Posts Tagged → Vince Carter
Earl Clark’s limitless potential on defense
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.
A steady descent for the Orlando Magic
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?
Hedo Turkoglu and comfort
AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Via Fran Blinebury of NBA.com:
After [Hedo] Turkoglu was the second-best player on the Magic team that lost in the 2009 NBA Finals to the Lakers, there was every reason to saddle up the old gang and let them take another shot again last season. But there were $53 million worth of reasons why it didn’t happen, the size of the free agent five-year contract that Orlando wasn’t willing to offer and Turkoglu got in Toronto. [...]
Of course, a bigger version of the same accusation could have been made of the Magic, who blew up the best team in the history of their franchise in the name of fiscal restraint and managing the budget down the line when they were maybe standing on the doorstep of their first championship.
General manager Otis Smith has since admitted his mistake, albeit with a mountain of caveats. Though what really matters now is that Turkoglu returned to Orlando on Dec. 18, the day Jason Richardson and Gilbert Arenas also arrived in a declaration that shouted the future is now and the Magic have gone 13-6 (.684) since.
“I was disappointed and hurt when our Finals team traded away Hedo and Courtney Lee,” said center Dwight Howard. “I thought that was an awesome team that deserved another chance.”
As perhaps the last remaining dominant center in the league, Howard missed not only Turkoglu’s ballhandling skills and make big shots in key situations, but also his ability to make the entry pass into the low post.
“A 6-10 guy who knows right where I like it and can get it there? Yeah, I was glad to see him back,” Howard said.
Dwight Howard’s quotes are telling and reveal, in a way, his feelings about Vince Carter.
Thursday’s Magic Word
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “Orlando Magic guard Gilbert Arenas has been struggling lately, and part of that’s because of coach Stan Van Gundy, says, uh, Van Gundy. ‘The biggest thing that he’s struggling with right now is me,’ Van Gundy said. ‘I don’t think that’s necessarily an easy adjustment for anybody, but for a point guard, I think it’s tough. When Rafer [Alston] came in midseason [in 2008-09], he had played for me before. And, so, he knew I was an [expletive], and he was used to it. I only say that half-jokingly. He knew what it was going to be like.’ Arenas admitted he feels a bit uncomfortable with his adjustment to Orlando, especially as expectations have been heightened with time. When Arenas first joined the Magic in mid-December, he was playing freely and without much pressure of being pulled. Now, after a little bit of time, Van Gundy expects more from Arenas and has given him a shorter hook.”
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “Well, the Magic finally christened new Amway Center with its first memorable moment Wednesday night, and quite fittingly. Just like their $480 million palace, the moment arrived stunningly oversized, unconventional and with an impossible degree of difficulty. Making three-point shots to beat the Philadelphia 76ers wasn’t good enough for the Magic; they upgraded to four-pointers. Twice. Getting an arena built was a near miracle, so it made perfect sense that this signature comeback defied all odds, logic and lousy basketball.”
- General manager Otis Smith talks about Gilbert Arenas’ adjustment period.
- Ryan Anderson — a different stretch four from what the Orlando Magic have been used to.
- Arenas talks about, who else, Arenas.
- Anderson is as confident as ever.
- Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post: “Arenas appeared to have turned a corner three weeks ago, when he authored three consecutive efficient, double-digit scoring performances, combining for 43 points on 17-of-36 shooting, with 8 three-pointers. In the eight games since, however, he’s shot 20-of-61 (32.8 percent) from the floor, and 7-of-26 (26.9 percent) from three-point range. The slump extends beyond merely his shooting. In the same eight games, Arenas has tallied 22 assists to 14 turnovers, which simply isn’t acceptable for a backup point guard, even in an offense like Orlando’s, which doesn’t result in many assists.”
- What does the future hold for Jason Williams?
