Posted by Dante Marchitelli, July 2, 20007, 8:53AM
The Lottery We've All Been Waiting For
Even though the Magic weren't picking till the middle of '09, this year the NBA Draft was one that I couldn't wait to get started!!
Would Kobe Bryant get traded? Would Amare be shipped to Atlanta? Would the Boston Celtics get KG for Theo Ratliff? Such exciting rumors, not to mention Greg Oden, Kevin Durant, Yi and three Gators.
"Ray Allen to Boston...this night is gonna be HUGE!"
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Sure it doesn't get the coverage that the NFL Draft gets, but I'm fine with that. I have no desire to watch these guys eat breakfast, take naps and lift weights like we do with the NFL prospects.
Start the coverage at 7pm, instead of 1am, and show me a shot of Spike Lee and some clips of Greg Oden dancing awkwardly all by himself and let's get on with it!!
Before the draft even starts, Andy Katz has a trade to announce. Ray Allen to Boston for the #5 pick, Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak. WOW!! This night is gonna be HUGE! A superstar like Ray Allen gets traded, there will be a RECORD number of deals tonight!! Then it begins!!
1) PORTLAND-"With the first pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, the Portland Trailblazers select Greg Oden....." Even though we've all known for two years that he would be the first pick in '07, we still had to see it for ourselves. After all, this was the team that took Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan, so anything's possible. Oden shakes hands with the Commish, puts on that giant hat and begins his life as a Blazer.
2) SEATTLE-To the surprise of no one, the Sonics take Kevin Durant out of Texas. They have no Coach, no Ray Allen, no Rashard Lewis, and possibly no Seattle after this year so Durant now becomes the only thing we know about the Sonics Organization.
Then Kevin's Mom realizes that her Son will spend the next few years playing alongside Robert Swift, and she begins to cry uncontrollably....as did I. We don't know much about the Sonics now that they're cleaning house, but we do know that Durant won more games at Texas last year than he will in Seattle!!
3) ATLANTA-This is where things get REAL exciting. The Hawks could do anything here from Horford, to Yi, to Sean Williams (giving them an underachieving Williams in three consecutive drafts). But surely they'll take Mike Conley and once and for all solidify that point guard position, right? WRONG!! Al Horford out of Florida is the pick. Not the point guard they needed but probably the most NBA ready player in the entire draft. Can't argue this pick!
4) MEMPHIS-What a steal for the Grizz as they land Mike Conley, Jr. Now you think about keeping Pau Gasol because you have someone that will pass to him. Add Rudy Gay, Hakim Warrick and Mike Miller and suddenly you've become the 10th best team in the West. It's a start, and someone the Grizz can build their team around. Excellent pick!
"The guy wouldn't come work out...but the Bucks take him at six."
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5) BOSTON (FOR SEATTLE)-Jeff Green out of Georgetown is headed to Seattle as part of the Ray Allen deal. We don't know if he'll be shipped off, we don't know if he'll stay in Seattle, and we don't even know if he'll be a good pro or now, but we DO know he traveled against Vanderbilt!!
6) MILWAUKEE-I love the moxie by Bucks GM Larry Harris with this pick as he takes the most intriguing player in this draft: 7-footer Yi Jianlian. The guy wouldn't come work out for the Bucks, and Yi nor anyone else from the entire country of China has ever even set foot in Wisconsin, but the Bucks take him at six. He's the best player available and you can't let his camp muscle you around like that. I love it!
7) MINNESOTA-The T'Wolves make Corey Brewer the second Gator taken in the top seven. This would also be the first of 67 times that night that ESPN would tell us he was wired for sound!
Brewer is athletic and he's a great defender, but his shot is overrated and playing alongside KG he's gonna have wide open looks all game. If he works hard on his shot, this could end up being a great pick. OH WAIT, that reminds me......KG HAS to get traded tonight right? We're only seven picks in so there's still plenty of time!
8) CHARLOTTE-It's great for the league to have Michael Jordan back.......again! What's not great for MJ though, is to have his name forever linked to Kwame Brown.
We know he wants a Tar Heel, just like he did in '01. Back then he couldn't justify Brendan Haywood or Joe Forte with the number one pick, but this year he can certainly justify Brandan Wright out of UNC with the 8th overall pick. Wright was a Bobcat for about 11 minutes, and was then dealt to Golden State for Jason Richardson......the fifth pick in '01. I wonder if Serge Zwikker will get a tryout!!
9) CHICAGO-The Bulls get to pick here thanks to Isaiah Thomas. This pick was sent to Chicago as part of the Eddy Curry trade, and now Joakim Noah is headed to the Windy City. This pick doesn't address Chicago's desperate need for a low-post scorer, but it does give the Bulls the best hair in the NBA between Noah and Ben Wallace. Scott Skiles is going to love this guy!
10) SACRAMENTO-Time now for new Kings Coach Reggie Theus to make his first ever draft selection. The choice is 7-footer Spencer Hawes out of Washington. Now I know what you're thinking: "This guy is the second coming of Todd Fuller!" Watch one highlight and you'll be convinced we've found the guy to lead stiffs everywhere into the 21st century!!
"When I start playing, people will really start realizing I'm not the big stiff that some people make me out to be,'' Hawes said Thursday night. Oh no! Now it's even in HIS head. Don't worry, here comes the vote of confidence from Team President Geoff Petrie, "He's a really skilled guy. He knows how to play his position.....he can pass the ball" Wow!
A team that desperately needs a rebounder, drafted a 7-footer that was SECOND on his COLLEGE team in rebounding!! What happened to that fun, run and gun, Sacramento team?
11) ATLANTA-If you're ever in the mood for a good horror story, go online and check out Atlanta's last few years in the NBA Draft. Last June the Hawks select Sheldon Williams at five, and Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy goes at number six.
In 2005, the Hawks select Marvin Williams second overall and two picks later Rookie of the Year Chris Paul is selected (DeRon Williams went third). In 2004, the pick was Josh Childress, taken next was Luol Deng! One can only think Mike Conley, Jr. will be an All-Star now that the Hawks passed on him at number three! They do get a damn good point guard though in Acie Law!
"This guy is the second coming of Todd Fuller!"
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12) PHILADELPHIA-Any team that has Steven Hunter on it, will forever continue to draft big men and the Sixers were no different. STILL searching for someone to play alongside Samuel Dalembert, Philly takes Thaddeus Young out of Georgia Tech. A 6'8" forward that hit 42% of his 3-pointers last year could be a nice, versatile addition to this young team.
TWO MEASLY TRADES SO FAR? LET'S GO!
13) NEW ORLEANS-After a two-year hiatus, the Hornets are finally headed back to the city of New Orleans. We must never forget the incredible show of support by Oklohoma City though, helping this team through it's darkest hour!
Julian Wright out of Kansas is the pick here. If New Orleans can stay healthy, they'll be dangerous! Tyson Chandler had a break out year, Chris Paul is running the show and David West is a solid four. The bench is thin though, and Julian will have a chance to contribute.
14) LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS-The Clippers select Al Thornton out of Florida State. This guy might have been the most difficult to predict in the entire draft. Al was thought to go anywhere from 5 to 15, but he finds a home in L.A. The Clippers get a four year senior that can score inside and out. He hit 53% from the floor, including 44% beyond the arc! This marks the end of the lottery and no blockbuster deals.
There would be one more significant move to take place this night. The Portland Trailblazers, determined to overhaul their image, sent big man Zach Randolph packing to New York for Channing Frye and Steve Francis. Steve-O will be bought out and Frye will be a nice addition off the bench.
Now if Kevin Pritchard can get someone to take the remaining three years and $26 million due to Darius Miles, then he will get my vote for GM of the Year! Thank God this uneventful draft has come to an end, and now we can enjoy free agency!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, March 7, 2007, 2:41PM
The Stay Retired Plea!
I begin this edition with a plea.....I am petitioning Scottie Pippen, Reggie Miller, and Doug Christie, to remain retired! Scottie, you didn't do a whole lot to help Portland when you were in the league five years ago, what makes you think you can bring anything to the table now? I know you are in great shape, and I know you probably could contribute something, but either you miss the game that much, or you are the greediest human being alive. You have SIX RINGS! WALK AWAY!! Whenever you're feeling down, or want to prove something to someone.....put on all six rings, walk into a bar and say, "I'm Scottie Pippen". What happens after that is the reason I don't feel bad for you!!
Reggie, you are a Pacer! You're the guy that gave Spike Lee the choke sign....... You're the guy that scored 40 points in 9 seconds, or whatever it was, in Madison Square Garden, You're also the only human being alive that got away with shoving Michael Jordan, IN the playoffs, and hitting the game winner.........and all that was in a Pacer uniform. The only way I can accept you coming back and playing for the Dallas Mavericks, is if the Mavs move to Indiana and change their name....to the Pacers!! Then you have my blessing!
As for you Jackie Doug Christie....where do I begin? Your show "The Christies: Committed" is quite possibly the most appropriately named show in Television history and also the only program on TV today that's worse than "Dog the Bounty Hunter". I would rather watch "Slam Dunk Ernest" all weekend, than one minute of your show. Yet I would prefer you do that program, over returning to the NBA. I love the state of the league right now, there are so many young, budding superstars...let's just give the guys we have a chance to win their own titles and write their own history!!
All that being said, there are three guys that I WOULD like to see come out of retirement and return to the NBA:
First, John Stockton! Come on back big fella. I know he's 44 years old, and no one's even seen him in three years, but I guarantee he's still in shape, and at 44 he's still more of an athlete than John Crotty was at age 19. He would have to play for the Jazz, and he'd only have to play about 3-5 minutes a game, but the insight he could give Deron Williams would be immeasurable.
Next.....Charles Barkley! I want him to return to the Phoenix Suns and have a chance to get his ring. He doesn't even have to play, in fact, we would all prefer he NOT play. Just sitting on the end of the bench, he'd already be contributing as much as Jalen Rose, Sean Marks and Eric Piatkowski. Yup, the Polish Rifle...you didn't even know he was still in the league did you? Neither did I, I just looked it up. Also, imagine the interviews! The personality he'd add to the league. It might be worth it for that alone!! Tell me TNT wouldn't have a blast with that whole scenario. Heck, mic him up, he could still do his studio stuff from the bench during the game!
Lastly, come on back Danny Ainge! Sure, he's 47 years old, but simply firing him would be letting him off the hook at this point. He should be forced to play WITH that mess he's created in Boston. Wouldn't that be an incredible incentive for General Managers? Every year the team with the worst record come the trade deadline, would have to suit up their GM!! That will make you think long and hard about acquiring Raef LaFrentz in a deal next time! Although, Danny Ainge now is still a much better shooter than Sebastian Telfair, so maybe that doesn't hurt them too much!
