Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani once said he could walk out into the middle of Times Square and start handing out $100 bills. A third of the people would say he was not handing out enough money. Another third would say he was handing out too much money. Another third would say they didn’t like the way he was handing out the money. Welcome to a new feature on orlandomagic.com – GLASS HALF-FULL. A local sports writer once told me that his job was to watch the battle from the mountain top, ride down, and bayonet the wounded. We live in a world of cynics. But not here, at GLASS HALF-FULL. I will do my best to answer your questions going forward.
What can you expect? Rainbows and gum drops. No scraped knees and rubbing alcohol, here. I will give you the flip side. I will give you Cotton Candy, not the dentist’s office. It’s not Fast Food. It’s Good Food Fast. Being negative takes up a lot of energy. Being nice is easy. Will there be some spin? Sure, but I prefer the word “Influence”. By nature, I am an optimist. Sure, former draft pick Jerryl Sasser couldn’t shoot, but you should have seen him defend in practice. And, he had a never-wavering confidence about him. You say, “What’s the deal with Fran Vazquez staying in Spain to play? I say, he’s still an asset to the Magic and that’s part of the process of drafting international players. Hopefully, that gives you a look into the Magic-blue colored world I can tend to drift into. My takes will be credible though, just the other side of the coin. Archived Columns
2) Since the league expanded the playoffs to 16 teams, only five champions have won the title despite posting a losing record on the road. This year’s Lakers are currently 5-5 on the road in the playoffs and could avoid the list below with a win in Game 5.
NBA Champs w/Losing Road Records in Postseason - Since 1983-84
Season
Team
Record
1983-84
Boston Celtics
3-7
1987-88
L.A. Lakers
3-7
1999-00
L.A> Lakers
4-6
2005-06
Miami Heat
5-6
2007-08
Boston Celtics
3-9
3) Dwight and Rashard....Dwight Howard set a NBA Finals record with nine blocks in Game 4. It was only the second game of his career with nine or more blocks (regular season & postseason).
Most Blocks in a NBA Finals Game - All-Time
Player
Game
Opponent
Blocks
Dwight Howard, ORL
2009 Game 4
Lakers
9
Bill Walton, POR
1977 Game 7
76ers
8
Hakeem Olajuwon, HOU
1986 Game 5
Celtics
8
Patrick Ewing, NYK
1994 Game 5
Rockets
8
Shaquille O'Neal
2001 Game 2
76ers
8
Tim Duncan
2003 Game 3
Nets
8
-- Dwight Howard has pulled down 10+ rebounds in 34 different postseason games in his career, the most by any active player before turning 24-years old.
Rashard Lewis is just the third player to register 400+ points, 125+ rebounds and 40+ three-pointers in a single postseason all-time.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, June 12, 2009, 9:30 AM
Overcoming 3-1 Deficit
Although it has never happened in the Finals, here is a list of teams which have come back from 3-1 deficits to win a series.
Year
Team
Opponent
Where They Finished
1968
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
NBA Finals (Won Title)
1970
L.A. Lakers
Phoenix Suns
NBA Finals
1979
Washington Bullets
San Antonio Spurs
NBA Finals
1981
Boston Celtics
Philadelphia 76ers
NBA Finals (Won Title)
1995
Houston Rockets
Phoenix Suns
NBA Finals (Won Title)
1997
Miami Heat
New York Knicks
Conference Finals
2003
Detroit Pistons
Orlando Magic
Conference Finals
2006
Phoenix Suns
L.A. Lakers
Conference Finals
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, June 9, 2009, 9:30 AM
It's Been Done Before
Teams Coming Back to Win NBA Finals After 0-2 Deficit, All-time
1969
Boston Celtics
Trailed Lakers 0-2
Won Series 4-3
1977
Portland Trail Blazers
Trailed 76ers 0-2
Won series 4-2
2006
Miami Heat
Trailed Mavericks 0-2
Won series 4-2
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, June 5, 2009, 1:30 AM
Some History
Largest Losses in Game 1 of NBA Finals, but Won Series - All-Time
Year
Game 1 Loser
Game 1 Winner
Lost By
Won Series
1985
Los Angeles Lakers
Boston Celtics
34 (114-148)
4-2
1972
Los Angeles Lakers
New York Knicks
22 (92-114)
4-1
1988
Los Angeles Lakers
Detroit Pistons
12 (93-105)
4-3
1948
Baltimore Bullets
Philadelphia Warriors
11 (60-71)
4-2
2006
Miami Heat
Dallas Mavericks
10 (80-90)
4-2
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, June 4, 2009, 10:50 AM
A Superman Three-Point Play
1) Dwight Howard is in select company, averaging better than 20 points and 15 rebounds per game so far this postseason.
Players to Average 20+ PPG & 15+ RPG in Single Postseason (since 1950-51; min. 15 PS games)
Season
Player
PPG
RPG
1967
Wilt Chamberlain, PHI
21.7
29.1
1970
Wilt Chamberlain, LAL
22.1
22.2
1976
Dave Cowens, BOS
21.0
16.4
1974
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, MIL
32.2
15.8
2001
Shaquille O'Neal, LAL
30.4
15.4
2000
Shaquille O'Neal, LAL
20.7
15.4
2009
Dwight Howard, ORL
21.7
15.4
2003
Tim Duncan, SAS
24.7
15.4
2) Dwight Howard had a playoff career-high 40 points in the series-clinching win over Cleveland. He is the fourth different Magic player to have 40 points in a playoff game.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, June 3, 2009, 8:30 AM
Talking Points
As your Orlando Magic look to become the first team in NBA history to defeat three 60-win teams in the postseason en route to the title (only Houston in 1995 and Orlando this year beat two 60-win teams in the playoffs), here are some Glass Half Full Finals talking points to keep you busy around the water cooler.
1. The Magic have to continue to play their game in the brightest of all lights. Offensively, it's playing inside-out, attacking the basket, moving the ball for open three's, and playing its pick-and-roll game. Defensively, it's showing Kobe multiple looks (like Paul Pierce and LeBron James previously), finishing possessions with rebounds, and playing hard for 48 minutes. Remember, offense sells tickets and defense wins championships.
2. This is an extremely intriguing series with multiple match-ups to take into account. No doubt there are lots of X's and O's for coaches Stan Van Gundy and Phil Jackson to play with. You have your stars in Dwight and Kobe, no last names needed, and how each team chooses to defend and adjust. You have Pau Gasol and Rashard Lewis, both skilled, both dangerous, but in different ways. You have your X-Factors in Lamar Odom and Mickael Pietrus and Hedo Turkoglu and Trevor Ariza. You have Laker bigs (Gasol, Andrew Bynum) and Magic bigs (Marcin Gortat, Tony Battie). You have veteran point guards and relatively deep benches. Mix it all up and we could be playing for quite a while.
3. There are also many intangibles to consider.. The Lakers experienced the Finals spectacle and chaos last year, while this will be new for the Magic. Orlando, however, has been toughened up by a Game 7 in Boston and a meeting with the King in Cleveland, not to forget a six-gamer in Philly which was clinched sans Superman. L.A. undoubtedly has the taste of getting here last year and losing still in its mouth. The 2-3-2 format is another factor, as we now say so long to 2-2-1-1-1. Both teams have been strong on the road. Buckle up, here we go.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, May 27, 2009, 1:15 PM
Where Amazing Happens
Here's a quick recap on Orlando's heart-pumping playoff run:
Seven of Orlando’s 2009 playoff games (three vs. Philadelphia, First Round; one vs. Boston, East Semis; three vs. Cleveland, East Finals) have been decided by three points or less, with each of those games being decided in the final seconds.
Andre Iguodala hit a game-winner with 2.2 seconds left to steal Game 1 for the Sixers on Apr. 20.
Thaddeus Young converted a layup with 2.0 seconds remaining to win Game 3 @ Philadelphia on Apr. 24.
Hedo Turkoglu’s three-pointer with 1.1 ticks left helped Orlando escape with a win in Game 4 on Apr. 26 @ Wachovia Center.
Glen Davis’ buzzer beater lifted Boston over the Magic in Game 4 on May 10.
A three-pointer by Rashard Lewis with 14.7 seconds left helped Orlando win @ Cleveland in Game 1 on May 20.
LeBron James drained a three-pointer as time expired, leading the Cavs past the Magic @ Cleveland in Game 2 on May 22.
In Game 4 vs. Cleveland on May 26, Orlando won, 116-114 in overtime.
Orlando edged Cleveland in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 20, 107-106...The Cavaliers then responded by nipping the Magic in Game 2 on May 22, 96-95…It marks the first time in NBA Playoff history that the first two games of a series have been decided by a single point.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, May 22, 2009, 10:15 AM
A Playoff Three-Point Play
1) The top three teams in the NBA this season were the Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. The Magic have already dispatched the Celtics, are working on the Cavaliers and could very well face the Lakers in the NBA Finals. Most teams have struggled against these top teams, but not the Magic.
Best Combined Record vs Cavaliers, Lakers and Celtics (2008-09 Regular Season and Postseason)
2) Both former number one overall picks, LeBron James and Dwight Howard have faced off four times this season now. Both players have posted huge numbers, but Howard owns a 3-1 advantage in wins.
LeBron James vs Dwight Howard - 2008-09 Head-to-Head (Regular & Postseason)
LeBron James
Dwight Howard
Wins
1
3
FG%
.500 (52/104)
.643 (36/56)
3-Pt%
.450 (9/20)
- (0/0)
Pts/G
35.3 (141/4)
21.3 (85/4)
Reb/G
8.8 (35/4)
14.3 (57/4)
Ast/G
7.3 (29/4)
1.0 (4/4)
Blocks/G
1.3 (5/4)
2.8 (11/4)
3) In 13 games this postseason, Dwight Howard has 13 double-doubles.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, May 20, 2009,10:30 AM
Fascinating Stories
Today, two incredible stories. Read on:
Magic are the talk of the town, even for a child who rarely speaks
Mike Bianchi
Orlando Sentinel
SPORTS COMMENTARY
May 20, 2009
You turn on the radio and the gabmasters are talking about the Magic.
You drive your kid to school and the guy directing the car circle is talking about the Magic.
You go into Ace Hardware and two guys back in paint are talking about the Magic.
Even half-a-world away, they're talking about the Magic.
"This is Ahmed from Egypt," said the e-mail from Magic fan Ahmed Ismail that popped into my in-box late Sunday night after the Magic had vanquished the defending champion Boston Celtics "I think I'm the only guy within a 1,000-mile radius who stayed up for the game. I feel like I am walking on the clouds. I cannot believe it, man."
Finally, after all these years of apathy and indifference, everybody is talking about the Magic again.
Even a kid who couldn't - or wouldn't - talk just a few weeks ago.
"It's unbelievable what the Magic have done for my boy," says Izzy Rodriguez, an auto mechanic from Kissimmee.
Ryan Rodriguez is his boy.
A boy of few words.
Too few.
So few, in fact, that Izzy and his wife Karen became concerned a few months ago and put him in a special class for kids who do not socialize with others or verbalize their feelings.
Ryan is almost 4 years old - a time when most kids are babbling about the joys of having a "cimanon" bun for breakfast or "basketti" for dinner.
But not Ryan. He rarely speaks.
Until the other day when something in his brain clicked.
Do you believe in Magic?
Izzy does.
He's now the biggest Magic fan in town. Not because the Magic have infused the city with excitement heading into tonight's matchup with LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals, but because they have infused Ryan - "or Ry-Ry" as he's known to his family - with the gift of gab.
We knew Stan Van Gundy could coax sweat and swagger from his players, but who knew he could coax words and wisdom from a young boy.
"Daddy, me play basketball? Me play for the Magic?"
Those were the words that came out of Ry-Ry's mouth a couple of weeks ago as Izzy was flipping through the TV channels and happened upon an advertisement for a Magic playoff game with Philadelphia.
Ryan had always been captivated by watching sports on TV, but rarely put more than a word or two together. One speech therapist diagnosed him with selective mutism - a disorder in which otherwise normal kids become severely withdrawn and refuse to speak in social settings.
Izzy immediately went on-line and purchased two playoff tickets for $641. The family doesn't have much money, but he figured his son's words were worth the price of admission. When Ry-Ry learned he was going to the game, he immediately exclaimed, "Dad, just us going to basketball?"
Magically, Ry-Ry jabbered all the way to the game. And once inside the arena, he cheered and clapped and screamed. During timeouts, he became concerned. "No more play, Dad? No more play?" And when the game was over, he didn't want to leave. "No go home, Dad. We stay and watch the Magic.""
Ry-Ry talked all the way home," Izzy says, his voice cracking as he retells the story. "And I cried all the way home."
The Magic have given Izzy tickets to ensuing playoff games and Izzy recently sent team officials an e-mail that said, "Buying Ryan items for speech therapy - $500. ... Taking him to therapy and to doctors - $2,000. ... Seeing Ryan go wild at a Magic game - PRICELESS!!!"
This is the power and pull of sports. I've written it many times before but I'll reiterate it here: there are but two things that galvanize a community - a tragedy or a sports team. I don't know about you, but I'll take Magic over tragic any day.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was at a restaurant Monday night and everybody was talking about the Game 7 victory over the Celtics. Earlier, he logged onto to his computer and a military officer and Magic fan stationed in South Korea wrote to congratulate him.
"It means something when somebody in the military who is doing something so serious and so important can get some enjoyment out of what we're doing," Van Gundy says. "The fans are excited about our team and that makes you feel good.
"To me, this is why you have a pro franchise in your city. It's something everybody can rally around."
Words simply cannot describe what a championship run can do for a city.
Unless, of course, they come from the mouth of young Ryan Rodriguez.
"No go home, Dad. We stay and watch the Magic."
* * *
Local Girl Wowing Magic Crowds with Vocal Brilliance
ORLANDO, FLA. - Throughout her toddler years, doctors were not certain whether or not Gina Marie Incandela would be able to speak; A result of a stunning and silencing characteristic of pervasive development disorder, an autistic spectrum disorder (PPD NOS).
Four years removed from uncertainty, now 7-year-old Incandela stood at center court of Amway Arena and floored a sell-out crowd with a soul-warming rendition of the National Anthem before the Magic topped the Heat on Feb. 22.
Then she did it again before Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Celtics, and Orlando won.
Then again, prior to Game 6 against Boston, and again, the Magic were victorious.
In all three performances, Gina was even flanked by the same color guard: The Civil Air Patrol's Central Florida Composite Squadron.
And fittingly, the superstitious Gina even sang the National Anthem in front of her living-room television before the Magic's historic Game 7 win over the Celtics.
The seemingly veteran singer's voice is embodied in the petite frame of a first grader from Kissimmee, masked by a smile that will make the gloomiest of days seem bright. Her angelic voice is the antithesis of the boisterous Amway Arena crowd that pesters opponents for 48 minutes each game.
"I've had music executives tell me that her voice is one in a million," says Incandela's mother, Michelle, who along with husband Dwayne and daughter Lexi, 5, travels the country to watch Gina perform. "I don't know any other 7 year olds that can sing the way Gina can."
Incandela's incredible inclination to music was discovered around the age of 4, when she would carry the notes of a song before she could manage to speak the words. Michelle then had Gina enrolled in music therapy classes, which she took for four months.
Gina first broke into the spotlight by singing the National Anthem before a Houston Astro's spring-training game at Osceola County Stadium in March of 2008. Since, she's performed more than 50 times.
"It just makes people happy and it makes my own heart feel good just like everybody," explains Gina, who like many 7 year olds, enjoys swimming, science and Miley Cyrus. "The fans really like it and love it in their own hearts."
After a trio of spectacular performances, Gina has found a place in the hearts of all Magic fans.
And when the Magic take on the Cleveland Cavaliers at Amway Arena in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals, guess who will be singing the National Anthem?
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, May 12, 2009, 11:30 AM
Every Moment Matters
So, your Magic are 10 games into the 2009 NBA Playoffs and five of the games have been decided by a total of 13 points, four of the games have been decided by a cumulative eight points and three of Orlando's four losses are by a combined total of five points.
Yes, every possession counts.
It's nail-biting time again tonight as the Magic look for their fourth road win of these playoffs.
Of note over these 10 postseason games, Orlando has followed every playoff loss with a win.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, May 10, 2009, 12:45 PM
A Playoff Three-Point Play
1) You have to love 23-year-old Dwight Howard's approach to being coached. Says Howard, "I've told Coach Van Gundy, I want him to coach me; I want him to teach me as much as he can about the game of basketball and about life."
2) Orlando set a franchise postseason record by shooting 59.1% in its Game 3 win over Boston. This is also the highest opponent field goal percentage against the Celtics in a postseason game in more than 15 years.
Highest Opponent Field Goal % in Playoff Game vs. Celtics (since 1991-92)
DATE
TEAM
FG%
05/03/03
Hornets
.614
05/08/09
Magic
.591 (39-66)
05/17/92
Cavaliers
.590
05/08/92
Cavaliers
.573
05/13/92
Cavaliers
.556
Speaking of shooting percentages, prior to this year, Dwight Howard had shot 57.3% in his home playoff contests. He has upped that mark significantly so far this postseason.
Highest Field Goal % in Home Games, Single Postseason (since 1991-92; min. 4 G & 10 FGA/G)
YEAR
PLAYER
FG%
2009
Dwight Howard, Orl
.732 (30-41)
2006
Shaquille O'Neal, Mia
.676
1998
Anthony Mason, Cha
.650
1996
Shaquille O'Neal, Orl
.638
1997
Patrick Ewing, NY
.636
3) Rashard Lewis has increased his production over the last few postseason games.