- Eric Freeman of Ball Don’t Lie is wondering why Smith decided to call out the Boston Celtics: “The Magic and Celtics have a rivalry, I suppose, if only because the Magic think they have a rivalry with every good team in the NBA. But the Magic haven’t exactly owned the matchup – Boston has come out on top in important situations, including in last season’s conference finals. Sure, Orlando won in 2009, but that Celtics team was without Kevin Garnett. Clearly, the Celtics are the more feared team around the NBA. Plus, they’ve proven they do what’s necessary to win. If that’s not tough, I don’t know what is. The question here is why Otis Smith would ever decide to pick a fight with a team that probably doesn’t even need extra motivation to beat the Magic.”
- A look at one of the Magic’s magical four-point plays against the Philadelphia 76ers.
- Britt Robson of Sports Illustrated gives Orlando a B+ at the midway point of the regular season: “GM Otis Smith should be applauded for having the nerve and instincts to make wholesale changes to a team seemingly destined to take a step backward. Those who clamor for Gilbert Arenas to take time away from Jameer Nelson miss the point: The trade with Washington was perhaps most beneficial for avoiding the awkward scenario of eventually having to bench Rashard Lewis and his enormous contract. As for the deal with Phoenix, I was apparently wrong to doubt the instant rejuvenation of Hedo Turkoglu, but maintain that the real upgrade is swapping out Vince Carter, who shrinks from the occasion, for Jason Richardson, who was part of Golden State’s historic upset of Dallas in the 2007 playoffs and was frequently unstoppable in helping Phoenix get to the conference finals last season. But for all he’s done, shame on Smith if he can’t unearth a quality backup center for Dwight Howard before the spring.”
- According to SI writers, Dwight Howard is the favorite to win Defensive Player of the Year.
- Video evidence of Hedo Turkoglu dunking a basketball. Twice.
- The probability of the Magic being the best team in the NBA is 4.8 percent.
- A look at Orlando’s peaks and valleys as a franchise.
Tuesday’s Magic Word
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: “Dwight Howard has been the team’s most valuable player. He’s also staked a claim to league MVP honors. The 25-year-old center brought a more serious demeanor to practice this season and — as much as he dislikes talking about it — a more diversified, more patient offensive repertoire. He’s averaging a career-high 22.0 points per game and 13.3 rebounds per game. His defense may have dropped off a bit this season because he’s trying to avoid foul trouble and, consequently, is contesting fewer shots. There are two other concerns: He’s averaging 36.1 minutes per game and has 12 technical fouls. Jameer Nelson receives plenty of criticism from Magic fans, but the diminutive point guard has played an outsized role this season. Nelson is averaging a career-best 6.7 assists per game, and he’s shooting 41.0 percent from 3-point range. He made crucial late-game shots against the New Jersey Nets on Nov. 5, against the Indiana Pacers on Nov. 20 and against the Celtics on Christmas. Yes, Nelson still has significant room to improve as a defender, but this team would have been in trouble without him.”
- It’s been a crazy first half of the regular season for the Orlando Magic.
- Charles Barkley on the new-look Magic: “They got more weapons offensively, I think, than any team in the NBA. They got a bunch of guys who can score. You have to take your hat off to Otis Smith, they have a chance now.”
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “The difference between the Magic and the Celtics — be it 2009, 2010 or, most recently, Monday night — is Kevin Garnett. Garnett made the play of the game with 16 seconds left and the Magic trailing 107-104. He swarmed Jameer Nelson and stole the ball before Nelson could throw a bounce pass to Jason Richardson, ending Orlando’s chances. Garnett was playing for the first time since Dec. 29, having missed nine games because of a calf injury. Too bad for the Magic he didn’t take off a tenth game. Garnett has haunted them. With Garnett nursing a knee injury and missing the East Finals in 2009, the Magic won the series to advance to the NBA Finals. But with Garnett back to smother Rashard Lewis in the East rematch, the Celtics dominated the Magic. That stuff is not a coincidence.”
- According to head coach Stan Van Gundy, the defense needs to improve.
- Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie recaps Orlando’s loss in yesterday’s game.