Lastly, pull that cursed Gatorade commercial that featured Dwyane Wade and his talking heads. We've already lost D-Wade to a separated shoulder, we saw that excruciating pain he was in. Then the next week we lose Shaun Livingston to a dislocated knee, and torn ACL, MCL, PCL. For those of us that saw that replay, we look forward to many weeks of waking up screaming uncontrollably. We still have a chance to save Paul Davis if we act now!!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, February 21, 2007, 3:56PM
The Trip to Vegas
After an unbelievable trip to Las Vegas that saw everything from Prince to Manute Bol, I have lived to tell about my weekend!!
We begin Thursday afternoon when we landed in Vegas. As soon as I walked off the plane there were TNT cameras there to shoot my arrival into the city. I waved, put my hands in the air, stopped and posed until I heard the guy holding that giant boom mic say, "Move dude, you're in the way of Dwight" I pretended I didn't hear him and then boarded the bus waiting to take us to the hotel. First stop, drop off Dwight Howard! When we pulled in front of his hotel that same camera crew was there to shoot his arrival there as well. I did not interfere with this shoot.
En route to our next stop we passed the New York, New York hotel in which a giant Dwight Howard Eastern Conference All-Star jersey was draped over the Statue of Liberty out in front. It drew the same cheers from all of us that it did from Jameer and Bo. At that moment we all realized that Dwight had arrived. We later drove past the Luxor that had a poster of Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard covering the entire side of the hotel. Dwight doesn't even have a poster in Orlando, but he did in Vegas....this needs to change!!
Separated at birth - Dante Marchitelli and Manute Bol!
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Walking around the city that night we saw billboards for every big event the city had to offer. Prince performing at Rio, TMac and Diddy having a party at the Mirage, Siegfried and Roy and for those that couldn't afford the latter......Dirk Arthur! A Magical $39 show. As much as I wanted to see this incredible act, I went against my better judgement and did not!
Friday the fun began! The madness that is All-Star Media Availability. It began with the particpants of all the All-Star Saturday Night events. The Shooting Stars, Skills Challenge, 3-Point and Slam Dunk contestants. When the players started filing in, we found ourselves closest to Tyrus Thomas' table so we figured we'd start with him. I was destined to prove that Tyrus wasn't that bad of a guy, he just made a mistake with what he said about the Dunk contest. I was the only one at his table and I quickly found out why. Here's how our conversation went:
Dante: "Hey Tyrus, Dante Marchitelli with the Orlando Magic TV Network, nice to meet you"
Tyrus: "Hey (PR rep) how long do we gotta be here, 15 minutes?"
Dante: "Mind if I ask you a question?"
Tyrus: We gotta be here 30 MINUTES? I'm setting my stopwatch, ready? Gerald (Green) you wanna be on my watch? (Gerald turns away embarrassed).
Dante: "This will only take a second, can I just ask you about Dwight Howard?"
Tyrus: (mumbles something which might have been considered an answer, clocked at about :05 long"
Dante: "Thank you Tyrus, that was interesting too" and I left.
As much as I wanted to see this incredible act, I went against my better judgement and did not!
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Now don't let me persuade you, I'm just letting you know what I saw. Everyone else was fantastic. Every All-Star absolutely lit up when asked about Dwight Howard. They loved his attitude, his athleticism, his work ethic and his natural ability. They were impressed with him as a player but as a PERSON even more! Every All-Star was in great spirits the entire time. Shaq and Kobe were mobbed, you could barely hear what they had to say.
Gilbert Arenas held court the entire time, standing up, telling jokes, taking it all in. At one point he brought all of the reporters around him to his teammate Caron Butler, who had an empty table at the time, to make him feel good. Classy move! Later that night was the Celebrity Game, and then the Rookie Challenge. We know how those went, about the same amount of defense played in both, but an incredible display from Chris Paul, Monta Ellis and David Lee. Lee went 14-14 in that game, and took home the MVP honors with 30 points.
Saturday afternoon the East and West held open practices at the NBA Jam Session. At the end of the practice, Shaquille O'Neal issued a "Breakdance Competition-Bigs versus the Smalls" He led off the competition and brought the crowd to it's feet. I now see why Shaq gets hundreds of thousands of votes from fans, even though he only played four games. This weekend is built for Shaq! But Dwight held his own in the dance-off and you get the sense the torch will be passed and Dwight will be the main event very soon.
Did anyone else find it funny that Kobe lost the Skills Challenge because he couldn't pass?
All this leads us to the biggest travesty in slam dunk history.....Dwight Howard wows the crowd with an alley oop dunk, while placing a sticker of his face on the top of the backboard. Jameer Nelson measures the sticker at 12 feet six inches high and the crowd goes crazy. I looked at Kevin Holden and said, "If I stand on your shoulders, we're not 12 feet 6 inches combined." He replied, "We'll never know cuz you're sure as hell not getting on my shoulders". Point taken! What followed though, shook up the entire sports world for the next day:
The first three people to leave the building that night were MJ, Dr. J and 'Nique....hmmmm, wonder if they knew they blew it?
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Judges Michael Jordan, Julius Erving and Dominique Wilkins all apparently in some sort of coma, issued "8"s for the dunk. A deafening "boo" overtook the Thomas and Mack Center, and I instantly wanted out on the court to confront them. However, better judgement, security and laws prevented me from doing such! But we were all angry. They wanted something different, new, exciting and incredible, and Dwight's sticker dunk had all of that in one. Oh well, I take solace in the fact that Dwight's face was on the backboard for the duration of the event. Excellent! By the way, the first three people to leave the building that night were MJ, Dr. J and 'Nique....hmmmm, wonder if they knew they blew it and didn't want to face the media?
Finally, the day of the main event. At breakfast Sunday morning I couldn't help but laugh. There was silence at every table in the restaurant. Everyone thinking about what they had done over the weekend. I watched a grown man fall asleep AS he was cutting his piece of pineapple. THAT should be a commercial for Vegas!!
Then the All-Star game itself! The West won in a romp but Dwight Howard made a name for himself. People were still talking about his dunk the night before and how he was robbed. He almost made more noise by NOT winning the contest. He came out on a mission and lit up the West for 20 points and 12 rebounds in his first ever All-Star game, drawing "ooohs" and "ahhhs' the entire way. It was certainly a weekend I'll never forget!! Viva Las Vegas!!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, November 20, 2006, 4:58PM
What a Surprise!
Clark W. Griswold put it best when he said, "Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now". I know it's a little early for Christmas Vacation references, but too bad. I'm not saying that I'm surprised that the Magic are playing well, but I AM shocked at HOW well some things have already gone.
Tell me last year's Orlando Magic team beats Seattle at the buzzer on November 8th! Not a chance! The Magic led much of that game, coughed up the lead on a late layin by Rashard Lewis, and then won on a Hedo Turkoglu fadeaway from the locker room with 0.4 seconds remaining. The poise, confidence and mental toughness that this team is displaying late in ballgames is head and shoulders above where they were last year at the start, and it will only get better.
"Oh, Eddie... If I woke up tomorrow with my head sewn to the carpet, I wouldn't be more surprised than I am now"
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Keyon Dooling hits five three pointers in a game against Denver....four of which came in the third quarter alone. That's the most 3's he's ever hit in one game, and his 25 points that night were a career high. He'll be the first one to tell you that he doesn't consider himself a 3-point shooter, but that just might change this year. He's providing unlimited energy but he's contributing on the offensive end as well.
Keep playing Dwight Howard straight up! In three games that I can think of (Chicago, Minnesota and Charlotte) opposing Coaches thought it best to have their star defenders (Ben Wallace, Kevin Garnett and Emeka Okafor) play Dwight without the benefit of a double team. In those three games, Dwight averaged 24 points and 18 rebounds! There is this miraculous device that will soon be open to the public, it's called TIVO, or DVR and it actually allows you to record TV programming without you even being home! I use it for such shows as The Office, 30 Rock, and Walker, Texas Ranger....but should this technology get in the wrong hands, I bet it could be used as a scouting tool! (Can we just put an Emeka Okafor jersey on every Center Dwight guards this year?)
You can actually win an NBA basketball game turning the ball over 27 times. Now, I know you obviously don't want to get into a habit of doing this, but it is encouraging that if you're having an off night, and can't hold onto the basketball, you can still win! This MUST get better, you can't win all season long turning the ball over this much, and they know that BUT how scary is this team going to be when they stop passing the ball to Nick Anderson on the sidelines and only create....say...15 turnovers a game!
This team is already jelling with Grant Hill.
They have one of the deepest benches in the NBA and Darko Milicic has just gotten going, Trevor Ariza just came back and JJ Redick hasn't even stepped on the floor yet.
There are raucous crowds on Monday and Wednesday nights! The fans have been tremendous this season....and when officials aren't blowing the whistle every 7 seconds, you can actually get a game going, and fans can get in some sort of rhythm.
Traveling, palming and carrying are once again violations in the NBA. I can FINALLY stop hearing my Dad say, "Why even make these guys dribble at all? Just take dribbling out of the game!"
Now, I'm not crowning the Magic NBA Champions by any means, I'm simply saying this has been a lot of fun to this point. If they continue to play as a team and not care who gets the glory, then it's gonna be a blast watching this young squad for years to come!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, November 1, 2006, 5:41PM
Dwight-Mania!
To the City of Orlando and Magic fans everywhere: Your mission.....should you choose to accept it...is to spread the word to everyone about our 20-year-old phenom Dwight Howard! I'm not kidding about this. Tell your family, your friends, your mailperson and even your neighbor that mows his lawn in his dress socks! Dwight Howard is everything that's right with this league, he's what all NBA fans have longed for, and it's our obligation-not option but obligation-to tell everyone we know to watch this kid!
I don't want to hear about him being snubbed for the All-Star Game, because if that's the case, then we didn't do our job to get him there. And I will come to all of your houses and tell you about it personally! I want talk radio shows in this town to be flooded with calls about Dwight Howard and the Magic. Not that I don't like listening to 23 straight hours of college football, I just think SOMEWHERE we can fit in some Magic talk, and not have to hear how bad Chris Leak is. I want barbershops to be arguing over whether or not Dwight is the MVP and I want all this to happen TODAY!
I want to get my Starbucks coffee and see his picture on that little cardboard thing that's supposed to keep my hands from getting burned. I want to go to Publix and see his cut-out by the check out line. I want to walk downtown and see his poster in store windows. I want people to retire that Magic t-shirt from 1989, and upgrade to that Dwight Howard jersey! It starts with us. If he takes over this town, then maybe we can get him on a National stage, and "The Dwights" can move in next door to "The LeBrons".
