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The memory of Game 1 of the 1995 Finals will haunt Magic fans forever. It was a stage where Shaq showed that he would someday be one of the greatest players to play the game, but would have to go head-to-head with another future Hall of Fame center. It was a game of dramatic runs, huge lead changes, and brutal post battles.

When Orlando lost Game 1 to the Rockets in overtime, there was a sense that the series and season were indeed over. Mrs. Momentum had changed her dress, and there would be no stopping the Rockets after such an abysmal unraveling.

The story is simple. The Magic had a 20-point lead late in the second quarter, and blew the lead by the beginning of the fourth. Nick Anderson had a chance to end the game with his Magic up three, but he went 0-for-4 from the line with 10 seconds remaining. It was shocking, and the game went into overtime on some clutch Houston shooting.

Shaq played a better game than Hakeem
This was slated as one of the ultimate center matchups in NBA history. They said no one could contain Shaq but Hakeem, and no one could size up Hakeem but Shaq. It was a battle of power and finesse, and one that will be remembered forever. In Game 1, though, Hakeem struggled (despite scoring 31 points) to dominate the game in the same way Shaq did. Shaq’s vision, especially in the first half, was the driving force that opened up the floor so much for the outside gunners. Even though Shaq scored fewer points than The Dream, he had a career-high in assists that evening, and nearly hit a triple-double. What’s more, he limited Hakeem to six rebounds in the game.

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AP Photo/John Raoux

BOX SCORE

Taking advantage of the absences of Dwight Howard and Quentin Richardson, the Chicago Bulls were able to defeat the Orlando Magic by the score of 102-99. The Magic, which were short-handed, played with energy and effort consistently throughout the day but it wasn’t enough against the Bulls. With Chicago leading by one point at 98-97, Orlando fouled Taj Gibson with 14.2 seconds left and put him on the free-throw line. Gibson split the free-throws, but Luol Deng was able to retrieve the offensive rebound after the second free-throw came up short. It was a bad bounce for the Magic and the Bulls were able to take advantage, as Derrick Rose made two free throws to extend the lead to four points. On the ensuing possession, Jason Richardson, after tripping on the original out-of-bounds play drawn up by head coach Stan Van Gundy, recovered and made a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left to cut the deficit to one point. This was only after Ryan Anderson was able to feed Richardson with the basketball on a offensive rebound following a missed three-point shot by Jameer Nelson in the corner. Rose made two more free-throws to give Chicago a three-point lead. On the final possession of the game, Nelson got the ball at the top of the key, pump-faked Rose to get him in the air and create an open look, then put up a three-pointer which he made but it was too late. The Bulls escaped with the win. Three players led the way for Orlando. Anderson, playing in place of Howard, put up a career-high 28 points and 10 rebounds. Richardson finished with 24 points, while Nelson contributed with 17 points, 11 assists, five rebounds, and three steals.

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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.

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AP Photo/John Raoux

BOX SCORE

The Portland Trail Blazers were able to defeat the Orlando Magic by the score of 89-85, taking advantage of Dwight Howard‘s absence and sweeping the season series in the process. The Magic deserve a ton of credit for playing with energy and effort, knowing that they had to pour everything out on the court if they wanted to come away with a victory. Unfortunately for Orlando, turnovers — 18 of them — did them in as that created wasted possessions in a slow-paced game. The Blazers were led by LaMarcus Aldridge, as he finished with 24 points. Andre Miller chipped in with 15 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and two steals. The Magic were led by a balanced attack, as seven players scored eight points or more — a necessity since there was no Howard to speak of. Jason Richardson paced the way for Orlando, finishing with 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Ryan Anderson and Hedo Turkoglu each had 13 points. This was an interesting game because there were times when the Magic clearly missed Howard on the floor, but then there would be stretches in the game when they would be okay. This isn’t to shortchange Howard’s value by any means but speaks more to Orlando’s supporting cast playing as hard as they could, especially the second unit.

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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.

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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?

