Posts Tagged → Jameer Nelson
Friday’s Magic Word
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “With J.J. Redick injured, Jason Richardson battling some minor knee tendinitis and Quentin Richardson suspended for the next two games, the Orlando Magic will be forced to play Gilbert Arenas significant minutes at shooting guard over the last three games of the regular season. That’s a good thing, because the Magic and Arenas need all the practice they can get with Arenas at the two. Despite Arenas’ 25-point outburst while starting alongside Jameer Nelson at Charlotte on Wednesday, Arenas has been largely unproductive playing shooting guard with the Magic this season. He’s far more comfortable and effective – relatively speaking, anyway – with the ball in his hands early in possessions, when he can probe the defense and really be aggressive in trying to score the basketball. This season, according to 82games.com, Arenas’ PER while playing shooting guard is 1.9, compared to his overall Magic PER of 8.9. Both of those numbers are bad, but a PER of 1.9 is almost unfathomably awful. That poor number is mostly explained by Arenas’ absurd effective field goal percentage (.298) while playing the two, a shooting percentage so mind-numbingly low that it makes you question if Arenas can really be effective playing that position.”
- Praise for Gilbert Arenas.
- Evan Dunlap of SB Nation chimes in on the ever-growing MVP debate: “As it applies to the focus of this article, there are statheads and there are, well, anti-statheads. These folks, in my experience, distrust any data that refute conclusions they drew with their own eyes. The truth is more complicated than that. Basketball, like nearly everything else in life, is too complex for us to understand if we apply only one doctrine, so to speak, to our evaluation of it. If we rely too heavily on statistics, no matter how advanced or refined, we are bound to miss something; we run the same risk if we rely too heavily on what we observe. Call me naive, but I think we can all coexist as hoops fans, without calling names or inventing straw men, if we merely blend the statistical with empirical observation.”
- Marc Stein of ESPN.com chooses Dwight Howard as the Defensive Player of the Year in his awards ballot: “Howard is the runaway DPOY no matter where you have him in your MVP thinking. His ability to keep the Magic in the top three in defensive efficiency despite the fact that he’s surrounded by suspect defenders makes this no less a rout than Blake Griffin’s ROY coronation. Doesn’t matter how long ago it was you leapt off Orlando’s bandwagon. The reasonable question now is how many times in a row Howard — who’s about to claim his third successive DPOY — plans to win this award?”
- Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus joins John Hollinger as well as many others in the online writing and NBA analytics community in choosing Howard as the MVP this season: “Beyond that, the Magic’s issues can hardly be blamed on Howard. The question of whether he can lead a successful team should have been answered to our satisfaction with Orlando’s run to the 2009 NBA Finals and last year’s second-best record in the league during the regular season. Howard is a better player now than he was then, but with a weaker supporting cast around him. While Otis Smith‘s midseason deals for [Hedo] Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas haven’t failed per se, nor have they managed to revitalize a team that no longer has a second All-Star capable of helping Howard shoulder the load. The fleet of shooters that once feasted on the open looks created by Howard double-teams now shoots barely better than league average from beyond the arc. None of this points to Howard shortcomings.”
- Is there a conspiracy theory with Howard’s technical fouls?
- Writers of the TrueHoop Network submit their choices for MVP.
- Sebastian Pruiti of NBA Playbook previews the first round matchup in the 2011 NBA Playoffs between the Magic and the Atlanta Hawks. Needless to say, this preview is a must-read.
- Noah Schiller of Hardwood Paroxysm says that Howard is the MVP.
- Zach Lowe of The Point Forward: “I agree with both of these guys in that reducing the Rose/Howard/LeBron James discussion to “stat-heads versus people who watch games” is ridiculous. People would probably lump me in the stat-head boat, since I cite things like points per possession, pace and rebounding rate often, including in my reasoning for why Howard should be the MVP. Three things would be wrong with that characterization: 1) I watch and re-watch a ton of games; 2) Those stats everyone calls “advanced” are not all that advanced. Counting possessions is about as basic as math gets. Rebounding rate is a simple percentage, the sort of thing we learn before middle school. Basic on-court/off-court plus/minus is so simple an elementary school student could understand it with a few minutes of teaching. There are certainly more advanced stats out there, but few trickle that far into mainstream NBA writing; 3) If you actually read (asking a lot, I know) the cases most alleged “stat-heads”make for Howard, you’ll see they are based as much on observation as on stats.”