Bulls guard Kirk Hinrich played with Dwight all Summer long with USA basketball, and he told me Opening Night, "Dwight simply wants to be the best, and he works hard at it"...then he laughed and said, "he's goofy man". Well, I love that about him. He has the desire and work ethic to be the best post player in this game, but he also has the wherewithal to realize that it is indeed just a "game", and he should have fun. Watch his demeanor sometime, he is smiling the entire time he's on the court, BUT this year he's added that mean streak, and fights for everything down low!
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying we need to go ahead and put his bust in Springfield, Massachusetts. What I AM saying is this town has something special. I see him every day, and that smile is always on his face. Sometimes I want him to say, "you know what? I guess I am pretty good out there!" But he won't! He never puts himself above the team, and he's far too humble to boast about his abilities... Even though he's earned the right to brag when he spins around 3-time Defensive Player of the Year Ben Wallace and hammers down a thunderous dunk, or defies gravity and swats away a Ben Gordon runner, but that's not what he's about. He's about winning and making the playoffs. That's all he's wanted since the day he got here.
Now I'm not telling you to buy into Tyronn Lue as the point guard to replace Darrell Armstrong, and I'm not telling you that Pat Burke should be our Opening Night Center! I'm not trying to sell you on the hope that Patrick Ewing and Shawn Kemp each have one more good year in them!! What I'm telling you is that Dwight Howard is the real deal. He loves it here, and we need to make him feel at home!
When he's starting in Vegas at this year's All Star Game, he'll know exactly who to thank, and he'll reward you by having you all over for Round 1 of the Playoffs!!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, September 14, 2006, 12:20PM
My Summer Review
Ahh, what a great time I've had just sitting back and observing the "Summer That Was" for the NBA.
I was thrilled for Ben Wallace when I heard he was bound for Chicago, and leaving that sinking ship in Detroit. I loved hearing that Jameer Nelson flew his teammates to Philadelphia and spent a week playing paintball. I even got over the fact that our beloved USA basketball team lost to Greece, because you can't shoot 7-63 beyond the arc every game and expect to win the gold medal.
BUT, two things brought this Summer joyride to a screeching halt and I knew I had to get back on my computer. 1) Seeing Emmitt Smith on "Dancing With the Stars", and 2) clicking on Orlandomagic.com and seeing a fan actually ask Otis Smith if we could sign Shawn Kemp (pictured)!! I spewed coffee all over my desk and shorted out my keyboard. Enough is enough! Have I been away that long? Here are the three stories I've sat silent on for far too long!!
1) USA Basketball debacle - I have a solution. I'm tired of hearing that we lost because we didn't send Kobe, or Shaq or Kevin Garnett or Oscar Robertson. I'm tired of hearing we lost because we didn't have Ray Allen, or Michael Redd or Craig Hodges to shoot the long ball. We lost because we still weren't a TEAM! I don't care if you have 12 guys play together for an entire Summer or an entire decade, if they don't pass the ball to each other, defend, and attempt a two-point shot on occasion, then they aren't going to win.
The answer is not Coach K, or Phil Jackson, or even Pat Riley, because they're all guilty of allowing these guys to play that way. No, the answer is for our 12 guys to spend one month training with Spain's Head Coach Pepu Hernandez, or Argentina's Head Coach Jon Uriarte, or even Panagiotis Yannakis of Greece. These coaches will begin the first day by asking each of his players to introduce themselves to each other.
'Melo: "Hi LeBron, I'm Carmelo Anthony"
LeBron: "Hey 'Melo, I'm LeBron James"
This allows all the members of Team USA to realize that they do indeed have teammates, and that there are more than 3 people on their team. An international Coach would blow a gasket if they saw their team shoot 9-40 beyond the arc in one game. "Ðçãáßíåôå óôï êáëÜèé" yells Coach Yannakis in perfect Greek. "Vaya a la cesta" screams Coach Hernandez. In English that translates to "Go to the basket". If that phrase was mentioned, it sure wasn't enforced.
At some point you have to realize shots aren't falling, and revert back to that 1944 instructional video with Bob Cousy displaying the other techniques: A lay-up, a slam dunk, a set shot. You might even learn terms such as pick-and-roll, box-out, rebound, and assist! Every other country knows these terms, and it's about time we learn them too!
2) Mark Bartelstein - WOW! As DeShawn Stevenson's agent, isn't it your job to get your client MORE money than he already has? By no means do I understand the agent business, and by no means do I understand money, but I can say with a great degree of certainty that DeShawn was more than capable of getting that deal all on his own. He actually hired YOU Mark, to get him a BETTER one! That is MY interpretation of an agent's obligations. I guarantee you right now that Portland is begging Mark Bartelstein to sign Raef LaFrentz as his client!!
3) Finally, let's talk about Ben Wallace joining the Chicago Bulls. What I love about this story is the fact that everyone says how Chicago grossly overpaid for his services. I think there are two cities that would suggest you can't pay ENOUGH for Ben Wallace, and those cities are Orlando and Detroit. When Ben played here with the Magic he once told me that he played Shortstop on his High School Baseball team. Now here's a 6'7" kid that had to bend over and scoop up ground balls for nine innings. I obviously asked why in God's name he chose to play that position over first base, or pitcher, or even the outfield. His answer was one that sums up his entire career, and immediately earned my respect till the end of time. He told me, "Because everyone said I couldn't do it. That's why!"
Everyone said he'd never make it in the NBA, everyone said he'd never win a Championship, and now they're saying he'll never earn the big contract he just signed. Well folks, I'm here to tell you he'll earn every penny of it, and it will be well worth the money if he helps bring another title back to Chi-town. And if not, well heck, he just made another $50 million, and there's lots of teams out there that need a quality shortstop!!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, July 18, 2006, 12:33PM
Our Summer League Webcast
It's not very often you walk out of Summer League on the last day, wishing that it hadn't ended...and this time was no different. Although I must say this was by far my most enjoyable Summer League experience.
As Day one of five was winding down, I was propositioned with the most unlikely of requests. You see, Orlandomagic.com was already streaming these games live on the web, however, there was no sound to accompany it, only the squeaking of sneakers and Indiana's David Harrison's beautifully woven string of obscenities. This man could literally cuss a bear up a tree! "Why don't you and (Assistant Director of Communications) George Galante broadcast these games live on the web?" was the question posed to me. My initial reaction was, "That is the only thing that could make these games worse" and with that in mind I HAD to accept!
We added a third member to our broadcast team, TV's Senior Producer Tye Eastham, and after roughly 3 hours of research, we were commenting on 80 players, 75 of which we've never seen before, and hope to never see again. The response from the fans was overwhelming, over a million hits on our website, hundreds of emails, thousands of threats on our lives and an offer to announce someone's wedding in Chicago! Here's what I'll always remember:
Luke Schenscher belongs in the NBA like I belong on Soul Train!
Don't get behind the Charlotte Bobcats in line when pizza is being served!
John Blair-Bickerstaff now owns the record for most technical fouls by a Summer League Coach (3), bumping Sam Kinison down to 2nd place!
During a free throw, New Jersey's Sasa Zagorac actually turned his back to the basket and did a face-up, box-out on the bottom block. I was speechless then, and I'm speechless now!
If Earl Barron is your Summer League MVP, should we all even really be there in the first place?
Between all the Coaches, Scouts, and Executives in attendance, you could have held a Sperry Topsider Boat Shoe convention, immediately following each game! Why do people INSIST on still wearing these?
Say Ugonna Onyekwe, Drago Pasalic, Thabo Sefolosha, and Sasa Zagorac out loud, and tell me you're confident you didn't just say a swear word!
Miami really passed on Jameer Nelson for Dorell Wright?
Thanks to Matt Walsh we now know it IS possible to fire up 25 3-pointers in only four games! However, you did date Playmate Lauren Anderson and therefore I find this behavior completely acceptable.
Is Erik Daniels' afro spongy to touch?
NBA Director of Officials, Ronnie Nunn, didn't let these meaningless games get in the way of a good nap! I admire that!
Thanks to the countless European Scouts in attendance, I can say with a great deal of certainty that the "man-purse" is NOT a good look!
Marcin Gortat thanked George and I, among others, for bringing him over for Summer League! As unaware as George and I were that we had contributed to this process, we couldn't help but walk away being impressed with the excitement this young man exuded. Gortat has improved tremendously from last year, but maybe another year overseas would do him some good and allow him to make an instant impact for the Magic in 2007-08.
Travis Diener proved he's not just a shooter, but that he can run a club. I know it's Summer League, but the confidence Travis is playing with right now could earn him some minutes this season as the third point guard.
I want Erik Daniels in our Training Camp. Now, it's for very good reason that I'm not the one to make these decisions but he showed a nice shooting touch, the ability to finish around the basket and an overall impressive basketball IQ. He'd be a longshot, but it'd be fun to root for him to make the team.
Thanks to everyone involved for this memorable experience! I hope next year George and I get to bring you these games live from Vegas!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, June 30, 2006, 11:19AM
Thank You Seattle!
I just mailed my thank-you notes to Golden State and Seattle for drafting Patrick O'Bryant and Mouhamed Saer Sene, and allowing J.J. Redick to fall to the Magic at 11. I swear to you that my brother's kids are running the Seattle Supersonics. SAER SENE? Are you kidding me? The guy averaged 3 points and 4 rebounds last year for Vervier-Pepinster of the Belgium First Division! THREE POINTS, and he was taken in front of the leading scorer in ACC HISTORY!
What has this draft come to? Last year J.J. averaged 27 points per game, and he did it against this country's elite college programs. Sene could only muster three points against teams like "Telindus Oostende", which sounds like a rare skin condition treatable only with the pollen from a "Vervier-Pepinster" flower!
Can't you see the Sonics brass all sitting around their giant mahogany table in Draft Central:
GM Rick Sund: "What in the hell is a Saer Sene?"
Head Coach Bob Hill: "I could be wrong but I believe Saer-Sene was an old, old wooden ship used during the Civil War era!"
President/CEO Wally Walker: "I'd be very surprised if the scouts want us to draft an old, old wooden ship.....but nice try!"
Golden State on the other hand, I can't blame them for taking O'Bryant. After all, the guy did have a 14-point, 19 rebound night against Wichita State, AND he averaged 15 and 10 in the NCAA Tournament, so that alone is worth skipping over the greatest shooter this draft has seen in ten years. Golden State, I thank you!
Hard to blame the first eight teams in the draft for their selections, they were filling needs and felt the players they selected will be perfect for their systems. I will however thank Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge for trading away the seventh pick for Sebastian Telfair. Because you would much rather have Telfair than Redick, he's a proven NBA player......what's that? OH YEAH, Telfair DID lose his starting job to Steve Blake, so the C's have that going for them! Which is nice!