Rashard Lewis -- 2009 Postseason
First 4 Games
Last 5
PPG
15.5
23.2 (116/5)
RPG
.6.3
6.8 (34/5)
APG
3.5
3.0 (15/5)
FG%
.377
.489 (43-88)
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, May 6, 2009, 11:45 AM
A Playoff Three-Point Play
1) Dwight Howard's 22 rebounds on Monday marked the fifth time he's grabbed at least 20 in a playoff game since last postseason. That's more than all other players combined.
Games with 20+ Rebounds - Since 2008 Postseason
Dwight Howard, ORL
5
Carlos Boozer, UTA
2
Tim Duncan, SA
2
2) Howard also has recorded as many dunks this postseason as the entire Celtics team.
Dunks in 2009 Postseason
Dwight Howard
15 (T-most in 2009 postseason)
Celtics Team
15
3) Having started the last two games, J.J. Redick suddenly has emerged as a scoring threat after totaling just 11 points in the first six games of his playoff career.
J.J. Redick - Postseason Career
First 6 Games
Last 2
PPG
1.8
13.5 (27/2)
FG%
.200
.571 (8-14)
3-Pt FG%
.182
.636 (7-11)
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, May 5, 2009, 1:31 AM
Takeaways From Game 1
Here are the Glass Half Full takeaways from Game 1:
1) Despite a frantic finish, Orlando leads the best-of-seven series with Boston 1-0 and have stolen the home court advantage.
2) The Magic played 32 minutes of great, balanced, ball-moving, determined-defensively basketball.
3) It's always great to learn lessons -- in this case how to play a full 48 minutes and closeout games -- while you win. You know you learn lessons from losses, but learning and winning, well, that's glass half full. The Magic will enter Game 2 knowing what to expect from the defending champions, as they experienced over the last 16 minutes of Game 1.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, May 3, 2009, 6:34 PM
Keys to the Series
1) Points in the Paint.... When you talk paint, you are talking about Dwight Howard. Superman will look to flat out dominate inside. This will put pressure on Celtics' bigs and continue to open up the Magic's perimeter shooters, as Orlando looks for an effective and balanced offensive attack. Look for Dwight to run the floor and post-up deep, while moving the ball from the inside out. Easy baskets, if their is such a thing in the playoffs, will be important.
2) Defend Allen & Pierce... When all is said and done, this ultimately will be a team responsibility. Like Reggie Miller (who is calling the game for TNT) did, Allen will be running off screens right and left. Pierce will get his isolation looks in the middle and at the elbows.
This translates into the Orlando tapping into its individual defensive pride, while everyone in blue will need to help challenge their constant green light looks. Orlando's versatility will be a key here, as the mentally tough and experienced Celtic duo will undoubtedly face multiple looks.
3) Rondo vs. Rafer... It's roadrunner vs. Skip 2 My Lou. Here we have two tremendously quick point guards who you have to keep from penetrating and creating opportunities. Both have also shot the ball well in the postseason. It should be quite a show.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, May 3, 2009, 2:23 PM
Preparing for Boston
The Orlando Magic coaching staff, led by head coach Stan Van Gundy, dots all the I's and crosses all the T's when it comes to game preparation and working to put the team in position to win.
The Magic depth of preparation Sunday was obviously no exception, so much so that the game tape showed to the team included clips of injured Celtics star Kevin Garnett.
The Eastern Conference Semifinals series will be hardfought, despite both teams missing their respective inspirational leaders, as Jameer Nelson will join Garnett in a suit...or will he?
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, May 2, 2009, 4:02 PM
Superman's Super Friends
As the Orlando Magic arrived at their charter jet following its series-clinching, Game 6 win at Philadelphia, the team was greeted by a larger-than-life figure.
Yes, Dwight Howard, suspended for the contest, shook each of his teammates' hands on the tarmac at the bottom of the stairs leading up to the plane.
Superman says he has a team of superheroes, a group which used Game 6 to gain confidence as it now heads to the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
As for the Magic superheroes, here's Dwight's take: He says Rafer "Skip 2 My Lou" Alston is our playground legend, J.J. is "Better Basketball" in reference to the famed shooting video, Hedo Turkoglu is the Turkish Magic Johnson, Rashard Lewis is our Eagle Eye and then there's Marcin Gortat, the Polish Hammer. He also affectionately calls veteran Anthony Johnson "Dad." and raves how he has taken rookie Courtney Lee under his wing, "even though he's older than me."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, April 30, 2009, 10:57 AM
A Playoff Three-Point Play
1) The Orlando Magic are holding the Philadelphia 76ers to 88.4 points per game this series, one of the best playoff performances by the Magic in franchise history.
Magic, Fewest Opponent PPG in Playoff Series - All-Time
1995 First Round vs Boston Celtics 86.3 (Won 3-1)
2009 First Round vs Philadelphia 76ers 88.4 (Lead 3-2)
1996 First Round vs Detroit Pistons 89.0 (Won 3-0)
2008 Semifinals vs Detroit Pistons 91.6 (Lost 1-4)
1997 First Round vs Miami Heat 92.0 (Lost 2-3)
2) Dwight Howard posted 24 points and collected 24 rebounds in Game 5. It was only the sixth 24+ point, 24+ rebound game in the playoffs since 1992.
Players with 24+ Pts and 24+ Reb in Playoff Game - Since 1992
PLAYER
Game Date
vs Opp
Pts
Reb
Charles Barkley, Pho
06/05/1993
vs Sea
44
24
Charles Oakley, NY
05/01/1994
vs NJ
25
24
Shaquille O'Neal, LAL
06/09/2000
vs Ind
40
24
Tim Duncan, SA
05/14/2002
vs LAL
34
25
Tim Duncan, SA
05/23/2003
vs Dal
34
24
Dwight Howard, Orl
04/28/2009
vs Phi
24
24
3) Rashard Lewis and Andre Iguodala are two of only six players averaging at least 17 points, five rebounds, three assists and one steal per game over the last two postseasons.
Players Avg 17+ PPG, 5+ RPG, 3+ APG & 1+ SPG in Playoffs - Since 2008 (Minimum 10 Games)
PLAYER
PPG
RPG
APG
SPG
Kobe Bryant
29.6
5.5
5.6
1.8
Kevin Garnett
20.4
10.5
3.3
1.3
Andre Iguodala
17.1
5.8
5.8
1.9
LeBron James
29.1
8.6
7.6
1.7
Rashard Lewis
18.7
6.7
3.3
1.1
Paul Pierce
20.4
5.1
4.1
1.1
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, April 25, 2009, 12:18 PM
A Positive Three-Point Play
Down 2-1, heading to Game 4, in true Glass Half Full fashion, let's look at the positives in three-point play fashion:
Positive Number 1: It's a best-of-seven series. With a win in Game 4, Orlando will even the series and steal back home court advantage. As well and as hard as Philadelphia has played (shooting 50 percent for the series from the floor overall and 42 percent from three-point land), and as poorly as Orlando has played (allowing Philly to shoot 50 percent from the floor, while going 19-for-61 from beyond the arc), your Magic can still take back control of the series. In fact, take away four seconds (Philly's two, buzzer-beating, game-winning shots ) and you might have a different series. Four seconds. But, despite not being able to play "Back To The Future", Orlando still has an opportunity for some real Magic. A win and it's two-out-of-three with Orlando have two homes games in that scenario.
Postive Number 2: Rookie Courtney Lee continues to come of age. Following its morning shoot-around Friday, man-child Dwight Howard was chanting "Lee is the Key...Lee is the Key" as Courtney, the 22nd pick in the draft, was doing his media interviews. The Western Kentucky University product is Orlando's second-leading scorer in the first round, averaging 16.0 ppg., 2.3 rpg., 2.3 apg., 2.0 stlpg. and just 1.0 turnover per game. You can just peek into the future and see Orlando's starting backcourt next year which will feature Lee and Jameer Nelson, who the the Magic have certainly missed.
Positive Number 3: If Lee is the key, Dwight Howard is the lock, the door, the house, the sub-division, the nighborhood...He has been awesome. He's averaging a series-high 26.0 ppg., 12.3 rpg. and 3.0 blkpg. He's shot 77 percent from the floor and 73 percent from the line, including two huge free throws to tie up Game 3 with less than 8 ticks to play. Superman (let's not forget he is just 23 years old, younger than Lee) continues to soar. Orlando has shown great resolve all season and DH12 will continue to lead the fight.
Did I mention it's a best-of-seven series?
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, April 24, 2009, 11:30 AM
Kid on the Court
Just four days after NBA Rookie of the Year Derrick Rose put on a show in Boston, rookie Courtney Lee led your Orlando Magic with 24 points. He becomes the first rookie to lead the Magic in points in a playoff game since Anfernee Hardaway nearly 15 years ago when he racked up 31 against the Indiana Pacers during the 1994 Playoffs.
Here are some recent notable rookie team-high scoring playoff performances:
PLAYER
DATE
OPPONENT
POINTS
Derrick Rose
04/18/2009
Celtics
36
Courtney Lee
04/22/2009
76ers
24
Al Horford
04/20/2008
Celtics
20
Thaddeus Young
04/27/2008
Pistons
15
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, April 16, 2009, 6:12 PM
Keys to the Series
While offensively the Orlando Magic will rely on its inside-outside, move-the-ball attack, the actual key to winning its first-round series vs. Philadelphia resides on the defensive end of the floor.
Having said that, here are the Glass Half Full keys to the series for your Orlando Magic:
1. Transition Defense – Philadelphia likes to push the ball. Getting back and limiting easy baskets will be important.
2. Block out and Rebound – Orlando has to limit Sixer second-chance opportunities. The way to do this is rebound, rebound and rebound. This way, Orlando can get out and get into its potent offensive attack.
3. Limit Penetration – The 76ers like to take the ball right to the rim. Again, you have to make their easy scoring opportunities hard.
While many point to Orlando’s three-point attack en route to winning 59 games (second-most in franchise history and fourth-most in the league), and going 6-3 against the Big Three (Cleveland, L.A. Lakers and Boston), and winning a franchise-tying 27 road games, the Magic actually won because of its defensive mindset this season. Orlando ranked sixth in the league in opponent points per game (94.4 ppg.), third in field goal percentage defense (.433) and second in opponent three-point percentage (.342).
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, April 11, 2009, 11:28 AM
The First Quarter Matters
While there are some who say only the last two minutes of an NBA game matters, here's a stat to the contrary:
More than any Eastern Conference team this season, the first quarter score has dictated the results of Orlando’s games.
Magic Record Based on First Quarter Score, 2008-09:
Leading After 1st: 46-3 (.939) ß best in NBA
Trailing After 1st : 11-17 (.393) ß t-13th in NBA
Win Pct Diff: .546 ß 2nd largest in NBA (Suns, .587)
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, April 8, 2009, 10:06 AM
Sweet Lew
So how valuable is team-first, never-one-to-boast Rashard Lewis?
The Magic have outscored their opponents by 603 points this season when Sweet Lew is on the floor.
Here's a look at the league's highest plus-minus ratings:
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, April 6, 2009, 10:08 AM
Obama References Turk
President Obama made references to Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur in his speech today to the Turkish Parliament.
"NBC First Read" reports: Basketball Makes The World Go Round: ...don't miss this line from Obama during his speech before Turkey's Parliament.
"The ties among our people have deepened as well, and more and more Americans of Turkish origin live and work and succeed within our borders. As a basketball fan, I've even noticed that Hedo Turkoglu and Mehmet Okur have got some pretty good game."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 7:16PM
Have to Love Otis Smith
You have to love Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith.
Otis' goals are simple: win a championship and develop young men.
Speaking to the latter, Smith has started a "book club" of sorts with injured All-Star point-guard Jameer Nelson.
To keep his mind sharp while sidelined for the season, Smith gives Nelson a book to read and then they might discuss it.
This really isn't all that new for Smith, as he has been known to give the Magic team and travelling support staff a book to read at the beginning of long West Coast trips.
So, what's the first assignment for Nelson? "Who Moved My Cheese" of course.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, March 31, 2009, 12:16PM
Orlando Magic Postseason Award Candidates
Defensive Player of the Year – That’s Dwight Howard with a capital “D”
Leads the NBA in rebounding (14.0 rpg.) and blocked shots (2.96 blkpg.), while looking to become just one of four players (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1975-76, Bill Walton in 1976-77, Hakeem Olajuwon in 1989-90, Ben Wallace in 2001-02) in NBA history to lead the league in both categories since blocks were first kept as a statistic beginning with the 1973-74 season.
Has recorded 15-plus rebounds and five-plus blocked shots in the same game 10 times. No other player has 15-plus boards and five-plus rejects more than once. Has also combined for 276 blocks and steals (210 blocks, 66 steals), which also leads the NBA.
On Feb. 17 vs. Charlotte, tallied a career-high 45 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocked shots. Since the NBA started keeping blocked shots as an official statistic in 1973-74, no NBA player has ever recorded those numbers in a single game. Adding to his MVP and All-NBA First Team candidacy, Howard is averaging 21.0 ppg. and 14.0 rpg., while shooting .577 from the floor. Last season, Howard averaged more than 20 points and 14 rebounds per game, while shooting better than 55 percent from the field. Only two others players in NBA history have had multiple seasons of averaging 20-plus points, 14-plus rebounds with a 55-plus field goal percentage – Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67 –1968-69) and Kareem Abdul Jabbar (1970-71 – 1972-73). On March 25th vs. Boston, Howard also recorded his eighth 20-point/20-rebound game of the season, tops in the NBA.
Coach of the Year – Stan The Man
Stan Van Gundy has now led the Magic to back-to-back 50-plus win/Southeast Division title seasons.
Orlando is one of only four teams with a winning percentage above .700. Orlando has 26 road wins (one shy of its franchise-record set last season), is 21-7 vs. the West and 24-11 vs. the East. Orlando swept both the L.A. Lakers and San Antonio Spurs for the first time in franchise history this season and is among league-leaders in several offensive and defensive categories.
Despite losing starting point guard and All-Star Jameer Nelson to a season-ending shoulder injury, Orlando has posted 10 fourth-quarter comeback wins this season (one more than the previous three seasons combined). The Magic have also proved to finish games off under Van Gundy, going an NBA-best 48-1 when leading with five minutes remaining in the game.
All-NBA – Sweet Lew, Rashard Lewis
Made second All-Star appearance of his career this season.
Orlando’s second-leading scorer, averaging 17.9 ppg., while also chipping in 5.7 rpg., 2.7 apg. and 1.04 stlpg. Has led team in scoring 16 times, in rebounding six times and in assists seven times. Orlando is 25-7 when Lewis scores 20-plus points.
Leads the NBA in three-point field goals made and connected on at least one three-pointer in 56 consecutive games between Nov. 12-Mar. 9.
All-Rookie Team – Kid on the Court, Courtney Lee
Averaging 8.4 ppg., 2.2 rpg., 1.1 apg. and 1.03 stlpg. in 24.4 minpg., while shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range to rank among the league’s Top 20 in that category.
Has made 33 starts, averaging 10.6 ppg. in those games. Has scored in double-figures 29 times.
Ranks among NBA rookie leaders in scoring, rebounding, assists, three-point percentage and steals.
Executive of the Year – Otis My Man, Otis Smith
Architect of Orlando’s back-to-back 50-win/Southeast Divisional title roster
Roster includes an NBA-most three 2009 All-Stars in Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson.
Traded for Rafer Alston after Jameer Nelson was sidelined with season-ending shoulder injury.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, March 29, 2009, 4:57PM
Preparing for the Playoffs
With 10 regular-season games to go, Orlando's focus is on holding on to the second-seed, while also preparing for the playoffs. It's a good place to be: having something to play for, while also sharpening its game over the next couple of weeks in prep for the second season.
In regard to staying sharp, Orlando will look to continue it defensive mindset, while working to be a better rebounding team, while continuing to move the ball offensively. Those really are the three Magic keys: defend, rebound, inside-outside ball movement.
When talk turns to the difference between the regular-season and the post-season, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy looks at it like this.
Says SVG, who has the Magic 11-2 in March, "The regular season is a whole different test then the playoffs. The regular season is as much as anything a test of how many times can you play well. The playoffs are more of a test of what’s your highest level. That is when you find out who can go to the highest level as a team. I think the regular season isn’t so much that you’ve got to be good, but if you’re good, how many times can you go out there and be good and bring a good effort. I think one of the things, especially if you’re a fan coming here (to Amway Arena) every night and watching us on TV, you have to appreciate that we’re about as consistent in terms of bringing a pretty good effort and focus as anybody in the league. If you’re a fan of this team, you need to appreciate that about our guys and that’s why we have the record (54-18) that we have right now.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 27, 2009, 12:54PM
Story of the Day
Here's the "Glass Half Full" story of the day. It's by ESPN.com NBA expert analyst John Hollinger. Check it out.
Dwight Howard could be swatting his way to the Defensive Player of the Year award.
By John Hollinger, ESPN.com
ORLANDO -- Despite Wednesday night's win over Boston, the Magic in some ways are still fighting the battle of perception versus reality.
"All I hear about our team is that we're soft and everything else," Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy said. "People think we win games just by jacking up 3s. Very few people have realized that we've won games at the defensive end of the floor."
The reality, as Boston coach Doc Rivers acknowledged before the game, is that Orlando has become an elite defensive team, and that's the central reason they're threatening to finish ahead of the Celtics in th
e Eastern Conference.
Check out the leaderboard in defensive efficiency, for instance, and you'll note that the Magic are barely behind the Celtics. Orlando gives up 98.9 points per 100 opponent possessions, good for second in the league and just a hair behind Boston's league-leading 98.7 mark.
