Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
| 2010-2011 regular season | Quentin Richardson |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 57 |
| Minutes Played | 16.8 |
| adj. +/- | -6.70 |
| net +/- | -4.8 |
| statistical +/- | -2.96 |
| PER | 8.0 |
| WARP | 0.0 |
| Win Shares/48 | .068 |
Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
| 2010-2011 regular season | Jason Richardson |
|---|---|
| Games Played | 55 |
| Minutes Played | 34.9 |
| adj. +/- | -5.14 |
| net +/- | +2.2 |
| statistical +/- | +2.29 |
| PER | 13.2 |
| WARP | 6.4 |
| Win Shares/48 | .126 |
Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images
Via Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post:
Dwight Howard‘s tremendous offensive improvement might be one of the underreported stories of the 2010/11 NBA season. In his seventh professional season, Howard has set career highs in usage rate (27.4 percent of the Orlando Magic‘s possessions end with a Howard shot attempt, trip to the foul line, or turnover) and per-game scoring (22.1, tenth in the league) without seeing a meaningful drop-off in efficiency. His 61.8 percent True Shooting mark ranks him sixth in the league, and Paul Pierce is the only one of those players who approaches Howard’s scoring volume. He’s also trimmed his turnover rate despite the increased offensive responsibilities. Anyone still criticizing him for lacking a refined offensive game simply isn’t paying attention. [...]
Despite these improvements, opposing defenses will continue to concede the jumper to Howard, given that he connects on all other two-point shots at 58.7 percent. The issue for the rest of the league is that few players can consistently muscle Howard out of the painted area.
I believe Howard’s gone about refining his jumper the right way: he’s improved it to a reasonable degree without compromising his volume of higher-percentage shots closer to the goal. The jumper is simply a tool he can use when he absolutely has to.
There’s been a lot of chatter surrounding Dwight Howard’s improvements on offense.
If there’s anything that’s stood out the most from Howard’s expanded repertoire this season, it’s his ability to make mid-range jumpers with regularity.
Photo by Flickr/mcdonaldsallamericangames
In Part I, we discussed the idea of teams drafting winners. Part II looked at the teams who drafted winners, and how the players performed in the NBA.
Part III will explore two different one-and-done scenarios, and the NCAA Tournament history of players on top NBA teams. We will also see the “good ol’ days” are aptly named.
One-and-done and one-and-done
Before the NBA outlawed entering the draft right after high school, many players made the leap from prep-to-pro. The only March Madness footage you’ll see of Dwight Howard and LeBron James is during their McDonald’s commercial. We won’t hear highlights of Gus Johnson screaming “rise and fire!” before Kobe Bryant nailed a game winner. It’s sad these players were never part of March Madness. Fortunately, the restrictions on draft eligibility have led some NBA stars to the Big Dance.
The NBA’s leading scorer, Kevin Durant, steered Texas to the tournament in 2007, but that was about it. The Longhorns beat New Mexico State in round one, and lost their next game. In the 2008 Final Four, Derrick Rose and Memphis toppled the UCLA Bruins, who featured Kevin Love and Russell Westbrook. Rose came close to a title, but his team lost a late lead two days later in the championship game. Highlight machine Blake Griffin reached the Elite Eight in his final collegiate season before falling to North Carolina.
Other NBA greats went to college before the restrictions were in place, but they didn’t cut down the nets either. Dwyane Wade led the Marquette Golden Eagles to the 2003 Final Four, but was knocked out by Kansas. Tim Duncan reached the Elite Eight at Wake Forest, but Chris Paul never made it past the Sweet 16 as a Demon Deacon. Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most intimidating players of all time, met kryptonite in three straight NCAA Tournaments and never advanced past the second round.
Failing to stand on stage with Jim Nantz wasn’t the end of the world for these guys. Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal both boast four NBA rings and will be remembered as two of the best players ever. Dwyane Wade won a ring with Miami, and Kevin Durant and Derrick Rose are positioning themselves for some jewelry.