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• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “It would be tempting to attribute the Orlando Magic‘s 103-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Monday night to midseason doldrums. Even the best NBA teams suffer two or three embarrassing losses at home. It happens. But perhaps the loss revealed larger problems that must be addressed before the postseason arrives. What will happen if the defense doesn’t improve? Won’t Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics carve up the Magic more easily in the playoffs than Austin Daye, Tracy McGrady and Tayshaun Prince did on Monday? How about LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat? ‘Either we get it together or we’re just going to be a playoff team that doesn’t win a championship,’ Magic center Dwight Howard said. Howard made that statement after the Magic allowed Daye, McGrady and Prince to score 20 points apiece and Ben Gordon and Rodney Stuckey to score 16 points each. Obviously, the Magic’s perimeter defense suffered through an awful night.”
• Josh Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “When the Magic made two blockbuster trades on Dec. 18 with Phoenix and Washington, they sacrificed some of their defense for more offensive firepower. Gone is 7-foot shot-blocker/rebounder Marcin Gortat, gritty wing defender Mickael Pietrus and underrated post defender Rashard Lewis. Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas are a part of the Magic now, but all three have made their marks in the NBA with their offensive exploits. Still, [Stan] Van Gundy feels that the Magic can get back to being an elite defensive team. Since the trades on Dec. 18, Van Gundy said the Magic rank sixth in the NBA in points per possession, a statistic that he said truly explains a defense’s true worth. But, as he stressed, that’s clearly not good enough.”
• Which team in the NBA gets the most bang out of their buck? Hint: it’s not the Orlando Magic.
• What DOESN’T make an MVP? Zach Lowe of The Point Forward ponders that question.
• M. Haubs of The Painted Area: “I rank Howard far, far ahead of Stoudemire, as his presence as the game’s most dominant defensive player has been the most important factor in keeping the Magic strong no matter who his teammates are. And, of course, Howard is displaying an expanded offensive game, to boot. I thought Dwight was the MVP through November, and he’s still a very strong contender to ultimately get my mythical vote.”
• Trey Kerby of The Basketball Jones: “Dwight being vocal about the Magic falling short in the playoffs isn’t very encouraging for this season’s prospects, and it’s even less so for the coming season. Entering the postseason with a defeatist attitude isn’t going to help win any games and actually losing in the playoffs could make Dwight resigned to his fate with the Magic. And an unhappy Dwight is one that might leave eventually. It’s basically the worst possible scenario for all Magic fans, and hearing the first inklings of it coming from their star player is especially worrisome.”
• A scout chimes in on the new-look Magic since the blockbuster trades: “I think Gil could make a bigger impact in the playoffs, but he has to learn how to be more aggressive learning the offense and trying to fit in as opposed to what it looks like to me, which is an NBA Finals contender trying to figure out how to fit Gil in. I haven’t seen it yet”
• Henry Abbott of TrueHoop wonders who’s the title favorite in the NBA right now.
• John Hollinger of ESPN Insider: “Regardless, Orlando’s play post-trade can no longer be ignored. The Magic are a small-market team and the narrative behind the improvement hasn’t been sound-bite friendly, plus 13-3 doesn’t sound quite as impressive as ripping off a double-digit winning streak. But they’re playing better than any team in the Association, and it’s not clear to me why one would expect them to stop any time soon. At the very least, that should be enough to get the presumed duopoly atop the East reclassified as a triumvirate.”
• Dwight Howard talks about last night’s loss against the Detroit Pistons: “Either we get it together and learn from games like this or we´re just going to be a playoff team that doesn´t win a championship. I have faith in this team and know what we can do when we are locked in and focused, but we can´t be flipping the switch on and off from game to game. Championship teams bring it every night and we have to get to that point where we play hard no matter the score or the opponent.”

AP Photo/Winslow Townson

• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic now know what they need to improve: their first-quarter starts and their defense. Both were woefully lacking in their 109-106 loss Monday night to the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Again. Following an all-too-familiar pattern, the Magic spotted the Celtics an early 10-point lead and allowed the hosts to shoot 60.0 percent from the field. [...] The Magic showed plenty of resilience, just as they did throughout their now-concluded road trip, but that toughness didn’t overcome some late heroics by the Celtics’ Big Three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. Allen sank a magnificent 3-pointer right in front of the Magic bench to put Boston up 102-101 with 2:16 left. Pierce made a 3-point play to break a 104-104 tie with 38.7 seconds remaining. Positioned on the right side of the elbow, Pierce pump-faked to draw Jason Richardson into the air. Pierce released an on-target jumper just before Richardson collided with him.”
• John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com: “In a classic game with 26 lead changes and 18 ties, it was only fitting that this Orlando-Boston slugfest came down to the final minute. And appropriately enough, the team that has been intact for years (Boston) was better with its execution than the one that was dramatically reconfigured (Orlando) a month ago. Regardless of the reasons for Orlando’s 109-106 loss to Boston, the frustrating final minute from Monday’s epic is sure to stay with the Magic until they get another shot at the rival Celtics again in three weeks.  [...] For the Magic (26-15), the loss was the fitting end to a tantalizing, but also somewhat troubling stretch of games. A week ago Orlando was riding a nine-game losing streak, but it dropped three of four games on the trip because it was unable to get stops at big times. New Orleans won in overtime, Oklahoma City shredded the Magic for 125 points and the Celtics often scored at will and shot 60 percent from the field.”
• Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “If you’re Orlando, you can’t feel too terribly about this loss, as you didn’t learn too much new about your team. The positive–and I understand the Magic, who fancy themselves championship contenders, don’t give a rip about “moral victories”–is you managed to take the East’s top team at the NBA’s halfway mark to the final minute in their building. The defense has to improve, sure, but you at least demonstrated you have enough offense, more than enough offense, to challenge Boston on a nightly basis. [Dwight] Howard keys that, as his 33 points against single coverage attests, but the Magic also had four more players score in double-figures. Efficiency is the greater issue. Richardson missed his first five shot attempts before warming up in a major way after halftime, going 5-of-9 from the floor to close the game for 14 points. Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass, Orlando’s power forwards, combined for 29 points on 9-of-15 shooting, with Anderson drilling his first four three-point tries to shoot Orlando back into the game in the second period.”
• Gary Dzen of The Boston Globe: “Exhale. Kevin Garnett made a triumphant return to the Celtics lineup tonight, notching 19 points and 8 rebounds as the Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic 109-106 in a wildly entertaining game at TD Garden. In the process, Garnett erased any concerns about rust or about the severity of a leg injury that kept him out for three weeks. With the game tied, Paul Pierce converted a 3-point play with 38.7 seconds left to give the Celtics a 107-104 lead. But in a game with 26 lead changes, that margin seemed anything but safe. On the ensuing Orlando possession, Garnett showed just how powerful his defensive energy can be, stealing the ball from Magic point guard Jameer Nelson and finding Ray Allen up ahead of the field for two free throws that sealed the game. The play was vintage Garnett. The situation called for exactly that.”
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: “Nine games and three quarters after he limped off the Palace floor in Auburn Hills, Mich., with what was thankfully just a strained right calf, Garnett was back in the band and he didn’t miss a beat. He led the percussion section with eight rebounds in the 109-106 victory over Orlando, seamlessly adding 19 points. The Celtics were concerned about KG’s conditioning, but in his 31st and final minute on the floor, he roamed far out on the wing and made the steal that essentially ended the game.”