- Britt Robson of Sports Illustrated: “With two Defensive Player of the Year awards already under his belt at the age of 25, Dwight Howard is in excellent position to break the record of four shared by Ben Wallace and Dikembe Mutombo, and someday be regarded as second to Bill Russell as the greatest NBA defender of all time. (Russell, of course, retired years before the award was initiated.) Consider that Howard was the youngest to win it two years ago at age 23 (before that it was 24-year-old Michael Jordan in 1988), and that Orlando is structured to maximize his ability to protect the rim, otherwise playing offensive-minded small-ball with prolific scorers. Already Howard’s combination of quickness, strength, instincts and durability put him in select company — Russell, Wallace, Hakeem Olajuwon, David Robinson and Kevin Garnett would be my list — of players who can comprehensively defend a foot or two beyond the paint in all directions. Everyone but Wallace among that quintet has also won an MVP award. As he continues honing his offensive game, Howard, too, should clear a spot on his mantle.”
- Last night’s matchup between the Magic and Celtics was fun to watch.
- Orlando’s best lineup, according to adjusted plus/minus, has dissolved due to the blockbuster trades. Rob Mahoney of the New York Times’ Off the Dribble blog wonders if the newcomers can maintain the status quo: “The Magic shook up their roster in December, leaving just two members of their most effective lineup on the team in the process. Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson seem to be doing just fine without their running mates, but it’s curious that Orlando broke up such an effective unit. That said, what’s interesting about the nature of the Magic’s offense is that almost every player -– save Howard -– is replaceable. Carter, Pietrus, and Lewis are effective players, but eventually Orlando should reach a similar level of statistical effectiveness with some combination of Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu, Brandon Bass, J.J. Redick, and Ryan Anderson filling in alongside Howard and Nelson.”
- Game notes on the Magic-Celtics instant classic.
- Does Boston respect Orlando? Matt Moore of CBSSports.com doesn’t think they do.
- Glen Davis has words for Dwight Howard.
Wednesday’s Magic Word
- Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel: “When the Orlando Magic traded for Gilbert Arenas, many wondered how long it would be until Arenas took the starting point guard position away from Jameer Nelson. Turns out, Nelson’s play is putting that debate to rest. Nelson is quietly putting together the best all-around season of his career, meshing with the Magic newcomers and making few mistakes. He’s averaging eight assists per 36 minutes and posting an assist rate of 37.6 percent, which are both – by far – the best numbers of his career. Nelson’s ability to penetrate, find Dwight Howard, coexist with Hedo Turkoglu and make long-range shots has been valuable to the Magic. He’s playing efficiently and effectively, and despite the backlash he gets from fans, his play is a big reason the Magic are as good as any team in the NBA right now.”
- Improved passing and three-point shooting have sparked the Orlando Magic’s winning streak.
- Not many NBA players think highly of the Magic’s chances of winning a title this season.
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel asks an interesting question.
- Orlando has gotten better as of late, but Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Post points out that some concerns remain: “Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass are producing in their increased minutes due to Rashard Lewis’ departure, and Howard remains the league’s best big man. The ubiquitous question is if the Magic can cope with Howard in foul trouble, or otherwise unavailable, during a playoff series. The Magic aren’t high on any of the free-agent bigs, so we may not see a resolution immediately, if ever. But Howard’s foul-prone ways–as a lane-clogging defender who has to erase his teammates’ defensive mistakes, and as an offensive player who doesn’t always keep his hands to himself–make this issue a particularly pressing one.”
- Dwight Howard is an untouchable NBA player when it comes to trades.
- Tom Haberstroh of ESPN Insider: “Is this version better than the 2008-09 team that reached the Finals? From the looks of it, the answer appears to be a resounding ‘yes.’ When the Magic dealt Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat for Hedo Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, Earl Clark and Gilbert Arenas, the consensus was that Magic general manager Otis Smith had swung for the fences in an effort to catapult the team back into the title chase. And early returns show that he’s crushed it out of the park. The Magic have scored 108.8 points every 100 possessions since the trade, which is about a four-point improvement in offensive efficiency compared to the disbanded 2010-11 squad according to numbers from Hoopdata.com. And surprisingly they’ve sharpened their defensive efforts as well, allowing just 98.5 points every 100 possessions over the past 11 games after surrendering 100.6 points before the deal. The new crew’s 10.3 point efficiency differential outperforms the Eastern Conference champion team’s resume by a full two points.”