- Kevin Arnovitz of The Heat Index: “An exchange of ideas generally makes the world a better place, but some of the Rose-James and Rose-Howard debates I’ve overheard and read in recent days aren’t so much a contrast of the players’ attributes as a condemnation of those doing the arguing: Do you stat geeks even watch the games and observe the results, or do you just consult your spreadsheet to draw conclusions? Meanwhile, if you listen to the extremes on the other side, you’d think Rose was putting up Arenasian numbers this season. What are we really arguing about here? If I support LeBron James for the MVP Award, what I’m essentially saying is that Rose is a dynamic talent who just happens to be the second, third or fourth best player in the world. How insulting. Rose-over-James offers the same construction. These disagreements might be contrasts in methodology, but at their very heart, they’re about taste, and taste is a very personal quality.”
- Howard is, by far and large, the best center in the league.
Thursday’s Magic Word
- Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “At the risk of sounding obvious, [Dwight] Howard can avoid 10-second violations by shooting faster. His opponents have the right to call attention to how long he takes before shooting, just as the Magic have the right to tell officials if one of their opponents is taking too long to shoot. He can avoid technical fouls by simply passing the ball to an official instead of rolling it away. Doing so shows up the officials in front of both teams, the paying fans in attendance, and the folks watching on TV. I understand the technical call, instead of the delay-of-game one, in this instance. He’s not merely delaying the game, but expressing his frustration with the referees in an unbecoming way. The NBA can avoid, or perhaps curtail, the frustration fans and players have with the rule by enforcing it strictly or not at all. The selective enforcement of the rulebook in professional sports–not just in basketball-rankles fans because rules are meant to be rules no matter the situation. Thus, violations like the NBA’s 10-second count arouse suspicion when they’re called.”
- Dan Devine of Ball Don’t Lie: “After stepping to the charity stripe with the Bobcats holding a 50-41 lead, Howard missed the first of his two freebies. After receiving the ball from the official for his second attempt, Howard launched into his extraordinarily deliberate free-throw routine. Take a deep breath. (Beat.) Shrug the shoulders. (Beat.) Spin the ball in your left hand. (Beat.) Slow dribble. (Beat.) Slow dribble. (Beat.) Slow dribble. (Beat.) Raise your eyes to the basket. (Beat.) Bend at the knees, and then … whistle.”
- The Orlando Magic made quick work of the Charlotte Bobcats in overtime.
- John Hollinger of ESPN Insider cites Howard’s improvements on offense this season: “It’s truly impressive when a superstar-level player can still take his game to another level, and Howard did that this season by developing what had been a rudimentary post-up game. By adding a face-up jumper off the window and getting more comfortable taking a couple of short dribbles for a hook shot, he’s become more than just a physically dominant dunker — he added 3.3 points to his 40-minute average with virtually no loss in efficiency.”
- Also, Hollinger awards Howard with his pseudo-vote for Defensive Player of the Year: “Orlando is third in the NBA in defensive efficiency. Think about this for a second. They have one good defensive player in their top eight. One. Of the top eight players for Orlando by minutes, the other seven are Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick, Ryan Anderson and Gilbert Arenas; two of them are average, two aspire to be average on their good days and the other three are just flat-out awful. For that group, somehow, to be better defensively than the Lakers, Heat, Spurs and Mavs, among others, defies all common sense. Yet it’s happening, partly because Stan Van Gundy has a strong team concept, but mostly because they have a flyswatter in the middle who is the first guy back in transition, totally dominates the glass and lets everyone else on his team play half a step closer to their man. Howard backs up his case with more traditional stats — the blocks and rebounds, the solid differential — but the greatest case he has comes from scrolling through the other names on the roster, and pondering how on earth that adds up to an elite defensive team.”
