Magic Vs. Hawks

The Orlando Magic finished off the Bobcats last week on Monday. A week later and they still haven’t played their second round opponent. The Atlanta Hawks destroyed the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday to advance to the next round of the playoffs. On Tuesday they will face Orlando, a team well rested.

Following the game seven victory, the public-address announcer in Atlanta yelled, "We're headed to Disney World!" For the Hawks, that may not be the best of news. The Hawks are just 1-3 against the Magic this season and have had no answer for Dwight Howard. Howard could use this series to bounce back from a foul riddled first round series with the Charlotte Bobcats.

The Hawks and Magic are all too familiar with each other. The Southeast rivals play a guaranteed four times a season, and for the past three seasons both clubs have advanced to new heights. This year the Hawks will attempt to advance beyond the 2nd round while the Orlando Magic strive for a championship with anything else being a failure.

The Hawks barely have time to rest after almost being eliminated by a sub par Milwaukee team. Jamal Crawford said it best, "As athletes, we're kind of creatures of habit. We've been playing nonstop, and they've had off for a week. So, hopefully, they could be a little rusty and we can go in there and steal a game or two."

The Magic must be aware of the Hawks and their resilient defense. The Hawks defense created a horrid shooting performance from a Bucks team that could have eliminated them in Milwaukee two days prior.

The Hawks themselves must recognize who they are playing. Dwight Howard alone presents a problem the Bucks could not offer with their center Andrew Bogut injured.

Howard will be physical and will look to bully fellow all-star Al Horford who was the bully against the defenseless Bucks. Horford was able to grab rebounds and block shots at will with fellow high-flyer Josh Smith. Against the Magic, any defensive mistake can lead to a Howard dunk or a daggering three pointer.

The Magic are aiming for Howard to make correct passes to open perimeter shooters. When he does so, the Magic function in full cylinder and become nearly impossible to defend.

The series appears to be exciting. The Magic are eager to advance to the Finals again, while the Hawks look to reach new heights.

Time to be half Amazing again

Vince Carter was brought to the Orlando Magic last summer to be the go-to guy down the stretch of big games. The virtual replacement for Hedo Turkoglu has big shoes to fill, and the time to fill them is now.


The 2010 NBA Playoffs have arrived. After the first-round matchup against the Charlotte Bobcats, Vince Carter was anything but consistent. The ensuing matchup against the Atlanta Hawks will give Carter one more chance to prove he is the solution down the stretch before they run into either Boston or Cleveland.

In previous match-ups against Atlanta, Boston, or Cleveland, Carter has performed well. Carter made big plays and executed with some timely passing in at least one game against all three elite teams. However if the playoffs have shown anything to the Orlando Magic besides Dwight Howard’s foul trouble, it’s Carters disturbing unpredictable play.

For most of the series Vince Carter was a non-factor. The sweep of the Bobcats is misleading considering the Magic had problems with keeping Howard in the game and keeping Carter aggressive. Without Jameer Nelson the Magic may have been in a long series against a great defensive Bobcats team.

Carter is most effective when he is aggressive. Van Gundy may draw up certain plays this series to get his shooting guard going.

In a contest against Cleveland earlier this season Carter stepped up and attacked the rim as the game went down the wire. Nelson and Carter began playing pick and post basketball. The Cavaliers had Anthony Parker on Carter and Mo Williams on Nelson. As Carter set the pick, Parker and Williams switched and Carter had the easy matchup against the smaller Mo Williams. Besides a pick and roll with Howard and Carter, this is one of the more effective plays for Carter.

Carter proved at that time he can be a difference maker.

On Carter’s first touch in the final five minutes he drew a foul off of the switch and made both free throws. The following possession Carter caught the ball wide open, as both Cavalier players failed to switch onto him. Carter had breathing room and delivered a thunderous dunk. Carter then made a left handed layup again when the defenders switched. On the ensuing drive, Mo Williams defended a Carter screen and with the shot clock winding down Carter jumped over Parker and drilled a tough acrobatic shot.

The eight points were crucial and not surprising because Cater was aggressive. His passing on the next three plays led to eight points and an important victory over Cleveland.