It's no surprise where it all starts -- with center Dwight Howard. He's threatening to become only the fifth player to lead the league in blocks and rebounding in the same season, with Wednesday's game-saving block of Paul Pierce becoming the latest spectacular swat on his résumé. Howard's board work is also why the Magic lead the league in defensive rebound rate at 76.2 percent, even though they're effectively playing with just one big man most of the time.
"Dwight has been more consistent with his effort defensively," Van Gundy said. "I think he's the best defensive big guy [in the league] when he's really focused and wants to bring it. And his focus and consistency has been a lot better. He's a great help defender and he can block shots, he can guard his own guy in the post, he can defend pick-and-rolls. Yes, I'd start with him."
And knowing that Howard is around enables the Magic's perimeter players to be more aggressive than they otherwise might be.
"We don't want to just rely on Dwight," said Hedo Turkoglu, "but we know he's got our back."
But it goes much deeper than that. The Magic's other players have bought in, too -- Rashard Lewis most notably. He had to transition from being an offensive-minded small forward in Seattle to being much more of a two-way player as a power forward with the Magic, matching up against the likes of Kevin Garnett and Carlos Boozer on a nightly basis. The return of Tony Battie from injury and the development of backup center Marcin Gortat has also given the Magic a much deeper frontcourt rotation.
Meanwhile, rookie Courtney Lee has become the team's defensive ace on the wings, challenging the likes of Boston's Ray Allen, whom he held to 16 points Wednesday. Lee also denied Allen the ball on a key late-game inbound play that forced Boston to burn its last timeout.
"Talking to our scouts last year when they made the pick, what they really liked was his maturity and poise," Van Gundy said. "I don't feel like we're playing with a rookie out there. He doesn't make many mistakes. He'll get caught in some rotation problems at times, but it's more an experience thing -- there are some situations that veterans have seen 500 times and can anticipate coming that he can't. But from a poise standpoint, he's like having a veteran."
But if there's a common thread in all of this, it is Van Gundy. Orlando ranked sixth in defensive efficiency the season before he arrived but has steadily improved under his watch -- it was fifth last season and, as we mentioned before, is currently second this season.
It's not the first time he's improved a team's defense, either -- his club in Miami went from 10th under Pat Riley to ninth and sixth in his two full seasons at the helm. And of course, it runs in the family -- brother Jeff's teams were annually among the leaders in defensive efficiency when he coached the Knicks and Rockets.
In the end, the Magic's defensive ascendancy is likely to result in honors for both Howard and Stan Van Gundy. Howard has the inside track on the league's Defensive Player of the Year award, and with good reason -- a team full of perimeter players is challenging for the league's No. 1 defensive ranking thanks to his efforts.
As for Van Gundy, he has to be considered the front-runner for Coach of the Year. Not one living soul expected the Magic to win 61 games this season, but that's what they're on pace to accomplish. If they should pull it off, it would be more wins in a season than the franchise had ever won with Shaquille O'Neal.
And contrary to popular belief, it wouldn't be because of their 3-point shooting. Orlando does that well, too, of course, but at the core this is an elite defensive team … and one that's still seriously misunderstood.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, March 25, 2009, 10:26AM
Three-Point Play
1) Are the Magic mentally tough? The numbers tell the story. First, Orlando is 52-18 overall. FIFTY-TWO AND 18. The Magic have won vs. the East (31-11), the West (21-7), on the road (25-11) and at home (27-7). The Magic have lost two consecutive games twice all season long. Orlando is 7-2 in games decided by three points or less and has 10 come-from-behind fourth quarter wins. Orlando is 45-1 this year when leading with five minutes to play in the game.
2) The Magic and Celtics are the only teams to have two players to combine for more than 300 three-pointers this season.
Total 3pt FGs Made Duos in 2008
317 Orl Rashard Lewis 190, Hedo Turkoglu 127
303 Bos Ray Allen 175, Eddie House 128
293 Ind Danny Granger 150, Troy Murphy 143
274 Atl Mike Bibby 145, Joe Johnson 129
273 Den Chauncey Billups 138, J.R. Smith 135
3) The last time Boston and Orlando met, Dwight Howard had 18 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks – one of his eight 15+/15+/5+ games this season. The rest of the players in the league have combined for two such games.
Most Games With 15+ Pts., 15+ Reb., 5+ Blks – 2008-09
Dwight Howard, Orl - 8
Tim Duncan, SA - 1
Al Horford, Atl - 1
Bonus) Orlando clinches its second straight division title tonight with a win and an Atlanta loss vs. San Antonio.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, March 19, 2009, 9:47AM
50 Wins
Wednesday, March 18th, at Milwaukee, the Orlando Magic notched their 50th win. Last year, Orlando tallied No. 50 on April 13th. The milestone is a measure of consistency.
Not one to blow smoke, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy had this to say after the Magic hit fifty Wednesday: "Other people can downplay winning a division title or winning 50 games, but the NBA season is a long grind. I'm appreciative of our guys' effort and what it takes to get to 50 wins. To do it two years in a row is a measure of your organization getting better and getting some consistency."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, March 18, 2009, 10:52AM
"D" as in Dwight
Dwight Howard continues to bolster his case for Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Howard, the NBA leader in both rebounding and blocked shots, is coming off a 15-rebound, 6-block performance against the Cavaliers, marking the 10th time this season Howard has recorded at least 15 boards and five blocks. Here's a closer look at that list:
Most Games With 15+ Rebounds & 5+ Blocks, 2008-09:
Dwight Howard, Orl - 10
Marcus Camby, LAC - 1
Tim Duncan, SA - 1
Andris Biedrins, GS - 1
Al Horford, Atl - 1
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, March 16, 2009, 10:28AM
MVP Race
The MVP race is heating up and despite the perimeter players who star nightly on SportsCenter, you can certainly make a case for an array of stars depending on your definition of the Most Valuable Player.
Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy puts it another way, saying you can't argue if Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Paul Pierce or Tim Duncan etc... take home the trophy. Of course if he had a vote it would go to Superman.
With the Magic getting set for its Tuesday meeting in Cleveland, here's LeBron James on the MVP race.
"He's (Dwyane Wade) having a great season. He should be in that race with myself, Kobe (Bryant) and Dwight Howard."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, March 15, 2009, 4:33PM
Playoff Watch
With Boston (50-17) falling Sunday afternoon to Milwaukee, the Magic (48-17) are now tied with the Celtics in the loss column for the No.2 seed. A Magic win over Utah puts the Magic just a half-game back of Boston in the standings.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 13, 2009, 10:24PM
Three-Point Play
1) Rafer Alston has recorded 67 assists through 11 games with the Magic. Since 1991-92, only Steve Francis had more assists during his first 11 games. The list:
Most Assists Thru First 11 Games with Magic - Since 1991-92:
Steve Francis - 70
Rafer Alston - 67
Brian Shaw - 63
Anfernee Hardaway - 59
Grant Hill - 58
2) Orlando is 7-2 this year in games decided by three points or less, the best mark in the Eastern Conference.
3) Here is a list of most Games with 20+ Points & 10+ Rebounds since 2007-08:
Dwight Howard - 72
Al Jefferson - 62
Tim Duncan - 56
Antawn Jamison - 55
Amar'e Stoudemire - 48
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, March 9, 2009, 2:56PM
Playoff Picture
With its next win, Orlando will clinch a playoff spot, marking the second fastest time in its history (excluding the 1998-99 shortend season). Orlando is 46-16 heading into tonight's 63rd game.
Here are all of Orlando’s playoff seasons, ranked by fewest games to clinch. 1998-99, of course, was the strike-shortened season.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, March 7, 2009, 12:18PM
Big Back-to-Back
So, what is head coach Stan Van Gundy's thought process heading into the Boston-Detroit back-to-back?
Take it away, coach.
“You may get tired of my answer, but they mean one win or one loss. I mean will they give us two if we win? If we beat Boston will they say we have 48 wins or 46 wins? Look, we want to play well. From a coaching standpoint and a playing standpoint, we need to get better against those teams and find some things at both ends of the court that work well for us, I think that’s important, probably more or as important as the result. But, other than that, I’m not going to give some big rah-rah thing, that this is it and the season’s over if we don’t win these two games and everything else. I just don’t buy any of that.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 6, 2009, 10:32PM
Magic Tough
Fight from behind, fight while ahead.
That was one of the theme's of Orlando's hardfought 105-102 victory over New Jersey under Friday night lights.
The "W" represented Orlando's ninth fourth-quarter, come-from-behind win on the season. Last year, Orlando won just twice when trailing after three quarters.
While the Magic trailed heading into the final 12 minutes against the Nets, they took the lead with just over five minutes to play and then flashed its toughness to seal its 45th victory on the year, against just 16 defeats.
In the process, Orlando upped its record to a league-leading 39-0 when heading into the final five minutes ahead.
Now, that's showing some toughness.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 12:22PM
Dwight and Shaq
Somewhat hard to believe, but Dwight Howard has appeared in nearly 100 more games for the Magic then Shaquille O'Neal did. To date, Howard has appeared in 385 regular season games in the Magic blue, while Shaquille O'Neal played in 295 regular-season games for Orlando.
As to regular season wins while with the Magic, the tally stands at 205 for Dwight to 185 for Shaq.
One thing is for sure, both players have commanded the paint during their careers, which is why they are one and two in shooting percentage among active players.
Highest Career Field Goal Percentage, Active Players (Minimum 4000 Field Goals Attempted)
Shaquille O’Neal - .581
Dwight Howard - 568
Eddy Curry - .546
Carlos Boozer - .541
Amar’e Stoudemire - .541
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, March 1, 2009, 9:20AM
Healthy Basketball
Perhaps Hedo Turkoglu summed up Orlando's Saturday night, come-from-behind victory, in the City of Brotherly Love best.
"We didn’t give up," said Turk, as the Magic (43-16) entered the final 12 minutes down 10 to the 76ers. "We decided to stick with it. We finished big tonight... We were confident. It’s just a good team effort with us sticking together."
As Orlando embarks on its final 23 regular season games, there is a lot to play for. You want to sew up your divisional title and certainly win as many as you can for the ever-important playoff seeding and home court advantage. Realize the Magic are just one game back of Boston in the loss column and just four back of top-ranked Cleveland in the East.
But, perhaps the most important thing is to work toward playing what General Manager Otis Smith and Head Coach Stan Van Gundy call "healthy basketball."
Translation: playing your best when it counts the most.
Translation: Energy, effort, defense, balance, confidence, and fight when things aren't going exactly right.
That's what we saw in Philly on Saturday.
"I thought it was one of our best wins of the year," Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said afterward. "... It reminded me of some [wins] we had earlier in the year. We had some fight in us. That's what we talked about — just getting our fight back in us. We've had good games where we've started well, like against Miami. But we've had trouble when things haven't gone our way. That's why I think this game was important for us."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, February 23, 2009, 12:43PM
Nelson in good spirits
Orlando Magic All-Star Jameer Nelson made his first appearance at the RDV Sportsplex since his Feb. 19th season-ending shoulder surgery Monday.
Nelson, who began the rehab process with a morning session, was in good spirits.
"Seeing practice was a thrill to me, just seeing the guys and having a little fun," said Nelson, with his right arm in a sling. "It's a little sore. This might help me improve my left hand, though."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, February 23, 2009, 9:33AM
Three-Point Play
1) Interesting take from Dwyane Wade Sunday night after dropping a career-high fifty on the Magic. Said Wade about playing against the balanced Magic, “It's the hardest game you're going to play in the NBA. You got to stop Dwight [Howard] inside, close out on the 3-point shooters and then help back on Dwight again.” Added Orlando Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, "We balanced out an absolutely tremendous night by a great player with seven guys in double-figures and great rebounding. So, that is our type of game – when we’ve got a little bit of balance to what we do and everybody’s getting shots, that’s when we play well. Our energy was great.”
2) New Magic playmaking point guard Rafer Alston: “This is the kind of situation you dream about as a point guard. I've got knock-down shooters all over the floor. I've got a big man in Dwight dominating inside. As a point guard, it's just a great feeling to be here."
3) MVP candidate Dwight Howard is again having a season for the ages. Over the season, Howard is averaging 20.9 points and 14.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 57.4 percent from the field. Last year, Howard also averaged more than 20 points and 14 rebounds and shot over 55 percent from the field. Only two other players in NBA history have had multiple 20+ ppg, 14+ rpg and 55+ field-goal percent shooting seasons, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (70-71 Mil, 71-72 Mil, 72-73 Mil) and Wilt Chamberlain (66-67 Phi, 67-68 Phi, 68-69 LAL).
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, February 20, 2009, 10:06AM
Best Closer?
With pitchers and catchers reporting for spring training, Glass Half Full got to thinking, what team is the best closer in the league this year?
The answer? Your Orlando Magic.
Orlando is 33-0 this season when leading with five minutes left in the fourth quarter. Atlanta is second in the category at 26-0, New Orleans and Dallas are 25-1, Cleveland is 38-2 and New Jersey is 19-1.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, February 19, 2009, 10:03PM
Skip 2 My Lou
So, what are you getting in New York City playground legend and 10-year pro Rafer Alston, a.k.a. "Skip 2 My Lou."?
Here's the simple answer: A starting point guard, who is a creative playmaker, who will bring a competitive spirit every time he steps on the court. He's a pick-and-roll player and will D-up in Stan Van Gundy fashion.
Alston has played for both Van Gundy brothers (Stan in Miami, Jeff in Houston) so he has a clear understanding of what each possession means during the course of game.
Said Magic GM Otis Smith, who once again showed why he is in the running for Executive of the Year honors, "What he (Alston) does is compete. What he does is battle every night. What he does is not allow guys to take a step back. He’s 32 years old and his goal is to win a title too and he feels like he’s gotten a better chance to do that by coming here. It’s a good opportunity for him and it’s a good opportunity for us. It would have been very easy for us as an organization to kind of stay pat and let the season unfold but that’s not our objective. Our objective is to win a title. In order to do that you sometimes have to make some moves that are going to give you a chance to win and doing this one actually gives us a chance to win."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 11:03AM
Dwight's night
Dwight Howard recorded 45 points, 19 rebounds and eight blocked shots vs. Charlotte Tuesday night.
Since the NBA started recording blocks in 1973-74, no player has ever had 45, 19 and 8 in a game.
The last Magic player with 40-plus points in a game was Tracy McGrady (40 pts., March 13, 2004 vs. Seattle).
The last player with 40 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks in a game was Shaquille O'Neal (40, 17, 5) on 3/23/01 for the Lakers vs. Washington.
The last player with 45, 15 and 5 was O'Neal on 2/16/93 (46, 21, 5) for Orlando at Detroit (in OT).
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, February 17, 2009, 9:23AM
Time to run
As the Magic embark on its final 31 games, here's an interesting stat to chew on from our friends at Stats Inc.
As you know, basketball is a game of runs.
Score a bunch in a row and you can take control. Limit the opposition's scoring runs and the glass remains half full.
Through 51 games, Orlando is tied for second this season with 37 runs of 10-plus points. Conversely the Magic have allowed just 14 opponent runs of 10-plus point this year.
It all adds up to a plus 23 in regard to 10-plus point scoring runs, the largest differential in the league.
Buckle up, time to run.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, February 11, 2009, 9:22AM
Magic in the Media
Glass Half Full is a throwback of sorts. Each morning, before I hit cyberspace to take the media/Magic's temperature, I try to actually read some newspapers.
Today, two nice hits that are certainly in the Glass Half Full genre.
First, Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi features Adonal Foyle. Then Florida Today beat writer John Denton portrays the popularity of Dwight Howard. Text of both articles is below.
The Glass is Half Full.
Find out why Magic's Foyle has some big fans in Denver
Mike Bianchi
SPORTS COMMENTARY
Orlando Sentinel
February 11, 2009
In the bleak backwash of Alex Rodriguez taking steroids, Michael Phelps taking bong hits and Barry Bonds headed to trial, let me tell you about a letter I got a few days ago concerning Magic reserve center Adonal Foyle.
"In a time when professional athletes are taking so many 'black eyes' in the media," the letter said, "I thought it might be nice to share a positive story."
The story starts a couple of weeks ago in Denver, where the letter writer, a high-school coach named Mike Winters, purchased group tickets for the Nuggets' game against the Magic through the school his 6-year-old niece attends. The school sold the most tickets of any school in the state and won a prize called the " NBA Courtside Experience." The kids got to shoot baskets on the floor and sit on the Nuggets' bench as the team warmed up.
I will now step aside for a couple of paragraphs and let Mike's letter tell you what happened next:
"There were about 20 people (mostly kids) on the bench just as the Magic players took the court. Within the first few minutes, many of the Magic players took the time to wave, say hello and throw a smile toward our group. One player in particular went out of his way to interact with us. As it turns out, this player was Mr. Adonal Foyle.
"Mr. Foyle came over and sat on the floor in the middle of our group. He faced us (not the court) and made small talk as he stretched. The kids (ages 4 to 12) were quite scared of Mr. Foyle at first (he is a VERY large man). This is when Mr. Foyle literally laid down on the floor and asked the children if he could be included and play with them. Now that this enormous man was lower than the kids, they warmed up to him quite quickly. Mr. Foyle smiled and spoke to the kids with a very sincere and gentle voice and before we knew it, he was holding the kids on his lap for photos. Mr. Foyle shook hands, high-fived and signed autographs for about 10minutes.