- Did you hear? Howard takes too long at the free-throw line.
Recap: Orlando Magic 111, Charlotte Bobcats 102 (OT)
AP Photo/Chuck Burton
In a wild and crazy game, the Orlando Magic were able to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats by the score of 111-102 in overtime. With the win, the Magic notched their 50th win of the regular season — the fourth consecutive year with 50 wins or more for the franchise in the Van Gundy era. The victory also sealed the Bobcats’ slim fate of returning to the playoffs. With five games left before the postseason begins, it seemed as if Orlando and Charlotte would go through the motions and play the game just for the sake of playing it. However, the Magic paid a price when Dwight Howard stepped to the free-throw line in the second quarter. Gerald Henderson counted out the seconds as Howard was going through his routine at the charity stripe. Once Henderson reached 10 seconds, Howard was whistled for a violation by Bennett Salvatore and quite frankly, it’s something that should happen more often but referees turn a blind eye more often than not. However, on this occasion, because Henderson was counting out loud, there was no choice but to blow the whistle. Howard did not approve of the call and made it known by throwing the basketball to the baseline away from one of the refs. Immediately, Howard was called for a technical foul by Salvatore, his 18th of the season.
With it, Howard will be suspended for Sunday’s matinee against the Chicago Bulls unless the tech is rescinded. Surprisingly enough, that’s not all for drama. In the fourth quarter, Quentin Richardson got into a scuffle with Henderson after he was called for a foul. Richardson and Henderson exchanged words. Suddenly, something must have been said because Richardson immediately shoved his hands in Henderson’s face, prompting both teams to shove each other. Following the shoving match, Richardson was ejected, while Henderson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Kwame Brown were called for technicals since they were in the middle of the altercation. So a game that meant very little for Orlando turned into a matchup against an enemy.
The Magic were led by a balanced attack, as six players scored in double-figures. Taking the place of Jason Richardson in the starting lineup, Gilbert Arenas was excellent, putting up 25 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field, including making six three-pointers. Brandon Bass had 19 points and eight rebounds, Jameer Nelson had 18 points and nine assists, Turkoglu had 17 points and seven rebounds, while Howard had 15 points, seven rebounds, and six blocks. Coming off the bench, Ryan Anderson finished with 10 points.
Recap: Orlando Magic 78, Milwaukee Bucks 72
AP Photo/John Raoux
The Orlando Magic were able to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks by the score of 78-72, putting themselves in position to win their 50th game of the regular season when they play again on Wednesday. Also, the victory ensures that the Magic will be facing off against the Atlanta Hawks at the No. 4 seed, meaning they’ll have home-court advantage for the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs. Orlando was led by a balanced attack, as four players scored in double-figures. Dwight Howard had a quiet night for his standards, finishing with 18 points, 17 rebounds, and three steals while simultaneously shutting down Andrew Bogut to two points. Jameer Nelson had 17 points and five steals. Brandon Bass finished with 13 points. Hedo Turkoglu notched a double-double, putting up 12 points and 10 rebounds. Gilbert Arenas and Chris Duhon were able to make their respective returns to head coach Stan Van Gundy‘s rotation, though their collective impacts were minimal. For those that witnessed the championship game in the 2011 NCAA Tournament on Monday, this game was not much better when it came to two teams scoring points. The Bucks have the worst unit offensively in the NBA, thus it’s no surprise that they were held to 72 points.
Recap: Orlando Magic 89, Charlotte Bobcats 77
Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images
The Orlando Magic were able to defeat the Charlotte Bobcats by the score of 89-77 to snap their two-game losing streak. This was, admittedly, a boring game to watch and it seemed the fans at the Amway Center agreed because there was absolutely no life in the building. Given that the Magic played the Bobcats in April, in a game that meant nothing, that’s no surprise. Orlando will be entering the 2011 NBA Playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference, so at this point they’re just trying to stay healthy and develop momentum entering the postseason. The Magic were led by a balanced attack, as five players scored in double-figures. Dwight Howard was his usual dominant self, finishing with 26 points, 14 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. Jameer Nelson played relatively well, contributing with 15 points, six assists, and two steals. Quentin Richardson, returning from back spasms that didn’t allow him to participate in the last several games, came back and put up 14 points and five rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu and Brandon Bass finished with 12 points each. With Gilbert Arenas, Chris Duhon, and J.J. Redick sidelined with injuries, head coach Stan Van Gundy was forced to play with a seven-man rotation that featured odd lineups. Clearly Orlando would like to have rest heading into the playoffs but with injuries piled up, that doesn’t seem possible.