The basic structure of the tournament is the simplest explanation for these all-time greats never winning an NCAA championship. The one-and-done format essentially caters to underdogs, as the randomness of single elimination allows many inferior teams to advance. Sustaining tremendous performance throughout a series is much more difficult and is a major reason the best NBA teams usually meet in June.
AP Photo/John Raoux
Via Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel:
Four months ago, Earl Clark reached a troubling career crossroads. The Phoenix Suns declined to pick up their $2 million option to keep him for the 2011-12 season, an unconventional move that ensured Clark will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Two months ago, the Suns severed their ties with Clark by including him in the blockbuster trade that sent Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu to the Orlando Magic for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Mickael Pietrus.
These days, much has changed for the young, 6-foot-10 forward.
A few months from now, at playoff time, the Magic might ask Clark to guard power forwards such as Chris Bosh and Kevin Garnett or small forwards such as Carmelo Anthony, Luol Deng, LeBron James and Paul Pierce.
“He doesn’t have the experience of having seen every NBA situation,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said.
“But I think his potential as a defensive player and as a defensive impact guy is unlimited if he can get down some better team defensive principles and focus and if he can truly understand that his route to being a special player in this league lies at the defensive end.”
The final month and a half will be crucial for Clark, who has played in only 19 games for the Magic and played a total of just 60 regular-season games for the Suns.
From now until mid-April, he can prove to his coaches that he can be counted on in crucial situations.
Given that head coach Stan Van Gundy has entrusted Earl Clark to defend the likes of Kevin Durant, Amar’e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony in recent games, this is something to keep an eye on — especially with the playoffs steadily approaching.
Photo by Fernando Medina
In case you haven’t seen, read, or heard, Carmelo Anthony has been traded to the New York Knicks and will be teaming up with Amar’e Stoudemire to form a dynamic duo that will surely make noise in the Eastern Conference. No, the Knicks won’t be contenders in the East — not yet — due to a lack of depth and defense, but they’ll be a pesky out in the 2011 NBA Playoffs without a doubt.
What does any of this have to do with the Orlando Magic?
Let’s get to that in a second.
One of the primary motivations for New York to acquire Anthony in a trade was to provide Stoudemire with a teammate that could help carry the load.
If it hasn’t become clear already, to win a championship in the NBA requires multiple stars to lead the way for their respective teams. It’s how the Boston Celtics won in 2008 with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. It’s how the Los Angeles Lakers won in 2009 and 2010 with Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. It’s why LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teamed up to play for the Miami Heat. It’s why Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah, and Derrick Rose teamed up to play for the Chicago Bulls. With Anthony and Stoudemire, the Knicks are working towards that model of winning. In fact, the Eastern Conference is so loaded with stars and superstars, the Magic are quickly becoming the exception to the rule.
While their rivals trot out multiple great-to-elite players on a nightly basis, Orlando is buoyed by their lone ranger — Dwight Howard.
Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE/Getty Images
Via the Orlando Magic:
For those that normally don’t get the opportunity to watch Dwight Howard on a regular basis, the 2011 All-Star Game was another inimitable showcase for NBA enthusiasts across the world.
While it’s customary for the participants of All-Star Games to dazzle fans with a variety of spectacular acts and creative plays, Howard has a tendency to find a way to stand out amongst the other elite competitors in the NBA. Not just because of stature and size, but also because of his innate talent and freakish athleticism to inspire a crowd with just about anything he attempts to do on the court.
Just like he has done this entire season with the Orlando Magic, D12 enjoyed the opportunity to showcase these abilities in front of a national audience. Although the East had no answer for MVP Kobe Bryant, who erupted for 37 points and 14 rebounds, Howard shared the spotlight with the rest of the NBA’s elite to share in a memorable night.
Howard, in spite of not getting too many shot attempts, flabbergasted those in attendance at STAPLES Center with a couple of thunderous slam-dunks, including a breathtaking two-handed flush in the first quarter off an alley-oop pass from Amar’e Stoudemire.
