Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Via Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:

The former [Orlando] Magic first-round draft pick on Tuesday extended his contract with Regal FC Barçelona by one year to run through the 2011-12 season, ending the Magic’s immediate hopes of adding [Fran] Vázquez to their roster.

But Vázquez’s Spain-based agent, José Cobelo, said in a phone interview with the Orlando Sentinel on Tuesday that his client would be interested in joining the Magic after his contract with Barçelona ends — assuming the NBA’s labor woes are cleared up by that time.

“Of course Fran would give serious consideration to the Magic,” Cobelo said. “That has been his intention all of these years. He signed with Barçelona for a year to keep that door open. Once we get a tangible offer we will evaluate it. Unfortunately, we can’t do that now with the potential of a lockout lurking.”

Indeed, the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement with its players is set to expire on July 1, and a lockout seems all but inevitable.

If there is a truncated season or if the season must be scuttled altogether, players will not get paid for missed games.

“The Magic, with the potential of a lockout, weren’t a viable option for Fran,” Cobelo said. “We don’t know with any degree of certainty what the conditions would be or whether he’d get to play [any games because of the labor situation].”

Regal FC Barçelona announced Vázquez’s extension on its English-language website, and Cobelo confirmed the length of the extension.

It looks like the Orlando Magic will have to wait longer to bring Fran Vazquez over from Spain, a player that could step in and fill a need at back-up center with skills similar to Marcin Gortat, with uncertainty surrounding the new collective bargaining being the deterrent.

The question is whether or not, with the franchise’s future in the balance with Dwight Howard‘s impending decision to stay or leave in 2012, it’ll make any difference for Vazquez to come over in hopes of helping the Magic win games.

Vazquez’s value would only be maximized if Orlando is still in contention to win titles.

• Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “The relationship between a coach and an NBA superstar is not a simple one. The coach, by definition, is supposed to be the authority, the loudest voice in the organization and a leader to the team. But in many NBA cities, where a larger-than-life superstar plays basketball, the team’s best player holds more power than anyone else in the organization besides, maybe, the owner. For better or worse, that’s how it is. But Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy, who’s coached megastars Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O’Neal and Dwight Howard in his career, says he’s never been big-timed or pushed around by a superstar. [...] Of course, the elephant in the room is Van Gundy being pushed out of the Miami Heat job in 2005 while coaching Wade and O’Neal, but this conversation wasn’t really about that. It was about Jerry Sloan’s abrupt resignation on Thursday, a move that some believe was because Sloan couldn’t get along with Jazz star point guard Deron Williams.”
• Brandon Bass could return to play against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.
• Fran Vazquez is considering the NBA more seriously.
• A Hedo Turkoglu flowchart.
• Head coach Stan Van Gundy provides his take on Jerry Sloan’s departure.
• Scott Carefoot of The Basketball Jones: “You see that picture of smiling Dwight at the top of this post? That wasn’t hard to find. Dwight smiles all the time. He’s a fun-loving guy who loves to tell jokes and do funny impressions of his coach and other players. I wish he would start saving his smiling and joking for when he’s off the court and get serious about leading his team to a championship.  As great as he is, I wonder if he’ll ever take the game seriously enough to try to do what’s best for the team all the time instead of just trying to have fun out on the court.”

Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images

Via Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:

The [Orlando] Magic say [Fran] Vazquez — who stood them up after they drafted him in the first round in 2005 — is coming around to joining them for the 2011-12 season.

He has another year left on his contract with FC Barcelona.

“It’s more open now than it has been in the past with Fran,” Magic assistant general manager Dave Twardzik told the Sentinel.

After the Magic surprisingly picked Vazquez No. 11 — ahead of Indiana’s Danny Granger — he burned and embarrassed the club with his no-show.

He put his name in the draft, but quickly became intimidated by the moment — even after arriving in Orlando, post-draft, for media interviews.

Barely able to speak the language and fearful of the culture shock as a small-town kid, Vazquez decided to stay in his native land. His father had died and his girlfriend — now his wife — wanted no part of the NBA.