- Are the Magic for real when it comes to being a championship contender?
Interview with Beckley Mason of HoopSpeak
Photo by Fernando Medina
Two blockbuster trades.
Nine wins in a row.
For people that are wondering why there’s been a lot of attention surrounding the Orlando Magic lately, those are a few reasons. Every writer in the mainstream media and blogosphere has an opinion on the new-look Magic.
Like Beckley Mason, one of the rising stars in the NBA blogging universe.
Mason is the proprietor of HoopSpeak, a general basketball blog which joined the TrueHoop Network in October 2010 and is a must-read for hardcore fans. Mason and his colleague — Ethan Sherwood Strauss — aren’t afraid to touch on topics ranging from the ongoing saga involving Carmelo Anthony’s future with the Denver Nuggets, the confusing brilliance of Chris Paul, or even James Harden and his beard. As a result, it only seemed appropriate to tab Mason and gather his insight on one of the most popular storylines in the league. That other team in Florida.
Mason provides his opinion on how Orlando stacks up against the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference, the player (or players) that intrigue him the most on the Magic, and more.
For more wisdom from Mason, make sure to follow him on Twitter — @BeckleyMason
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It’s been 11 games since general manager Otis Smith pulled the trigger and made two blockbuster trades to shake up the roster for the Orlando Magic. In the meantime, the team has gone 9-2 — winning the last nine in a row. What are your thoughts on the moves?
When I read about these moves on Twitter, my initial reaction was “this makes the Magic incrementally better but this isn’t an earth shaking move.” I think that sentiment has been proven wrong.
Evaluating the trade today, I’d argue it’s gone a long ways toward solving the Magic’s greatest deficiencies over the first half of the season, which were that they didn’t push the ball enough for easy offense and didn’t have enough play makers on the court. [Jason] Richardson is, I think, the best transition shooting guard in the league. He’s great at shooting the spot up three and seems to beat his man down court a handful of times each game. He has this nuanced skill that I never noticed before he played in Phoenix, which is the ability to catch the ball over his shoulder/head like a wide receiver on a fly pattern then finish under control. He also loves oops, and Jameer [Nelson] throws a mean oop.
Playbook: The 3/5 Pick and Roll
Photo by Fernando Medina
The 3/5 pick and roll.
At its core, the 3/5 pick and roll with Hedo Turkoglu and Dwight Howard is one of the most devastating plays in the NBA. On Saturday, the Dallas Mavericks’ defense found out the hard way as Turkoglu ripped them apart in the pick and roll, totaling up 17 assists en route to the Orlando Magic‘s ninth consecutive win.
And in 2009, it was the Turkoglu-Howard pick and roll that led the Magic to the NBA Finals. What makes it a potent play?
It starts with Turkoglu.
At 6-foot-10, Turkoglu is a small forward that has the court vision and playmaking ability of a point guard, which puts a lot of strain on defenders that aren’t accustomed playing against an individual with that skill-set. Additionally, because Turkoglu has a height advantage against virtually every opposing small forward, that makes it easy for him to create off the dribble in the pick and roll. Turkoglu can look over his defender, literally, which allows him to find either Howard or Orlando’s shooters around the perimeter. Also, it can’t be understated the chemistry that Turkoglu has with Howard. That adds to the potency of the pick and roll because of that aforementioned synergy.
People talk about Jameer Nelson‘s chemistry with Howard, but it doesn’t compare to Turkoglu’s relationship with the big fella. Ever since Turkoglu and Howard linked up for a game-winning alley-oop against the San Antonio Spurs in 2007, they’ve been communicating in a telepathic manner for the last few seasons.
Turkoglu’s willingness to be a dual-threat in the pick and roll, whether it’s to be a facilitator or scorer, makes it go-to play for the Magic in crunch time. Why? Because opponents can’t hone in one specific option. That’s the difference between the pick and roll with Turkoglu and Howard, as opposed to Vince Carter.