For roughly five minutes the Orlando Magic saw Carter’s full potential. It was exactly what Orlando needed to win.

Now that the playoffs have started, aggressive play is the only way Carter will match the productivity of Turkoglu. If an aggressive and prolific Carter shows up, the Orlando Magic may even have some hardware in June. That’s how important it is.

Foul on You

Dwight Howard became a mockery in the recent playoff series against the Charlotte Bobcats. His foul trouble limited him to average 28 minutes a game throughout the series. Howard is usually a master at avoiding fouls, blocking 2.8 shots per contest. It’s no surprise that he plays physical, but fouling out of games is not a familiar scenario for Howard.

Already the youngest player ever with two NBA defensive player of the year awards, Howard felt disrespected by the referees. He claimed a lack of "star" treatment when compared to the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. In his blog he stated, "I just don't see other star players getting called for fouls the way I get them. No star player in the league is outta games the way I am."

Well Howard, there must be some self-evaluation and self-responsibility here. The fouls have somewhat been accurate for the exception of some unavoidable collisions, which usually go either way. When Howard starts reaching in against point guards, the referees will not give him the benefit of the doubt.

The Magic center is not playing great basketball he wanted to show off this post season. However, following the first four games of the 2010 playoffs he can’t complain. Orlando was the first team to get their tickets punched into the second round. Advancing despite Howard’s limited minutes shows the depth of the Orlando Magic.

Howard may expect star treatment, but whom is he comparing himself to? LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant? These guys are all slashers and pure scorers. Amare Stoudemire may be the best comparable player, but again he is a pure scorer, Howard is not. Howard has far greater defensive assignments than all of those “stars.” He has to contest almost every shot in his vicinity and he doesn’t have to score nearly as much so it’s hard for him to gage whether he is being treated fairly.

Howard has gotten away with a lot of contact and because he is so strong it does appear somewhat abusive against other centers when he’s fighting for position. Of course smaller guys tend to flop, and those are hard fouls to accept. Yet when Howard reaches in or swipes down on players, it’s relatively easy to call a foul on him. Wade, James, and Bryant all tend to guard passive offensive players unless they must absolutely guard the opposing teams best player, thus foul calls against them tend to be limited.

Howard must focus his attention on altering shots and playing smart on the offensive end. His offensive foul rate is alarming, and if flopping is the reason for that, Howard might have to get with the program and flop with the flopper because he continues to find himself on the wrong side of the a entanglement.

Being smarter with his lower body instead of flaring his elbows and arms are a smart way to avoid cheap calls. The best strategy defending Howard is to get the biggest and strongest center frustrated. It has worked, even though the Magic keep winning.

Against the Hawks, Howard will have a chance to showcase his defensive skills. Lets hope the bobcats were just a friendly reminder that even the defensive player of the year can be a target if he gets lazy or unfocused.

Tim Tebow

"With the 25th overall pick, the Denver Broncos select... Tim Tebow, quarterback, Florida." Immediately following the selection thousands of Bronco fans in harmony sang the same tune, "whattttt?" The 75th NFL draft saw plenty of unexpected moves, the biggest perhaps being that of the Denver Broncos selecting the semi-endorsed quarterback Tim Tebow. The draft board looked recognizable to experts following the first two draft selections. The rest of the first round saw many drops and some exciting and unexpected eye-openers. The Broncos selecting Tebow not only opened eyes, it ripped some out. What is the sense behind the 25th selection?

The Denver Broncos in particular represent an unlikely destination for the legendary college quarterback. Their key needs were quite clear. The gapping hole Brandon Marshall left on his way to South Beach was impossible to ignore, while the aging defense behind captains Champ Bailey and Brian Dawkins are a step closer to fossilization. The defensive end position has been an issue for most of the 2000's, and the once running back safe haven of Denver, has yet to see an impact running back since Clinton Portis in 2005. Where does Tim Tebow fit into the puzzle?