Twardzik said barriers have now been knocked down, to some degree, because Vazquez has matured and learned a bit more English.

“All that has changed in many ways,” Twardzik said.

A 6-foot-11, 230-pound power forward/center, Vazquez, 27, had a nice upside when the Magic selected him. He struggled mightily at times after signing a four-year deal with Akasuayu Girona.

His stock is apparently up again with Barcelona, according to overseas reports, especially as a defender and shot-blocker.

This is encouraging news.

Of course, there are Magic fans that could care less about Fran Vazquez but why have that attitude when he is someone that could help the team? Sure, the Orlando Magic have a bit of a logjam at the forward and center positions but at the very least, Vazquez is another asset for general manager Otis Smith. And if there’s something that Smith likes, it’s assets.

For those that are unaware of Vazquez’ skill-set, he’s like Marcin Gortat in a lot of ways. Gortat is a bigger body, of course, but both are big men that thrive on pick and rolls offensively as well as do an excellent job of defending (particularly in the shot blocking department) and rebounding the basketball. If there’s some downsides, it’s that Vazquez — at the age of 27 — is older than Gortat and offers a redundant skill-set. That being said, especially in this era of the NBA, a team can never be lacking for skilled big men and that’s a luxury the Magic already have. It could be an even greater luxury if Daniel Orton develops in the next few years.

Theoretically speaking, if Vazquez does come overseas next season and proves to be a capable player, Smith could make the economical decision of trading Gortat for a position of greater need or as part of a package to acquire a star. The catch is that Orlando would likely have to negotiate a new deal with Vazquez because he probably wouldn’t accept being paid on the league’s rookie scale. The good news, however, is that Vazquez’s contract would presumably be cheaper than Gortat’s. Maybe all this talk is for naught and Vazquez doesn’t play with the Magic in 2012, but it should be seen as a good sign that this discussion is taking place.

For years, the possibility of Vazquez playing in the NBA wasn’t even talked about.

Now it is.

And that’s a step forward.

• General manager Otis Smith: “I think our team is better overall. I don’t think it was a matter of dismantling our roster and then putting it back together. I think it was a matter of keeping our team together, keeping some continuity and making some tweaks and adjustments, which we did by bringing in Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson. We brought them in so we would be able to do some things better than we did before. Now with all that said, we’re going to have to be a mentally tougher team than we have been the last two years. It has nothing to do with our Xs and Os or a jump shot made, free throws or rebounds. We just have to be a mentally tougher basketball team. Can we compete with those teams at that level? Sure we can. You don’t win 59 games back-to-back years and go to the Eastern Conference Finals back-to-back years and go to The Finals one of those years without being able to compete at that level. We just have to do the 1/8 of an inch, the amount that it takes you to go from good to great. We may go through some rough points in the season that we grow out of through the course of the postseason. That’s kind of why you go through an 82 game season. You’re not going to go through an 82 game season and win 69 games and just run through the playoffs that way. It doesn’t work that way. You’re going to have to experience some ups and downs, get some bumps and bruises and mend so that you can make a playoff run.”
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post wonders who will be the starting small forward for the Orlando Magic on opening night: “On the whole, [Mickael] Pietrus has youth and familiarity with the team’s system on his side, and he’s joined the Magic’s starting five in each of the last two season-openers. Yet he’s also started just 49 of his 129 games with the Magic, and the team fared better with him as part of the second unit last year, benefitting from Matt Barnes’ energy and hustle. Furthermore, a recent study suggested that the Nelson/Carter/Pietrus/Lewis/Howard configuration vastly underperformed last season; it proved less than the sum of its parts. Does [Stan] Van Gundy trust that lineup to put it together this year? If the answer is no, the job clearly belongs to Richardson, despite his earning less than half of what Pietrus will this season.”
• Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated thinks Fran Vazquez comes away a ‘loser’ after the 2010 FIBA World Championships concluded a few days ago: “Remember Vazquez? Orlando’s lottery pick (11th overall) in 2005 who has never played a minute in the NBA? Vazquez had a couple of big games, highlighted by a 16-point performance against Slovenia and a 19-point showing against Canada. But he didn’t make a consistent impact, and he vanished in Spain’s loss to Argentina. What’s more, Vazquez sounds indifferent in interviews about ever playing in the NBA. No question Vazquez’s size (6-10, 229 pounds) and natural shot-blocking skills make him an intriguing prospect, but at 27 it might be time to write him off.”
• Dwight Howard: “I think our team is fine how it is.  We don’t need much. We’re right there every year. It’s really the little pieces that make the engine go. What it’s really going to come down to is my leadership and how well me and Jameer [Nelson] work together. But I have to be the leader of the team in order to get us over the hump.”
• There could never be enough chatter about the Magic and the Miami Heat.
• See what I mean? Shaun Powell of NBA.com has more: “The stretch of Florida’s Turnpike between Miami and Orlando is famous for toll booths, orange groves, a handful of unfortunate possums who weren’t quick enough and now, for scorched earth. That’s from the piping rivalry being ratcheted up between the great basketball teams residing in the state. All the necessary ingredients are there to make for a spicy stew: Territorial and professional pride, championship aspirations, hard feelings, angry words, ego and intense competition. In other words, just what the NBA needs — a taste of drama with a strong kick to it. [...] Because this is how it works in sports, the basketball community will rush to have the Magic fitted for white hats. The same folks who despised Vince Carter, for example, will now root for him. J.J. Redick might even get some love. And everyone will revisit Van Gundy’s exit as coach in Miami and portray him as a victim, for good reason (although he did walk away with swollen pockets).”
• An official welcome for Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel.
• Chad Ford of ESPN Insider gives Orlando’s a C- for their off-season: “The Magic are loaded. They have deep talent at virtually every position and, as in the past two seasons, look poised to make another deep run into the playoffs. But as far as summers go, they didn’t have a great one. While teams like the Heat, Celtics and Bulls upgraded or reloaded, the Magic basically stood pat. Considering they failed to make the Finals this year, that’s a bit surprising. Magic fans are hoping that Redick continues to improve, that Duhon adds some stability at the point and that [Daniel] Orton could end up being a late first-round steal. But the truth is that while much of the East got better, the Magic stood still.”

• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Marcin Gortat had a big game in Poland’s 75-71 victory over Bulgaria on Monday. Gortat scored a game-high 23 points on 9-of-14 shooting. He also collected nine rebounds, blocked three shots and dished out two assists. With the win, Poland improved its record to 4-3 as it attempts to qualify for next year’s European championships. The Poles are second in their group, trailing Belgium (5-1). The [Orlando] Magic center is averaging 18.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.”
• Ben Q Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “Five years, one month, and 26 days have elapsed since the Orlando Magic used the 11th overall pick of the 2005 NBA Draft on Fran Vazquez, then a mere 22 years old. And Vazquez has still yet to play for the Magic, instead plying his trade in high-level leagues in his native Spain. Yesterday, in an exhibition match against Team U.S.A., Vazquez tallied 8 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal, and 1 block in 14 minutes off Spain’s bench–yes, he’s good enough to play for Spain’s national team–and looked NBA-ready. Mobile, with good hands, he’d make an excellent pick-and-roll partner for Jameer Nelson in Magic pinstripes.”
• More from Rock: “Watching Team U.S.A. struggle against a decidedly inferior Lithuanian team in an exhibition game yesterday–Chris Sheridan rather memorably wrote, “[t]o say they looked ordinary would be to give them an undeserved compliment”–I learned a few things: the European conversion rate on veteran savvy is steep, if Chauncey Billups’ miserable play is any indication; a number of second-string NBA point guards could start for Lithuania, which could hardly dribble or pass against the U.S.A.’s press; and Team U.S.A.’s size deficit is as bad as advertised. Coach Mike Krzyzewski elected to bring five point guards and just one center across the Atlantic for these exhibitions leading up to the FIBA World Championships. And as much respect as I have for Tyson Chandler, it’s pretty obvious that rotating him and a trio of forwards (Lamar Odom, Kevin Durant, and Kevin Love) in the pivot is going to present problems for the United States; it’s perfectly reasonable to view them as the underdogs, given their deficiencies in inside scoring as well as perimeter jump-shooting. Which is where Dwight Howard fits in. Or would have, anyway.”
• J.J. Redick: “I’ll be politically correct about it because that’s the honest answer: I would like to start on an NBA team. But I’d also like to start on a really good NBA team. And for me, there’s no substitute for winning. So, if I have to play my whole career on playoff teams and be a backup, I’m fully cool with that. You know, I just want to be a part of a great organization and a winning team, and I have it with the Magic. Whether Vince [Carter] sticks around for two more years or one more year or four more years, I’m not going to complain. I’m happy with my situation.”
• Neil Paine of Basketball-Reference takes a look at the players which played for the best defenses in NBA history. Dwight Howard, surprisingly enough, does not make the list.