Friday’s Magic Word
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic received some good news and bad news today at shootaround. The bad news is that Gilbert Arenas likely won’t play tonight because he’s sick. He woke up with the chills and a fever, and he felt so bad he couldn’t even drive himself to the doctor. There’s some good news, though. One, Arenas will miss tonight’s game because of sickness and not because of his knee — that’s, strangely, a good sign in itself. Two, Chris Duhon’s thumb injury may not be as serious as originally thought. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Duhon’s MRI results came back negative and he could return before the end of the regular season. And three, Quentin Richardson will play tonight after missing the last three games with back spasms. But tonight the Magic will be without a true backup point guard, leaving Hedo Turkoglu to employ the 10-12 minutes when Jameer Nelson isn’t on the floor. “
- Head coach Stan Van Gundy is proud of his players.
- Gilbert Arenas is out for tonight’s game with the flu.
- Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com: “I think just about every Magic fan hopes the Chicago Bulls secure the No. 1 seed, which would then set up a likely Orlando-Chicago series in the second round. I talked briefly about this on a recent webcast here on OrlandoMagic.com, but to restate my thoughts I think the Bulls’ lack of postseason experience and the fact that compared to the Celtics and Heat, Chicago just simply don’t have as much talent are two primary reasons why it would be most beneficial for the Magic to clash with the Bulls. I recognize how extraordinary Derrick Rose has been this season and I think the signing of Carlos Boozer – in spite of him dealing with injuries throughout the year – was one of the more intelligent acquisitions this past summer. I also think Chicago’s front office made an astute decision to withstand temptations to trade Joakim Noah in a Carmelo Anthony proposed deal. But ultimately when you examine the rosters and analyze the assortment of facts, the Bulls don’t seem to have the makeup of a club that would advance far into the playoffs. They have a first year head coach, they lack supreme quality at the shooting guard position and they don’t have enough size to contend with Dwight Howard for an entire seven game series.”
- Royce Young of CBSSports.com notes that the Orlando Magic’s matchup with the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2011 NBA Playoffs is set in stone.
- Is there an upset winner for Defensive Player of the Year?
- Dennis Scott, a former Magic player, was a pretty terrible rapper.
A dependent Dwight Howard
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
Let’s imagine you are a casual NBA fan. Instead of watching every minute of each game, you flip through the channels, and mix in some action with American Idol. As the fourth quarter winds down, you check a few scores to find watchable games.
On Wednesday, the late run by Orlando made their game watchable, and fans tuned in to see the MVP candidate fight for a victory. Let’s take a look at Orlando’s final plays:
- 1:10 remaining in 4th quarter – Jameer Nelson makes driving layup (82-82)
- 0:39 remaining in 4th quarter - Jameer Nelson misses 21-foot jumper (82-84)
- 0:06 remaining in 4th quarter – Jameer Nelson misses 5-foot two point shot (82-84)
- 0:00 remaining in 4th quarter – Hedo Turkoglu misses 28-foot three pointer (82-85)
There it is. Jameer Nelson’s MVP candidacy goes down in flames. He missed two game-tying shots, and his teammate Hedo Turkoglu misfired at the buzzer.
In reality, the actual MVP candidate’s impact near the end wasn’t easy to identify on offense. Dwight Howard only touched the ball once in the closing moments. Seriously.