Carter, more often than not, looked to score in pick and rolls. That made Orlando a predictable team down the stretch in games. But with Turkoglu, the unpredictability on offense is back to where it used to be. There are many reasons why the Magic are enjoying a nine game winning streak.
Turkoglu’s return and the revival of the 3/5 pick and roll is one of them.
Hedo Turkoglu aiding the Orlando Magic’s revival
Photo by Fernando Medina
The Orlando Magic are on a six-game winning streak, with notable wins over the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and New York Knicks, and Hedo Turkoglu has been a big reason why order is being restored in the City Beautiful.
The Magic have the look of a championship contender again after losing eight of nine games in the month of December and looking nothing more than a second-tier team in the Eastern Conference. It’s too early to determine whether or not Orlando is good enough to beat the Miami Heat and Celtics in a seven-game series, but it’s clear that they’re in a better position to put up a fight than before. Again, Turkoglu’s return to the Magic is something that can’t be overlooked because of it.
It’s true. Turkoglu is no different than the player that left Orlando in 2009. Back then, it was clear that Turkoglu’s value was inflated by the mainstream media in large part because he was a focal point to the Magic’s trek to the NBA Finals. People remember Turkoglu’s game-winning shot in Game 4 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the playoffs or his epic performance in Game 7 against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, in which he played the game of his life and finished with 25 points (on 9-of-12 shooting), 12 assists, and five rebounds. But when it was all said and done, Turkoglu performed no better than an average player in the postseason that year, despite his bevy of memorable moments.
It’s why general manager Otis Smith chose not to re-sign Turkoglu in the offseason and instead replace him with Vince Carter.
The thinking, at the time, was that Turkoglu was replaceable when looking at the numbers. Carter was just coming off an All-Star caliber season with the New Jersey Nets. Hence, it was logical for Smith to conclude that Carter could easily match or out-produce Turkoglu’s production when analyzing things in a vacuum. Plus, Carter offered Orlando the financial flexibility that Turkoglu could not, given that he was seeking a long-term contract. It all seemed to make sense. Out goes Turkoglu, in comes Carter, and the Magic could proceed to chase a title. Long story short, things didn’t go according to plan for Smith. Orlando, despite finishing first last year in efficiency differential, failed to reach their goal in the playoffs.
The irony?
Getting a grip on the Magic’s future
Photo by Fernando Medina
If I pay a whole lot of attention to what’s been said and written recently, joining the MBN community right now is sort of like moving into a mansion that was just built on an active fault line. That is, the features are fantastic–there’s an MVP candidate playing out of his mind, a perennial fifty-win team still coached by one of the league’s best, nightly entertaining performances by Gilbert and the Stretch Fours–but everybody is treading lightly, anxious about the disaster that might be on its way. Everything happening right now is in the shadow of Dwight’s free agency, the latest addition to a litany of plagues that will descend upon us all and end the world in 2012. The sky will rain blood, locusts will descend upon fields, and ESPN will run constant speculative pieces punning on Superman. Every time Gilbert bricks a pull-up or Otis Smith says something short-sighted, the summer of 2012 looms as the unspoken consequence, that time when the franchise will be called upon to pay the price for its mistakes or reap its successes. And it’s still fifteen months away.
Last week’s trade deadline, of course, is a huge reason for the anxiety. As the story goes, this is the time of year where Dwight gets to watch other A-list talents shape their own futures while he’s wondering aloud whether he should be tweeting about his teammates’ hustle. For the most part, free agency for the past year has been an arms race in the East, and the thinking is that Howard must look around and see Carlos Boozer getting open looks from Derrick Rose drives, or hear that Amar’e loves New York’s “1, 1A punch,” all while wondering if there is going to be anybody left to help form his own Justice League in Orlando. To a large extent, this is totally understandable. Gone are the diluted early 00s where Allen Iverson could drag a team to the Finals. Ours is an era flush with real talent, where great teams have multiple weapons and more than one A-list player. Eddy demonstrated this just a few days ago here at MBN, illustrating the extent to which the rest of the East elite has real star production at multiple and complementary positions. Of course, it can’t be said that the Magic can match their competition in marquee names, and it seems like management may be losing its grip on ever changing that.
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