"As he started taking practice shots, Mr. Foyle passed the ball back and forth with the kids and then invited them to come on the court and run some line drills with him. All I can think of are the stories that must have gone around at school on the Monday after the game. This is the stuff of dreams; these memories will be cherished by these kids for the rest of their lives!"
When I approached Adonal about the letter and asked him why he treats fans the way he does, he asked an even better question: Why doesn't everybody?
Who knows, maybe he is the way he is because he grew up in Canouan, a tiny island in the Caribbean where his childhood home had no electricity or running water and the only mode of transportation was a family donkey.
"Sometimes, I think we're so coddled as pro athletes that we forget what it was like when we were kids," Adonal says. "It doesn't take much to inspire a kid. If you just talk to them and acknowledge them, you can light a fire inside of them that might just take them in a positive direction."
If only there were more like him — athletes who actually find joy by walking up to a pleasantly surprised fan in the stands just to shake hands or by trading bounce passes with a bunch of wide-eyed kids before the game.
"I just want to say 'thank you' to Mr. Adonal Foyle for taking his time to make such an impact on the fans," the letter said. "Mr. Foyle has changed my opinion of and given me new faith in professional athletes. He is a wonderful example of what we all want these men and women to be.
"P.S. Remember it is often the smallest and simplest acts of kindness that leave the longest lasting impressions upon our lives.
"Thank You,
"— A new Magic fan in Denver."
Mike Bianchi's Open Mike blog can be read at OrlandoSentinel.com/openmike, and his radio show can be heard every weekday from 9-11 a.m. on 1080 AM.
* * *
Beloved big man
Fans flocking to Magic center Dwight Howard
John Denton
Florida Today
February 11, 2009
It was Wilt Chamberlain who once bemoaned his fate as the NBA's most hated big man by surmising that, "No one roots for Goliath."
Well, the late, great Chamberlain never met -- or played against -- Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, quite possibly the NBA's most likeable and popular superstar.
As a general rule, NBA centers are about as popular with fans as left guards in the NFL and middle relievers in baseball. And as pitchmen go, big men are usually about as successful moving products as Alex Rodriguez would be peddling truth serum these days.
Shaquille O'Neal, for all his playful charisma, flopped as a shoe salesman. Tim Duncan and Greg Oden have done commercials . . . mocking their bland personalities. And other big men such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Moses Malone, Patrick Ewing and Alonzo Mourning often exuded all the warmth of a Nor'easter.
As the theory goes, it's difficult for the average Joe to relate to a bullying behemoth who makes a living bumping and grinding. Instead, it's the high-flying swingman or the crossover-dribbling guard who tend to move the meter and cause fans to swoon.
Howard, the Magic's playful and powerful 6-foot-11, 268-pound center, seems to be breaking big-man stereotypes.
At 24, he recently became the highest vote-getter in the history of NBA All-Star balloting and easily outdistanced fellow megastars LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade. Clearly, the Next Big Thing -- as Howard was often thought of early in his career -- has evolved into the real deal.
Howard's 3,150,181 votes blew away the previous record of 2,558,278 votes set four years ago by Yao Ming, a total likely assisted by the approximately 300 million basketball fans from his home country of China.
Even now, after already accomplishing so much in his five-year NBA career, Howard is shocked he is so beloved by fans.
"It's God, and it's the fans," Howard said, shaking his head in amazement some three weeks after the voting results had been released.
Why so popular?
There are times during road games when Howard is shocked at what he sees in the crowd. Dozen and dozens of No. 12 Magic jerseys dot the arenas in practically every city Orlando visits. And his dunks, even as back-breaking as they are to other teams, often elicit some of the biggest cheers of the night.
Fans camp out at hotels on the road hoping for an autograph from the first-team All-NBA center. Visiting malls and movie theaters has always been difficult because Howard sticks out like a sore thumb, but these days it's downright impossible. And rarely does he finish a dinner at a restaurant without a cell phone camera snapping or a pen pushed into his hand.
"I see the jerseys and I'm still surprised by it," Howard said. "I just try to go out there and put on a good show for them. . . . (The attention) has been there since I was a rookie, but every year it's just gotten a lot bigger. You can't shy away from it. I just try to have fun with the fans."
For Howard, a perfect storm of sorts has arisen to help him become so wildly popular. On the court, he became the game's best center as O'Neal was exiting his prime. Heading into Orlando's game against Denver tonight, Howard leads the Magic in scoring (20.6) and the NBA in rebounds (14.1), blocked shots (2.98) and dunks (127). He is trying to become just the fifth player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season.
Howard's long been a star on the rise, but his first true introduction to the national stage came last February when he breathed some much-needed life into the Slam Dunk Competition.
He dunked from behind the backboard and he dunked after batting the ball off the backboard. But no moment was more poignant than the high-wire dunk he completed while wearing a Superman shirt and flowing, red cape.
Little did he know it at the time, but the moment changed Howard's life forever. Suddenly, advertisers were lining up for "Superman" to pitch their product. And Howard's shoe company, Adidas, soon crafted a Superman-themed shoe just for him.
The Dunk Contest, a made-for-TV event that thrives on charismatic, creative figures, was the perfect stage to display Howard's showmanship. He'll try and defend his title again Saturday night, but he's worried about how he can possibly top last season's performance. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy is confident his star center will hold his own just fine.
"That's his element there. He's an entertainer. He loves it," Van Gundy said. "I think sometimes people look at that kind of thing, where Dwight's out there having a good time, and they doubt the seriousness of a guy. That's not the case at all. He's very serious about winning and very serious about being a great player."
Pitchman success
With Dwight dominating inside, the Magic are 38-12 and pushing for the NBA's best record. And with a flashy smile and a 4 percent body fat chiseled physique that would make a Greek God envious, Howard has morphed into a marketing giant to rival James, Bryant or Wade.
McDonald's has featured Howard in a national advertising campaign, giving him appeal outside of even hardcore basketball fans. "People who don't even watch basketball will recognize me by saying, 'Hey, that's the guy from the McDonald's commercials,' " Howard cracked.
Advertisements for McDonald's, Vitamin Water, Wrigley's, Upper Deck, Got Milk, T-Mobile and Adidas have followed.
Howard will make $13.75 million this season from the Magic and another $15 million off the court, according to a recent Sports Illustrated salary study. And Howard's blossoming success as a pitchman is just the tip of the iceberg, said Sports and Sponsorship expert Kirk Wakefield, who also is a professor at Baylor University.
"He's very marketable, very believable. He exudes integrity and we trust him," Wakefield said. "In terms of marketability, I'd have to say he's the next big thing because he's so charismatic and likeable."
Maybe folks do root for Goliath, after all.
Contact Denton at jd41898@aol.com
Additional Facts Orlando's popular center
Orlando Magic star center Dwight Howard became the first NBA player ever to exceed 3 million votes in the balloting for the NBA All-Star Game. Here is a look at how he stacks up against some of the most popular players in the game.
*1. Dwight Howard, Magic -- 3,150,181 votes *2. LeBron James, Cavaliers -- 2,940,823 votes *3. Kobe Bryant, Lakers -- 2,805,397 *4. Dwyane Wade, Heat -- 2,741,413 *5. Tim Duncan, Spurs -- 2,578,168 Houston's Yao Ming held the previous NBA record for all-star votes with 2,558,278 in 2005. -- John Denton, FLORIDA TODAYPosted by Glass Half Full, Friday, February 6, 2009, 10:28AM
A Few Fun STATS
As you know the Magic rely on their inside-outside, pick-your-poison offensive attack. Here's a couple of fun stats, courtesy of our friends at STATS, Inc., which demonstrate Orlando's offense.
With 111 dunks, Dwight Howard is the only player in the league with at least 100 slams this season. Howard has more dunks than the entire Indiana team, Orlando's opponent tonight (the Pacers have 85 dunks). Also, Howard's total of dunks is just below the total amount of dunks the Magic have allowed as a team (117, fewest in the league).
As for the outside, Rashard Lewis leads the NBA this season in made 3-pointers (138). He also owns the NBA's active most consecutive games streak with at least one 3-pointer made with a trifecta in 41 straight games.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, February 5, 2009, 2:02PM
Welcome Back T. Lue
Here's my favorite Tyronn Lue story.
As a youngster Lue, the newest addition to the Magic, would often protest not being able to play with the older kids and adults by sitting on the court at Garfield Park in his hometown of Mexico, Missouri. Refusing to leave, he was often forcibly removed by his uncle, Jay Graves. Lue eventually earned the respect needed to play in the park. In fact, there has been a movement in his hometown to rename the facility Tyronn Lue Park.
Lue is a true pro, who will fit in well with the Magic. This is his second stint in Orlando, as he played in 76 games (69 starts) for the Magic in 2003-04, averaging 10.5 ppg., 4.2 apg. and 2.5 rpg. in 30.7 minpg. He was on the Lakers NBA Championship teams in 1999-2000 and 2000-01. Originally selected in the first round (23rd overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft by Denver, he has appeared in 540 career NBA regular season games with eight different teams (the L.A. Lakers, Washington, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta, Sacramento, Dallas and Milwaukee), averaging 8.6 ppg., 3.2 apg. and 1.7 rpg. in 23.0 minpg. Lue has also shot .392 (454-of-1,158) from beyond the three-point arc during his career.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, February 4, 2009, 1:12PM
Magic Won't Panic
Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy's message was clear Wednesday morning, as Orlando began life without injured All-Star point guard Jameer Nelson.
Simply, no panic, maybe a little adjustment period, do not lower expectations, raise the level of play.
As to play, the focus for Orlando will be on overall effort and more consistency on the defensive end. In essense, despite the array of three-pointers, and the presence of Dwight Howard in the middle, defensively is where Orlando has improved the most over last year. The Magic rank sixth in points allowed, fourth in points per game differential, and third in defensive field goal percentage
As to the point of attack, for the time being the team will rely on its roster flexibility. Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee will handle the ball more, while the man players call "Dad" will start in Nelson's place.
"Dad" is 33-year-old, 11-year veteran Anthony Johnson. He's a pro's pro. Tough, smart, someone who knows what it takes to win. He went to the NBA Finals with New Jersey in 2002 and was an All-Conference shortstop and quarterback in high school.
There are always some challenges in an 82-game season. Adjustments need to be made. As Van Gundy says, "NBA point-guards don't grow on trees." But, he's quck to add, "We have talent and I expect us to go out and win."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, January 30, 2009, 12:28PM
Three-Point Play
1) You have to love Magic rookie Courtney Lee's take on the All-Stars.
Over the last few weeks he's had to, and wanted to, guard the likes of Dwyane Wade, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Said Lee, "Including our three All-Star's here, I’ve gone against the whole All-Star roster."
2) Here's Stan..."There (are) days in your organization where it's tough up around the offices. Where things just aren't going right - injuries or whatever - and then, there's real good days, when you get three guys on the All-Star Team, two named today, and get a win over the team with the best record in the league, that's a pretty good day for your organization right there." So, coach Van Gundy, are you happy? "I'm as resonably happy as an NBA coach can be in the midst of a season, let's put it that way. There's 30 guys in this league coaching and none of us are happy."
3) Here's veteran NBA beat writer John Denton's take on Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson joining Dwight Howard on the All-Star squad (the first time in its 20-year history the Magic has had three All-Stars in the same year). Wrote Denton in Florida Today:
"Van Gundy feels the nomination of both Lewis and Nelson is a testament to Magic general manager Otis Smith, who took much heat for his unwavering support of the two players. Smith signed Lewis to a six year, $118 million contract in the summer of 2007 and he gave Nelson a five-year, $40 million contract extension. Smith also had the confidence in Nelson to not re-sign Keyon Dooling and Carlos Arroyo, turning the point guard duties almost exclusively over to Nelson.
"Otis should get some recognition out of that. He’s the one who went out and got Rashard and really stood behind Jameer with the contract when he was questioned by a lot of people," Van Gundy said. "It’s great for (Nelson and Lewis) and great for our organization. And it’s great validation for the decisions that Otis has made."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, January 27, 2009, 10:36PM
Granger's Take on the Magic
Indiana's Danny Granger has invaded Glass Half Full.
Said the Pacers' budding All-Star after the Magic put up 135 points in its 24-point victory Tuesday night, "They are the best team in the East."
On defending Orlando's inside-outside game he added, "Almost impossible...You have to pay so much attention to Dwight Howard. Once their shooters get it going, it is going to be a long night for the other team they play."
And, in closing, why he feels the Magic are the beasts of the East, "Two words...Dwight Howard. You don't need to explain it. He is the most dominant player since Shaquille O'Neal...hands down."
The Magic will return to practice Wednesday in preparation for Cleveland Thursday in a TNT nationally televised game.
While Granger is singing the Magic's praises, the focus for Wednesday's practice will be undoubtedly on the defensive end.
Says head coach Stan Van Gundy, "We've got to get back and find our will to defend. I'm sure we'll get it back, but we've got to get it back quickly."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, January 26, 2009, 4:06PM
Happy Birthday, Joe
It's not the type of food you often find in Orlando Magic strength and conditioning coach Joe Rogowski's weight room.
Power bars, energy drinks, absolutley.
Whopper malted milk balls, chocolate chips cookies, gummy worms, well, not so much.
You see Magic players surprised Rogowski Monday after practice with the junk food-filled basket and accompanying balloons with a happy birthday message.
At 4 pm, some two hours after practice, the basket remained untouched by Rogowski.
Now, that's will power.
Happy Birthday Joe.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, January 24, 2009, 4:54PM
Importance of Dwight's D
Here's a fun stat nugget to chew on, one which really emphasizes Dwight Howard's commitment to and importance on the defensive end.
This year, Orlando is 19-5 when Dwight Howard blocks three-or-more shots in a game.
During his career, Howard has blocked three-or-more shots 103 times and Orlando is 69-34 (.670) in those games.
Orlando is 128-139 (.479) when he does not.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, January 22, 2009, 9:50AM
Superpowers
With the national media descending on Orlando (USA Today, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, TNT all in town), here was Dwight Howard's take on the Magic to the New York Times:
"All of us have superpowers," Howard said. "I have the weakest superpower. I can just fly and shoot hook shots. Jameer, heart of a lion, strength of a tiger, can shoot the ball. And, Rashard, we call him the eagle man. He can fly, he can shoot. He has the sharpest eye on the team."Howard then switched to a deep, cartoonish voice, saying, "Our powers combined, we are the Orlando Magic!"
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, January 21, 2009, 2:10PM
Going to the Glass Half Full mail bag…
Danny from Winter Park asks, “Will Jameer Nelson be an all-star this year? Why is he not on top of everyone’s all star ballot?”
Danny, we sure hope so. Jameer is certainly having a career year. He is up in every statistical category, has been named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week twice, and simply makes the Magic go. The national media is catching on as well, as Sports Illustrated is in town to do a profile on him and he was recently featured in the Boston Globe. He also did an interview on Jim Rome’s national radio show today and was on ESPN’s NBA Fastbreak a couple weeks ago. The All-Star reserves are voted on by the NBA coaches, so it’s in their hands right now.
Ben writes, “If you were to predict the Playoff bracket right now what would it be?”
While things can change in this league quickly, if the playoffs started today the East would look like this in round one:
1. Orlando vs. 8. New Jersey
2. Cleveland vs. 7. Philadelphia
3. Boston vs. 6. Miami
4. Atlanta vs. 5. Detroit
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, January 18, 2009, 12:10PM
41 down, 41 to go
Through Saturday night's (Jan. 17) win at Denver, the 33-8 Orlando Magic:
- Has the most wins in the NBA (though games of Jan. 17) and is percentage points behind Cleveland for first overall in the Eastern Conference.
- Have won seven straight and nine of its last 10.
- Have won 11 straight games at home.
- Are now 17-5 on the road and 18-4 vs. the Western Conference.
- Defeated all three Western Conference division leaders on its just completed West Coast trip.
- Now swept the Lakers and Spurs in respective season series for the first time in its 20-year history.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, January 13, 2009, 10:10PM
Here's Hollinger
Now, ESPN's John Hollinger has taken over Glass Half Full. Here are some snipets from his latest column. You can go to ESPN.com to read the complete text.
Here's the well-respected Hollinger:
"...it's impossible to ignore the reality any longer: The Magic are legitimate championship contenders. Friday night's vicious 121-87 beatdown of the Hawks was the first half of the message. While everyone was focused on the Celtics-Cavs, the other two best teams in the East faced off in Orlando, except only one of them showed up. Orlando led by as many as 50 points in the third quarter before calling off the dogs -- I can't even remember the last time I saw an NBA team with a 50-point lead -- and ended up winning by 34.
"For Part Deux, the Magic went to San Antonio and walked out a 105-98 winner, completing a season sweep of a team that most see as a far more legitimate contender based on its respective pedigrees. Orlando is now 30-8, the second-best record in the East and the third-best in basketball, and has climbed to second in the Power Rankings behind mighty Cleveland. Monday's Playoff Odds project them to finish with 61 wins and it gives them a 20.9 percent chance of winning a title.While reasonable people can argue whether the Magic are second, third or fourth in the NBA's hierarchy, what can no longer be denied is that the Magic are on the same level as the Lakers and Celtics, and miles ahead of the likes of San Antonio, Utah and New Orleans.
"At the heart of the Magic's dominance has been a massive advantage in 3-point shooting. Orlando is making nearly twice as many 3-pointers as its opponents -- 10.1 per game against 5.1 per game -- and at 39.3 percent from downtown they're shooting it far more accurately than the opposition (33.3 percent). This weekend they were especially dominant, making a ridiculous 30-of-50 from long range, and with J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee both taking on bigger roles and lighting it up from outside that trend might continue.