If you are the Orlando Magic, and you need a shooter that can extend the defense and allow Dwight Howard to operate in the post without a double team, HOW can you pass on the best shooter in all of college basketball? You can't, and they didn't! Every time J.J. steps on the floor, opposing teams HAVE to respect that shot. They can't leave him open, and if they do the Magic hope he can make them pay. He told me at the pre-draft camp that he wanted to come to Orlando.
I am tired of hearing about Redick's inadequacies on defense. "How is he going to guard LeBron, or TMac or Kobe?" I ask you WHO in the LEAGUE can guard those guys? If you draft a player off their ability to stop Kobe Bryant then you'll find yourself passing on the 11th pick of the draft because that player doesn't exist. J.J. isn't as horrible a defender as everyone thinks. He'll be able to hold his own most of the time defensively and if Ray Allen is lighting him up one night, you go to a zone and hide him there.....but again...not many defenses work for Ray Allen, either.
The legitimate questions are the ones about the herniated disc in his back. The Magic brass had their medical staff check it out and they feel confident that it's something that he'll be able to play with and that it's not that serious. Believe me, if there were any hesitation about the long term affects of J.J.'s back the Magic absolutely would not have taken the chance, so they must feel confident enough that he'll be okay.
Not only was Redick the best player available in the draft at 11, he happened to be the best player to ALSO fill our biggest need. It's a no-brainer. He's a four year player, at one of the best programs in our country. He is the leading scorer in ACC History and that's with teams game planning only for him, double and triple teaming only him, and he still put up 27 per game.
All season, fans yelled things at him that would make farm animals cry, and he still performed.
J.J. Redick will play in this league for a long, long time......Mouhamed Saer Sene will not! Thank you Seattle. One more quick note, Michael Jordan will again forever haunt the Portland Trailblazers by drafting Adam Morrison. The Blazers passed on Morrison, just like they passed on MJ in 1984 opting instead to take..........Sam Bowie! 22 years later, your Sam Bowie has again arrived....this time he goes by the name LaMarcus Aldridge.
And finally, what draft analysis would be complete without mentioning the New York Knicks. I, along with the rest of the Nation am at a loss for words. Knicks fans, just be glad you didn't have the first overall pick, because you would have woken up the next morning like the rest of Seattle saying, "Who the hell is Saer Sene?"
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, June 27, 2006, 12:21PM
Dante's Mock Draft
After much deliberation I have finally decided how this year's Draft Lottery will unfold! I realize that each and every single one of these picks could be wrong, however, that never stops other analysts from revealing THEIR mock drafts. So without further adieu, I give you the 2006 NBA Draft!
1) PORTLAND TRAILBLAZERS (via trade with Toronto) - The Toronto Raptors have been on the clock since November 2nd, so they've had plenty of time to figure out what to do with this pick. Portland acquires the top overall selection in exchange for the fourth overall, 30th overall and Jarrett Jack, and selects Adam Morrison. While Adam is holding his jersey, you see David Stern poking Morrison's mustache with a stick, ala Austin Powers! The entire Northwest floods into the Rose Garden and basketball is saved in Portland. Let's hope this kid's love for the game rubs off even SLIGHTLY on Darius Miles and Zach Randolph.
2) CHICAGO BULLS - Tyrus Thomas, out of LSU is the second overall pick. See kids, this is why you go to school, not to get an education, or learn real life experiences, but to have two good games in the NCAA Tournament and get drafted second overall. I honestly think Tyrus will be one heck of a pro, and help make the Chicago Bulls THE deepest team in the NBA. A frontcourt of Andres Nocioni, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas, Tyson Chandler, and Michael Sweetney could be fun to watch for years to come.
3) CHARLOTTE BOBCATS- After the disaster that was Kwame Brown, Michael Jordan will take someone as far removed from High School as humanly possible in this draft. That leaves Senior Brandon Roy out of Washington as the logical choice here. Hey, barring injuries, a starting lineup of Raymond Felton, Brandon Roy, Gerald Wallace, Emeka Okafor and Primoz Brezec, is a decent starting five.......Brezec keeps it from being a "good" starting 5. This allows Raymond Felton to move back to the point, and Brevin Knight (third in the NBA in assists last year) is one heck of an option off the bench. It also ensures Matt Carroll is not starting any NBA games.
4) TORONTO RAPTORS- Let me start by saying Raptor General Manager Bryan Colangelo had my vote for GM of the Year, by finding a team to take Center Rafael Araujo, and actually acquire PLAYERS for him, and not a duffel bag filled with hot garbage! THEN he turns around and sends fan "favourite" Matt Bonner to the Spurs for Rasho Nesterovic....who I would have listed as the only other Center in the league AS useless as Araujo, so I guess the jury is still out. Toronto likes Andrea Bergnani (when did Andrea become a boy's name?) They hired his old GM Maurizio Gherardini to be the new Raptor VP and Assistant GM. They also hired Marc Iavaroni as Director of Player Development, Tommy LaSorda as Head Coach and Bobby Baccala as Community Ambassador, so what does that tell ya?
5) ATLANTA HAWKS- Why we don't just reserve the top spot in each year's draft for the Atlanta Hawks is beyond me, but who am I to change years of tradition, so with the fifth pick Atlanta will select Shelden Williams out of Duke. The Hawks can't be taken lightly any more folks, a lesson the Orlando Magic learned a few times last year! Adding a big man the caliber of Shelden Williams, who can rebound and defend alongside Zaza Pachulia in the paint will be a welcome addition.
6) MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES- GM Kevin McHale better find a way to draft LeBron James, or else there is NO WAY Kevin Garnett is going to stay in Minnesota the entire year. The last straw comes when the T'Wolves draft LaMarcus Aldridge out of Texas and one month into the season, Aldridge loses his starting job to LaMark Blount. I don't know why, but I just think this pick reeks of Pervis Ellison, Acie Earl and a splash of Alaa Abdelnaby mixed in! This will be the most excited Jay Bilas gets all night, as he'll be able to diagram for the 137th time how long Aldridge's wingspan is. Will someone please tell him you need more than long arms to succeed in the NBA!
7) BOSTON CELTICS- This pick could go anywhere from Cedric Simmons, to Cedric Ceballos to Cedric the Entertainer. With Danny Ainge at the helm, nothing is impossible. Doc Rivers will petition for Rajon Rondo, because no team can have too many bad point guards. However, in the end the Celtics WILL take Cedric Simmons from N.C. State....and in 13 years when Raef LaFrentz's contract is up, Cedric will be ready to contribute.
8) HOUSTON ROCKETS- This is going to be an absolute steal for the Rockets as Randy Foye falls to them at number eight. It will be very hard for Jeff van Gundy to pass on a player with the defensive prowess that Foye possesses. At only 6'3" Foye isn't quite big enough to defend at the two-spot and he's not really a true point guard, so where does he fit? Well, van Gundy started Rafer Alston and David Wesley alongside each other in the backcourt much of last season, and now that Wesley is a free agent, Foye might have the opportunity to slip right in there. The bottom line is, if TMac and Yao Ming are healthy for an entire season, you could have Philip Seymour Hoffman from Along Came Polly, at the two and still win 50 games. LET IT RAIN!
9) GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS- This is where Golden State could pick up the steal of this draft....it's also where they could baffle us all and select someone from the Lady Terrapins, but I think they'll HAVE to take Rudy Gay here, and they'll be elated if he's still around this late. Questions have arisen about Gay's heart, and work ethic but the bottom line is that the Michael Dunleavy experiment is OVER, and this is too enticing a pick to pass on. Imagine Baron Davis, Jason Richardson and Rudy Gay all on the floor at the same time. Warrior games might look more like And 1 Mix Tapes.
10) SEATTLE SUPERSONICS- Trying desperately to erase the horror that was Robert Swift, holding up a Sonics jersey two years ago, the Sonics will select Patrick O'Bryant to add to their arsenal of oversized busts, with Swift, Johan Petro and Nick Collison. His stock has risen in this draft because of his size alone. He's probably the only true Center taken in this lottery.
11) ORLANDO MAGIC- I think it's pretty obvious that the Magic will be looking to take a shooting guard here at eleven, just which one is the question. If I'm the General Manager I'm taking J.J. Redick here at this spot and I would be telling everyone this for the last two months. However, I'm not the GM and for good reason. How can you not like a guy that went to school for four years, at a winning program, had a giant bullseye on his chest all seaso and still came out the leading scorer in ACC History? He impressed me the most out of anyone at the pre-draft camp here in Orlando, not with his play....because no one in the first round plays at these things, but just the way he carried himself and conducted his interviews. A guy that's poised, knows the game and is easily the best shooter in this draft would be a perfect fit here for the Magic to extend the defense away from Dwight in the post. I am HOPING we hear Redick's name at 11, however my gut tells me it will be Ronnie Brewer. Brewer was also a great kid, sharp, hard-worker and one of the best perimeter defenders in the draft. I just get nervous any time I hear that someone has a "funky shot". I understand that it goes in more times than not, but Jeryl Sasser had a funky shot and we all know how that turned out. From a defensive standpoint though, Brewer would be a great pick and the Magic have enough other guys that can score so he wouldn't hurt you from that standpoint.
12) NEW ORLEANS/OKLAHOMA CITY- This team desperately needs some size and Hilton Armstrong might be just the guy. He jumps out of the gym, tries to block everything in sight, and is a strong rebounder. Offensively he's lost, but playing alongside Chris Paul, all he'll need to be able to do is catch the ball and he'll find himself wide open for dunks. This would be a steal for the Hornets here.
13) PHILADELPHIA 76ERS- We may very well have seen the last of Allen Iverson in Philly, and his departure might be a little easier to swallow if Marcus Williams is still available at this spot. If Allen stays, it might be worth going back to Iverson at the two and let the ball be in Williams' hands. Marcus thrives on running the fastbreak and if Iverson and Iguodala are on the wings, this could again be a very fun team to watch.
14) UTAH JAZZ- Rounding out the lottery are the Utah Jazz, who have confirmed to me that they do not have a single piece of scouting equipment at their disposal, as indicated by their trade for Rafael Araujo. HOW can you watch that guy play for two years and say, "I've GOT to have that guy?" For this abomination, David Stern will levy a heavy fine, but allow them to keep their pick, which they'll use on Rodney Carney.
Enjoy the Draft everyone!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, May 24, 2006, 2:47PM
Why are we all so down on the Spurs?