• George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “There will be some reactionary backlash to the expensive pile of contract extensions and promotions that keep the Orlando Magic leadership team in play for a few more seasons. The ghost of Fran Vázquez will rise up from Spain. John Weisbrod will show up wearing a hockey mask. Little Penny will be there all alone, since Shaq bolted to Los Angeles to schmooze courtside with Jack Nicholson. A lot of stuff has happened since 1989 when the Magic were NBA newbies and won all of 18 games. When you’ve been in business that long, there’s bound to be some regretful hiccups. Steven Hunter, Jeryl Sasser and Reece Gaines come to mind. Frightening images, I know. But if you want to hold the Magic accountable for the bad days at the office, look around and gather a dose of perspective. This organization has bounced back from its mistakes, reinvented itself, and has been a bedrock of stability in a sport where complicated chaos is the first order of business on any given day.”
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Alex Martins and Otis Smith traveled parallel paths to get to where they are. They were born in Jan. 1964. They graduated from college in 1986. And, in 1989, they joined the Orlando Magic organization: Martins as director of publicity and media relations, Smith as a player. They’ll continue to work with each other — and coach Stan Van Gundy — for a while longer, at least. On Wednesday, Magic Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Weide formally announced that Martins and Smith have been promoted and had their contracts extended by one year to run through the 2012-13 season. Van Gundy has received a two-year contract extension through the 2012-13 season. [...] Martins, who has been elevated to the role of team president, will continue to oversee the team’s day-to-day business operations. Smith, who has been promoted to president of basketball operations, will handle the same duties he had as the team’s general manager.”
• Head coach Stan Van Gundy made a trip to Paris and visited Mickael Pietrus.
• General manager Otis Smith is still seeking a third point guard for the Orlando Magic.
• The Magic are willing to spend — for now: “Orlando Magic Chief Executive Officer Bob Vander Weide understands that his team could end up with the NBA’s highest payroll by the time the 2010-11 season ends. For now, he sounds OK with that — even if it means going further into the league’s punitive luxury tax. [...] Vander Weide indicated that, for now, at least, the team will do what it takes financially to make a run at the NBA title.”
• Dan Savage of NBA.com states that Orlando is committed to bringing a title to the City Beautiful.
• Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse: “As part of his two-year extension, Van Gundy will earn an estimated $4.3 million annually, putting him among the top 25 percent of coaches in the league. According to league sources, who confirmed his bonus clause, his contract is much like other NBA coaching contracts in that he will receive only a portion of it if the 2011-12 season is shortened because of the expected labor dispute. Although the Magic were unable to complete a potential trade earlier this summer that could have landed point guard Chris Paul of New Orleans — and they refused even to acknowledge the topic Wednesday — outside league sources confirmed that they indeed were willing to increase their future payroll significantly (i.e., taking Emeka Okafor’s bloated contract) to facilitate the deal.”
• The Magic are locked and loaded for the future with Van Gundy at the helm.
• Dwight Howard is the best center in the NBA, according to one writer.
• Which players for Orlando thrived against the weakest defensive teams in the league?

Photo by Jim Rogash/Getty Images

The 2010 NBA Draft has come and gone, which means it’s time to focus entirely on free agency. The Orlando Magic won’t be among the primary teams vying for the services of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and others, barring a sign-and-trade that falls from the heavens. But it’s worth reviewing all the notable assets the Magic have at their disposal, as well as taking a look at what the roster looks like right now.