"Orlando faces many more tests in the coming days -- after this week, their next two Thursdays will be spent hosting Boston and Cleveland -- but win or lose the big-picture reality shouldn't change: The NBA title will almost certainly be won by one of four teams, and the Magic need to be taken seriously as one of the four."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, January 10, 2009, 6:42PM
Home, Sweet Home
One of Orlando's goal for this season was to better protect its home parquet.
Last year, Orlando and the L.A. Lakers had the best road records with 27-14 marks. Orlando won 25 at home last year, two less than on the road.
The Magic men needed to take that hard scrabble road mentality and bring it to Amway Arena.
So far, so good.
With its win over Atlanta, the Magic won its 11th straight on its home hardwood to raise its record to 16-3 for the season. The Magic now join the likes of the Cavaliers, Celtics and Lakers with the best home marks. And, as usual, the Magic have the most road wins through the first week in January.
Orlando now hits the road for four, before looking for its 12th straight home win Jan. 22 vs. the Celtics in a nationally televised game on TNT.
Yes, its been home, sweet home for your Magic.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, January 4, 2009, 1:07PM
Cast your vote
The following was in Sunday's Orlando Sentinel. GHF answer to follow.
"They're superstars and Samaritans. They're leaders and they're loved.But if you had to choose between Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, which one would you pick as your favorite Central Florida sports figure?Come on! Speak up!We know you have a preference.Is it Tebow, the Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback who not only slices apart Southeastern Conference defenses but also performs surgical procedures on poor youth overseas?Is it Howard, the Orlando Magic's Superman, the most dominant big man in the NBA today, the player who brought his franchise back into the league's elite?.Visit orlandosentinel.com/sports or send us an e-mail at sports@orlandosentinel.com to vote for your favorite. We'll tally up the numbers and unveil the final returns in Thursday's Sentinel."
With all due repsect, Glass Half Full has 1.7 million reasons why Dwight Howard is more popular than Tim Tebow. That's the latest, but not yet final, count of the fan voting after the third All-Star balloting returns.
Again with all the respect in the world, GHF just doesn't think Tim could match that total worldwide. Think about it. More votes than Kobe, LeBron and Yao. Superman is just more popular. Ask the world.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, January 3, 2009, 1:04PM
What if?
You hear it all the time - this counts as just one game.
But, what if big games could count as more than one?
Take the Magic's win over Miami.
Sell out crowd, state rivalry, Magic going for best 33-game start in history, Heat having won five-of-six, All-Stars Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade on the floor, Stan Van Gundy vs. his former team, Friday night.
Mix it all up and you have "Big Game".
So why should that mix be equal to, with all due respect, Oklahoma City on a Tuesday night.
The players feel the heat. The coaches - despite "it counts as one" coachspeak - feel it. The fans feel it.
So, what do you do? Can a team throw the proverbial red flag five times a year and the pending game counts as two wins or two losses?
Can you have a committee that flags a game as a "Big Game." and its part of a tie-breaker system?
Can the fans vote it a "Big Game" and there are five extra minutes of play?
Here's to the "Big Games", but realize they all count the same in the regular season and they are all equally important, as critical playoff positioning is usually decided by just one or two games.
Still, what if?
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, December 30, 2008, 12:04PM
Fave Five From 2008
February 16, 2008 – Superman Soars: Howard Wins NBA Slam Dunk Title
March 31, 2008 – Champions: Magic Clinch Southeastern Division championship
April 13, 2008 – Nifty 50: Magic hit the 50-win benchmark
April 28, 2008 – Next: For the first time in 12 years, Orlando advances to the Eastern Conference Semifinals by defeating Toronto
July 25, 2008 – Ground is broken on the new Orlando Events Center
Top Quote: With Golden State coming off back-to-back games with the Lakers and Celtics last week, Warriors coach Don Nelson received several questions.
"I thought (the Lakers) were the best team that I had seen. The other team that I saw that was really good was Orlando."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, December 26, 2008, 1:50PM
Magic's streak shows East power
In a quirk of the schedule, Orlando has now played 11 straight games against the Western Conference (with a 12th coming Saturday at Minnesota).
The Magic's record in that stretch: 10-1, including wins over the Hornets, Lakers, Spurs, at Utah and at Portland. In fact Orlando is a bucket short of a perfect 11-0 mark during the stretch.
So much for the West vs. East debate.
Simply, Orlando, winners of six straight, nine of 10 and 14 of 16, is hot.
Here's Head Coach Stan Van Gundy's entertaining take on it all.
“It was funny, I was asked on a Miami radio show the other day with a guy who knows me pretty well. He said ‘c’mon, I know it is going to kill you, but you going to have to admit it, you’re team is good. You’re going to have to say it on the air.’ And I said, ‘no, I’ll say we’ve been playing pretty well.’ And he goes ‘that’s not good enough. Say it.’
"At 23-6, we’ve been playing pretty well. The only caution, obviously, is that things change in this league all the time. I thought Kobe Bryant made a great point this week when he said after their game with New Orleans, ‘Look, the NBA season is long, there are a lot of peaks and valleys. And you go through periods where you play very well, you go through periods where you play OK and you go through periods where you don’t play as well.’ Right now we are in a good stretch and I think when you are playing this well you want to keep it going and you want to accumulate as many wins as you possibly can as a buffer for those times when it gets tough, where you have injuries or whatever. I like the fact that even though I don’t normally do it, I like the fact that we are playing more guys, because then I think we’ve got a little more margin for error if certain guys are having bad nights we’ve got other guys to go to. Things are going well right now."
Asked by the media if the team was peaking, he says: "I don’t know if we are peaking, I still see a lot of areas where we can get better. It is hard to say we are peaking when you are coming off a 27-point second half. We certainly didn’t peak in the second half today, so I wouldn’t worry too much about that. We shot 40 percent for the game, this is hardly a peak performance. I’ve never understood that anyway, people say ‘oh, you’re peaking too early.’ So as a coach (do you expect me to say), ‘ok guys, don’t play as well today, we really don’t want to play well right now.’ That whole mentality I’ve never understood. I don’t also understand why you can’t play well all year and well in the playoffs. As a matter of fact, that is what the better teams have always done. I mean, the Chicago Bulls won 72 and then won it, and I can’t imagine them going 72-10 that they didn’t peak pretty early in that year then just kept it going. Seriously I’ve just never understood that. If it were true, I would ask them not to play as well.”
On if he is content with third place in the East, he says: "First is the good place to be, but if we can’t be first and can’t be second I guess I would rather be third. I think the good thing is, I look at it this way – the Celtics have the best start in the history of the NBA and we are only four games back. I look at it as a positive. I would like to say they can’t keep doing what they are doing all year, but maybe they can. They haven’t shown any signs of letting up. We are still right there. We are two back of Cleveland, we are four back of them, so we are holding our own right now. We can’t worry – we are 29 games into the year, we can’t worry about what they are doing because we have no control over it. We can only worry about how we are playing. I love what we are doing on the defensive end and I like some of what we are doing on the offensive end and we will continue to work to get better.”
On if the team letting up in the second half vs. New Orleans was because it was Christmas Day, he said, "It’s not just Christmas, it’s human nature. You’re up 30 points at the half and then you come out and… the first six or seven minutes were plus one in the second half, so you’re 31 minutes into the game, you’re up 31 points, it’s hard. But, my point to them has always been, and I think it’s true if you look at anybody who has been successful at anything. What you are trying to overcome is human nature, because I know me, when I am working around the house and my wife gives me something to do, human nature is you do it well enough that I don’t get yelled at. That is human nature. Human nature is seriously to be mediocre – to get Cs, to get by, that is human nature. And the people that excel – generally what you have to overcome is not so much your opponents, you have to overcome human nature. And we didn’t do that very well today – we did for the first seven minutes of the second half, but not after that. I don’t want to dwell on that because No. 1, I want to go home and enjoy Christmas, and No. 2, we played great for 31 minutes and our defense held steady throughout, so I am happy.”
Enough said.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, December 23, 2008, 11:43PM
Talking All-Star
While Glass Half Full knows it’s a little early to be talking All-Stars, Jameer Nelson’s play of late begins the debate.
Here’s my early take. Based on the first balloting fan voting returns, your starters will be C Dwight Howard, F LeBron James, F Kevin Garnett, G Dwyane Wade, and G Allen Iverson. Glass Half Full is a big “look at the record” guy, as winning teams should be rewarded. So, here are your reserves: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Jameer Nelson, Joe Johnson, Devin Harris, Danny Granger and Chris Bosh. Others to consider: Rashard Lewis, Ray Allen, Josh Smith, Caron Butler and Rip Hamilton.
GHF may be missing a few, but let the debate begin.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, December 21, 2008, 4:31PM
Nelson Garnering Attention
The praise is pouring in for Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who should be named the NBA's Eastern Conference Player of the Week and should garner All-Star consideration.
"Jameer had a great game," San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich said after the Magic whipped the Spurs. "He hurt us more than anybody on the court, made big shots and got everyone involved."
Added the soft spoken Tim Duncan, "Jameer was great obviously. They moved the ball well and hit some big threes to really set us back."
And Kobe Bryant: "He (Nelson) has improved every year he has been in the league. Obviously, I follow him closely from St. Joe's until now. I continue to pull for him and couldn't be any happier for him."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, December 19, 2008, 1:41PM
Three Point Play
Jameer Nelson is having a career year. Powered by a huge heart and that ever-lasting proverbial chip on his shoulder, Nelson’s numbers are All-Star worthy. From last year, he has increased his scoring from 11.7 ppg. to 16.3 ppg., assists from 4.4 apg. to 5.3 apg., field goal percentage from 45.7 pct. to 50.7 pct., three-point percentage from 37.2 percent to 38.5 percent and steals from 0.99 per game to 1.33 stlpg. He’s the Little Engine that could, and does. Congrats to him for his start, and for GM Otis Smith who has always believed in him.
Speaking of kudos, how about Magic rookie Courtney Lee? Playing with extreme confidence, Lee is flashing his athletic ability all over the place. One minute he picks your pocket, the next he’s jumping out the gym to grab a rebound or finish an alley-oop. On top of all that, he’s stayed down to earth and keeps working on his game, while having a keen understanding of off-the-court responsibilities in the community. He looks like he can do it all, from knocking down a three, to hitting a mid-range jumper to taking it to the hole, to making a little kid smile.
And then there is Marcin Gortat. Gortat has worked extremely hard and is making the most of his opportunity. Special credit goes to assistant coach Brendan Malone who has mentored Gortat. Some inside the Magic family say Gortat is Malone’s son, as they spend so much time together working on the floor and in the film, er, DVD room. Gortat’s father was a two-time Olympic bronze medalist boxer for Poland.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Sunday, December 14, 2008, 12:59PM
Stan Takes Charge
Following Orlando's win at Utah, Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy took over Glass Half Full. Said Van Gundy,
“This was one of the best wins I’ve ever been a part of. I just think, second night of a back-to-back against a good team, down 10 at the half, and that third quarter was tremendous. And then we didn’t really let up. They shot 30 percent in the second half, and after getting crushed on the boards in the first half, we were dead even on the boards in the second half. We took a team that averages in the high 40’s in points in the paint, held them to 24 points in the paint. Just a lot of great things in that game."
On the team’s defense, he added,
“I thought our defense in the second half was tremendous; I thought that was the key to the whole thing. We fought a lot harder on the boards. To be quite honest, I was a little angry at halftime, not so much at just the way we played, I thought we were playing that game like we were just happy to keep it close and everything else and were not expecting to win it. I told them at halftime I expected to win the game. I thought we fought very, very hard in the second half against a very physical, very, very tough team.”
Enough said.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, December 12, 2008, 10:30AM
Comeback Kids
It's back to work for the Magic men Friday, as the team enters another back-to-back, first in sunny Phoenix and then Saturday in snowy Utah.
No matter the weather, the Magic continue to show mail man-like toughness, and exemplify the word Stan Van Gundy likes to use, "resolve."
It was never more evident than in Portland where Orlando trailed by eight, 108-100, with 2:11 left before a hyped up Blazer crowd, yet came away with a 109-108 win thanks to a trio of trifectas from Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis and the now famous Hedo Turkoglu banker. By the way, it was Turk's fourth game-winner.
Here's an interesting stat that also shows Orlando's maturity in the toughness department. Last year, the Magic were 2-21 when trailing after three quarters of play. This year, already, Orlando is 4-3 when trailing heading into the fourth. Yes, already, double the number of last quarter come-from-behind victories. Orlando is also now 35-16 since last season in road games.
Said Van Gundy about the Portalnd victory, "We kept fighting really hard to give ourselves a chance to throw one in at the end instead of just letting it go" Adds Jameer Nelson, "Nobody really gets flustered or loses focus."
* * *
You never quite know what you are going to see on the road. Here's an interesting combo. At the Magic's team hotel in Phoenix was both the band AC/DC and the dog in the upcoming film Marley and Me. The dog was on a press junket. Magic Team Operations Manager Rodney "Sid" Powell led a group to the concert in Phoenix on the Magic's off night. Asked how the concert was, Sid said, "What?" How was the concert? "What?" You see, he couldn't hear any more.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 2:52PM
Superman Flying High
Dwight Howard has been unstoppable this season.
Below a few facts on Dwight Howard. Also, check out J.A. Adande's profile on Superman on ESPN.com. J.A. caught up with Dwight in LA.
Dwight Howard has recorded at least six blocked shots in three consecutive games (Dec. 3-present)..It marks the first time in franchise history that a Magic player has blocked six-or-more shots in three straight contests.
Howard is currently leading the NBA in blocked shots, averaging 4.19 blkpg. (as of Dec. 9)…The last player in the NBA to average more than 4.00 blkpg. was Dikemebe Mutombo (Denver), who averaged 4.49 blkpg. in 1995-96.
On his 23rd birthday, Howard recorded his third 20-point/20-rebound game of the season, finishing with 23 points and 22 rebounds...It marks the 17th time in his career that Howard has recorded a 20-point/20-rebound game…He previously tallied a season-high 32 points and 21 rebounds on Nov. 29 vs. Indiana, and had 21 points and a season-best 23 boards on Dec. 5 vs. Oklahoma City…Howard’s performance on Nov. 29 also marked the fourth time he has tallied a 30-point/20-rebound contest during his career…Howard has 24 career games with 20-or-more rebounds (three this season).
Howard recorded back-to-back 20-point/20-rebound games on Dec. 5 (21 points/23 rebounds vs. Oklahoma City) and Dec. 8 (23 points/22 rebounds @ L.A. Clippers)…It marks the second time during Howard’s career that he has tallied consecutive 20-point/20-rebound games…The last time was Nov. 18, 2006 vs. Charlotte (24 points/21 rebounds) and Nov. 20, 2006 @ Memphis (24 points/23 rebounds).
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, December 8, 2008, 12:00PM
Flying out West...
1) Radio voice Dennis Neumann, an avid reader, is not reading a book this trip -- he is reading a semester. His. book, the Pulitizer Prize winner Lonesome Dove, is no less than 858 pages long.
2) Speaking of reading, Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith continued his tradition of handing out a book to the players, coaches and support staff prior to take-off. This trip, it's "The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David Mann.
3) TV play-by-play voice David Steele posed a key question right off the bat. "What did you do jacket-wise?" as the team will go from sunny southern California to frigid Utah. Yes, it was a tough trip to pack for, with warm (LA, Phoenix), cold (San Francisco), colder (Salt Lake) and rainy (Portland) cities.
4) I loved veteran Anthony Johnson's take on what it's like on the plane and bus rides with the Magic. "Everyone wants to be America's Top Comic," said Johnson about the extremely close-knit, loose group. Players like to cut on each other for everything from fashion to what someone says, does, or looks like at any particular moment. Most teams that like each other are the same, but most teams don't have the playful Dwight Howard and, as Dwight says, his side kick, Little Meer (Jameer Nelson); The Magic's version of Abbot and Costello is what Anthony Johnson says.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, December 6, 2008, 12:29PM
With its 98-89 win over Oklahoma City, the Magic hit the quarter pole of the season with an impressive 15-5 mark.
Breaking it down further, the Magic are 6-2 on the road (Orlando won a league-best 27 road games last year) and 9-3 at home. Last season the Magic were 6-6 on the home hardwood after 12 games.
Now, comes a real 12-game test. It all begins with a five-game West Coaster, followed by home games vs. San Antonio, the Lakers, Golden State and a Christmas Day game vs. New Orleans. The Magic then ends the month with road games at Minnesota, Detroit and Chicago on New Year's Eve.
The Magic are quite capable of passing the test, but it will take increased effort and focus as the competition level raises.
"It's all about us getting better," simply said Dwight Howard about the upcoming slate. "It's all about us taking care of business."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, December 3, 2008, 4:29PM
Courtney's Night
Courtney Lee had a career-high of 19 points Wednesday night
Orlando Magic point guard and 11-year NBA veteran Anthony Johnson joked in the locker room that he would race home to watch his highlights on SportsCenter.
Orlando Magic All-Star and All-NBA center Dwight Howard has taken him under his wing, despite the fact that he is actually a couple of months older than Superman.
Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy talked about letting him play a little more to his instincts.
Yes, Magic rookie and first round draft pick Courtney Lee was the talk of the evening, as he filled up the stat sheet with a career-best 19 points, three assists, three steals and four rebounds in 34 minutes of work against Minnesota. His locker was surrounded by the gaggle of media postgame.
Lee is humble and hard working. He is also athletic and can impact the game both offensively and defensively.