I begin with an apology. I, Dante Marchitelli, humbly ask the forgiveness of one DeSagana Diop. It took him 101 games to show up, but his play in Overtime of Game 7 in the Western Conference Semifinals, assured the Dallas Mavericks a shot at reaching the NBA Finals. At the beginning of the season, my all-time NBA player rankings showed Diop to be second to last, right between 1992 Uwe Blab and 2006 Paul Mokeski! Mind you, one Overtime doesn't rocket him up the charts, but I am forever grateful to DeSagana for helping elminate the San Antonio Spurs.
Why are we all so down on the Spurs all of a sudden? Isn't this how the game is supposed to be played? San Antonio has a great Coach, an MVP, a tremendous defense, they pass the ball, and they're fundamental....but somewhere along the line they became babies! Granted I missed half of the Spurs games, because whenever San Antonio had the ball I would fall into my boredom-induced coma, only to be revived by an off-balance, hand in his face, double-pump, "J" by Dirk Nowitzki.
Au revoir Tony Parker!! Manu Ginobili turned into the eighth member of The Flying Wallendas anytime someone put a finger on him (I think he even wore the cape), and did I miss Andrew Gillooly making an appearance? Because Tim Duncan cried twice as hard as Nancy Kerrigan EVER did! Good riddance! The Spurs were out-coached, out-played and out-classed (minus Jason "Hurricane" Terry's blunder) and they deserve to be in the Western Conference Finals. Darrell, get us that ring!
I am proposing a zero-tolerance policy for the referees to enforce. These Playoffs have been possibly the greatest in NBA history, most series' coming down to a final Game 7. There have been incredible individual performances, game-winners, upsets, overtimes...everything you could possibly want in the postseason. Yet, the only thing leaving a black mark on these classics is the incessant whining by most of the game's Superstars. I know you're not going to AGREE with every call made by the officials but you CAN'T DISAGREE with every call either. It's wearing me down! The Pistons, Tim Duncan, Sam Cassell, Cuttino Mobley, Kobe, Tim Thomas...every whistle draws some sort of reaction from SOMEONE!
Next year David Stern needs to enforce a rule allowing the officials to call a technical every time these antics are displayed. No jerseys over the head, no pouting, no yelling or crying, you're grown men! This is another thing I love about our Orlando Magic squad, we don't have anyone on our team that complains to officials. They play the game the right way, and if you disagree with a call/non-call make up for it on the other end.
Hey Rasheed...the sun shines on a LAZY dog's ____ ! It's LAZY!! And here's another dog reference for ya..."Let Sleeping Dog's Lay" Your mouth awoke the overmatched Cavs and they forced a Game 7. Now you don't have enough left in the tank to get past Miami and you'll be watching the Finals from home! Enjoy!
Suns-Mavs! It doesn't get any better than that! If Dallas prevails and ends up winning an NBA title, can you imagine David Stern's consternation when he has to hand that trophy over to Mark Cuban? I want to see it!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, May 2, 2006, 9:58AM
10 Playoff Questions
What a start to the 2006 NBA Playoffs! I know it's early, but this postseason has had a little bit of everything. What a contrast from last summer when I opted to watch Season One of Walker Texas Ranger on DVD, instead of Round One of the NBA Playoffs...and sadly enough, Chuck Norris was far more entertaining! This year has been a complete 180 though! I don't want to miss a single game, from ANY series! Which leads me to my list of ten questions that I must have answered immediately!
1) Does it make me a bad person that I am rooting for Kobe Bryant? (I must credit our Editor Extroardinaire, Joe Canali, for posing this fascinating connundrum!) This is everything we love about professional sports...rooting for the underdog, but why do I feel guilty cheering for Kobe? Obviously I'm not a fan of his off-court decisions, and actually most ON-court decisions, but in my mind he's the best player in the NBA and without question the most clutch. Had he realized during the season that he did indeed have teammates, the Lakers would have finished higher than seventh in the West and he would have won MVP! There are about five guys on the Laker squad that if you tried to explain to Kobe who they were, he'd look at you like the guy in "Dodgeball" who has no idea that Steve the Pirate has been on his team! Nevertheless, I cheered like crazy when Kobe won Game Four in L.A., and I don't apologize for that!
2) Could this be the year Dirk Nowitzki wins the NBA Championship? I want this to happen for several reasons: 1)Darrell Armstrong would get a well-deserved ring, 2)Avery Johnson's entire postgame press conference would be the new ringtone on my cell, and 3) can you imagine the party Mark Cuban would throw if the Mavs won the title? Avery has them playing defense, Dirk has taken his game to another level, every member of that team knows their role and executes it....AND they're doing all this with DeSagana Diop starting at Center! This will most likely be their undoing, but if their collossal stiff Centers don't kill them, they just might have a chance!
3) What have they done with the real Bonzi Wells? Bonzi is the reason they say, "just get to the playoffs and anything can happen!" You just never know which one of your guys could all of a sudden burst onto the scene and carry your team. If you're one of the six people in this country that thought the Kings had a chance to even win a single game, then my hat goes off to you. As for me, I'm still waiting for midnight to strike one of those late games in Sacramento and Bonzi again becomes a pumpkin.
4) Who throws a mouthpiece? HONESTLY?
5) Will the Denver Nuggets EVER stop sulking? Denver took the court in Game One with sour pusses on their face, crying that they were the three seed and didn't have home court advantage. GROW UP! You were eliminated by a team that hasn't won a playoff series since 1809, when the Clips had the Guard tandem of Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. The Nuggets should have played with a chip on their shoulder about the fact they got hosed out of hosting their first round playoff series, instead they never showed up at all. George Karl let them all bicker and complain and it was over before it even started. You can take the Head Coach out of Milwaukee, but you can't take the lame excuses out of the Head Coach!
6) Is LeBron James really 34 years old? There is no way an inexperienced 21-year old can play the way he's playing right now. This guy in his first THREE playoff games has already done things 95% of all NBA players will never do: a triple-double and a playoff game-winner. He has far exceeded all expectations - IMPOSSIBLE expectations - that we put on him. We know he can attack the basket, he's developed a deadly jumper, and as Hubie Brown told us, he led the league in baskets made after the foul...a stat only Hubie keeps! LeBron is doing this all by himself folks. Larry Hughes is nowhere near healthy enough to be playing, Zydrunas has been shut down, Eric Snow can't score anyway and Drew Gooden has no idea the playoffs have even begun!
7) When will we realize that defense wins Championships? Coach D'Antoni, you did a fantastic job this season. Your team won 54 games, without Superstar Amare Stoudemire. You nabbed the two-seed in the West, and there might not be a more fun team to watch. HOWEVER, if you want to win in the Playoffs you HAVE TO DEFEND! Your team is a miracle, they don't even get stops...accidentally!! There's no question in my mind that Steve Nash is the MVP. You could put the Suns mascot, The Gorilla, at the four and Nash would get him 15 and 8, but L.A. could also suit up the Laker Girls and they'd get 20 and 10, so what good is it if you can't get stops?
8) What is that sitting on Mike Fratello's head?
9) Is this the end of the line for the Spurs? Now, if there's anyone capable of reeling off 14 straight wins and again capturing the NBA title it's San Antonio, but the question begs asking. I don't think the Kings have the horses, and soon Bonzi will realize he's not nearly this good, but some weaknesses have been exposed in that Spurs armor. Whoever they face in Round Two, just might have the guns to get the job done.
10) When will the Clippers come crashing down to Earth? I have been asking this question all year, and it hasn't happened yet. This is a scary team. Elton Brand is playing in the postseason for the first time in his career and he's making the most of it. Sam Cassell is playing for a new contract, and as far as I'm concerned, he's earned it. I don't think we can ask this question anymore, I think now we have to ask how far can the Clips go? Did I really just type that?
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 19, 2006, 9:20AM
Thank You Orlando Magic
I know we're not headed to Detroit this weekend to begin our playoff series with the Pistons, but in no way does that diminish what this team has accomplished down the stretch. I can remember sitting in the Radio Studio in early February with the noose around my neck, begging Scott Anez to kick out my chair, but he didn't and I'm glad. The turnaround that this team made is incredible, and it offers so much hope for where this organization is headed in the future. I have many thanks to hand out to our team and I"ll begin with the Head Coach.
Many thanks to Brian Hill for not giving up on this team and the season. You're a class act and it would have been so easy to throw in the towel given the adversity he faced in the beginning of the year. Just play out the string and try their luck in the lottery, but he doesn't believe in that philosophy, and neither does Otis Smith. You win every game you can - you owe that to the fans, your players and most importantly to the game. He never stopped coaching and he never stopped teaching. The difference: after the trades he had the undivided attention of 15 players, who bought into his system, executed it, and won because of it. You were gracious when your team was losing and now you're reaping the benefits of your hard work and no one deserves success more than Brian Hill.
Thanks to Dwight Howard for putting this City on his back and once again giving us all something to be proud of. Folks, he's 20 years old! How scary is the thought that he might not have even scratched the surface of his potential. He's developed a nice low post game, he's becoming a defensive presence and come on....TWENTY-SIX REBOUNDS? Sooner or later stardom and fame catches up with most Superstars, but Dwight has a chance to break the mold. He's grounded, hard working, and having the time of his life right now, he's going to be the NBA's poster boy for year's to come. Lord knows enough guys in this league are already in HIS poster!
Thanks to Tony Battie for showing this team what it means to clock into work every day. For such a young group to see the hard work, dedication and experience that you provide is invaluable. PLUS, you worked in a Joe Wolf sound byte earlier in the year, and anyone that does that skyrockets in my book! There is no better role model for a young NBA big man to emulate than Tony Battie. Congrats on starting all 82 games...how many big men did that this year?
Thanks to Jameer Nelson for emerging as the leader of this ballclub. Out of all that's happened down the stretch, I think Jameer's emergence as "The Closer" on this club has been the most significant. He wants the big shot, and he'll hit it. He is the fiercest competitor on this club and he doesn't think there's anyone in this league that can stop him. You know what? When it's all said and done...he might just be right! Thank you Miami for drafting Dorell Wright...HAHAHAHA. I'm laughing harder than David Spade when Chris Farley smashed through the coffee table on SNL!!
Thanks to Keyon Dooling for providing constant energy no matter WHAT the situation. I have seen this guy all year and I can't imagine him in a bad mood. He was always upbeat, positive and chomping at the bit to help this team. He had an up and down season, but his role changed 50 times during the year. Down the stretch though, he played just as pivotal a part in this team's success as anyone. He keeps the team loose, the guys get along great with him, and he's embraced his role. I've also never heard someone say, "you better know it Jack" more than Keyon Dooling!