Roster:

*restricted free agent
**second round draft picks are not guaranteed contracts

Read more…

• George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: “Quick disclaimer: I love Orlando’s style of play. It’s an energetic, fast-paced, shoot ‘em up style that has made them one of the elite teams in the NBA. But they are not the best of the best. The Los Angeles and the Boston Celtics are better because they are more physical and they are bigger. The Celtics proved that over the course of a best-of-seven series,  they could take away Orlando’s outstanding perimeter game by playing Dwight Howard without any help defense. [...] I don’t see Matt Barnes — their toughest defender outside of Dwight Howard — coming back. That will hurt. Otis Smith, the GM with great poker face, needs to work his magic one more time and figure out how to upgrade this team. I think Rashard Lewis – untradable contract in case you forgot — would be a better fit at small forward, leaving a slot open for a more physical power forward.”
• Contrary to popular belief, the Orlando Magic aren’t a fast-paced team. During the regular season, the Magic ranked 18th in pace.
• These are the seven things Orlando isn’t doing during the off-season.
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “[...] for Orlando Magic fans, the most interesting question is whether Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers will return. To be fair, it’s one that guys like Marc Stein were asking hours before tipoff, but you get the idea. After an emotional postgame news conference, Rivers walked off the podium to a standing ovation from the media, which veteran reporter Chris Mannix said he’d never seen. I say Rivers is relevant to the Magic’s fans because Orlando is where he and his family make their home, and he got his head-coaching start here. Despite his coaching the hated Celtics, I get the sense that Rivers is fairly well liked around town.”
• Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress offers his take on Fran Vazquez: The Spanish big man could start on a number of NBA teams thanks to his athleticism, shot-blocking ability and rebounding prowess. But that seems unlikely at this point, as Vazquez, Rubio’s teammate in Barcelona, is comfortable in his native country and hasn’t really been courted all that heavily by Orlando.”
• Sandy Dover of SLAM ONLINE approves of the Magic’s new logo: “As for the Magic’s logo, while I loved the personification of actual magic in the stars and stylized fonts of the older logos, changing the type face for “ORLANDO MAGIC” does make some sense for continuity purposes, especially when you’re able to see that the logo scripts match the logo’s wordmarks. I have never particularly cared for the star that the Magic have used since 1999, but that remains, and actually with the less elaborate fonts that Orlando has now installed in the insignia, the star, as is, fits. The bolder, more straightforward scripts seems genuinely more powerful and bolder, even while it’s lost a bit of snazz and uniqueness in the process.”
• In John Hollinger’s latest NBA franchise rankings, which he updates year-by-years, Orlando jumps up to the No. 9 spot: “The Magic have been the most consistently successful of the league’s early-’90s expansion teams, and have done it while showcasing several of the game’s biggest stars. Shaq, Penny, Tracy McGrady and Dwight Howard would be all-timers in most franchise’s pantheons; Magic fans saw all four in a span of a dozen years. [...] with the current edition having posted consecutive 59-win seasons and made the 2009 Finals, Orlando seems well poised to move up the ladder. In fact, they already have — the Magic climbed six rungs since we did this exercise a year ago.”
• Final 2009-2010 power rankings, brought to you by Basketball-Reference.
• Nate Robinson to Orlando? A slim possibility, according to ESPN’s Rumor Central: “For as infuriating as he can be at times, Robinson’s energy off the bench is something other teams will covet. And with plenty of money to be given out this summer, Robinson will likely find a landing spot. Don’t expect him to return to the Knicks, though. One team that could bite on Robinson? Maybe Orlando, a team that could have a backup point guard void if they don’t re-sign Jason Williams or Anthony Johnson. But the Magic will be over the cap, so this seems unlikely.”
• This isn’t the first time that Robinson’s name and the Magic have been linked together.

• 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.”

• Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com: “Vince Carter has dazzled NBA fans since arriving in the NBA in 1998 with awe-inspiring slam dunks, acrobatic shots and stunning long range game-winning 3-pointers. It’s hard to definitively say, however, that one particular game-winner was more impressive than another. VC’s 35-footer at the buzzer against the Utah Jazz in 2007 and his crowd-shattering trey in his first return to Toronto since being traded to New Jersey are two of his most watched on YouTube. But, perhaps no last-second shot was more improbable than Vinsanity’s buzzer-beater last season against the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 2, 2009 while playing for the Nets.”
• It’s safe to say that Jameer Nelson has stepped up in the postseason.
• Trey Kerby of Ball Don’t Lie notes that Dwight Howard is a funny character.
• Neil Paine of Basketball-Reference calculates the odds that the Orlando Magic go Fo’-Fo’-Fo’ in the playoffs.
• Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook takes a look at how the Magic were able to pull away from the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter of Game 2.
• Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated: “They drew the easiest path to the conference finals of any favorite East or West, but don’t hold that against Orlando. The Magic will likely finish off the Hawks within five games and wait unscathed for Cleveland or Boston to emerge. They don’t have Hedo Turkoglu creating mismatches anymore, but they do have Jameer Nelson playing at a high level, they are possibly the best defensive team in the tournament and they believe wholeheartedly they can beat the Cavaliers or the Celtics. While the Cavs, Lakers and Spurs have all foundered at times this postseason, the Magic have looked ruthlessly efficient. We may yet look back to realize this was the league’s best team all along.”
• Nada Taha Moslehy of SLAM ONLINE: “Vince Carter jumped up for a monstrous block and hustled down the other end of the court for a pull-up three. At half court, Josh Smith bent over for a moment and had a look of defeat splashed across his face. A few minutes later, after a couple more Hawks turnovers and Magic treys (they hit four in the final quarter), Atlanta called timeout and coach Mike Woodson shook his head in his hands. You would think this was a scene from Game 1 where the Magic annihilated the Hawks by 43 points and held them to just 10 and 11 points in the third and fourth quarters. But it was the fourth quarter of Game 2 where the Hawks, who had just come off a strong start after the half and held the lead, just fell apart, losing to Orlando 112-98 and dropping 2-0 heading back home.”
• Lang Whitaker of SLAM ONLINE praises the Magic: “Jokes aside, the Magic are playing really well right now. Really, really well. Last night in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Semis, the Hawks played about as well as they could play for long stretches and they still couldn’t build a double-digit lead. Then, in the fourth quarter, the Magic clamped down defensively and outscored Atlanta 28-15 to get the win. The Magic have so many weapons, from Dwight to Jameer to Vince to Rashard [Lewis], and each guy had a turn last night. [...] Orlando has a better, deeper roster than Atlanta, and when the game was on the line, they were a better team. They really just squeezed Atlanta out of it in the fourth quarter. I’m curious to see how the Hawks respond in Atlanta, where they beat Orlando they last time they played. I still think Cleveland is the team to beat in the East, but if Orlando wins it again I won’t be surprised.”
• Eric Freeman of The Baseline wonders if Orlando is now the team to beat in the playoffs: “The importance of matchups is an important reminder that asking which team is the favorite is in many ways a fool’s errand. A lot can change between now and the Finals. If you remember, last season at this time most people assumed that LeBron and Kobe would face off to decide who was the best player in the league. So yes, praise the Magic for playing as well as they have so far, but don’t jump the gun and start proclaiming them the team to beat. Wide-eyed speculation can only get you in trouble, and you can be sure Orlando’s only looking at the Hawks right now. It’s a cliche, but you have to take it one game at a time.”
• Fran Vazquez update: “It’s teammate Fran Vazquez who is more of an NBA-caliber player. At 6-11, Vazquez has very long arms and very good mobility, which allowed him to block 1.1 shots in just 17.5 minutes per game in Euroleague play. With good hands and finishing ability, plus surprising shooting range, Vazquez is also a factor in both the pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop games.  Unfortunately for Stateside fans, the 2005 lottery pick still shows no signs of making the jump from Europe to the NBA. I strongly believe he could be an effective NBA big man if he ever came over.”