magic:
Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday paced all scorers with 19.3 ppg. and was named to the 2010 AirTran Airways All-Summer League First Team at the conclusion of the five-day event at the RDV Sportsplex in Orlando, Fla. The New Jersey Nets also had two recipients on the First Team in guard/forward Terrence Williams (18.8 ppg., 5.0 apg.) and forward Damion James (18.8 ppg., 5.3 rpg.), while Boston forward Luke Harangody (16.6 ppg., 6.8 rpg.) and Oklahoma City center BJ Mullens (16.0 ppg., 6.3 rpg.) were also honored.
The All-Summer League Second Team consisted of Indiana Pacers center Magnum Rolle, Charlotte Bobcats guard Gerald Henderson, Philadelphia 76ers guard Jodie Meeks, Oklahoma City guard James Harden and Bobcats forward Derrick Brown. Honorable Mention honors also went to Indiana’s Lance Stephenson, Josh McRoberts and Paul George, Utah’s Kosta Koufos and Gordon Hayward, Boston’s Jaycee Carroll, Oklahoma City’s Eric Maynor and Kyle Weaver and Orlando’s Joe Crawford, Paul Davis and Patrick Ewing, Jr. The members of the AirTran Airways All-Summer League Teams were selected by participating NBA teams’ public relations representatives and the OrlandoMagic.com staff.
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in Press Releases • No Comment
July 9th, 2010
In a Blink of an Eye, a Rivalry Between the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat Has Reached New Heights
Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images
Welcome to Miami Thrice.
There are a number of nicknames that are being used to illustrate the union of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh. Some complimentary, some not. Yet there are a number of adjectives that can also describe the newly-formed trio. ‘Unpredecented’ is, perhaps, the most appropriate one to label an alliance that has shaken the foundation of the NBA at its core. Never before has the best player in the league during his time, whether it’s James right now or Michael Jordan back then (this group is close), united with talents like Wade and Bosh in the prime of their careers. It’s unheard of. Yes, there have been “Big Threes” that have been talented to varying degrees, but this triumvirate is in rarified air. And the epicenter of the earthquake that occurred yesterday was located in Miami and the tremors are emitting to Orlando.
| adj. +/- | net +/- | stat. +/- | PER | WARP | Win Shares/48 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Bosh | +6.97 | +6.0 | +3.84 | 25.0 | 14.0 | .182 |
| LeBron James | +18.52 | +15.8 | +14.13 | 31.1 | 25.3 | .299 |
| Dwyane Wade | +16.09 | +14.1 | +10.77 | 28.0 | 20.0 | .224 |
| Dwight Howard | +24.97 | +10.2 | +7.21 | 24.0 | 19.2 | .223 |
Numbers for the 2009-2010 regular season.
In one felt swoop, the Miami Heat have transformed themselves from being a playoff team to a title contender — regardless of the seven players that will be needed to fill out the roster (Mike Miller appears to be accounted for, alongside Mario Chalmers). Likewise, after three years of reigning at the top of the Southeast Division with no legitimate challengers to dethrone them, the Orlando Magic have to deal with the Heat. The irony is that Miami was in the same boat from 2005 to 2007, but didn’t have a challenge until the last year when the Washington Wizards finished three games behind them in the division. Just like the Magic this year with the Atlanta Hawks.
It’s been said elsewhere but even though the rivalry between Orlando and Miami exists, given that they’re in the same state, same division, and all that, the rivalry hasn’t seen many fireworks over the years. The playoff duel in 1997 is one to remember, and when Shaquille O’Neal joined the Heat in 2005, that stoked the fires of the rivalry a little bit. Sure, there’s some animosity between both franchises when head coach Stan Van Gundy chose to coach the Magic in 2007 and president Pat Riley demanded, and received, compensation to allow the transaction to go through, which strained the relationships of the two teams. Can’t forget the storyline getting set up in the first place after Riley “replaced” Van Gundy in 2006, ultimately leading Miami to their first and only championship. Of course, there’s the humorous history of players having played for both franchises at some point in their careers. A list that includes Ike Austin, Rony Seikaly, and others. The point is, there’s always been skirmishes between Orlando and Miami. That’s it.