The five-time All-Star even teamed up with familiar foes such as the Miami Heat’s LeBron James, who notched a triple-double, and Dwyane Wade to accomplish some of the game’s most electrifying plays.
Dwight finished with five points, seven rebounds and one assist. Big men generally do not post big stats in All-Star Games largely because the ball is mostly in the hands of the wing players.
Perhaps the most bizarre stretch of action was when Howard was on the floor alongside four members of the detested Boston Celtics in the first quarter, including Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo.
The most hilarious moment from the night had to be right before tip-off when James was joined by the rest of the East’s starting lineup, Howard, Stoudemire, Wade and Derrick Rose, in doing the notorious pregame powder toss.
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images
It was January 9.
The Orlando Magic just got done beating the Dallas Mavericks the night before to extend their winning streak to nine games — tying a franchise record. The Magic’s record was 25-12, third in the Eastern Conference, and they were within striking distance of the Miami Heat (trailed by 3.5 games) for the No. 2 seed. It looked like general manager Otis Smith struck gold with two blockbuster trades that brought Gilbert Arenas, Hedo Turkoglu, and Jason Richardson into the fray.
All was well.
The playmaking that was needed? Turkoglu took care of that.
The offensive firepower on the perimeter that was lacking? Arenas, Turkoglu, and Richardson brought the ammunition.
Unfortunately for Orlando, their nine-game winning streak — looking back on it now — was fool’s gold. That 22-point win over the San Antonio Spurs? The Spurs were playing on a back-to-back and head coach Gregg Popovich waved the white flag early in the third quarter, knowing the outcome was decided. That eight-point win over the Boston Celtics? Rajon Rondo, someone that has given the Magic plenty of problems in the past, didn’t play due to sprained left ankle (Kendrick Perkins was out, as well). That 10-point win over the Mavericks? Dirk Nowitzki sat out of the game with a sprained right knee. Orlando’s lone other win against a winning team in that timeframe came against the New York Knicks, a squad that is merely average and capable of beating beaten on any given night. Especially by the Magic.
Granted, Orlando has had some close losses too.
Losing by three to the New Orleans Hornets in overtime. Losing by a point to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Losing by three to the Celtics. Losing by nine points to the Chicago Bulls. Losing by four points to the Miami Heat. These aren’t bad losses, per se, but they’re not wins either.
For the Magic, close enough isn’t good enough. Not for a franchise that’s been considered part of the elite in the NBA since 2009 when they made their run to the Finals. And since Orlando’s winning streak, they’re 9-8 in their last 17 games and looking less like a championship contender.
It’s spurred writers from around the blogosphere to ask if the Magic are done?
Photo by Elsa/Getty Images
The Boston Celtics were able to defeat the Orlando Magic by the score of 91-80, further proving the notion that there’s a team from the state of Florida that doesn’t deserve to be considered an elite team and championship contender. And it’s not the Miami Heat. Buoyed by Rajon Rondo’s excellent play and a stifling defense that didn’t allow many open shots on the perimeter, the Celtics smothered the Magic in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score indicates. Rondo led the way for Boston with 26 points and seven assists, aggressively attacking Orlando’s defense and dismembering a unit led by Dwight Howard. Paul Pierce contributed with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds. Kevin Garnett chipped in with 16 points and nine rebounds. For the Magic, it was a lot of Howard and little else. Howard was dominant, putting up 28 points, 13 rebounds, and three steals. There was little that Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis could do to contain Howard, even though they did an admirable job of making him work offensively. Unfortunately for Howard, a scrap with Perkins in the second quarter that saw him throw an elbow after he was fouled on a play earned him his 14th technical of the season. The elbow wasn’t needed and it didn’t help that Howard threw it in front of an official, but it’s easy to sympathize with the big fella’s frustration when he’s getting fouled continuously on plays and sometimes not getting calls go his way.