Stan Van Gundy deserves credit, though, for trying to get his best player the ball in crunch time. With 13.0 seconds left, the Magic ran a pick-and-roll with Nelson and Howard. According to Synergy Sports Technology, Dwight is the best roll man in the NBA, averaging 1.45 points per possession. The plan was great, but Jameer kept the ball, and lofted a floater over Jason Collins.
Derrick Rose and LeBron James are Dwight Howard’s main competition in the MVP race. Is there any chance those players don’t attempt a shot at the end a close game?
In fairness, there are plenty of reasons this transpired in Atlanta. First, Howard was in foul trouble, and one more whistle would have ended his night. Maybe the Magic didn’t want to force the ball to Dwight, and potentially lose him for overtime? Second, Dwight wasn’t playing great, and even if he was, it is impossible to find your best player all the time.
Furthermore, basketball is a beautiful combination of offense and defense, and one could argue Dwight could have made his final impact on the defensive end.
However, the final minutes of Wednesday’s game shed a different light on the MVP race. On offense, Dwight Howard is more dependent on external factors than other candidates, and it is no fault of his own. His position demands his presence down low, and his teammates are responsible for passing him the ball.
Derrick Rose and LeBron James can hold the rock in tight games, and guarantee themselves the final shot. Tom Thibodeau and Erik Spoelstra have some say, but players make the final decision. The ball is in their hands. The ball is in Dwight’s hands if his teammates pass him the ball, or if he works his tail off and secures an offensive rebound.
Many people watch the closing minutes and witness the important shots. If they don’t catch the games live, they tune in to the post-game shows and see the final seconds replayed.
A common belief is the best player gets the last look on offense. On the final play versus the Hawks, Dwight Howard set screens. A great screen could be the most impactful action on the floor, but they don’t garner the same attention as a buzzer beater.
What should fans think about Dwight Howard if they only saw the final moments in Atlanta? Is he the third of fourth option for Orlando?
Recap: Atlanta Hawks 85, Orlando Magic 82
AP Photo/Rich Addicks
In a first round playoff preview between rivals from the Southeast Division, the Atlanta Hawks were able to defeat the Orlando Magic by the score of 85-82. With the victory, the Hawks win the season series 3-1 — a complete reversal of fortune from the previous season when the Magic had their way against them in the regular season and the postseason. Like Orlando’s game against the New York Knicks, this game went down to the wire. With less than a minute to go in the fourth quarter, Jameer Nelson was able to make a layup in the lane to tie things up at 82. On the ensuing possession, Atlanta ran a 1/2 pick and roll with Kirk Hinrich and Joe Johnson, an excellent play-call by head coach Larry Drew, and Johnson was able to exploit the confusion in pick and roll coverage by Nelson and Jason Richardson, waltzing his way into the paint for a floater. The shot gave the Hawks a two-point lead, but the Magic still had a chance to tie or take the lead depending on preference. Head coach Stan Van Gundy drew up a play during Orlando’s timeout for Nelson, given that he had success throughout the evening in exploiting Atlanta’s perimeter defense off the dribble. The Magic ran a 1/5 pick and roll with Nelson and Dwight Howard, with Nelson attacking the basket and putting up a floater. But Nelson missed the shot and Jason Collins retrieved the rebound for the Hawks. It’s blind luck for Orlando that Collins rebounded the basketball because he was immediately fouled and given that he’s a poor free-throw shooter, the percentages were not in his favor to make both free-throws and ice the game. Collins badly missed the first free-throw, but made the second to give Atlanta a three-point lead with 5.7 seconds left in regulation. Van Gundy called another timeout, drawing up a play for Hedo Turkoglu. Some questioned whether or not the Hawks were going to foul, given that they were up by three points with roughly five seconds left in the fourth quarter. Usually that’s the time to foul, but Atlanta chose not to. Richardson got the ball at the top of the key and almost hesitated, seemingly as if he was waiting for the Hawks to foul but they didn’t. Richardson let a few seconds go by, then passed the basketball to Turkoglu as he was coming around a screen at the three-point line. Turkoglu caught the ball, but missed the shot and the Hawks won. It was poor execution by the Magic and it’s hard to believe they couldn’t have gotten a better look at a three-pointer.