Now?
The Magic and the Heat are elite teams. Together. Never before have Orlando and Miami competed for championships at the same time … until now. Rest assured, it’s going to be a bloodbath. A slugfest. A war. Aside from the rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, the Magic and the Heat have the makings of being one of the most intense rivalries not only in the NBA but in sports in general. All of the elements are there and in a way, Magic fans should enjoy watching the drama unfold. ‘Beat the Heat’ becomes a relevant chant again, for instance. Miami has always been Orlando’s natural rival but it truly means something now. These are two teams vying for a title and three of the top five players in the league are going to be the actors in a script that everyone is dying to read.
So what does the Heat acquiring James, Wade, and Bosh mean to the Magic?
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in Analysis • 23 Comments
July 8th, 2010
Thursday’s Magic Word
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The [Orlando] Magic on Thursday brought aboard Chris Duhon, a veritable minnow on the free-agent market, while the largest, meanest shark circled all around them. And that meant only one thing. They’re going to need a bigger budget. The Magic’s grand plan looked pretty good until it turned out that a prime-time news conference Thursday didn’t involve the President. LeBron James couldn’t really beat the Magic as a Cleveland Cav, so he announced he was joining Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in a Holy Trinity of Superstars in Miami. Orlando has been out of the playoffs for more than a month, but this had to feel like another day the faithful needed cheering up. And to make matters worse, all this great fortune is heaped on Miami. If Stan Van Gundy feels as if the Heat are out to get him, can you blame him? The words from LeBron that had to make Magic fans cringe, ‘I’m going to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat.’ ”
- Chris Duhon is excited to play for the Orlando Magic.
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy: “I think that certainly on paper they have to be the favorite. You can talk about needing time and the whole thing. But face it, Boston did it in the first year with the three guys [Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce] together. As good as those guys are, they were a little bit older at the time. You’ve got three guys right in their prime. You have to make them the favorites in the East on paper. Then, Los Angeles, as the two-time defending champions, you can’t write them off.”
- Today, Rashard Lewis introduced his new baby boy to the world.
- General manager Otis Smith hasn’t seen a trade offer for Marcin Gortat that he likes.
- Duhon wishes the New York Knicks the best of luck in their future endeavors.
- Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post has news and notes from Duhon’s press conference.
- Chris Tomasson of NBA FanHouse: “While many other teams are in a frantic mode, one of the NBA’s best outfits is content now to sit back and watch for a while. The Orlando Magic on Thursday did sign point guard Chris Duhon to a four-year, $15 million contract. But general manager Otis Smith said the Magic, NBA finalists two years ago and Eastern Conference finalists last spring, is now willing to be patient and see how things unfold in free agency.”
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 6 Comments
July 8th, 2010
Wednesday’s Magic Word
- Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: “Stan Van Gundy likes that the Orlando Magic have the right to match any offer sheet restricted free agent SG J.J. Redick could sign with another team. Because Redick has played four consecutive seasons with the Magic, he’s considered a “Bird” free agent, meaning the Magic can pay him up to a maximum salary even though they are well above the NBA salary cap. Right now, the Magic seem inclined to bring back Redick even though it would plunge them further into the luxury tax. ’I'm not worried about what J.J. might get from somebody,’ Van Gundy said Wednesday between games of the AirTran Airways Pro Summer League at RDV Sportsplex. “That would simply leave us with a decision, but the ball rests in our court. We’ll just have to make the decision when the time comes. Our intention is — and I know that from talking to [General Manager] Otis Smith — our intention is to match.’ ”
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Free agents were allowed to start signing binding contracts at 12:01 this morning, but Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh already ended the speculation surrounding them. On Wednesday, Wade announced he’ll remain with the Miami Heat. Bosh declared he will sign with the Heat. ’I don’t think there’s any doubt that they’re instant contenders to win an NBA championship,’ Van Gundy said. ‘It makes them very, very good and they still have a lot of money to fill out that roster.’ Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers expects the Bosh-Wade tandem will make his job tougher. ’It just makes the East that much better, which is in some ways good and in some ways bad,’ Rivers said. ‘Listen, last year everybody chased Orlando because they were the defending champs. Now, this year, everyone will be chasing us. And everyone is fortifying their teams very well to do that.’ ”
- Against the New Jersey Nets in Summer League, Daniel Orton showed more effort.