Said Lee, who is still charged with bringing donuts daily to the Magic veterans, “I definitely feel more comfortable now. As a player you’re constantly talking to yourself, but my confidence has always stayed high. The guys tell me something different (and new) every day. Stan’s been laid back with me on offense, but he’s definitely still coaching me on defense – definitely.”
Rashard Lewis said the veterans would continue to keep Lee grounded, “but, we’ll congratulate him because we want him to keep his confidence up and keep playing like this.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, November 29, 2008, 12:12PM
With another guard down -- Mickael Pietrus has a torn right thumb ligament and will be out three-to-five weeks joining Jameer Nelson (strained groin) and Keith Bogans (franctured left thumb) on the Injured List -- Head Coach Stan Van Gundy had two main messages Saturday morning.
The first: there is still plenty of talent in the locker room. The second: injuries equal opportunity, in this case more time for J.J. Redick (who will start) and Courtney Lee.
It all adds up to this for the Magic. No excuses.
Van Gundy will look for the Magic to bring the same energy every night, as the Magic look to build on its Division-leading 12-4 record.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, November 26, 2008, 7:56PM
Dwight Howard was asked today what he wanted for his 23rd birthday which happens to be December 8th.
He said he wanted three things: 1) A championship ring to go with his Olympic Gold Medal; 2) To win the league rebounding crown for a second straight year; 3) To win the league's blocked shot title.
While he's working at No. 1, if he gets two and three he will be just the fifth player to do so.
The list:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (L.A. Lakers), 1975-76
16.9 rpg., 4.12 blkpg.
Bill Walton (Portland), 1976-77
14.4 rpg., 3.25 blkpg.
Hakeem Olajuwon (Houston), 1989-90
14.0 rpg., 4.59 blkpg.
Ben Wallace (Detroit), 2001-02
13.0 rpg., 3.48 blkpg.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, November 25, 2008, 10:56AM
Tough Break, Silver Lining
The Magic had a tough break, literally, Monday morning when it was announced that veteran shooting-guard and defensive specialist Keith Bogans would be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a fractured left thumb.
But with every break, comes a Glass Half Full silver lining.
While the Magic will miss Bogs, the fact of the matter is that J.J. Redick and Courtney Lee are there to step up behind starter Mickael Pietrus. While some critics may have pondered over the fact that the Magic had more than enough shooting guards, the depth there actually will come in handy.
Head Coach Stan Van Gundy can continue to use the two-guards depending on the situation at hand. Need a little more shooting, you go to J.J. Need a little more athleticism, you go to Courtney. Need both, you have MP with the Redick-Lee combo backing him up. Hedo Turkoglu could also see some time at the position if needed.
At the end of the day, while it was a tough break and Keith will be missed, the situation creates more opportunity for the others at the position.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, November 21, 2008, 11:51AM
Glass Half Full Three-Point Notebook...
1) Glass Half Full loved Dwight Howard's comments to Florida Today beat writer John Denton on Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, the catalyst of the Magic attack. Said Howard: "When Jameer is aggressive and getting into the lane, teams have to pick their poison. Come and get Jameer and it's a dunk for me. Leave him alone and Jameer is going to score." Wrote Denton, "Dwight Howard is the unquestioned heart and soul of the Orlando Magic with his thunderous dunks and Karch Kiraly-esque blocked shots, but could it be that he's not even the biggest X-factor on the team? Of late at least, that designation falls on pint-sized point guard Jameer Nelson, who seems to have a distinct hand in whether the Magic are successful on a given night. When Nelson is good -- as he has been lately as Orlando (8-3) has ripped off a four-game winning streak and a run of eight victories over the last nine games -- the Magic usually follow his lead...."
2) Magic television voice David Steele, who has been with the team since Day One, also doubles as the unofficial travel party meteorologist. Said Steele, as we were making our approach into Indianapolis, "It's going to be cold." Thanks big guy for the breaking news. Late November. Indianapolis. Cold. Got it. Funny, team operations/equipment manager Rodney Powell shared the same sentiments with the team at practice prior to leaving...and head coach Stan Van Gundy had the same reaction as Glass Half Full. Indy. November. Cold. Wow. Courtney Lee, who grew up in Indy, didn't take the advice, wearing a t-shirt and vest, although the vest was the old puffy, down variety.
3) Although Glass Half Full knows you should never mention a streak (or no-hitter), entering tonight's action the Orlando Magic and the Denver Nuggets share the NBA's longest win streaks at four. Don't tell anyone.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, November 20, 2008, 2:55PM
Real Estate, Major League Pitching and the Magic
Like the old saying of the three keys to successful real estate ventures, and major league pitching, (Location, Location, Location), your Orlando Magic have really had three main keys in getting off to its 8-3, Southeast Division-leading start.
Defense, Defense, Defense.
Orlando enters weekend action allowing just 93.0 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Magic is also holding foes to under 43 percent shooting from the floor (sixth in the league) and 31 percent from three-point range (second in the NBA).
The defense, an every day focus of Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, has carried the Magic through some cold shooting nights thus far.
"We have more of a defensive focus," said point guard Jameer Nelson. "That is the key to winning big. The shots may not always be there, but your effort on the other needs to be."
Nelson's mind set is solid, and should pay dividends, as the Magic put together its most complete effort in its 103-90 win over Toronto. Nelson, the Magic's catalyst at the point, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis all scored 22 points, while combining for eight three-pointers out of the Magic's inside-outside attack.
While the offensive ball movement was crisp, the early-season defensive staple was still solid, holding the Raptors to just 90 points, 43 percent shooting overall and two-of-14 from three-point range.
Magic faithful will look for more of the same, as the pace is about to pick up a bit with nine games over the next 15 days.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, November 19, 2008, 10:40AM
I'm Back
In the immortal words of Michael Jordan, "I'm back." Glass Hall Full is alive and well. And speaking of doing "well", so is the Magic. Winners of eight of its last nine, after 11 games you can find your team leading the Southeastern Division. Construction in also well underway on the community's new Events Center. And speaking of construction, the Magic is building more than just a building. Read on about one of the many success stories in a tough economic time.
BUILDING MORE THAN A BUILDING
Local Businesses, Neighborhood Feeling Benefits
True Power Electric of Orlando was on the cusp of closing its doors.
Significant economic turbulence paired with a lax in new construction projects had company President Willard Holmes Jr. seriously considering closing up shop.
So serious, he had given himself a month’s time to find work or he’d shut down.
But in an attempt to secure much needed revenue, the 52-year-old electrician and certified vocational educator thought it would be beneficial to attend a construction forum held by the Orlando Magic’s construction managers on July 29, 2008.
The series of forums helped educate local and minority and women business enterprises about construction opportunities for the new Orlando Events Center, while allowing participants to network and have a chance to learn about the subcontractor and supplier bid process.
Subsequently, Holmes was introduced to representatives from NewKirk Electric Associates Inc. by the Orlando Magic’s Minority and Women Business Enterprise consultant Deloris Batson.
That evening, Holmes said he “hoped to have an opportunity to work on the new arena.”
Fast forward to Oct. 21, where Holmes found himself pulling up to the construction site of the community’s new Event Center, working as a subcontractor in association with NewKirk Construction.
“I couldn’t ask for a better situation,” said Holmes, whose workforce should total about eight minority employees. “At the end of the day, when you feel you’ve given a decent effort, to have an opportunity to work on the project, I feel rewarded.”
As a result of construction package No. 1E, Holmes’s hope has translated into the largest monetary construction package in True Power’s history.
And while work may have been slow for Holmes in recent months, the benevolent-minded electrician was no where near idle. Holmes taught a free, 12-week electrical course at the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in Parramore. He eventually graduated two students in early September, one of which, Damon Hudson, has been hired by Holmes.
Thanks to course funding from Orlando Magic construction manager Hunt Construction Group and “Education is Cool – Get One,” along with the help of Kim Mowatt, manager of the Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center, who acquired complimentary course books for all students, Holmes’s course was a magnificent success.
“I believe in this old proverb,” said Holmes. “That if a person should live on this planet and learn all there is to know and if they fail to teach their neighbor, they’ve learned nothing. That is something I’ve always stood beside.”
Willard Holmes Time Line
July 29, 2008 – Attended forum sponsored by Orlando Magic construction managers where he was introduced to NewKirk Electric Associates Inc.
August, 2008 - Submitted bid for work on new events center.
September 3, 2008 - Graduated two students from electrical course funded by Hunt Construction Group and “Education is Cool – Get One,” he taught at Dr. J.B. Callahan Neighborhood Center in Parramore.
October, 2008 – Awarded largest construction package in company history. Package No. 1E (Deep Underslab Electrical)
October 16, 2008 - Hired construction course graduate Damon Hudson to work with him on site.
October 21, 2008 – Holmes and True Power Electric arrive for first day of work at Events Center site.
With the building of the new downtown Events Center on the City of Orlando’s West side, the Orlando Magic – the developers of the new arena – is focused also on revitalization efforts in the Parramore neighborhood. Recent efforts have included:
* Pledging $250,000 to the Parramore Kidz Zone and After School All-Stars to provide positive programs for local youth vulnerable to drugs, gangs and violence.
* Refurbishing Parramore’s New Image Youth Center. Once moldy and rat-infested, the new education center now features flat-screen televisions, freshly painted walls, desktop computers, new carpeting, a Nintendo Wii and central air conditioning.
* Renovating the Downtown Boys and Girls Club.
* Providing school supplies to the Bridge To Independence School and sponsoring a trip for kids from the Parramore Kidz Zone to New York City.
* When Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu received the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award presented by Kia Motors, he donated a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV to Parramore Kidz Zone.
* Dwight Howard presented 300 pairs of adidas shoes to the students at Orange Center Elementary for their hard work towards improving their FCATs.
* Orlando Magic center Adonal Foyle delivered healthy snacks, Magic backpacks and a meaningful message on making healthy lifestyle choices to the elementary students at Nap Ford Community School in Parramore. The visit coincided with the school’s commencement of the “Junk Free Zone,” which focuses on eliminating bad language, unhealthy foods and unproductive habits, while encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
* Equipped with paint brushes, drills, hammers, gloves and garbage bags, the Orlando Magic’s staff volunteer program (MVP) helped renovate a Parramore area home. Last year the Magic employees totatled 5,858 hours of community service.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, July 11, 2008, 12:00PM
Air France Arrives
At his introductory press conference, it was the question of the day.
Forget, for a moment, the fact that he will serve as the Orlando Magic’s master lock defender, shadowing the likes of the Wades and James of the world.
Forget the fact he has the proverbial motor which constantly runs Nascar-like high every time he steps on the court.
Forget the fact Magic General Manager Otis Smith, then with the Golden State Warriors, selected him with the 11th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft and has coveted him ever since.
Forget the fact he felt blessed to be wearing No. 20 for the Orlando Magic and embraced the photo-op jersey all through his press conference.
Forget the fact he loves to work with kids in the community.
Forget the fact he will fast become a locker room leader.
Forget the fact he can light up a room with his mega-watt smile.
No, forget all that. The question of the day was how exactly do you pronounce the name of Orlando’s newest addition, six-foot, six-inch, 215-pound, five-year veteran Mickael Pietrus?
Is it My-kel Pee-trus? Mee-Cal Pee-A-Truss? MP?
Going right to the source, the former French National Team member, said Michael Pee-Truss.
So, just Michael? Yes.
Not Pee-A-Trus? No
Michael, like Mike? Yes. Pee-Truss? Yes
“It wasn’t long after I first got the job,” says Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, “when we (Otis) talked about players down the road and Mickael was a guy Otis was already talking about. When I got around to watching film, the No. 1 thing that stood out was that he is at full speed all the time. His energy and his effort is just incredible. I watched probably 15 or 16 of his games and he just goes hard all the time.
“He can go to Cleveland and guard LeBron James and go and guard Dwyane Wade,” added Van Gundy. “He’s an outstanding rebounder…he shoots the three very well which is obviously big for us…and Otis and I talked and he’s only 26 years old and still has a great deal of upside.”
Pietrus takes great pride in his defense.
“On defense, trust me, I’m having fun. Because you want to get a steal and your teammates scores and he’s happy. I’m happy too because he gets more confident and the team gets more confident and everybody kind of links together. We’ve got one goal – to win a basketball game. For me to get a steal, to take a charge, that’s my main focus.”
One more question, what should the radio and television broadcasters call you?
Simple, he said with that magnetic smile, “Air France.”
Air France is ready for takeoff.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, June 5, 2008, 12:00PM
Exclusive Father-Son Club
The Los Angeles Lakers Luke Walton is looking to join exclusive company as the NBA Finals get ready to roll tonight. Walton is trying to join his father, Bill, to win a title. The only other two father-son sets to win it all are the Barrys (Rick, Brent) and our very own Magic TV analyst Matt Guokas, and his father Matt.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, May 15, 2008, 3:43 PM
End of the Season
The end of a season is always tough. One minute you are going 90 miles per hour, and then you hit the breaks.
It takes some time to come off the wild ride which is the NBA Playoffs.
While your Magic certainly made progress – 52 wins, a divisional title, winning a playoff series (all for the first time in 12 years) - there was still some tangible disappointment as the players cleaned out their lockers.
“I think a real significant thing is that guys really feel a lot of pain and are disappointed losing,” said Head Coach Stan Van Gundy. “I know it was only five games, but (the Eastern Conference Semifinals) was pretty highly contested series with the Pistons. That right there is a significant stride in that you are thinking like a winning basketball team.”
Van Gundy and General Manager Otis Smith will look for the team to continue to grow as individuals and as a team. “We have to continue to get better,” says Smith. “It is about how do we move the Orlando Magic organization ball club to the next level and as I’ve said before the next level is a championship. What is disappointing is that we were 11 wins away from a title.”
So, Orlando’s Magic will go back to work. The core is in place, led by Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson and Hedo Turkoglu. “You can’t really shortcut the growth process,” adds Smith. “I don’t think we’re trying to shortcut it, but we are trying to speed it up to get to where we want to go.”
Where the Magic are going is in the right direction.
“They are a team that will be here for a long time for years to come," Detroit Head Coach Flip Saunders said. "With Dwight and all the pieces they have, they are definitely a team on the rise."
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, May 2, 2008, 12:23 PM
Things to Watch
Here are some things to watch, as your Magic get set for its Eastern Conference Semifinal showdown vs. Detroit.
The Magic must contain the Pistons veteran backcourt of Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilon. The Magic must look to push the tempo in transition offensively to get easier baskets. The Magic must continue to play inside-out, feeding Dwight Howard, while kicking the ball out for threes. As usual, ball movement, spacing, taking caring of the ball and rebounding are keys for Orlando.
Look for Detroit to try and make it a half court game. The Pistons like to ride the hot hand, whether it’s Billups, Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace or Tayshaun Prince. While the backcourt battle is key, the interesting part may come in how the Pistons defend Dwight and how the Magic cover Rasheed. It will be a playoff chess battle throughout the series.
Buckle up.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, April 30, 2008, 1:50 PM
One of Few As your Orlando Magic get set for its first trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a dozen years, pause for a moment to realize two weeks ago there were still 30 teams playing. When Orlando hits the hardwood for round two, there will be just eight.
“Twenty-two teams will be home and there will be eight playing,” head coach Stan Van Gundy said, adding, “and you’re one of them and that’s a good feeling.”
While playoff fever is sweeping Orlando and people are starting to party like it’s 1995, realize the Magic’s thirst has not been satisfied.
“I think we have struck a pretty good balance all year, of appreciating the accomplishments we’ve had along the way, not over celebrating, but also not diminishing them.” The Magic’s ladder of success has included securing a playoff spot, posting a winning record for the first time in five years, winning a divisional title for the first time in 12 years, having home court advantage in the first round, winning a playoff game and notching a series win.
“You can’t diminish what happened last night,” said Van Gundy a day after Orlando topped Toronto. “That was a huge step for our players and for our organization. (Our fans) have waited a long time for that feeling again…That doesn’t mean we don’t want more.”
Van Gundy, who shortly will be locked into the strategies of a new best-of-seven series, can still put in all in perspective.
“I always think when you’re out and around and you feel sort of a buzz and people are happy about it, it makes you feel better and that you are doing something that people enjoy,” said Van Gundy. “We have sort of a fantasy-land job here. We don’t add a lot of worth in a lot of ways. We are not saving lives, we are not educating people, we are not putting out fires, we are not building roads for people to travel. There are a lot of things that people do everyday that are vastly more important than what we do. Really, our only thing that we can do is entertain and provide an outlet for people, where they can go and enjoy it, and have fun and feel good about what’s going on. It’s hard work for our players and everyone in our organization to be good enough to create that feeling and it doesn’t happen that often. It took 12 years to get back to this point, which is all that you are trying to do in this job. To get back to where you can do it, and to see the arena like that, and get up this morning and have the courage to do and have everybody feeling good is what we do for a community. It feels good. There are a lot of other people out there who are celebrating us today who are doing a lot more for our community and it’s nice to be able to do something for them.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, April 28, 2008, 9:25 AM
Headline: The Buzz is Back Winning 50-plus games for the first time since the 1995-96 season, the 2007-2008 Orlando Magic captured its first divisional title in 12 years. With the winning came a certain buzz felt far and wide.
The Magic sold out 32 games this past season, the most since 1997. Three and four years ago respectively (2003-04, 2004-05), the Magic had back-to-back four sellout seasons. Now, Orlando has sold out 57 of its last 82 games over the last two years. And the numbers are sure to climb, as Orlando season ticket renewal rates are approaching 90 percent and the Magic are steaming toward 10,000 season ticket holders.