A sign of things to come
Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE via Getty Images
Via John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com:
Now, fast forward to this season, and the [Orlando] Magic are an equally driven team as evidenced by the recent five-game winning streak and a gusty overtime effort against New York on Monday even though they were down to just six available players by the final horn.
But the harsh reality for the Magic (47-27) with eight games to play is that they are locked into the Eastern Conference’s fourth seed most likely incapable of moving up or down. Orlando is 4 ½ games back of third-seeded Miami and a comfortable five games ahead of fifth-seeded Atlanta (42-32). Dead ahead is a first-round showdown against the Hawks, Wednesday night’s opponent at Philips Arena.
So unlike last season, there is little for the Magic to push for down the stretch other than personal pride and a desire to hit the playoffs with a hot hand. Hard-driving Magic coach Stan Van Gundy doesn’t find the scenario ideal, but considering the state of the Magic’s injury-riddled roster right now, he said his team will make the best of the final two weeks of the regular season. [...]
The Magic should have [Jameer] Nelson and [Quentin] Richardson back for Wednesday’s game in Atlanta. Both were up and down off the Magic bench most of Monday night, cheering on Orlando’s effort and interacting with Madison Square Garden’s trash talkers in the crowd. Both could have played had the game been a playoff battle.
The case for [J.J.] Redick and [Chris] Duhon is trickier. Redick, Orlando’s best bench player all season, has missed nine games and could be looking at another two weeks of inactivity before returning, Van Gundy hinted. Duhon was unable to squeeze a towel at halftime Monday night and fears he might have suffered ligament damage in his thumb. Further tests should confirm or deny that by Wednesday’s tipoff.
With motivation in short supply down the stretch, the Magic will seek it out wherever they can find it. Wednesday it will come in the form of a first-round playoff preview against the Hawks. The Magic are just 1-2 against the Hawks this season, a direct contrast to last spring when Orlando swept Atlanta in the most lopsided four-game series in playoff history. [...]
As for Wednesday’s game, Howard said it’s never too early to send a message to a team that the Magic will most likely see in the first round of the playoffs.
Say hello to a preview of a first round matchup in the 2011 NBA Playoffs between the Orlando Magic and Atlanta Hawks. Sort of. Even though Quentin Richardson and Jameer Nelson are slated to return from their injuries later tonight, the Magic are still dealing with the absences of J.J. Redick and Chris Duhon. When Orlando is at full-strength, only Redick figures to see minutes in the postseason coming off the bench. As such, the Magic will get a decent idea of how they matchup with the Hawks even though they’re missing their top back-up wing player.
Dwight Howard is a frustrated perfectionist
Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images
Dwight Howard is in relentless pursuit of perfection. No matter how tired he is, no matter what the gravity of the game, he comes out to dominate.
The guy does all the little things, but quite frankly, the rest of the Orlando Magic do very little to reward him.
When I looked critically at Dwight’s game against Charlotte on Friday, it became clear why the man’s frustrations have led to technical fouls and him calling out his teammates.
In short, the technical fouls and team bashing stems from two things: the times when he does everything right and still gets whistled, and the times when he does everything right and his team drops the ball.
It was not until he took his 17th technical foul that I started asking questions about his character. Part of me wanted to make him a victim. After all, the guy gets beat up on every night, and quite honestly gets called for stupid fouls which, if you watch carefully, are occasionally mind boggling considering the torment that he goes through in the post during a game.
The other part of me thought that Dwight should be used to the beatings and the bad calls by now. So what gives? Is he a big baby? I surveyed closely.
The first thing I noticed was how Dwight got from one end of the court to the other. He fills lanes properly, adjusts his speed and times his runs, and never fails to flash to the ball in transition. This is crucial. You will see big men all over the league take transition plays off and leave to the high flyers to finish on the fast break. Dwight is meticulous, though, and when you make and time those runs so many times throughout the course of a game, it’s going to start to kill you when, instead of getting you the ball on the block, your squad misses a transition three and you have to turn around and get back on defense before you get set.
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