Center of Attention (Part 3 of 3)
Part 1: Changing of the Guard | Part 2: Looking Forward
If anyone out there doesn’t know the difference a post presence brings to a team, just ask Magic Head Coach Johnny Davis. In all of the 2003-04 season, Davis’ inherited big men blocked 308 shots; now, just 47 games into this year, Orlando has already swatted away 259. The Magic have improved on the glass this year as well, pulling in 44.1 rebounds per game (second in the NBA) compared to their 40.9 average from last year. In addition, Dwight Howard has already grabbed more boards (447) than all but two of the squad’s players had in the entire 82-game schedule last season, and the rookie is on pace to end his first year in the league with the most rebounds of any Magic player since the 1994-95 season, when Shaquille O’Neal recorded 901.
“They anchor us defensively,” Davis said of his big men. “They also give us solid rebounding and also some shot blocking. When they are not doing that at a high level, our defense is not as good. For the most part, even though Kelvin Cato has been out quite a few games, Tony (Battie) has stepped up and given us that in Kelvin’s absence, and Dwight has given us that too. We’ve got several guys who rebound for us that we expect to anchor us defensively.”
Coming into the season, Cato was certainly the guy the Magic were expecting to start at center and provide the inside presence Orlando was sorely missing last season. That thought came to fruition early, as Cato came out of the gates firing, tallying 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in only his second game in a Magic uniform. His numbers looked as though he were on pace to have the best season yet of his NBA career, but Cato has been plagued by a series of injuries and illnesses since November, including a subluxated left shoulder that kept him out for 10 games in December and a recent sinus infection that sidelined him for three games. In all, Cato has missed 18 of Orlando’s 47 games due to health problems.
“If you take a guy like Kelvin Cato, who is instrumental in what we are doing, and you extract him for 18 games, (your game plan changes),” Davis said. “I mean, he is a starter who really makes a difference in our interior defense.”
One guy who has been called upon to make up some of that difference is veteran Tony Battie, who has answered diligently in the last few games. Battie registered two consecutive double-doubles over the weekend, and he has pulled in double figures in rebounding in four of the Magic’s last six contests. Since he was inserted into the starting lineup January 28, Battie is averaging 9.5 rebounds and 9.0 points per outing, an improvement over his 5.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg season averages.
“I’m feeling more comfortable and I’m trying to take more advantage of the opportunities,” Battie said. “The ball doesn’t move that much, but when it does, you have to step up and take care of it then. I think more playing time has really helped me. When I go out there and I am playing more minutes, it gives me more time to settle in and become more of an influence in the game.”
Orlando also has something this season they haven’t had in years past – reserves in the post. Andrew DeClercq was one of the Magic’s main big men last year, playing in 71 games with 53 starts. This summer, however, DeClercq underwent a series of operations on his right knee, and the rehabilitation from the surgery has kept the center out of all but eight games this year.
“I am hoping that Andrew will get more and more confidence as we move forward with his knee, and that he will bring for us a real blue-collar work inside – meaning toughness and a guy who understands the game and gives us some minutes at a very high level in terms of being physical,” Davis said. “I think he will get to that point, but he is still getting into what I call game-shape. He has gotten a few minutes here and there, but I think by the time it is all said and done he will be significant for us and play an important part in what we are doing.”
Although DeClercq’s return to the squad may have been good news to the team, it meant that he would have to replace someone on the active roster, and the man who fell victim to that was Mario Kasun. Kasun saw rapid improvement to his game over the course of the early season (he currently ranks sixth in the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes with 16.1), and Davis sees those kinds of things as indicators of the rookie’s potential for a solid future NBA career.
“Mario did a nice job when he was on the active roster- he’s not active now, but we’ve got quite a few big men on the roster now, and Andrew DeClercq’s experience is what I feel like we need at this point rather than Mario’s potential,” Davis said. “As we move forward, I can see Mario having an outstanding and solid NBA career because he is a young player who has considerable skills and he will continue to get better.”
