• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “You don’t have to watch hours of game tape or pore over pages of statistics to produce a scouting report on Jameer Nelson. The book on the diminutive Orlando Magic co-captain is simple: He’s a scoring point guard who looks for his own shot as often as he looks to pass. Wednesday night didn’t change that perception, but it showed that Nelson can help the Magic even when his own shot doesn’t fall. Nelson bedeviled the Dallas Mavericks by dishing out 10 assists in the 101-76 exhibition victory. [...] Nelson, who made just one of his eight shot attempts, impacted the game immediately. Six of his assists came in the game’s first six minutes. He fed Quentin Richardson for a 3-pointer for Orlando’s first basket. Twice, his passes set Dwight Howard up for easy dunks. His ability to drive — and force defenses to account for his shot — helped lead to a pair of treys from Vince Carter and a midrange jumper from Rashard Lewis.”
• More from Robbins: “The Magic waived Robinson after their 101-76 win Wednesday night over the Dallas Mavericks. The team already has an abundance of wing players, and with Quentin Richardson, Mickael Pietrus, Vince Carter and J.J. Redick in the fold, the team didn’t need to keep the small forward out of UConn. With the team well into luxury tax territory, finances might have played a role in the decision. Robinson signed a non-guaranteed contract worth $473,604, but the dollar-for-dollar tax meant the team would have had to pay another $473,604 if Robinson had stuck with the team and his contract became guaranteed.”
• Vince Carter needs to continue to be aggressive.
• Head coach Rick Carlisle is impressed with the Orlando Magic.
• Right now, the Magic are hitting on all cylinders.
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “We may not have seen the last of Robinson in a Magic uniform, however, though this much is purely speculation on my part. A new NBA D-League rule stipulates that the last three players cut from NBA training-camp rosters prior to the D-League Draft on November 1st will be allocated to that NBA team’s D-League affiliate. This rule means that Robinson’s D-League rights will belong to the New Mexico Thunderbirds, the Magic’s affiliate.”
• According to Scott Carefoot of The Basketball Jones, Orlando is the best team in the NBA that no one is talking about: “Orlando started out slow this preseason with single-digit wins over Houston and Indiana, but then they kicked into high gear with a 54-point win over the Hornets, a 13-point win over the Bobcats, a 38-point win over the Bulls, a 29-point win over the Hawks, and last night’s 25-point win over the Mavericks. Those are monster wins over quality competition. This raises that question: What the hell is going on down in Orlando? Defense is happening, my friends. The Magic are shooting 49.8 percent from the field after seven preseason games while they’ve held their opponents to 35 percent shooting. Thirty-five percent! That’s like playing against an entire team of Rafer Alstons every game! It’s common knowledge that two-time Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard is the backbone of the team that finished third in Defensive Rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) last season and first in that category the season before. But this season, it looks like the entire team has bought in to the importance of playing hard on D. Yes, even Vince Carter.?
• Want to hear Dwight Howard sing?
• Check out USA Today’s excellent infographic about the Amway Center.
• Mike Prada of SB Nation: “The watchability issue with Howard is that you always find yourself wishing his post moves were more defined. It’s unfair to say he has no post moves, because it’s much harder to be a post player in 2010 than 1995, but good teams certainly figured out how to limit his impact. Since we all love great post players, it’s frustrating. If his offseason work with Hakeem Olajuwon pays off in any way, it eliminates the most frustrating thing about watching the Magic.”
• The Magic are not in the business to trade anyone on the roster right now.
• John Schuhmann of NBA.com: “Orlando has been incredibly dominant in the preseason, winning its seven games by an average of 25 points. Using a standard statistical formula for expected wins, Orlando’s preseason point differential translates to 81-1 record over an 82-game season. So which game will they lose? OK. So the Magic probably won’t break the ’95-96 Bulls’ record of 72 wins. But Orlando’s dominant preseason is a reminder that they were statistically the best team last season, outscoring their opponents by 9.3 points per 100 possessions (Cleveland ranked second at +7.3). The playoffs were — and are — a different story, but this team is primed to be a regular-season juggernaut again.”
• Rashard Lewis thinks that Howard has a good chance to win the MVP award this season.
• Zach Lowe of The Point Forward: “The easy choice for the deepest team, and the Magic should be deep — their payroll is hovering around $95 million, right there with the Lakers for the league’s highest salary. The Magic have 11 legit rotation players, and one of Stan Van Gundy‘s biggest challenges will be sorting out minutes between a quality of group of forwards while deciding how often he wants to play Rashard Lewis at small forward. With Brandon Bass giving Orlando quality preseason minutes, it looks as if all 11 guys have bought into the system.”
• Many NBA scouts think it’ll be the Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals.
• Britt Robson of Sports Illustrated says Orlando is nothing “more than a fabulous regular-season team.” Okay, so we’re going to base that comment off ONE playoff series last season against a team that matched up extremely well with the Magic?
• Should the Magic trade for Gilbert Arenas? Ric Bucher of ESPN Insider thinks so: “I don’t know if Arenas can be the difference-maker. But I do know the Magic need to make a move and take their best shot at a title right now. If Arenas shows he’s the ol’ Gil in a couple of months, then the market opens up more and maybe they don’t get him, because the Wizards assuredly would prefer to move him out West. And then the Magic are toast as far as title hopes this year. Let’s face it, Vince for Hedo (and Courtney Lee) turned out to be a bad deal. They needed Carter to be Vinsane and he just played like one of the guys.”
• Please read the Gilbert Arenas conundrum.

Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

Via the Orlando Magic:

The Orlando Magic have waived forward Stanley Robinson, President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith announced tonight after the Magic’s preseason game vs. Dallas. Orlando’s roster now stands at 14 players.

Selected in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft by Orlando, Robinson (6’9”, 210, 7/14/88) played in five preseason games with the Magic, averaging 2.0 ppg. and 2.4 rpg. in 8.2 minpg.

Robinson played in 126 career games during his four years at the University of Connecticut, averaging 9.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 1.03 blkpg. in 26.3 minpg. He helped the Huskies reach the NCAA Final Four in 2008-09.

• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “An arena isn’t the only magnificent structure recently completed on the [Orlando] Magic‘s campus. As difficult a project as it was, from start to finish, the shiny new place comes in second to what has been built inside its walls. Under construction for years, Otis Smith made the declaration on Wednesday. [...] Smith’s work is done. Well, at least the hardest part, the part many general managers never manage to pull off, much less get right. Here we have the unveiling of a winning atmosphere, the Magic way of doing things, a culture that can breed championships. How to work, how to play. I know what Magic fans are probably thinking: OK, Otis, show us the title! And you know what? Otis wholeheartedly agrees. [...] What’s the big deal about the environment? Only everything. It’s the difference between the Yankees and Mets, Patriots and Raiders, Celtics and Clippers, Charlie Sheen and Charlie’s Angels. Players come and go — and the clueless ones should go first in your long-range blueprints. Winning cultures endure, from the telegraph to Twitter. And that’s what Smith feels he has at long last accomplished in HIS building. For this one, there was no speech from the mayor. No ribbon-cutting ceremony. No grand announcement. That’s not Smith. What he built he built largely away from the glow, in silence, in no-nonsense nuance, in moves great and small.”
• The Orlando Magic have been working on their zone defense lately.
• Head coach Stan Van Gundy on Stanley Robinson: “His attitude’s great. His attitude’s exactly what you want. He comes in, he works hard, keeps his mouth shut and his ears open. He really tries to learn both from coaches and the other players. He never makes an excuse. He’s really, really working at it. And then I see a guy who really understands this game. He does the things he can do, he’s a great cutter, he gets on the offensive glass, he runs, he’s working hard defensively, he’ll take his shots but he’s never forcing the issue; he’s just got a great understanding of what his game is.”
• Dwight Howard got more serious because he “got older.”
• John Denton of Orlando Magic.com: “Once a light-hearted group that enjoyed the ‘Magic Show’ pregame routine and usually had as many laughs as dribbles during practice, the Magic have taken on a serious tone so far in an effort to maximize their potential. Co-captains Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson have made the biggest changes, attacking each day with business-like attitudes. And the tone has just filtered down from there to a point now where Van Gundy can’t help but rave about the focus of this Magic squad.”
• For what it’s worth, Denton predicts the Magic will win 65 games this season.
• According to Shaquille O’Neal, Howard is one of two “real” centers left in the NBA.
• Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus introduces WARP2: “The bigger question is where WARP has room for improvement. Here, we focused on the differences between how WARP and adjusted plus-minus rated each player on offense and defense. For example, Kobe Bryant’s adjusted offensive plus-minus in 2007-08 was +10.4 points per 100 possessions. His Offensive Rating was +6.4 points per 100 possessions compared to league average. Thus, adjusted plus-minus rated Bryant as 4.0 points better on offense. Are there shared traits among players who are overrated or underrated by WARP? For the most part, these correlations are close to zero, indicating that WARP is properly valuing each statistic. The most notable differences share a common theme–three-point shooting. The correlations indicate that players with higher three-point percentages and especially three-attempt percentages tend to rate better by adjusted plus-minus than by WARP. Essentially, there appears to be a value to spacing the floor that is not captured by the individual statistics of three-point shooters.”
• Pelton’s adjustment of WARP rewards three-point shooters that were undervalued before. As such, Rashard Lewis and Quentin Richardson see their value increase.
• Vince Carter is “Bad” … no, really.

Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images

BOX SCORE

“It’s an experience of awe.”

Those words, uttered by owner Rich DeVos during the Orlando Magic‘s television broadcast on Sun Sports, best described the feeling many Magic fans had as they witnessed the first NBA game in the brand new Amway Center. The host for the evening did not disappoint, as the Magic were able to defeat the New Orleans Hornets by the score of 135-81 to cap off a momentous occasion in the Central Florida community. As they say, you couldn’t have written a better script. Seven players for Orlando scored in double-figures, with Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, and J.J. Redick leading the way with 23 points each. Quentin Richardson will forever be in the history books for the Magic as the first player to score a basket in the new arena — a 24-foot three-point jumpshot at the 11:41 mark in the first quarter.

When looking at the box score, the question begs to be asked.

Where to begin?

Read more…

• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Former [Orlando] Magic shooting guard Courtney Lee feels right at home with the Houston Rockets. Going from a team that went 12-70 last season to a playoff contender would make anybody feel happy. That’s the case with Lee, who was sent from the New Jersey Nets to the Rockets in August as part of a four-team trade. Lee, 25, likes his role with Houston. He likely will back up starting SG Kevin Martin, but Lee also played some point guard during training camp. The Rockets want him to serve as a defensive stopper on the wing and also attack on the offensive end.”
• More from Robbins: “There will be no surprises in the Orlando Magic starting lineup when the team takes the floor for its preseason opener tonight against the Houston Rockets. Rashard Lewis will start at his usual position of power forward, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy told me a short while ago. Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, Quentin Richardson and Dwight Howard will join Lewis in the starting lineup. Still, you can expect that Lewis will play some small forward tonight. Ryan Anderson, Brandon Bass and possibly Marcin Gortat will man the 4 spot when Lewis plays the 3. [...] Van Gundy said he’ll play at least 11 of his 13 healthy players. The two guys who might not play are rookie Stanley Robinson and veteran Malik Allen.”
• Money is the reason why the Orlando Magic won’t sign a third point guard.
• What does Brandon Bass need to improve on? Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel offers a solution: “Bass struggled to grasp the Magic’s defensive rotations last season, often ending up in the wrong place or defending the wrong players after defensive switches. And being a big man, lapses on help defense lead to open lay-ups and dunks. That kept him out of favor with Stan Van Gundy and on the bench for most of last season. Bass’ shooting range doesn’t extend to the 3-point line, which is limiting for Orlando’s 4-out, 1-in offense. And unless the Magic organization invents some new technology this won’t be improved, but Bass’ 6-foot-7 frame can be limiting.”
• Additional information on Bass’ improvements on defense.
• A few things to look out for in the Magic’s pre-season game against the Houston Rockets.
• John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com answer some questions for Magic fans.
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “The issue with either Anderson or Bass sharing the court with Lewis is that it’d force Lewis to cover smaller, faster players at the other end. More broadly, it means Orlando wouldn’t have a plus defender at either perimeter position. Sacrificing defense for offense’s sake doesn’t sound like a Van Gundy tactic, but as John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com explained, there’s a lingering feeling in Magic HQ that playing Lewis at small forward in the Eastern Conference Finals could have put Orlando over the top against the Boston Celtics. The thinking, then, appears to be that Lewis’ ability to score in more ways from the three-spot is more important than putting a “true” power forward in the lineup. Regardless of the reason for the move, it’s clear that it’s something with which the Magic intend to experiment this season, starting with the exhibition schedule. I’m excited to see how it plays out.”
• Make sure to also read Rock’s pre-season primer. It’s a must-read.
• Rob Mahoney of ProBasketballTalk chimes in on Bass’ progress defensively in training camp: “It wasn’t Bass’ blinders-on approach to scoring or his somewhat troubling rebounding rate that led to his diminished role with Orlando. Instead, Stan Van Gundy spoke of Bass’ defensive limitations, and his lack of familiarity with the defensive system that is so vital to the Magic’s success. Bass may have been strong enough and productive enough to thrive as a sixth man for the Dallas Mavericks in the season prior, but he clearly failed to meet SVG’s more specific systemic needs.”
• Tracy McGrady is jealous of the SuperFriends. Remember, McGrady had a chance to play alongside Grant Hill and Tim Duncan (it was a longshot, but a remote possibility) in the summer of 2000 when Orlando was pursuing each of them when they were free agents: “I am envious (of Miami’s Big Three). I’m jealous as s**t. I look at all the teams I’ve been on, and I never had a Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the same team. I’m jealous, but I’m happy for them. I hope they win 10 damn championships. [...] Ten years ago, we could have done it (put a Big Three together) but without all the hype. But that’s just wishful thinking now. It’s what could have happened. It’s only teasing me (to talk about it). So many nights I remember just wishing that Grant was healthy. I would have loved for Duncan to have been there, too, but a healthy Grant Hill would have been good enough (for me).”
• McGrady is right — he didn’t have a Wade alongside him, not even close.
• Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie with some words of wisdom on McGrady: “McGrady carried the Magic, for years, when Grant Hill was injured. He has never made it out of the first round of the playoffs, but he’s never been on a team that deserved to beat the team it lost to in the first round of the playoffs. You may not like the way he left Toronto, Orlando, or Houston; but his prime years were also decimated by injury. He’ll take in a lot of flak for these comments, but I think it’s time to give the guy a break.”
• Dwight Howard is the starting center of Team “D.”
• Penny Hardaway made a big jump statistically from 1995 to 1996.

Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Via Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post:

Stanley Robinson, whom the Orlando Magic selected with the 59th pick in this year’s NBA Draft, didn’t exactly distinguish himself in his four years at Connecticut, doesn’t have much of a jump shot, and is, to quote one team source, “deficient” in any facet of basketball which doesn’t involve the use of athleticism. He’s also the sixth forward on a fourteen-man team with championship aspirations. These factors are all working against his chances of making an impact in his rookie season. But Magic GM Otis Smith wouldn’t have drafted Robinson if he didn’t think he was at least worth a look, and by signinghim to a non-guaranteed contract well before the beginning of training camp, Smith signaled that Robinson will have an opportunity to prove himself. And John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com wrote earlier this summer that Robinson is indeed thrilled to have that chance.

The rotation for the Orlando Magic is, more or less, set in stone, aside from a possible battle at the back-up power forward position between Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass. And apart from the grand opening of the Amway Center on October 10 as well as a meeting with the Miami Heat on October 22 in Tampa, the Magic’s pre-season won’t be very eventful. But if there’s someone to keep an eye on as training camp is set to begin for Orlando in a few weeks, it’s Stanley Robinson. The only player for the Magic that will be literally fighting for his job is Robinson, given that he has an unguaranteed contract. There’s a lot of things Robinson will need to work on in order to have a successful career in the NBA, but he’ll get his chance to prove his worth soon enough.

Best of luck to him.

Jesse D. Garrabrant/Getty Images

I’m a little late on this one.

Recently, I was asked by Matt Hubert of D-League Digest — as well as other writers in the TrueHoop Network — to grade the usage of the D-League for the team I cover as part of the collective. In my particular case, I chimed in on the Orlando Magic.

Here what I wrote:

Orlando Magic: F

The reasoning is simple — the Orlando Magic have little use for the D-League, given that they are one of the elite teams in the NBA. Some might say that the cupboard of talent for the Magic is overflowing, since head coach Stan Van Gundy could go 12-deep with the roster if he wanted to. Right now, rookie Daniel Orton is the 13th man for Orlando and there’s no guarantee that his peer, Stanley Robinson, will make the team after training camp is completed. Essentially, there’s no room for call-ups and things of that ilk. These aren’t your Golden State Warriors.

The Magic have been affiliated with three D-League teams in the past couple of years and have made a whopping total of zero moves during that timeframe. The last D-League transaction took place in December 2007, when Marcin Gortat was called up from the Anaheim Arsenal. That’s it. For general manager Otis Smith, he sees little use in the D-League because he feels that players like Orton and Robinson benefit more from a higher level of competition in practices, while learning various schemes directly from Van Gundy. All in all, it’s an organizational philosophy.

It’s harsh but honest criticism.

• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “The Orlando Magic announced Monday that they have signed second-round draft pick Stanley Robinson. Team officials would not disclose terms of the contract, but the small forward said he signed a non-guaranteed deal. [...] Robinson’s contract is believed to be worth $473,604 for the 2010-11 season, but for him to start earning that salary, he would have to make the regular-season roster. Non-guaranteed contracts will become guaranteed for the remainder of the season on Jan. 10. Orlando already has 13 players on its roster with guaranteed contracts. Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith has said Robinson will have an opportunity to make the team if he plays well during the preseason.”
• The Orlando Magic have a new head athletic trainer.
• Josh Cohen of OrlandoMagic.com: “Some words that describe Marcin Gortat on Saturday: Outstanding, brilliant, dominant and menacing. The Polish Machine erupted for 29 points on 12-of-14 shooting from the field and added seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots to catapult Poland (2-2) to a demolishing 93-73 triumph over previously unbeaten Belgium in EuroBasket qualifying action. Even more dazzling for the Orlando Magic’s backup center, he carried out this effort in front of his hometown fans in Lodz, Poland.”
• General manager Otis Smith speaks out on whether or not Magic rookies Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson will spend any time in the D-League. Dan Savage of OrlandoMagic.com has the report: “The Magic have used their D-League affiliate the past two seasons as much as I’ve used my winter wardrobe since moving down to Orlando. They haven’t touched it at all. In fact, the last time the Magic made a D-League transaction was when they recalled Marcin Gortat from the Anaheim Arsenal on Dec. 2, 2007. Since that time they’ve been affiliated with three different squads – the Bakersfield Jam, Reno BigHorns and New Mexico Thunderbirds – and haven’t made a single move. But that trend could change this season. With two raw rookies on its current roster – Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson – Orlando could opt to give its young players some court time with the T-Birds. [...] While Orton, the team’s first round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, would clearly see more game action down in the minors, the organization believes he might be better served battling Dwight Howard and Gortat on a day-to-day basis in practice. Not only would Orton face a higher level of competition, but the sessions would also aid him in picking up Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy’s system.”
• Learn more about True Shooting Percentage.
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post chimes in on a rumor involving Courtney Lee: “I believe that the Magic are at least intrigued with the idea of bringing Lee, whom coach Stan Van Gundy trusted as the team’s top perimeter defender in 2009, back. I don’t believe even for a second that they’d consider losing Vince Carter or Rashard Lewis to get him, though. Sending Carter to the Rockets in a salary dump makes sense to a degree, but the shooting guard the Magic would want in return is the hyper-efficient Kevin Martin, not Lee, and it’s doubtful that Houston would part with Martin at such a low cost. And as for the Magic trading Lewis? He’s too valuable to this team, though if Ingram’s right, you can count the Rockets among the teams willing to take on the $63 million left on his deal. Remember, they pursued him heavily in 2007 before he ultimately signed with the Magic.”
• Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated gives Orlando a C for their off-season.
• Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk: “Stanley Robinson is the kind of guy teams should take a shot at in the second round — no doubt this guy is an NBA-level athlete. He needs more skills and more polish — he needs some coaching and time in the gym — but the foundation is there. The Orlando Magic took him with the next-to-last pick in the draft (N0. 59) and now have signed him to a deal. While the team has not officially disclosed that deal, this is certainly a make-good contract. Meaning he has to make the team in camp, this is not a guarantee.”
• Dwight Howard talks about India.
• Despite a disappointing series against the Boston Celtics in the 2010 NBA Eastern Conference Finals, the Magic performed well against playoff-caliber teams during the regular season.
• Creative financing in the NBA, brought to you by Sham Sports: “Orlando has a $92 million payroll because the father of creative financing, Otis Smith, can’t creative finance to save his life. The Magic’s ownership just keep cutting him bigger and bigger checks, letting him sign and retain whoever he wants and whatever the cost is. It’s kind of ludicrous, yet such generosity has allowed the Magic to assemble a competitive team, more with financial muscle than craft. (If you’re a Magic fan who doesn’t thank ownership every day for this, there’s something wrong with you. Organisations win championships.) However, is there a limit to this spending? By matching Chicago’s offer sheet to J.J. Redick, Orlando will be CTCing for $15 million this year just on Redick, after the luxury tax and signing bonus are taken into account; all that for a backup shooting guard. Was that the final straw? If it wasn’t, perhaps it should have been.”

Gary W. Green, Orlando Sentinel

Via the Orlando Magic:

The Orlando Magic have signed forward Stanley Robinson, President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith announced today.