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy raves about Chris Duhon‘s passing and defensive ability, as well as his youth.
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Magic’s goal the last two seasons has been to compete with the Lakers, Cavaliers and Celtics for the NBA championship, but now they must first Beat the Heat to even win a Southeast Division title. Hate to say it, Magic fans, but with Chris Bosh announcing Wednesday that he is joining Dwyane Wade in Miami, the Heat are now the new Beasts of the Southeast. They finished 47-35 last season — 12 games behind the division-winning Magic. Seems to me that adding Bosh, one of the top 10 players in the game, makes them at least a dozen games better than last season. And let’s not forget, the Heat still have cap room and flexibility to do even more during free agency. [...] Magic fans better hit their knees and pray that LeBron isn’t the final and fatal piece of the Heat’s free-agent windfall. If the ridiculously egotistical “King James” announces during his hour-long State-of-the-LeBron address on ESPN tonight that he, too, is joining the Heat then the Magic’s championship window of opportunity may have just slammed shut on GM Otis Smith’s poor little pinkies.”
- Dennis Scott is skeptical about the Miami Heat’s new superstar pairing.
- Head coach Doc Rivers jokingly wishes that all the major free agents signed with the Los Angeles Clippers.
- Kevin Durant has been a breathe of fresh air at the 2010 Orlando Pro Summer League.
- More from Van Gundy: “If he went anywhere but Cleveland I’d be shocked, but I’d be doubly shocked if he went to Miami. [Wade and James] both want to be the man. I think Chris Bosh was a different story. I think he had tried to be the man. It didn’t work. I think he’s willing to be a very, very good second fiddle. I think he’s seen what happened to Pau Gasol. Teams that are good but couldn’t win the playoffs to being the second guy in L.A. and it’s worked well for him. I’m sure Chris Bosh envisions something pretty much the same. All those guys would love to be the man but it’s not that easy as a lot of them have found. I think it’s great for the Heat and good for him.”
- Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus takes a look at the shooting guards in free agency, a group which includes J.J. Redick: “Though Redick’s stats had been terrible before 2009-10, it was evident during the 2009 postseason that his work behind the scenes was paying off. Redick has made himself into a positive at the defensive end of the floor and a capable ballhandler, and when he got regular minutes last season his shots started falling. I’m a little more concerned that last year might have been Redick’s high-water mark, but it’s a pretty nice mark.”
- More from Pelton: “The itinerant [Matt] Barnes shows up on this list year after year, and has climbed considerably–he was ranked 10th in 2008 and 11th in 2009. Barnes has established a nice little niche for himself as a role player who will provide toughness and defense without hurting you on offense. Mario Elie and Rick Fox, Barnes’ two best comps, are probably the patron saints of this group. All Barnes is missing is the ring. Would he be crazy enough to chase it as part of a super-team? That would be about the best pickup realistically possible at the minimum. If Barnes walks from Orlando, which looks likely after the Magic spent a good chunk of its mid-level exception on Chris Duhon, he’ll be missed.”
- Jameer Nelson is one of the top sidekicks in the NBA, according to Daniel Marks of Dime Magazine: “Nobody expected Nelson to be an All-Star caliber point guard when he was drafted out of St. Joe’s, but that’s what he has proven to be. Nelson can score, but also knows when to give the ball down low to Dwight Howard. Nelson beats out Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter for this position because he knows how to best play off of Superman.”
- A number of teams in the league are interested in Redick.
By Eddy Rivera • Posted in News • 7 Comments
