Tag: Orlando Magic (Page 9 of 22)

      Your quick and dirty NBA Playoffs preview

      April 15, 2010 /

      The matchups are set and the first round starts this weekend. In the East, the top four teams — Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Atlanta — seem like good bets to advance, while in the West, I wouldn’t be shocked if the bottom four seeds — Utah, Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — were to make the second round. Here’s a quick look at each series:

      EASTERN CONFERENCE

      Cavaliers vs. Bulls
      It’s not often that a team that had a 10-game losing streak end in mid-February recovers and makes the postseason, but that’s exactly what the Bulls have done, winning 10 of their last 14 to capture the final playoff spot in the East. Chicago has the tools to make this a series, and with Shaquille O’Neal coming back from a long break, there’s a chance this could go to six or seven games. But in the end, Cleveland should have plenty of firepower to put the Bulls away.

      Celtics vs. Heat
      If there’s going to be an upset in the East, this will probably be it. The C’s have limped into the playoffs, losing eight of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Heat went 18-4 in February and March, but were just 4-3 against teams with winning records. Boston swept the season series despite Dwyane Wade’s terrific numbers (34-5-9, 50% shooting), so if anyone else steps up, the streaking Heat have a good shot at stealing the first or second game and gaining control of the series.

      Hawks vs. Bucks
      If Andrew Bogut were healthy, I’d pick Milwaukee, but the Bucks are going to have a tough time winning a seven-game series against a pretty good Atlanta team that has won 13 of its last 19 games. The Bucks’ defense could keep the games (and the series) close, but the Hawks should have enough to move on.

      Magic vs. Bobcats
      Orlando is peaking at the right time, going 19-3 in February and March. However, one of those losses was at home against Charlotte. The Bobcats are playing well too — they’re 16-7 over their last 23 games. Both teams are excellent defesively; they’re tied for first in defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions), so expect a few tight games. But Orlando just has too much talent.

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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      Seven burning questions heading into the NBA Playoffs

      April 8, 2010 /

      There is always a lot riding on the playoffs, but this year there is even more drama surrounding the NBA postseason. Here are seven big questions that will be answered over the next few months.

      1. Will the Cavs win the title?
      2. Will that keep LeBron in town?
      These two questions are joined at the hip. There are some who believe that a Cavs title ensures that LeBron will re-sign, while others believe that if he brings a title to Cleveland, it gives him an out. The general consensus seems to be that if the Cavs fail to make the Finals again, it will increase the chances that LeBron signs elsewhere this summer. There’s no denying that LeBron seems to be a loyal guy, but will that loyalty outweigh the prospect of playing with Chris Bosh in New York, or join a talented Bulls team in Chicago? Only he knows. But I have a hard time seeing LeBron returning to Cleveland if the Cavs don’t make the Finals again.

      3. Can the Lakers get it together?
      The Lakers haven’t exactly instilled their fans with a sense of confidence heading into the postseason. They lost three straight games in early March, then rattled off seven straight wins, and have since lost four of their last six. Andrew Bynum still isn’t playing and Ron Artest isn’t exactly fitting into the Lakers’ triangle offense. Chemistry has never been this team’s strength — they are by far the most talented team in the West, which is why they won the title last year. But can that talent offset this team’s disjointedness? Unfortunately for the Lakers, they aren’t going to draw a cupcake in the first round; the Spurs, Blazers and Thunder are all capable of giving the Lakers all they can handle.

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      NBA, NBA Finals

      Josh Smith buzzer-beating…dunk? [video]

      March 25, 2010 /

      How often do you see a game-winning dunk? Well, you’re about to…

      I’m trying to figure out what the hell Orlando was doing on defense. It looked like J.J. Redick was covering Al Horford (?), while Dwight Howard was cheating over to help on Joe Johnson, who was being covered by Vince Carter. Over on the weak side, Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis were checking three guys — Smith, Mario West and Marvin Williams. When the shot went up, Smith and West went to the glass, and Lewis just turned and watched the shot. He needs to box out someone there, preferably the better athlete (Smith) who has a better shot of following Johnson’s miss.

