Denton: Magic Must Not Look Past Nets
By John Denton
March 5, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – It is usually the goal of every NBA player to do something noteworthy or shocking even to end up on ESPN’s ``SportsCenter’’ highlights.
Tonight is not one of those nights for the Orlando Magic when they face the historically bad New Jersey Nets.
``It’s important to be ready to play and bring everything against a team like New Jersey that has absolutely nothing to lose,’’ Magic forward Rashard Lewis said. ``We don’t beat these guys, we’ll be on SportsCenter all night and the next day. They have one of the worst records in history and we don’t want to be one of the teams that they end up beating.’’
The Magic (42-20) have taken care of business of late against some of the league’s worst teams, pounding the 22-38 Philadelphia 76ers by 21 points and the 17-43 Golden State Warriors by 27 points.
Up next: The 6-54 Nets tonight in New Jersey. This has been fluke for the Nets, who started the season 0-18 and saw things improve only marginally. They are 3-27 both at home and away. And they are 2-8 in the last 10 games and losers of the last two games.
New Jersey is just slightly ahead of the pace set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, owners of the worst record in league history at 9-73. These Nets do have some dynamic, young talent and they beat the Boston Celtics last week, but they have yet to win consecutive games this season.
Magic standout guard Vince Carter is quite familiar with the Nets organization, having spent the previous 4 ½ seasons in New Jersey before last June’s blockbuster trade that brought him to Orlando.
Carter still communicates with plenty of friends on the New Jersey team, but he said there’s no pity for that team. After all, he said he played on plenty of bad teams early in his career in Toronto, and no one felt sorry for that Raptors squad.
``I still talk to a lot of those guys and feel for them. But in games somebody has to win and somebody has to lose and they’ve lost a lot,’’ Carter said. ``They’re still my friends, but on the court it’s all about business.’’
The Magic were in New Jersey in the second game of the season, a game they won 95-85. Back in New Jersey for the first time since the June trade, Carter was off to a torrid start that night by scoring 16 points in the first 14 minutes. But he rolled his ankle that night, leaving him with bitter feelings about playing back where he used to call home.
``Once was enough,’’ Carter said.
The Magic might get to see an old acquaintance tonight in second-year guard Courtney Lee. Lee was Orlando’s starting shooting guard on last season’s team that reached the NBA Finals. Lee has missed time recently with a sprained ankle and his availability for tonight’s game is in question.
Lee, who has averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 assists a game this season, was stunned by last summer’s trade and has admittedly struggled with playing on a poor Nets team after rising to the Finals with the Magic. He still talks often with Magic superstar and close friend Dwight Howard.
``Any team that’s losing you are going to be frustrated, but I’ve tried to tell him that he’s just got to continue to play hard,’’ Howard said of his conversations with Lee. ``I’ve tried to stress to him to not let the season affect the way he plays and to just keep getting better and better.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM.
By John DentonMarch 5, 2010
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – It is usually the goal of every NBA player to do something noteworthy or shocking even to end up on ESPN’s ``SportsCenter’’ highlights.
Tonight is not one of those nights for the Orlando Magic when they face the historically bad New Jersey Nets.
``It’s important to be ready to play and bring everything against a team like New Jersey that has absolutely nothing to lose,’’ Magic forward Rashard Lewis said. ``We don’t beat these guys, we’ll be on SportsCenter all night and the next day. They have one of the worst records in history and we don’t want to be one of the teams that they end up beating.’’
The Magic (42-20) have taken care of business of late against some of the league’s worst teams, pounding the 22-38 Philadelphia 76ers by 21 points and the 17-43 Golden State Warriors by 27 points.
Up next: The 6-54 Nets tonight in New Jersey. This has been fluke for the Nets, who started the season 0-18 and saw things improve only marginally. They are 3-27 both at home and away. And they are 2-8 in the last 10 games and losers of the last two games.
New Jersey is just slightly ahead of the pace set by the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers, owners of the worst record in league history at 9-73. These Nets do have some dynamic, young talent and they beat the Boston Celtics last week, but they have yet to win consecutive games this season.
Magic standout guard Vince Carter is quite familiar with the Nets organization, having spent the previous 4 ½ seasons in New Jersey before last June’s blockbuster trade that brought him to Orlando.
Carter still communicates with plenty of friends on the New Jersey team, but he said there’s no pity for that team. After all, he said he played on plenty of bad teams early in his career in Toronto, and no one felt sorry for that Raptors squad.
``I still talk to a lot of those guys and feel for them. But in games somebody has to win and somebody has to lose and they’ve lost a lot,’’ Carter said. ``They’re still my friends, but on the court it’s all about business.’’
The Magic were in New Jersey in the second game of the season, a game they won 95-85. Back in New Jersey for the first time since the June trade, Carter was off to a torrid start that night by scoring 16 points in the first 14 minutes. But he rolled his ankle that night, leaving him with bitter feelings about playing back where he used to call home.
``Once was enough,’’ Carter said.
The Magic might get to see an old acquaintance tonight in second-year guard Courtney Lee. Lee was Orlando’s starting shooting guard on last season’s team that reached the NBA Finals. Lee has missed time recently with a sprained ankle and his availability for tonight’s game is in question.
Lee, who has averaged 12.2 points and 3.5 assists a game this season, was stunned by last summer’s trade and has admittedly struggled with playing on a poor Nets team after rising to the Finals with the Magic. He still talks often with Magic superstar and close friend Dwight Howard.
``Any team that’s losing you are going to be frustrated, but I’ve tried to tell him that he’s just got to continue to play hard,’’ Howard said of his conversations with Lee. ``I’ve tried to stress to him to not let the season affect the way he plays and to just keep getting better and better.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080 AM.