Josh McDaniel’s, the Head Coach of the revamped Broncos, has all but erased any linage connecting to former coach Mike Shanahan and any of his previous roster transactions. Pro Bowler's Jay Cutler, and Brandon Marshall were eliminated in a 12-month period. The rest of the former 2008 Broncos team, little by little withered away, month by month on the waivers list. Last season A 6-0 start made the youthful coach appear brilliant, yet his 2-8 finish down the stretch clarified some early convictions.

Speculations for the unexplainable moves and selections would lead to his coaching birthplace, New England; the pinnacle of success within the last decade. The philosophy powered by Bill Belichick prides itself on a team mentality of high character guys. The star power isn't a necessity, instead heart and effort is a primary requirement, and the coaching and management is the wizard on the team of OZ.

The pieces are scattered on the Mile High chessboard, with Tim Tebow keeping everyone guessing whether he will be a pawn, rook, or king. Kyle Orton and Brady Quinn were ready for a starting dual, now Timmy the kid might be the last man standing.

If the message of high character guys is the song, McDaniel’s is getting the right dance crew. Tim Tebow has been painted as a high character for years. Perhaps a bigger story going untold is the selection of Demaryius Thomas over the flashy Dez Bryant. Again, it represents another high character move.

It isn’t a stretch to say McDaniel’s is already digging his grave, he's chipping a hole into his boat, or he's committing roster and management suicide. Talent has always been a catalyst for success. If the high character guys of Denver don’t equal talent, we may see another roster genocide and a new face at the helm sooner than later.

McNabb Moves Forward

If there is one NFL team that has been successful in cutting ties with players almost immediately before they lose value and plateau, it’s the Philadelphia Eagles. However they too make mistakes. With the trading of Donovan McNabb, the Eagles let go of a franchise quarterback who led them to 5 NFC Championship games in eleven seasons. This may be a big mistake.

It’s simple to just assume the Eagles were ready to move forward in a different direction, perhaps look to begin a new era. As many franchises do in several sports, this makeover could mean the team just felt the window of opportunity closed. The Detroit Pistons blew up their roster in 2008 after their team went to several Eastern Conference Championship games. Their GM, Joe Dumars, felt the team had hit flat ground and key pieces were dealt and let go.

As McNabb continues to age, the Eagles may have also felt his production was only going to decline, and with no intention of paying the quarterback big money, the only solution was for McNabb to cash in out of town.

Kevin Kolb has been introduced as the new starter to replace McNabb. The Eagles interestingly traded McNabb to a rival team. Many inside sources say this is not at all surprising from McNabb’s camp considering he seemed unhappy he was traded to begin with. Thus he wanted to control his destiny. Allegedly McNabb threatened to retire if he was to be traded to Oakland, and ultimately he selected the Redskins who already brought in Hall-Of-Fame coach Mike Shanahan.

The decision may be one the Eagles regret. As they did last year, they want to avoid paying their older stars big money and essentially they simply let them go. Brian Dawkins was a victim of this last season after the Eagles refused to resign him. Dawkins later found great success in Denver proving he still had a lot of ball to play. McNabb looks to do the same thing, and lucky for him, he will have multiple opportunities to do so against the Eagles.

McNabb made sure to reference his new coach Mike Shanahan during his recent press conference. He spoke of Shanahan’s experience and how he worked with John Elway in the later stages of Elway’s career. Two Super Bowl rings were the result. Finding success with McNabb is something Mike Shanahan can accomplish, and winning a Super Bowl is something McNabb can certainly still achieve, especially if it comes at the expense of the Eagles who left him for dead.

Orlando is "Home"

Tracy Mcgrady recently stated he would be open to a return with the Orlando Magic. Is this the same Me-Mac that requested a trade out of Orlando in the summer of 2004?

How ironic is it that McGrady now wants to return to the place he so desperately fled when things went astray. T-Mac was so concerned with salvaging his career by not playing on a losing team. He managed to get traded to a playoff team that would never advance to the second round.

Now the sad story of McGrady has reached new heights. Not only has he ended up on the Knicks after the woeful Rockets decided to bench him, he finds himself in the same situation he was in before he requested a trade in Orlando, he’s playing for a losing team.

McGrady has had a long history of injuries that have hurt his career. It has also led to incomplete seasons and was a big part of his eventual departure out of Houston.