      It actually kind of reminded me of the NC State/Houston game back in 1983. The final play starts at about the 0:15 mark, and when the shot goes up, you can see Hakeem Olajuwon just turn and face the shot like Lewis did. That allowed Lorenzo Charles to swoop in on the baseline, catch the ball, and dunk it home for the win. Here’s a look:

      What’s the lesson, kids?

      BOX OUT!

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Video

      Pippen says that Dwight Howard can’t carry a championship team

      March 10, 2010 /

      He should know — ba dum bump!

      But let’s get serious: Scottie Pippen took a break from hosting cheerleading contests in China to tell the Orlando Sentinel the following…

      “He’s a very special player but I don’t think he’s going to win a championship until he gets another superstar to play alongside of him,” Pippen said recently while visiting Orlando. “A guy that’s very consistent and has that drive, that’s what it’s going to take. I don’t think that he can carry a team to a championship.”

      “He’s not that great of a scorer, he’s not a good shooter and he’s not a good foul shooter. So in the latter parts of the game, as big as he is and as much athleticism as he has, that becomes very small when the game gets into crunch time. He’s not the type of player that can dominate a game in the fourth quarter.”

      Pippen is entitled to his opinion, but let’s not forget that Dwight Howard led the Magic to a Finals appearance (beating a very good Cavs team along the way) at the age of 23. Orlando lost 4-1, but Game 2 went into overtime (after Courtney Lee just missed a layup that would have won the game), so with a little luck, the Magic would have headed home with the series tied, 1-1.

      Howard is just 24 now, and while his post game is certainly not polished, it is improving. He has developed a baby hook with both hands to go along with his signature power game. And let’s not forget that both Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal didn’t win an NBA title until the age of 27, so it took both players a few years to figure things out.

      Howard should be able to develop a lot in three years, regardless of Pippen’s opinion on the current state of his game. These days, it takes two superstars (or one superstar and two stars) to win a title: Kobe/Gasol, Boston’s Big Three, Duncan/Parker/Ginobili, Wade/Shaq, Shaq/Kobe, Jordan/Pippen, Olajuwon/Drexler. The only recent champions not listed there are the ’04 Pistons (superior chemistry and balance) and the ’94 Rockets (dominant big man surrounded by shooters).

      Would another superstar help? Sure. Is it an absolute necessity? History has proven that it isn’t, assuming Howard continues to develop.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      Dwight Howard’s defense is overrated?

      March 9, 2010 /

      Yes, at least according to Peter Keating, who wrote a piece entitled “Why Dwight Howard is overrated,” which outlines the recent research presented by John Huizinga and Charles “Sandy” Weil at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference.

      Insider subscription required, so I’ll be brief in my excerpt…

      Over the entire stretch of data that Huizinga and Weil examined, Tim Duncan didn’t goaltend once, while 24 percent of Dwight Howard’s blocks resulted in free points for the other team.

      The data yields all kinds of instructive contrasts, most clearly between Duncan and Howard (hence the name of Huizinga and Weil’s paper). In 2008, Howard had 232 blocked shots, but he either saved or created just 124 points; Duncan had 149 blocks, but generated 167 points. On a points-per-block basis, Duncan has four of the top 10 seasons, according to Huizinga and Weil. Howard has three of the bottom 10.

      If anything, Howard should look at this report and draw two conclusions: 1) he needs to stop goaltending, and 2) he needs to try to direct his blocks better. Either block it to himself or to a teammate to start a fast break opportunity. He often tosses the ball out of bounds, which only serves to give possession back to the other team.

      On the final Laker possession in Sunday’s tilt in Orlando, Howard picked up Kobe off of a screen and roll and forced him into a very tough fadeaway jumper. His defense on that play was excellent and I think he is a very good defender. Could he be better? This research says he can.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA

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