The Orlando Magic and its fans received some major recognition at the 2008 NBA Sales and Marketing Meetings held in Miami this past January 6-8. The Magic were recognized as one of nine league teams for selling 2,000-plus new season tickets; one of four teams to sell 3,000-plus group tickets per game; while also receiving a retail sales performance award.
Speaking of retail, Dwight Howard's jersey climbed to No. 14 on the most popular jersey list. And, as you remember, Superman received 2,066,991 all-star fan votes this year, the third-most in the league behind only Kevin Garnett and LeBron James. And that was before his super slam dunk title. Of note, the previous year he had just 978,007.
When you talk big numbers, you talk orlandomagic.com. The team's website ranked in the Top 10 in three major traffic categories on nba.com. As of the end of the regular season, the Orlando team site was the eighth-most viewed in the NBA this year, with more than 26 million hits, while Howard's player page ranked seventh among all players. Hedo Turkoglu's player page also hit the top 10 in international player page views, landing the Magic forward in eighth place among all international players in the league. Turkoglu also earned the NBA's Most Improved Player Award by a vote of national media. Orlandomagic.com has established new all-time monthly traffic records in eight of the last nine months and has already set a new record for page views in a single season. The Web site, which was re-launched in October 2007, is currently on pace to welcome more visitors this year than any other in franchise history.
From a community standpoint, the Orlando Magic Youth Foundation Black Tie and Tennies Charity Gala held on March 29th raised a total of $501,000 -- a five percent increase over the previous year.
TV ratings for your Magic were up also. Orlando's Game 2 win over Toronto in their first round NBA Playoffs series April 22 on Sun Sports produced the highest rating for a Magic game telecast on Sun Sports since 2005 and was the top rated cable program for the day in the Orlando TV market. The game posted a 3.8 average Nielsen household rating in the Orlando/Daytona Beach/Melbourne market making it the most-watched Magic game on Sun Sports since a 3.8 rating for game versus the Philadelphia 76ers on January 22, 2005. An average of over 54,000 TV households tuned to Sun Sports for the April 22 game. From 8:30 to 8:45pm, that telecast peaked at an impressive 4.9 average HH rating (over 70,000 households).
The buzz is back.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, April 16, 2008, 1:13 PM
Keys To Toronto Series
With the Raptors coming to town Sunday, here’s a six pack of keys to the series:
1) Orlando’s transition defense will be important. Toronto point guards Jose Calderon and T.J. Ford can really get out and go. The Magic will have to work hard to get back and slow the Raptor attack.
2) The Magic must work to contain Chris Bosh. You can’t stop him, but have to give him a number of looks defensively.
3) The Magic must limit Toronto’s penetration into the lane. Once again, we are talking about Calderon and Ford. They are a tough cover in the pick-and-roll and can also break you down and then kick out for three (not unlike your Magic).
4) The Magic’s inside-outside attack. It has worked all season. Throw it into Dwight Howard for the dunk, or if that’s covered, kick it out to the likes of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis.
5) Take care of the ball. This covers two areas for your Magic: a) offensively limit turnovers; b) defensive rebounding. Securing the ball will be important.
6) Shooting the three. Again, this has been a key for Orlando this year en route to a record-setting season from three-point land. Look for the Magic to shoot it often after good ball movement, while also combining the pop-a-shot offense with opportune drives to the basket when available. The combination has and can be deadly.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, March 25, 2008, 3:12 PM
Three Keys
With just a handful of games to go before the playoffs, here’s a triple-play of keys the Magic will be focused on down the stretch and en route to securing the Southeastern Division title, winning 50-plus games and setting the franchise record for road victories:
1) Defense. Whether its transition defense, protecting the paint or closing out on shooters, Orlando will continue to work on strengthening its defense in games and in practice sessions. The Magic have proved to be very good when they focus and play with energy on the defensive end. Also, remember every defensive possession ends when the Magic secure the ball. Rebounding will continue to be important.
2) Continue Inside-Outside Attack. Orlando’s offensive attack has proved to be a menace for the opposition. Pick your poison: You load up on Dwight Howard and the three-point attack led by Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis will hurt you. Try to take away the Magic’s three-point shooting and here comes Superman to dunk on you. It’s been effective all season, as the Magic have set a franchise record for three-pointers made, while Howard has taken another leap forward in regard to his development. He should be an All-NBA First Team honoree. Other keys offensively: the Magic need to take care of the ball and look to push the tempo. Getting out and running equals easy baskets.
3) While the team will continue to push, look for head coach Stan Van Gundy to find spots for the team to get some rests. This will look like a few more days off between games, yet practice sessions and games remain intense. The Magic will continue to work hard and ramp up leading to what should be an exciting playoff push.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, March 17, 2008, 2:49 PM
Just Some Notes Most Improved Player – How about Hedo Turkoglu?
* Averaging career-high 19.7 pppg., 6.4 ppg. more than last year and 9.2 over his career average
* Has recorded two triple-doubles and set game career-highs in rebounds (15 rebs. vs. Toronto, Nov. 7) and assists (13 asts. vs. Dallas, Feb. 4 and vs. Atlanta Mar. 10)
* Leads the Magic in fourth quarter scoring with 431 points (average of 6.3 points per fourth quarter), while notching 10-plus points in the fourth quarter alone 15 times
* Named NBA Player of the week twice (back-to-back weeks Jan. 27th and Feb. 3rd)
All-NBA First Team – Superman Dwight Howard
* Has seven 20-point/20-rebounds games this year, a league-leading 59 double-doubles and an NBA-most 237 dunks
* Won NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in both November and December
* Is looking to join the exclusive company of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal to accomplish all of the following in a single-season: Average at least 20 points per game, average at least 10 rebounds per game, and shoot 60 percent from floor.
* Looking to become youngest player to lead the league in rebounding.
Coach of the Year – Why Not Stan The Man?
* Orlando was two games under .500 last year (40-42). Today, the Magic sit 20 games over .500 at 44-24
* Orlando is 23-12 on the road this season, tying with Boston, and just ahead of Detroit and the L.A. Lakers for the most road wins. Orlando is 14-6 vs. the East away from home and 9-6 against the West on the road
* Orlando has its largest lead in the division since March of 1996, when the Magic led the Atlantic division by nine games. Today, Orland leads the Southeast Division by 9 ½ games
* Orlando has defeated Boston and Detroit twice each
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, March 14, 2008, 9:28 AM
Playoff Format
Once again, I present my Glass Half Full idea to change the NBA playoffs. I say numbers 1-7 make the playoffs in each conference and the eighth spot in both the East and West is decided by a one-loss-and-your-out elimination tournament.
So, here’s how it works. If the playoffs started today, Boston, Detroit, Orlando, Cleveland, Toronto, Washington, Philadelphia would be in from the East, while the Lakers, Houston, San Antonio, Utah, New Orleans, Phoenix and Dallas would make it from the West.
With the remaining 16 teams you have a NCAA-style tournament to decide the final two playoff teams. The teams could be seeded by record and it takes three wins. I say end the regular season a few days early and play the play-in tournament. Maybe for a little added spice, the two teams remaining get the first and second picks in the draft.
The tourney would be great, while the fans in the bottom feeder cities would have some hope come April. It doesn’t diminish the regular season because who wants to play three more games to get in the playoffs, and this could possibly reward the last two teams to make it regardless of what conference. Of the final two, you give the team with the best record its choice to join the East or West playoffs.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, March 11, 2008, 1:10 PM
Why Not Stan The Man? Talking NBA Coach of the Year today and here’s my Glass Half Full question: Why Not Stan The Man?
Here’s by back-up:
* Orlando was two games under .500 last year (40-42). Today, the Magic sit 17 games over .500 at 41-24
* Orlando is 22-12 on the road this season, tying with Boston, Detroit and the L.A. Lakers for the most road wins. Orlando is 13-6 vs. the East away from home and 9-6 against the West on the road
* Orlando has its largest lead in the division since March of 1996, when the Magic led the Atlantic division by nine games. Today, Orland leads the Southeast Division by 9 ½ games
* Orlando has defeated Boston and Detroit twice each
* Orlando has had to adapt to key loss of true power forward Tony Battie.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, March 5, 2008, 11:24AM
Tuning Up For Playoff Run While it’s no time to relax, as the Magic are tuning up for a memorable playoff run, take a moment to take the following in:
* The Orlando Magic currently lead the Southeast Division by 8 ½ games with a 39-23 record. Just Boston and Detroit are ahead of the Magic in the Eastern Conference standings.
* This is Orlando’s largest lead in the division since March of 1996, when the Magic led the Atlantic division by nine games.
* Orlando will look to make its 10th playoff berth in the last 15 years and with three more wins is guaranteed its first winning season since 2002-03. Orlando is on track to record 50 victories for the first time since 1995-96.
* The Magic have sold out 25 of 29 home games this season.
* The Magic has showed its resiliency and toughness on the road by going 21-12 away from home. The 21 road wins is tied for the most in the NBA this season (Detroit, L.A. Lakers). It will be only the second time in franchise history that the Magic have finished above .500 on the road.
* Dwight Howard made his second consecutive All-Star appearance and first start Feb. 17th in New Orleans. Howard, who won the NBA’s Slam Dunk contest during All-Star Weekend, garnered 2,066,991 fan All-Star votes – trailing only Kevin Garnett and LeBron James. Howard, also a member of Team USA, was just one of four players to have more than two million fan votes (Garnett, James, Kobe Bryant).
* Dwight Howard won the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors in both November and December, while the Magic have won four league Player of the Week Awards (Dwight Howard twice, Hedo Turkoglu twice).
* Dwight Howard, who has seven 20-point/20-rebounds games this year, 53 double-doubles and a league-leading 220 dunks, is looking to join the exclusive company of Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal to accomplish all of the following in a single-season: average at least 20 points per game, average at least 10 rebounds per game and shoot 60 percent from floor.
* Orlando currently ranks sixth in the NBA in scoring (104.3 points per game). Orlando has made at least five three-pointers in 63 straight games, dating back to last season, the longest such streak in the history of the NBA.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, February 26, 2008, 4:24 PM
Cookie and Mo How about Brian Cook and Maurice Evans Magic fans?
While some armchair GMs were clamoring for a move at the recently passed trading deadline, realize in essence the Magic made a key move ahead of the crowd when they acquired Brian Cook and Maurice Evans from the Lakers for the now-injured Trevor Ariza.
Cook, who has gotten into better shape and has learned the nuances of the Magic’s defensive scheme, has provided some instant offense off the bench, while Evans is Mr. Energy, not unlike the supercharged Keyon Dooling.
The bottom line is that the deal has worked out very well.
Some living in chat rooms need to remember you often don’t get a certain piece of the puzzle for nothing. You have to give something to get something. Magic GM Otis Smith determined that he had to give up to much to get another piece, so he decided to stay the course with a team that is now 14 games over .500 and in first place in the Southeast Division. Last year, after 58 games Orlando was 28-30.
There’s still room on the Magic bandwagon, currently running third in the Eastern Conference. The Glass is Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, February 14, 2008, 11:17AM
DWIGHT NEEDS YOUR VOTE Ok, Glass Half Full, on behalf of Dwight "Thunder" Howard, is asking loyal readers for ideas for the upcoming Dunk Contest. Send them in, quickly.
For the first time ever, fans will help decide the winner of the 2008 Sprite Slam Dunk Contest (Sat., Feb. 16, 8 p.m. ET on TNT) at NBA All-Star weekend, and Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard needs your help to take home the slam dunk crown!
Howard will face off in the contest against defending champion Gerald Green of the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay and Jamario Moon of the Toronto Raptors on NBA All-Star Saturday Night. For the first time, fans will have the final say in deciding the winner of the Sprite Slam Dunk competition. Following the concluding round of dunks, fans will be able to cast their votes via SMS TXT message and at NBA.com to determine this year’s winner.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 9:44 AM
Sweet Lew’s Sacrifice
The scene: Rashard Lewis’ introductory press conference back in July.
The question: What position would he play?
Lewis, versatile enough to play shooting-guard, small-forward or even a tad at power forward, paused, and gave a sly smile. “It’s all up to the man right here,” he said, motioning toward new head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Power forward a few months and that’s where you find Rashard Lewis collecting most of his minutes, at power forward.
While he no doubt would be better served playing his natural small forward position, Lewis has been on a season-long sacrifice for the good of the team. When Tony Battie, Orlando’s 6-11, 240-pound, lunch bucket power forward, went down with a torn rotator cuff, in stepped Lewis.
Lewis’ unselfishness arguably cost him an All-Star bid. But, as Lewis, a 2005 All-Star selection, said on Day One, he just wants to win.
“Rashard has made a huge sacrifice from the personal (and statistical) side off things that has helped elevate somebody like Turk (Hedo Turkoglu, who is having a career year from the small forward postion),” says Van Gundy. “I think it’s been unselfish and helped our team. If he were incapable or unwilling to make the move to the point he fought it, then we’d have a problem as a team. It pains me a little bit that his name didn’t come up in the all-star discussion because he basically gave that up for the sake of the team.”
Adds Turkoglu, “He is in a tough situation because he has to play against bigger guys, and he has a mismatch and has to battle with those guys down inside. He is really tough and I think he has been great for the team.”
Lewis, who grew six inches between the eight and ninth grade and thus traded his football cleats for a pair of basketball shoes, entered the NBA out of high school, but wasn’t drafted until the second round. A clue to his unselfishness and willing to sacrifice can be found in what he wanted to be while growing up…A firefighter.
He has certainly fought for the Magic this season, no matter what he has been asked to do.
GOT A QUESTION FOR GLASS HALF FULL?
I look forward to hearing from you, whether you have a Magic-related question, comment or alternative opinion, or an NBA question, or question about something else. E-mail mehere. Also, check out Orlando Magic: Did You Know?
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, February 6, 2008, 9:44 AM
From Mike (2/06): I as a season ticket holder and many others that I have talked to all have the same question: Why are we not making a move for a Power forward? Please don’t say that Lewis is a 4. We are so deep with guards and attractive expiring contracts. A defensive and rebounding presence along with Dwight will help tighten up a team that is supposedly built around defense. It would then help ease the fact that we are sometimes weak in the point position as well. With the way Hedo plays, he is more a big 2 than a small forward. He often runs the offense and controls the ball. The starting lineup can be Dwight C, newly acquired PF, Lewis SG, Hedo SG, one of our options PG.
Another question, why do they not try to utilize J.J. as a point guard. If he is as good as his hype, he should be able to take on such a role and possibly find a new place on the team that doesn’t involve either the bench or the corner behind the arc that he is glued to when he is on the floor. Just a thought. Use your tools when you have a weakness. Thanks.
GHF: Thanks Mike....We are certainly in need of a power forward. GHF remembers the morning he found out that Tony Battie would be lost for the season. Yes, it was little more empty than full. As has been detailed here, we agree Rashard has sacrificed and is playing out of position. But, rest assured. As always GM Otis Smith is certainly looking for and evaluating options to improve the team. In regard to JJ at point, that might be a stretch in regard to his skill set. However, GHF still contends JJ will play a role in the future. Thanks for your support as as season ticket holder.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, January 28, 2008, 11:44AM
From Deb (1/24): What's with Garrity? Do you think they will continue to carry him next year? He hasn't played much for the past 3 years....when is his contract up?
GHF: Pat is a true professional who keeps himself ready for whenever his number is called. He works extremely hard in practice and is a valuable member of the team on and off the court. His contract is up after this season. As we have seen many times in this league, everyone on the roster is needed at some point in what is a long, hard season. You just never know when you are going to need one of those patented Pat Garrity trifectas. One other side note, Pat is in the best condition of any player on the team based on regular testing done by our strength and conditioning staff.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, January 17, 2008, 9:13AM
THE HALFWAY MARK After last night's tilt at Charlotte, your Magic have hit the halfway mark.
With a 24-17 mark, playing a road weary schedule (Orlando is 16-9 on the road and 8-8 at home), the glass is certainly half full.
So what do we know about this edition of the Magic? First, playing that road-heavy schedule, this team has developed some toughness, some resolve.
Offensively, the team has certainly developed an identity. Its inside-outside attack is built around Dwight Howard. Smother Howard and opponents get hurt by the Magic's three-point spread attack; Let the All-Star starter-to-be rome free in the paint and it's double-trouble. The Magic have the luxury of three go-to guys in Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis come crunch time.
Defensively, the squad has shown flashes, but as Head Coach Stan Van Gundy says, this is the area where the Magic will go from good to great.
Boil it all down and your Magic are on the way to hopefully playing its best basketball come March, April, and beyond.
If you were told that you would be playing 25 of your first 41 on the road (not to mention a preseason trip to China) and you would be seven-plus games over .500, you would be thrilled. The ever-changing expectations cloud us from time to time, but this has been a nice start to this season's magical marathon.
From Veronica (1/17): Why? Why are the magic losing games that they should win, especially when there is a tremendous lead into half. The game plan needs to be changed, because the magic playing is so predictable. I know if the magic is leading by the half they will lose the game. The magic is such a good team to be losing against these team. If only they can take burst of energy in the 1st half to the end, they would not lose these types of games to teams that are non contenders. Their game is so predictable, as die hard fan, I can even predict the ending, and if I can do that coaches can also. The magic play so hard at the beginning of the first two quarters, by the time it is the 3rd quarter the players start to fizzle. Take your starters out when there is reasonable lead, and let them rest for some minutes, and put them back in the game in the fourth quarter. They will have a renewed energy to pull the games to the stretch for the win. There is no reason that the starters should be playing the whole game unless you’re playing against a top contender. Their mistake is the starters are fizzling out when they are needed the most at the stretch.