If the Magic big men can continue to collectively get better and stay healthy through the course of the season, Davis and the Magic see the team only getting better as the schedule heads towards the playoffs.
Melanie Curtsinger is an intern in the Magic's communications department.
If anyone out there doesn’t know the difference a post presence brings to a team, just ask Magic Head Coach Johnny Davis. In all of the 2003-04 season, Davis’ inherited big men blocked 308 shots; now, just 47 games into this year, Orlando has already swatted away 259. The Magic have improved on the glass this year as well, pulling in 44.1 rebounds per game (second in the NBA) compared to their 40.9 average from last year. In addition, Dwight Howard has already grabbed more boards (447) than all but two of the squad’s players had in the entire 82-game schedule last season, and the rookie is on pace to end his first year in the league with the most rebounds of any Magic player since the 1994-95 season, when Shaquille O’Neal recorded 901.
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Coming into the season, Cato was certainly the guy the Magic were expecting to start at center and provide the inside presence Orlando was sorely missing last season. That thought came to fruition early, as Cato came out of the gates firing, tallying 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots in only his second game in a Magic uniform. His numbers looked as though he were on pace to have the best season yet of his NBA career, but Cato has been plagued by a series of injuries and illnesses since November, including a subluxated left shoulder that kept him out for 10 games in December and a recent sinus infection that sidelined him for three games. In all, Cato has missed 18 of Orlando’s 47 games due to health problems.
“If you take a guy like Kelvin Cato, who is instrumental in what we are doing, and you extract him for 18 games, (your game plan changes),” Davis said. “I mean, he is a starter who really makes a difference in our interior defense.”
One guy who has been called upon to make up some of that difference is veteran Tony Battie, who has answered diligently in the last few games. Battie registered two consecutive double-doubles over the weekend, and he has pulled in double figures in rebounding in four of the Magic’s last six contests. Since he was inserted into the starting lineup January 28, Battie is averaging 9.5 rebounds and 9.0 points per outing, an improvement over his 5.6 ppg and 6.4 rpg season averages.
“I’m feeling more comfortable and I’m trying to take more advantage of the opportunities,” Battie said. “The ball doesn’t move that much, but when it does, you have to step up and take care of it then. I think more playing time has really helped me. When I go out there and I am playing more minutes, it gives me more time to settle in and become more of an influence in the game.”
Orlando also has something this season they haven’t had in years past – reserves in the post. Andrew DeClercq was one of the Magic’s main big men last year, playing in 71 games with 53 starts. This summer, however, DeClercq underwent a series of operations on his right knee, and the rehabilitation from the surgery has kept the center out of all but eight games this year.
“I am hoping that Andrew will get more and more confidence as we move forward with his knee, and that he will bring for us a real blue-collar work inside – meaning toughness and a guy who understands the game and gives us some minutes at a very high level in terms of being physical,” Davis said. “I think he will get to that point, but he is still getting into what I call game-shape. He has gotten a few minutes here and there, but I think by the time it is all said and done he will be significant for us and play an important part in what we are doing.”
Although DeClercq’s return to the squad may have been good news to the team, it meant that he would have to replace someone on the active roster, and the man who fell victim to that was Mario Kasun. Kasun saw rapid improvement to his game over the course of the early season (he currently ranks sixth in the NBA in rebounds per 48 minutes with 16.1), and Davis sees those kinds of things as indicators of the rookie’s potential for a solid future NBA career.
“Mario did a nice job when he was on the active roster- he’s not active now, but we’ve got quite a few big men on the roster now, and Andrew DeClercq’s experience is what I feel like we need at this point rather than Mario’s potential,” Davis said. “As we move forward, I can see Mario having an outstanding and solid NBA career because he is a young player who has considerable skills and he will continue to get better.”
If the Magic big men can continue to collectively get better and stay healthy through the course of the season, Davis and the Magic see the team only getting better as the schedule heads towards the playoffs.
Melanie Curtsinger is an intern in the Magic's communications department.