Thanks to DeShawn Stevenson for gutting out an entire season on a knee that will need surgery once the season ends. In a game where many players are looking for any excuse to NOT have to play, DeShawn got his opportunity and made the most of it. He started all 82 games, was by far the team's best defender, and came to play every night. He still needs to improve on finishing around the basket, but the way he contorts and hangs in the air, it's amazing he can even get some of those shots off. They call him "Nutso", but this guy kept a level head the entire year. I'm still impressed with how he handled himself during the whole Johnny Davis era!
Thank you Hedo Turkoglu for emerging as this club's leading scorer down the stretch. He's battled inconsistency his whole career, but I don't think there was ever any doubt that this guy could score. He finally embraced being a starter, knew he was going to get big minutes and he produced. His confidence is at an all-time high right now and I can guarantee Hedo is one guy that doesn't want the season to end the way he's playing. I thought the defining moment in Hedo's season though came on Saturday when I was standing behind the bench and heard Hedo charging his club to play "D". In all my days I never thought the defensive war cry for this team would come from Hedo Turkoglu. OR it might have been when he gave a 2 minute, 30 second soundbyte on our postgame show!! Very impressive.
I want to thank Stacey Augmon for going an entire season without speaking to a single reporter. Do you know how difficult that is? I'm not even mad, that's amazing! To avoid any sort of communication with any member of any media, is astounding and I applaud that decication. Seriously though, he doesn't have to speak to a single one of us, because his teammates respect him and he is constantly in THEIR ear. Say what you want about "The Plastic Man" but he just finished his 15th season in the NBA, so he must be doing something right. He outlasted all of his Runnin' Rebel mates, so that's quite a feat in itself. Although I think the Knicks are still paying Larry Johnson, so Grand-Mama definitely had the better gig!
Thanks to Grant Hill for trying to perservere and play through immense pain. Then when he realized he couldn't go, he sat back and didn't allow himself to be a distraction to this team. I know Grant's situation is frustrating, but no one is more frustrated than Grant himself. I will never fault a guy for doing everything he can to get on the basketball court. I wish he could get a streak of good luck here, and who knows? Maybe he can provide a lift to this club off the bench next year, what a luxury that would be to have. No one knows what's in Grant's future, but if he does decide to come back, his experience and veteran leadership around these young guys has proven invaluable.
Thanks to Bo Outlaw for showing this team what it means to give back to your community, to take care of yourself, and to always be ready when your number is called. Bo only knows how to play at one speed and that's all out. I've never seen one person defend five players until I met Bo Outlaw, it's amazing. Those nights when you need someone to spark your team, Bo's the perfect guy to come in and do that. He loves interracting with kids, he spends most of his pregame warmups signing autographs, tossing rubber balls into the stands and I wouldn't have it any other way. Can I begin my petition right now for management to re-sign Bo AND to also bring back Darrell Armstrong for one more year. Let these two guys have one more swan song here in Orlando, can you imagine this City's reaction?
Thanks to Darko Milicic for making the most of every minute he gets out there on the floor. The kid is a sponge, he wants to learn, he's already improved and he's got a great basketball IQ. I haven't understood one word he's said since he's gotten here, but he's smiling now, he's having fun and he's producing. Actually, he speaks great English - he's just not quite comfortable with all the media attention. He might have to get used to it though, because he's only going to get better and more popular in this league.
Thanks to Carlos Arroyo for bringing a shot in the arm to the City of Orlando. WOW, have you ever witnessed anything quite like Arroyo Mania? The community loves him and he loves them right back. No one gets bigger receptions checking into a game than Carlos. He's been an integral part of this team's success down the stretch, handling all the backup responsibilities and leading that second unit. He provides instant offense, great court vision, and exceptional ball control. What an asset for this team going forward, having the luxury of an established point guard playing big minutes off the bench. I've never seen Spanish Radio Play-by-Play Commentator Joey Colon so happy in my life!
Thank you Trevor Ariza for bringing boundless energy to this ballclub. Here's a guy that just doesn't quit. He wasn't getting any minutes when he first got here, he kept quiet, continued to work and got rewarded. Trevor is another guy I hope the Magic bring back next season and continue to hone his skills. He gets his hands on everything, keeps balls alive and is always around the basket. Yet another Larry Brown castoff that has excelled here in Orlando.
Thanks to Pat Garrity for bringing his workmanlike approach to each and every game. He understands this game, he's ready each and every night to do all and everything that's asked of him. He's had his ups and downs this season, just like anyone else on this club, but the bottom line is that when Pat Garrity is on the floor you have to respect his ability to shoot, and it opens up the middle of your offense. He's a fighter down in the paint as well. He might not get to every rebound or block every shot, but you're gonna have to outwork him to get the ball down there, and again, he's got eight years in this league, and can teach these young guys a thing or two.
I want to thank Travis Diener and Mario Kasun collectively for their roles on this team as well. It can't be an easy thing in this league to work hard in practice every day, knowing you're not going to get into the game. The Magic expected big things out of Mario, but a preseason injury slowed him and he never really regained his confidence from that point. Travis knew he wouldn't play much, but prepared every day as if he might and really held his own when the Magic lost Jameer Nelson. The kid can shoot, there's no question about that. He hit 29 shots this year and only four were INSIDE the arc. Will have to learn how to defend in this league, but if given a chance, we know he can score.
Lastly, I want to thank you, the Orlando Magic fans. You have stuck by this team all year and I can't tell you how energetic the TD Waterhouse has been these last two months. This Organization has noticed, the Coach has noticed and the players have noticed. We've got that home court feeling back and that's huge for a young team going forward. Kudos to you, and let's keep this thing rolling. I already can't wait for next year!
P.S. - Thanks to the Magic message board members that had to take time out of their busy day to explain basketball 101 to "Frantz" at the end of my last post. Anyone that pays tribute to Mark Acres, is OK in my book!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 14, 2006, 9:38AM
Hold the Phone!
Hold the phone!! The Orlando Magic can't go into San Antonio and beat the World Champion Spurs......can they?? You better believe it. The Orlando Magic landed in Texas yesterday and walked off the plane expecting to win that game. Two months ago, they walk ON the plane in Orlando expecting to LOSE! Magic fans, I can't tell you how proud I am of this team. Watching Jameer Nelson lead his team in the first half, hitting big shot after big shot. Watching Darko confidently stride onto the court and nail big jumper after big jumper. Watching Hedo and DeShawn drive to the basket and finish, Keyon pulling up and hitting, and this Magic club defending and coming up with huge steals, blocks and rebounds late.
But the biggest play in this game, maybe the biggest play of the year and quite possibly the biggest moment in Dwight Howard's young career came late in the fourth quarter. The Magic were looking for the knockout punch and they lobbed the ball into the post for Dwight. He shot a dismal 4-18 earlier in the year against Tim Duncan, but this is the new Dwight Howard and these are the new Orlando Magic. Dwight collects the pass, backs down Tim Duncan, drop step and lays it in with his left. Folks, that was the biggest bucket of this young man's career. Not only was it a pivotal bucket late in the game that originated with his back to the basket, but it was on Tim Duncan. Did you hear me? Dwight Howard put the game away, late in the fourth by abusing a healthy Tim Duncan in the post!
Magic fans I want to hear from you. I'm ecstatic about this team. But I want you to tell me what impresses you most about this run? What excites you the most about this club.... How about the job Brian Hill has done with this team since the trades? It's amazing what a Coach can do when he has guys that listen! And tell me ARE WE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS??
Last night the Magic shocked the world, beating a Spurs team that had everything to lose. They are trying desperately to hold off the Dallas Mavericks and threw the book at Orlando. The Magic absorbed the hit, stole the book, and then clubbed them over the head with it.
Can we PLEASE get some help tonight? Washington needs to beat Chicago and the Heat need to cool off red-hot Philly. Should the Magic, Sixers and Bulls end in a three way tie, the Magic actually own the tie-breaker. Orlando sits on 35 wins, the Bulls and Sixers both have 37. Technically, Philly and Chicago can each win one of their four remaining games, and if the Magic win out, they'll all be tied at 38 wins, and the Magic are headed to Detroit!! Obviously still a longshot, but how much fun is this going to make Saturday's game against Philly? I'll be the TV Sideline Reporter that night for MTN, and I expect that building to be jumpin". Let's pack the house, make some noise and cheer on the hottest team in the league!
It's April 14th, and it's not over! We'll chat tomorrow
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 13, 2006, 9:43AM
Jameer is a Star
Let's forget the fact that Lawrence Frank has betrayed his good friend Brian Hill and absolutely laid an egg two straight nights. Let's forget that Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson COMBINED (17 points) scored one more point than Linas Kleiza (16 points) did for the Denver Nuggets last night! Pathetic!! Let's forget that after 12 straight showers I can't wash off the filth of rooting for the New Jersey Nets. But what absolutely can NOT be forgotten is that Jameer Nelson is becoming a star right before our very eyes.
Dear Clippers, Toronto, Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle, Utah (TWICE), and Miami,
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for drafting (in order) Shaun Livingston, Rafael Araujo, Luke Jackson, Andris Biedren, Robert Swift, Kris Humphries, Kirk Snyder and Dorell Wright. Imagine Toronto's horror last night watching Jameer light them up for 27 points, knowing they have to watch Rafael Araujo instead? Anyone still wondering why Rob Babcock doesn't have a job?
Imagine Jameer Nelson alongside LeBron James, instead of Eric Snow? Imagine the backcourt of Ray Allen and Jameer Nelson running and gunning out West? Would there be a faster backcourt than Jameer Nelson and Dwyane Wade? I love Jerry Sloan, but come on...TWICE you pass up Jameer, the College Player of the Year? The Clippers and Warriors I understand. Their drafts are like when a five-year-old draws that horrifying, dimented stick figure and says it's YOU! You just smile, tell them it's the greatest drawing ever and hope that on the next one your eyes are drawn INSIDE the giant rectangle head!! But it never is with Golden State and the Clippers, so we've just accepted it from them.
He's too small, he can't shoot, he can't create his own shot, he can't defend at the next level. He's heard it all, but you know what? Jameer has something that can't be measured at any pre-Draft Camp workout, he has HEART! If Jameer is involved in something he wants to win. He has that killer instinct that so many players lack nowadays, he wants the ball in his hands at the end of the game, he wants to take that last shot and he'll hit it! He doesn't need the glory, he wants the W's. How many guys can we say that about in this league?
Dwight Howard will tell you that he's too short to ride roller coasters, and the rest of his teammates call him "Fats" (to which he replies five small portions a day is not too much). He's got personality, he gets along with all his teammates, and he's humble.. CONFIDENT....but humble. He put it best when he said, "If you're a born leader, go ahead and lead" Well, he's been handed the reigns, he's hit the ground running and the sky's the limit with Jameer Nelson at the helm.