Robinson was originally selected by Orlando during the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.

Robinson played on the Magic’s summer league team in the 2010 AirTran Airways Pro Summer League, where he averaged 5.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and shot 50 percent from the floor.

Robinson (6’9”, 210, 7/14/88) appeared in 126 career games (103 starts) at the University of Connecticut, averaging 9.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 1.03 blkpg. during his four-year collegiate career. As a senior (2009-10), he averaged 14.5 ppg., a team-high 7.6 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 1.21 blkpg. for the Huskies. Robinson helped UConn reach the NCAA Final Four in 2009.

It’s official.

• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The [Orlando] Magic still will be looking for a point guard — just not Paul. Smith said the team will sign a third guard soon to back up starter Jameer Nelson and Chris Duhon. “We’re still throwing some names around,” he said. The Magic currently have 12 players under contract. [Otis] Smith said forward Stanley Robinson, the Magic’s second-round pick who has a non-guaranteed contact, will join center Daniel Orton, the team’s first-round selection, on the training-camp roster as well as two or three other free agents who’ll practice with the team. Training camp opens Sept. 28 at the new Amway Center.”
• Chris Paul is staying put, for now at least.
• Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie takes us back in time: “I remember Tracy’s second year in Orlando, and his back issues in training camp. Most, including myself, chalked it up to him being out of shape. He hardly looked like a weight room demon, and he had begged out of countless practices early in his rookie year with the same sort of sore feet that every one of his training camp teammates were suffering through. But the Magic were concerned. Doc Rivers, especially, broke through my dubious tone. He mentioned something about how, yes, every person on the Magic’s roster had been going through out of shape-type pains. But when it’s a 22-year old complaining about a bad back, you tend to pay attention. Doc was right. And Tracy was right to complain. And that issue isn’t going away, especially nine years later.”
• David Aldridge of NBA.com: “Can’t give Orlando a great offseason grade for only matching an offer sheet on [J.J.] Redick. But the Magic are in much better shape than most of the teams on this list. Nobody else has Dwight Howard and almost nobody else has quality big man depth like Orlando, which can bring Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass off the bench. But the Magic have some decisions to make. Should they pull the trigger and deal Vince Carter for the likes of Gilbert Arenas, or package Nelson and some of that big man depth and try to get Howard a Pau Gasol-like second? Or should Orlando stand pat and give a team that was playing the best basketball in the league — until meeting Boston — another chance to get back to the Finals?”
• Ben Q. Rock of Orlando Pinstriped Post chimes in on the significance behind Paul’s meeting with the New Orleans Hornets: “I suppose only Chris Paul and his inner circle know for sure what he’s really up to. The Hornets’ intentions are much clearer: to keep Paul at nearly any cost; they still won’t go over the luxury tax to bring top-grade talent aboard. But Chris Mannix consulted several GMs who made “strong” pushes for Paul, and said “[the] Hornets [are] not at all interested [in trading him].” As for the Magic? The meeting’s outcome doesn’t figure to affect their interest in him one way or another. If they pry him from New Orleans, fantastic. If not, they still have one of the league’s best teams, from top to bottom, along with an elite coach and an ownership group willing to spend. There are worse predicaments.”
• LeBron James wants Paul in the Western Conference. I wonder why?
• According to some, the Orlando Magic don’t want to take on Emeka Okafor’s contract.
• Bethlehem Shoals and Tom Ziller of NBA FanHouse conjure up a trade possibility for the Magic including — you guessed it — Okafor: “As of now, this one’s been debunked; it’s only on the list because, so the winds whispered, it was on the list. Presumably, Orlando’s displeasure with Jameer Nelson, and the presence of Dwight Howard — who is big, exciting, and deserving of a super-pal — makes the Magic a logical destination, if not a real possibility. Here’s how it would go down: Paul, Okafor, and the expiring Darius Songalia (why not) go to Orlando, Hornets get back Vince Carter, Ryan Anderson, Mickael Pietrus, Daniel Orton, and yeah, picks. I guess the Magic would be excited about this, right?”
• The day has come for Tracy McGrady and Shaquille O’Neal to take a paycut.
• Did you know that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh were some of the best producers against above-average NBA defenses in 2010? Mark that down as one more reason to fear the Miami Heat. If it’s any consolation, J.J. Redick fared well against better-than-average defenses. Marcin Gortat, too. On the flipside, a few Magic players feasted on subpar defenses.