Now recently traded to New York, McGrady reportedly was texting LeBron James inviting him to sign with the Knicks. The once prolific All-Star is now saying money is no longer an issue. With big free agents eyeing New York, accepting the roll of a pawn is just fine if it will calculate into a winning formula.

Now as the Magic contend for a championship, McGrady watches as his cousin Vince Carter runs the show. Let’s not forget McGrady become a perennial superstar in Orlando.

While remembering the last days of McGrady’s stay with Orlando, lets remember some trivial things. T-Mac did not want the Magic to draft Dwight Howard in 2004. He said it would take too long for the Center to develop his game, time he refused to wait for. The decision to draft Howard, 5 days before McGrady would be dealt meant the end of his run in Orlando. McGrady admitted that he didn’t play hard on every possession, and rarely supported his teammates who called him a team captain. He left town, and the Magic have yet to regret their decision.

McGrady has failed to pan out his excessive talent. Once leading the league in scoring, McGrady has been injured every season since and his numbers have drastically declined. He was rarely used in Houston this season as the coaches felt he was more of a cancer than a solution.

The Magic are contenders. Older players in the ladder stage of their careers look to play for contenders in the hope of winning a championship before retirement. McGrady is another one to add to the list, except we are talking about a return and I'm not too sure one would be welcomed from the guy who wanted out when the times were bad. Sure he's talented, but it’s kind of like the hot girl who dates the guy for his money. When the situation was bad, T-Mac wanted no part, now that the man is rich, guess who wants to, "come home."

Stan Van Gundy

The heavy set guy shouting at half court is the head coach of the Orlando Magic, Stan Van Gundy. His Magic are cruising in the fourth quarter with a 20-point cushion, yet Van Gundy is irate after a Magic defensive breakdown. Despite the lead, the coach was sure he was not about to let it go unnoticed.

Dwight Howard often mimics his coach, yelling in a joking tone. It’s a nice release for Howard who knows his coach is at best uptight. Brutally Direct probably exemplifies Van Gundy. He rarely smiles, and if he does its usually sarcastic in nature. The coach of the Orlando Magic may be tough and hardy but its clear he is knows how to coach.

With a 215-75 record in just his third season with the Magic, his success as a coach has been unprecedented. His motto of “defend and rebound, everything else will fall into place,” has provided a stingy defensive team behind the 2010 defensive player of the year, Dwight Howard. The Magic haven’t dipped below the 50 win margin since Van Gundy’s arrival. First he helped the Magic advance to the second round of the NBA playoffs for the first time in 10 years. A year later he propelled the Magic into the bright lights of the Finals, a feat that hadn’t been done since 1995. Now the Orlando Magic have established themselves as consistent contenders.

Following a disappointing sweep at the hands of the Detroit Pistons in 2007, the Magic fired head coach Brian Hill. The coach of Florida University, Billy Donovan, was the primary choice when it came to finding a replacement. Donovan pulled a no-show at the altar and Van Gundy was there to pick up the bride. The Magic, after being rejected by Donovan, looked to Stan Van Gundy. It proved to be a lucky break for a Magic front office which had made many ill advised roster transactions and hiring’s up to that point. Van Gundy quickly showed interest in the position, and ever since has proved his hiring was the best decision for the rising Franchise.

Riding the gigantic shoulders of Dwight Howard, Van Gundy was building a winning team. He consistently pressured Howard demanding everything and more from his perennial All-Star. Howard was instructed to focus on rebounding and defense. It since has had a huge impact on his success as leads the league in rebounds and blocked shots. The transaction of Rashard Lewis and the emergence of Hedo Turkoglu gave Van Gundy mismatches which he used to exploit defenses. The Magic suddenly saw Howard elevate his game, and the Magic had a winning formula. As a coach, Van Gundy has been able to get the best out of his players.

Van Gundy certainly wasn’t the shinning knight Billy Donovan was to be. He was not riding a white horse, but his success has proven he was the correct man for the job. The Magic are maturing as Van Gundy continues to hold every single player accountable on every play. As the playoffs arrive, the Magic look to make noise again, aiming for an NBA Title. As for Van Gundy, you can always count on him to make some noise as well.