It's an even BIGGER longshot for the Magic now to make the postseason after wins by Chicago and Philadelphia, but what can't be overlooked through all this is the amazing turnaround this team's made. Six straight wins overall, and 11 straight at home. Postseason or not, what a great run this has been, and how exciting is this team going to be after Brian Hill has them all together for a training camp?
Big night tonight. A must-win in San Antonio, and the thing I love about this team is that they'll take the court tonight expecting to win this game, and who knows? They just might!! Magic numbers: Chicago-1/Philly-2
It's not over........we're still alive........barely......but still breathing. We'll chat tomorrow.
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 12, 2006, 9:58AM
A Serious Dilemma
At 8:30 last night I was faced with a serious dilemma! I had fifty minutes to watch the Nets/Bulls game before "Anchorman" came on Cinemax West Coast, Starzz, Flix or one of those channels that scours the Earth for the World's worst movies, and then plays them in succession for one straight month. Somehow they decided to break-up the "Captain Horatio Hornblower" marathon and run "Anchorman", I couldn't miss this! I watched the first half and Chicago took a 48-45 lead into the break. Okay, so good so far they are keeping it close. I can't help but wonder how in the hell this Nets team won 14 straight games by the way they're playing but nonetheless.
It's Halftime, so I switch over just in time to see Ron Burgandy tell Veronica Corningstone that he's "kind of a big deal" and that his Apartment "smells of rich mahogany". It's going to be hard to change the channel BUT to show just how caught up I am in this playoff race, I actually spent the rest of my night flipping back and forth between one of the greatest movies of our time, and the Nets/Bulls matchup......a game I would have skipped a month ago in lieu of the movie "Powder".
My night turned sour though as the Nets had no answer whatsoever for Ben Gordon. He puts up 36 points, naturally most of them come in the fourth quarter, and the Bulls hit free throw after free throw and pull away late. Vince Carter is getting no help. Everyone that touches the ball immediately passes it right back to him and he's forced to take each and every shot down the stretch. Jason Kidd, 1-9, thanks for nothin', the man formerly known as Richard Jefferson has now disappeared in the fourth. Nenad Krstic is playing like he has five fouls.......oh.......he does! There ya go Uncle Cliffy, fire up another 3! You're an astounding 1-8. ONE GAME! I just want ONE GAME and this is what I get.
"Anchorman" is over, I've missed the outtakes and everything. No "it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good", or, "Wilt Chamberlain is that you? Baxter, bark once if you're in Milwaukee!" Nope, it's right back into uninterupted coverage of The Wasp Woman! Then to make matters worse, Malik Allen kicks me right in the groin by providing the nail in the coffin. MALIK ALLEN! How can you not guard MALIK ALLEN? I'm actually amazed by Vince down the stretch, he's put on quite a show. 43 points on the night. Not a bad effort considering he had the cast of Teen Wolf II helping him AND Ben Gordon wouldn't miss a free throw. Brian Hill's good friend Lawrence Frank has let him down!
Magic Numbers: Chicago-2/Philly-3, and the Magic now trail both of them by three games.
Tonight is a huge night! The Hawks host Chicago, and those same lame Nets host Philly. The good news though is that Vince will be reunited with Jason Kidd, Cliff Robinson and Richard Jefferson because they certainly didn't make the trip to Chicago! Let's hope the Bulls are tired from the night before and have a letdown against a Hawks team they've beaten both times they've played them this year. Speaking of which.....the Magic will need to beat Toronto for the first time this year as well. Hey, it's April 12th and we're still alive.....Let's go Hawks and...ummm...uh...Nets!!
It's not over, we'll chat tomorrow!!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 11, 2006, 9:21AM
Still Alive!
April 11th - The Orlando Magic are still alive!! Orlando defeats the Atlanta Hawks 105-88, to move within two and a half games of idle Chicago and they remain three games behind the Sixers who beat Washington 105-97. Let's begin with the Magic who scared me to death the way they started this game. Atlanta did not have Zaza Pachulia and before the game there were rumors that Al Harrington might not play. If you're Brian Hill, you're worried about your team having a letdown against the Hawks anyway and to find out this news is even more detrimental. It's nights like these that last minute replacements like John Edwards have big nights, but not last night. Edwards - a 7-footer - would have to come off the bench for the Washington Mystics of the WNBA, and there's really no guarantee he could make that roster. Nevertheless, Al decides to give it a go, and lights up the Magic "D" for 15 first half points, and the Hawks jump out to a nine point lead.
Then the luxury that now befalls Brian Hill was made abundantly clear, his deep bench. If you don't want to play hard, there are seven guys behind you and he'll find the ones that DO! Perhaps a little reminder of that and the Magic regained the lead before Halftime and never looked back. Dwight was the beast that he should have been with an undersized Hawks team defending him, and Big Shot Jameer Nelson came through with jumper after jumper in the second half. This team is playing with confidence, and having fun, as evidenced by Dwight Howard's breakdance spin after pregame introductions. They looked lost early, but got themselves together and routed the Hawks...two months ago the Magic lose this game by 20. Adios Steve Francis!!
One more note! I think the most telling thing about this entire run of five straight wins, and ten straight at home, is a comment Keyon Dooling made on our Radio Broadcast following Miami's win: "Well, I think guys really have a chance to catch their rhythm. There's a lot of touches on offense as far as just gettin' the ball in your hands, not necessarily to score, but everybody's touchin' the ball!" This to me is profound and it speaks volumes. Everyone is involved. There is no walking the ball up the floor and shooting after exactly zero passes. Guys are handling the ball, making plays, passing, staying active and aggressive. It's just a fact, you're going to play harder if you're involved and getting to feel the ball and that's what's happening.
Now to the Philly game....I asked Steven Hunter to play like he did with the MAGIC not DEPAUL! He puts up 20 points and 8 rebounds and has a HUGE hand in Philly's big win over Washington. The Wiz trailed by one midway through the fourth, but then an Antonio Daniels, and Jared Jeffries DUMB-OFF ensued, and Philly was ensured a victory. Turnover after missed layup after turnover, something John Edwards and Greg Ostertag couldn’t even duplicate! Worry not though! Philly absolutely HAD to win that game. They are about to embark on a three game road trip to New Jersey, Miami and Orlando beginning tomorrow night.
Magic fans, we must dig deep and do something that pains us to the core, we must root for the Nets and Heat!! WHOA!! My keyboard just caught fire!!
Tonight, only the Bulls are in action and a Nets win will bring the Magic within two games of Chicago. GULP! Let’s go Vince Carter. This is like cheering for the Stay-Puff Man to smash the Ghostbusters into pieces, but WE MUST!!
Magic Number: Chicago-3/Philly-3
It’s not over, we’ll chat tomorrow.
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 10, 2006, 3:52PM
Daily Playoff Countdown
There are only ten days left in the season for the Orlando Magic....or are there? I am going to try something different down the stretch as you'll hear from me every day for the remainder of the season until the Magic hopefully pull off the impossible. With improbable wins over the Pistons and Heat, the Magic now trail Chicago and Philly by three games for that final playoff spot. Thanks to the tireless work of PR mogul George Galante, I can now tell you the "Magic Number" (how fitting!!) for each of these teams.
Chicago Bulls - 3 (Bulls win the tie-breaker with Orlando due to better Eastern Conference record). Any combination of Bulls wins and Magic losses, equalling three would eliminate the Magic from playoff contention. Here's a look at the Bull's remaining schedule: April 11 vs New Jersey, April 12 @ New Jersey, April 14 vs Washington, April 16 @ Miami, April 17 @ Orlando, April 19 vs Toronto. The Nets are playing well right now, Miami is in a fight for the second playoff spot, and of course the Magic are in dire need of winning that game on the 17th so who knows? Imagine Scott Skiles night here in Orlando if the Bulls need that win to make the playoffs? We'll see gritty-gutty at his absolute best!! Also, the report is that Luol Deng and Eric Piatkowski ran into each other during warmups of the Bulls/Sixers game on Saturday, so Deng sat out with a concussion, and Philly wins in a rout. Are you kidding ME? The stars just seem to be aligning!
Philadelphia 76ers - 4 (with a win over Philly on the 15th, the Magic would win the head-to-head tie-breaker). This is going to happen, the Magic WILL catch Philly, but their concern is going to be catching the Bulls. Here is the Sixers remaining schedule: Tonight vs Washington, then a three game road trip, April 12th @ New Jersey, April 14th @ Miami, April 15th @ Orlando, April 18th vs New Jersey and April 19th @ Charlotte. That's as hard a schedule as anyone has coming down the stretch. Also, Chris Webber is hurting, he had to sit out Saturday's game against the Bulls, although I argue the Sixers are a much better team without C-Web so let's hope for a speedy recovery. Come on Steven Hunter, pull through for us like you did in your Orlando days!!
Orlando Magic - Here is the our remaining schedule, all must-win games and according to Jameer Nelson last week, he said they're playing every single night with the mentality that it's a Championship-caliber game, and it shows. Tonight vs Atlanta, April 12th vs Toronto, April 13th @ San Antonio, April 15th vs Philly, April 17th vs Chicago, and April 19th @ Indiana.
Again, all this means nothing if the Magic don't win. But what indication have they given us that they're not going to leave it all on the floor these last few games? It starts tonight against the Hawks. I have no problem with the Magic getting up for games against the Pistons and Heat, it's the Atlantas and the Torontos of the world that scare me to death. These teams play with all the confidence in the world against Orlando and it shows. The Hawks lead the season series 2-1, winning both games in the final seconds, and the Magic have YET to beat Toronto this year (0-2). If they get help from the Bulls and Sixers they could stand to lose that game in San Antonio, but obviously their chances are better if they win out.
The Magic need a win tonight and the Wizards need to come through for us in Philly. The Sixers are 1-2 against the Wiz this season and their only win was a six point victory on a night that Allen Iverson scored 47. Also, keep your eyes on the Indiana Pacers, they are free-falling out of the playoffs. They'd pretty much have to lose all of their remaining six games, but heck, they've currently lost seven of eight so anything's possible. We'll chat tomorrow!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, April 5, 2006, 12:25PM
Armstrong is Everything That's Right with NBA
Let me start by congratulating the National Champion Florida Gators. They were by far the best team in the entire tournament and it made for a BRUTAL Final Four AND Championship game, but it's not their fault everyone else folded. I have to admit though, it was the first time in 15 years I didn't watch One Shining Moment because I couldn't stomach UCLA's pitiful display of basketball. As soon as the guy from Along Came Polly (Lorenzo Mata) entered the game, I knew this one was over. Then Billy Packer telling me it was the first time ever that Bob Kurland (who won two titles in the early 1800's), Bill Russell, Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were all in the same building at the same time was idiotic. (Am I the only one that wanted that Cingular Wireless guy to catch a roundhouse to the face from his friend with the face paint? "You don't have March Madness...you have March SAD-ness"...then WHAM!! A Chuck Norris-like blast to the melon). Nevertheless, congrats to the Florida Gators!
Moving on, I feel compelled to say this after last week. When the Dallas Mavericks came to town,
Darrell Armstrong held court with reporters for almost 15 minutes before their morning shootaround. He talked about the past, his current team, and where he sees himself in the future. It's always good to see Darrell, but I walked away from there saying, "I hope the Mavs win the entire thing". In my eight years as a part of the Orlando Magic Organization, my saddest day was hearing that Darrell Armstrong was leaving. Where do I begin with my Darrell Armstrong memories? Was it the coffee and chocolate before and DURING his games? Was it he and Bo Outlaw holding court at the karaoke machine during the OMYF Gala? Was it when he repeatedley called Wesley Person, Wesley Persley? Or was it the series against Miami, the steal against Philly at the buzzer, or him collapsing on the floor because he had given it his all - losing to Milwaukee and missing the playoffs by one game? The truth is, ALL of that makes Darrell Armstrong the person he is.
He is everything that's right with the NBA. No one has worked harder to get to this level than him, going undrafted from Division II Fayetteville State, then playing in the GBA, CBA, USBL, then overseas in Cyprus and Spain (where they called him AM-strong for whatever reason). He played with reckless abandon, complete disregard for his personal being, taking charges, diving for loose balls and whatever else it took to give his team one more possession. He spent nine years here in Orlando and he never took a play off, he didn't know how. So in a league where knuckleheads like Rasheed Wallace, Dennis Rodman, and even Glenn Robinson last year in San Antonio can win titles, it's time to rally behind the one guy who is a true role model in every sense of the word. Shaq and Kobe couldn't work out their differences or else they'd be onto their seventh straight title. Darrell played every game like he WAS in the Finals, and I for one hope he gets to experience that this year!
Lastly, I gotta tell ya, I'm impressed with this Orlando Magic team post-trades. I've been around this team all season, and there is a completely new air about these guys now. They're having fun, they're smiling, they're actually enjoying playing basketball, and it shows. Isn't that what it's all about, having 12 guys that don't care who gets the glory as long as the team wins? They still aren't there obviously, they have to add some pieces to get to the next level. I love the nucleus and watch what happens now that Brian Hill will have these guys all together through training camp. Also, sorry everyone about this season. It appears Mo Cheeks has indeed pulled Steven Hunter out of his starting lineup. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, March 28, 2006, 9:03AM
Playoffs?
Don't worry Glass Half Full, I'm not stealing your thunder here, this isn't an article about how we ARE going to make the playoffs, this is more along the lines of what COULD have been. As of March 27th, the Magic were five and a half games out of the final playoff spot. Had they pulled out games in Charlotte and Atlanta.....like they should have done, they'd be sitting three and a half games out of the playoffs with a game against Philly and two against Chicago still remaining. Even that scenario would have been difficult to pull off, but it would have been possible given the teams in front of them. True, Orlando isn't mathematically eliminated...but it would take a miracle. Charlie Villanueva will score 48 points in an NBA game before that happens...oh wait!
As for Philly, I don't understand the big surprise. No one can believe how they've played so poorly, and seem to be giving away the final postseason spot. Look at this team closely, Allen Iverson just came back from spraining his foot, he missed four games (all Philly losses). Then look even closer, at their starting lineup: Allen Iverson, Chris Webber, and Andre Iguodala...obvious choices, but what follows was more painful to me than those damn e-harmony commercials: Kevin Ollie and Steven Hunter! After seeing this I thought ABSOLUTELY the Magic have a chance. That team won't win another game!
Hunter has started their last 16 games, as of March 27th, and Philly is 6-10 with him in the first unit. I don't know this for a fact, but if I had to guess the Magic's record with Steven in the starting lineup I would say...hmmmm...3-47, but that's just a guess. As for Ollie, this I DID look up...he's made 14 NBA stops, for ten different teams in NINE years, and now HE is the starting point guard! As long as Mo Cheeks never reads this blog...THE MAGIC ARE VERY MUCH ALIVE!!
Add Jim Calhoun and the UConn Huskies to the list of teams that will be sitting down with my Nephew next week, explaining to him how their schools lost to a PERSON! I might have to put an addition on my Sister's house if Billy Donovan is stopping by. I love it, what a tournament! I hope the Flying Patriots of George Mason, or whatever they are, win the entire thing. This is what I can't stand about College Football. The George Mason's of the world would NEVER have a shot to win a National Title. Instead, George Mason would be playing George Washington in the George Foreman Grill Bowl in Georgetown, Georgia. Pathetic!
Lastly, the Magic exercised their option to extend the contracts of Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson. I don't know about you, but I am getting pretty fired up about watching these two play together for a long, long time. Dwight has already grown leaps and bounds over where he was last year. He'll be an All-Star and rebounding champ many times over before his career is finished. As for Jameer, before it's all said and done, he'll become the most clutch player in Magic history. Is there anyone that wants that last shot more than him? He's hit buzzer-beater after buzzer-beater to end the quarter and the half, but he'll soon be adding NBA game-winners to his resume. No one likes to wait, but this one will be worth it!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, March 20, 2006, 3:41PM
Steve-O Comes Back!
First of all, I have to get everyone's thoughts on Dwight Howard's dunk Friday against the Boston Celtics. I still haven't stopped talking about it. I was sitting there under the basket when that play developed and from my vantage point I didn't even think Dwight had a chance to get a hand on it, let alone corral it in for the dunk. It looked like a scene from Space Jam, not an actual NBA game. TERRIBLE pass, INCREDIBLE dunk!
I LOVE March Madness, but why do I even fill out an NCAA Tournament Bracket? There is no greater feeling of incompetency than seeing each team I pick get smashed into the ground. I will never pick Iowa ever again, better yet, I will now never even VISIT that state. NO SCHOOL SHOULD EVER LOSE TO A PERSON!! George Mason, George Washington, Oral Roberts, Howard.....these schools should NEVER win unless they're playing each other. I want Tom Izzo, and Roy Williams to bring their teams to my Sister's house and explain to my three year old Nephew how Michigan State and North Carolina lost to George Mason! He must be AWESOME! On the other hand, it is great to have all the pressure of winning my pool GONE by 8PM on that first Thursday. That way I can root for Albay to beat Connecticut and had they changed their school name to Wayne Albany they WOULD have won! Also, if you had Wichita State winning two games, please contact me. You'll be filling out MY bracket next year!
On to the NBA....Exact quote from Ron Artest following his return to Indiana where he was booed mercilessly every time touched the ball , "If it was a fight between fans who loved me and...uh....fans who were booin' I think the fans that love me, they have more heart than the fans that was booin." Two things in this quote that Ron Artest should never talk about the rest of his NBA career: "FIGHT" and "HEART", and I think we know the reason for both. STILL can't believe Isaiah didn't make a trade for this guy!
Bob Hill and the Seattle Supersonics opted not to re-sign Marcus Fizer to a second 10-day contract saying, "to get (Fizer) minutes with the guys that are already here and still trying to win games is difficult." Good point, you don't want to break up that chemistry in Seattle, they've got a good thing going there.......give me a BREAK! You want to get Fizer minutes, I know who you can cut: It begins with a "Robert" and ends with a "Swift". If I needed a fifth player to round out my pick-up game squad, and I had to choose between Robert Swift, our Receptionist, the guy that picks up our Dry Cleaning and the Zamboni driver here at the Sportsplex, I'd have them shoot for it, cuz that's just too tough a decision to make.
Someone told me that the situation in New York is so disastrous that the Knicks shouldn't even be allowed to charge admission to their games. I disagree wholeheartedly, you can't put a PRICE on the drama that is unfolding at Madison Square Garden. The popcorn, the 3-D glasses, the foam fingers, give those away for free that's fine, but I'm sorry, you SHOULD have to pay top dollar for the opportunity to witness Starbury and Larry Brown trying to co-exist. The only thing more destructive than that would be if Terrell Owens were to sign with the Dallas Cowboys, haha..... OH!
Lastly, Steve Francis returns to Orlando on Wednesday and I"m trying to gauge what kind of reception he'll get at the TD Waterhouse Centre. Might be hard to tell because there are always tons of Knicks fans at these games, but I have a feeling he might get booed by BOTH sides! If you're going to the game, please respond and let me know your views. Thanks!
Posted by Dante Marchitelli, March 15, 2006, 9:41AM
ENOUGH ALREADY!
First of all I must deeply apologize for my hiatus, I was interviewing for the Toronto Raptors GM job and got narrowly edged out by Brian Colangelo. (Somewhere Rob Babcock is mumbling something profane about Rafael Araujo!) I'm back though, and I have to let off some steam! If I hear one more person say to me, "All we got for TMac was Darko and Carlos", I'm going to snap! Listen, I wanted the Steve Francis thing to work out as much as the next guy, but I have to give credit to the Organization for realizing they weren't going anywhere with Steve-O. Would it be better to keep Steve and finish the season with 20 wins? Because this team wasn't going to win one more game with Steve Francis on board. Otis Smith said it best when he said there's a difference between the PERCEIVED value of Steve Francis and the ACTUAL offers they got for him. They had an opportunity to clear some cap room and the took it.
The reason they were able to just dump Steve was because of the highway robbery they pulled off with the Pistons. This is what needs to be addressed! If you asked me in January what I thought we could get for Kelvin Cato, my answer would have been a box of shower caps. Arguably the shower caps would have been more productive! To get a solid point guard, a "true point" as he is constantly referred to in Carlos Arroyo and a former 2nd overall pick in Darko Milicic, is an absolute steal to only send Kelvin Cato in return.
Now I know what you're saying, "Steve Stipanovich, Sam Bowie, Danny Ferry and Shawn Bradley were all second overall picks", but I assure you Darko will be better than all those names when his career is over. The opportunity to have a 7-footer with outside range to draw attention away from Dwight is invaluable, and Darko has already show he has that range. His confidence is growing, his conditioning is awful, but he hasn't played basketball in almost three years. Give him time, let Carlos have a whole training camp to be with his new team, and learn the offense and all of a sudden the Orlando Magic have some serious pieces to build with.
Until Tracy McGrady wins ANYTHING, don't bring his name up to me, and I loved the guy. No one was more upset to see him leave than me, but he IS gone, and this team has to move on and they're headed in the right direction. Are Carlos and Darko the answers? A