GHF: Thanks for your input, passion and points. I still contend that at 24-17 after 41 games (while playing 24 away from home), we are in a good place. And, we haven't played our best basketball yet.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, January 10, 2008, 2:04 PM
Potential Headline: Paint By Numbers
In this his fourth year in the NBA, Orlando Magic man-child Dwight Howard is learning that there is more to his impact on the game and subsequent wins and losses than statistics. But, having said that, his numbers are becoming quite astounding.
Dwight Howard By The Numbers:
2... Two, as in twice, as in the number of times Dwight Howard was named the NBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Month in the first two months of this season. En route to garnering the league’s monthly honor in November and December, Howard also earned two Player of the Week accolades.
15... For 15 straight games between December 3rd and January 2nd, Dwight Howard tallied a double-double (double figures in points and rebounds in the same game), just three shy of the Magic record held (for now) by none other than Shaquille O’Neal (18 straight). Howard is on pace to beat Shaq’s Magic seasonal record of 68 double-doubles set in 1992-93.
30... Double 15 and you have 30. Howard became just the second Magic player (see Shaq) to tally back-to-back 30-point/15-rebound games. On December 14th he had 33 points and 18 rebounds against Charlotte and then posted 31 points and 20 rebounds on December 15th vs. Memphis. Howard has nine 30-point/15-rebound games, the most in the NBA and also on pace to top Shaq’s 15 30/15 games in 1994-95.Howard also has more 20-20 games than any player in the league this season.
133... Howard has 133 dunks, more than 50 more than the player in second place (Andrew Bynum with 81). Howard’s dunk total is more than approximately 26 teams. He has nearly 800 dunks over the course of his career.
.600... This may be the most amazing number. Only four players in NBA history have had seasons where they averaged at least 20 points per game, 10 rebounds per game, while shooting .600 (60 percent) from the field. They are Wilt Chamberlain (1966-67), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1979-80), Charles Barkley (1989-90) and Shaquille O’Neal (2004-05). Howard, who is the only player in the league to be in the Top 10 this season in points, rebounds, blocked shots and field goal percentage, is on pace to join that exclusive quartet.
1,456,898... Howard, who is getting ready to suit up for his second NBA All-Star Game in what should be his senior season as a collegiate, has 1.4 million-plus fan All-Star votes. The number ranks third among all NBA players (trailing only Kevin Garnett and LeBron James; ahead of the likes of Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony, Yao Ming and Dwyane Wade).
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, January 9, 2008, 9:10AM
From Dan (1/9): There's something more here than meets the eye, and its hard for people who are fans outside of the Orlando area to hear the buzz. Redick's not playing. Why? Is he in Van Gundy's doghouse? Is he still battling injuries? Is he not getting along with his teammates? I don't understand what the deal is here. Orlando struggles with free throws, shooting percentage, and three pointers.
This is liked being mugged every night with a taser in your pocket you refuse to use. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Redick could be that SPARK the Magic need.
GHF: As GHF has said all along, J.J. will get an opportunity before it is all said and done, and in fact he played well late last night in Sacramento. I see a bright future for J.J. As Orlando raced to a 16-4 record, it is hard to argue that the players playing in front of him weren't doing well and giving the Magic what they needed out of the two-guard spot. His time will come though. Keep believing in Magic.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, December 19, 9:52AM
From Deb: Looks like we are down to losing games because of free throws.... I was amazed at how many free throws Dallas made...almost all of them. Our team fought hard but to late in the game. Lewis has been a disappointment ...and certainly not worth 20 million a year. Am I seeing things or does Lewis look like he's lost out on the floor most of the time? It looks as though he doesn't know where his place is on the team. He seems so unsure of himself.
GHF: This is certainly not Glass Half Full material, but I do appreciate your passion. Not to make excuses, but Rashard is battling a very stiff and spasming neck. He is continuing to get treatment and has made a few visits to a chiropractor. This has impacted his play, but make no mistake this guy will be back. He continues to be a match-up nightmare for opponents and will undoubtedly knock down many, many more big shots as we saw early on.
Here's what Rashard said yesterday, "I'm not as mobile as I want to be. It has taken a little of my athleticism. Sometimes I run down the court, I can only look over my left shoulder." He added that he felt he needed to play because his team needs him with the Magic going through a tough part of the schedule (e.g. Texas two-step at Dallas, at Houston, home vs. Utah and at Boston).
As for free throws, we will keep working on them.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, December 18, 2007, 3:33 PM
After a 2 a.m. Eastern time arrival into Houston, the Magic were back at practice Tuesday afternoon.
The message of the day was "building habits which win games."
While there is vast amounts of praise when things are going well, and biting criticisms when not, the coaching staff continues to work to keep the crew on an even keel. Developing a daily focus which will sustain the Magic for the long run is the goal at this point.
Playing well at both ends of the floor is perhaps the most import aspect, as opposed to just getting caught up in the results. Play well and hard and the wins come.
At the start of the season if you were told the team -- with its demanding road schedule -- would be 17-9 after 26 games, you would have taken it. There were plenty of floor burns to go around Tuesday at practice, always a good sign that this team is sacrificing to get better.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Friday, December 14, 2007, 10:08AM
From Mike (12/13): I’m probably not the only person who is thinking this… Did the Magic forget that if you live by the three you die by the three? Why is there a problem in making adjustments with our offense. We have lost three straight to notably weak teams defensively and while we are shooting poorly, we either toss up air balled three pointers or dish it to a triple teamed Dwight. Why doesn’t the rest of the team attack the rim and draw the foul?
GHF: Thanks for your thoughts. The coaching staff will certainly work on some adjustments, but having said that we need to continue concentrating on our core principles which were successful: 1) Run and attack more offensively; 2) Make free throws; 3) Take care of the ball better; 4) Defend. Those were the four categories we talked about prior to the season. GHF and the coaching staff also adds the fact that we need to start games better. In regard to the three-pointer, it will continue to be a key. It still spreads the floor. Head Coach SVG clearly made the point early on that we wouldn't look as pretty when the shots aren't falling. But, this little speed bump isn't all about the three pointer. It's about defense, taking care of ball and effort also. GHF does not believe this three-game streak is all bad. We weren't going to go the whole season winning 16 of every 20. The league is better than that and this is part of the process. Adversity toughens you up.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, December 13, 9:16AM
ANOTHER TOUGH ONE
Another tough one for your Magic in Milwaukee Wednesday night, but as Head Coach Stan Van Gundy alluded to after the game: When the shots aren't falling and we are not as crisp offensively, the Magic need to jump- start themselves with defense, rebounding and effort. Look for that to happen as Orlando heads to Charlotte for a Friday night tilt, before returning home Saturday against Memphis. Teams are game- planning against Dwight Howard and the Magic will continue to work on offensive adjustments and getting back to what worked early on: Running, taking care of the ball better, making free throws, and spreading the floor. But, collectively we need to channel defense and effort, and better starts to games. As mentioned before in Glass Half Full: Tough times don't last, tough people do, and adversity does build character.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, December 12, 3:10 PM
From: FLALOANS (12/12): 1. Why so little improvement in seating capacity?
GHF: The new arenas these days are not so much about the actual number of seats, but the amenties available for all segments of our population and building in maximum flexibility to host future events, including events like major political conventions, concerts, family shows and NCAA events - including March Madness- which seats as much as 20,000, Orlando's new events center will have all that. From kid and fan zones to restaurants to gathering places in all shapes and sizes, you will be proud of your new home. Realize this: The current Amway Arena is 367,000 square feet. The new facility will be 800,000 square feet.
2. What will be done to make this a Green building?
GHF: While sustainable design specifics will be finalized in the coming months, designers will focus on the opportunities to create an environmentally friendly building in various categories. The design and construction team will focus on creating a sustainable site; providing water efficiency; optimizing energy and atmosphere protection; conserving materials and resources; monitoring indoor environmental quality and health; and selecting environmentally preferred operations and maintenance. These elements will combine to create one of the most environmentally friendly, high performing professional arenas in the country.
3. Will we still have to sit in each others lap to see the game or will the seats be worth the price?
GHF: Glass Half Full believes you will have a great spectator experience in the community's new building. Wider seats, wider concourses and a wider number of available options, from $5 seats to a private suite and everything you can imagine inbetween at a wide number of price points. GHF travels the country with the Magic and you wouldn't believe the options for customers available. This building will have the best of the best, while still being unique for Orlando.
From Deb (12/11): LAST NIGHTS GAME....Reminds me of the old team .... Looks like we need a whole lot of practice instead of relying on Howard all the time.... Why doesn't that coach put redick in when no one else is shooting!!!!!
GHF: Thanks for your passion. The Magic were hard at work yesterday, working on countering the double- and triple-teams coming at Dwight. It's really part of our growing process. First, realize we have to learn to play with a target on our back. We have gone from the hunter to the hunted. Second, we need to continue to run the floor to get easy baskets, move the ball better offensively inside and out, take care of the ball a little better and make the open shots we are getting. Glass Half Full sees everyone contributing, including JJ, as we move forward. But, realize Keith Bogans and Keyon Dooling have both played well out of the two-guard position. No time to panic, though. This is a speed bump. All are on board and we will get out of it with everyone contributing.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, December 5, 9:51AM
From Kirtan (12/04): Hey GHF, The victories have been impressive but the most impressive thing so far has been the effort of the players, especially on the road and on the second night of back to backs. I love the fact that we no longer take nights off, proven by last night's win against the warriors. Just wanted to thank the Magic players for the tremendous entertainment they have provided thus far. Here's hoping the players continue to put forth the same kind of effort on the floor every night, even when faced with adversity. O-town is ready to rally behind the Magic and hopefully pull off something special this year.
GHF: What, are you trying to take Glass Half Full's job? Thanks for the kind words.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, December 4, 9:15AM
FIRST QUARTER OF THE SEASON
Thirty-four days, 20 games, including 13 on the road, and 16 victories, against four defeats.
There you have it. The first quarter of your Magic season is in the books, and what a quarter it has been.
Words that come to mind after flying home all night following the Magic's 123-117 OT victory over Golden State in Oakland are: Toughness, resiliency, three-pointers and thunder dunks.
Head Coach Stan Van Gundy told his team after last night's win that he isn't often impressed being the gym rat perfectionist that he is. But in the Magic's West Coast finale he was impressed. The Warriors were red hot and had won six straight and nine of ten. The Magic, on a back end of a back-to-back, found themselves down in the final moments, but fought back to force overtime before claiming the prize.
There's a long way to go - three quarters in fact - but the Magic are winning in all types of ways and getting all types of contributions.
The team was granted a rare day off after the redeye flight which saw them land at 8 a.m. Tomorrow (Wednesday) it's back to work. The second quarter awaits.
Send in your questions. The Glass is Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Saturday, December 1, 11:08AM
TOUGH ONE IN PHOENIX
Tough one for the Magic men, dropping a 110-106 decision in Phoenix. The Glass Half Full positive was that the Magic fought back from a 10-point fourth quarter deficit and Dwight Howard was again a beast with 30 points and 23 rebounds (video game number as radio analyst Richie Adubato says). Unbelievably, Howard has more dunks than 25 teams this year.
The not so Glass Half Full fact is that there are no moral victories and the Magic didn't play well enough to win.
So it's off to LA and a meeting with the Lakers. The beat goes on.
Starting with Phoenix, the Magic are in the middle of playing a string of three games against the top three scoring teams in the league. Golden State, Monday's opponent, is No. 1, Phoenix is 2 and the Lakers are 3.
Send in your questions. The Glass is Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Thursday, November 29, 2007, 7:03PM
WIN NUMBER TWO SECURED With win number two on the trip secure, the Magic headed from Seattle to Phoenix.
The team had a Noon optional workout and then met together for a film session later in the afternoon.
While that confident, winning feeling prevails, everyone knows a tough test awaits in the Valley of the Sun. Making matters more interesting is the fact that the Suns have lost two straight games.
But your Magic have seemed to have had a shift in its mindset from the recent past of playing not to lose to playing to win.
It's a subtle difference, but definitely a difference.
The players will grab a meal together tonight, while the coaches will continue to burn the midnight oil by watching and breaking down game tape.
The team will have a Friday morning shoot-around, meet the Suns, and then head to LA after the contest.
From Second Class Petty Officer USN Antwaun (11/27): Have we (Orlando Magic) given up on Fran Vasquez?
GHF: First of all, thank you for your service to our country. No, we have not given up on Fran. He continues to play and develop overseas and as you know we retain his right indifinitely. Time will tell what happens, but we stay in contact with him and the GHF prediction is that he will end up in a Magic uniform at some point down the line and everyone will say what a great pick he was.
From Tyler (11/27): The magic have started off great this year, and as a fan for many years i'm finally able to enjoy all aspects of the season, however I want to know how you feel realistically they will cap the remainder of the season off. I know there is a lot of games left and injuries can occur, i'm just trying to save myself from the disappointment of last year's strong start and horrendous finish.
GHF: I think the key to the early success to your Magic is that we don't look down the road that far. It's next game and next possession. That's the focus. This team has developed some toughness which has served it well. The offensive attack (surround Dwight with shooters, push tempo) has worked well and as we saw the other night our defense was key when the shots weren't falling. A sign of a good team is winning in all different ways and I think we've seen some of that. The bottom line: Coach Van Gundy won't let the team look that far ahead. Next game. Next Possession.
From Deb (11/27): How's Keyon doing? Will he be playing tomorrow night? Or is he still sick with the flu? We sure missed his explosive presence against Portland.... and it showed. Wasn't that a great game with the Cletics and the Cavs? Did my heart good to see the Celtics play against a GOOD team... now we'll see how well they do on the road. Come on MAGIC...we're better than the Celtics!
GHF: Thanks...Keyon was still under the weather yesterday and couldn't practice. We will just have to see how he feels when we have our morning shootaround (10 am pacific time)
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, November 27, 2007, 5:38PM
Fish at Seattle's famous Pike Place Public Farmer's Market
ON TO SEATTLE
On to Seattle, home to the Space Needle, Pike Place Public Farmer's Market, Microsoft, Starbucks, and the Seattle Sonics, for now.
The Magic took the short flight from Portland following the game.
Stan Van Gundy told the team after the game that it was a good step from the aspect that they didn't play their best game against the Trailblazers, but still came away with a victory. His overiding message continues to be: have confidence, but respect each and every opponent. Play the next game and the next possession.
The team worked out for two hours in Seattle. Following practice the Magic loosness came out, as Hedo Turkoglu and Coach Van Gundy had a impromptu, two possession, one-on-one game. An ESPN Classic it wasn't.
Also of note, both USA Today and Sports Illustrated have come calling. Soon, the Magic won't be able to sneak up on anyone anymore.
From Deborah (11/26): Why can't our guys hit their free throws??????? Again, looks like we are going to be in the bottom as far as FT's go. How about MORE practice in that area or someone who can TEACH this simple act of throwing.
GHF: Thanks Deborah...We'll keep working on them, both from a mental and physical standpoint. As Coach Van Gundy reminds his team often: Even though you are 13-3, and 8-1 on the road, there is room for improvement.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 26, 2007, 1:10PM
ON THE ROAD AGAIN Willie Nelson's hit "On the Road Again" seems to be the appropriate ballad as the Magic men arrived in gray and chilly Portland for the first of five games in eight days away from home. With the culmination of this trip, the Magic (12-3 overall, 7-1 away) will have played an NBA-most 13 of their first 20 games on the road.
The trip will take the team from Portland to Seattle (Rashard Lewis return) to Phoenix (second meeting of season with Grant Hill and the Suns) to L.A. (so Brian Cook and Mo Evans can gather a few things as they were on road in Indiana with Lakers when acquired by the Magic) to Oakland (Adonal Foyle homecoming against the Golden State Warriors).
Keyon Dooling's wife's sweet potato pie was the hit of the cross country flight, while many grabbed some much deserved shut eye. Upon landing, the team went directly to the Trailblazers' practice facility to get a quick sweat and loosen up after nearly five hours in the air.
Dwight Howard did a quick photo shoot upon arriving at the team hotel after the Sunday afternoon shoot-around and then most of the team headed to dinner together where the activity of choice was to talk in Adonal Foyle's Caribbean accent.
"I didn't realize my accent was so universally appreciated," said Foyle with a smile.
The team is full of confidence and loose, but fully has head coach Stan Van Gundy's "keep working and get ready to play every single night - don't get too high or too low and don't get caught up in the 12-3 start-we have a looooooong way to go" message top of mind.
From Dave (11/21): No Bo. It’s a sad day in Orlando without Bo Outlaw on the team. Everyone loves to see his hustle on the floor, but even more so his outwardly friendly nature with everyone in the community. What a great role model!
GHF: Thanks Dave. We all love Bo. Stay tuned, there is the possibility he remains with organization. There's the Glass Half Full Scoop of the Day.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 16, 2007, 1:00 PM
Next week, November 19th, the Magic will meet the Hornets in New Orleans, as professional basketball has returned to the Crescent City. With that in mind, Glass Half Full got to thinking of the Magic’s relief trip to the Katrina-stricken area back in September, 2005. Here is a portion of my blog entry from the trip:
With 6,000 pounds of supplies aboard the Magic team jet, we landed in Baton Rouge, Louisiana at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning. Sobering is the first word that comes to mind, as there seems to be an obscene number of helicopters at and hovering above the airport. We unload the team plane, forming a human chain, transferring boxes one-by-one. I hand diapers, baby wipes, canned foods, books, underwear, soaps and shampoos to the person next to me - Orlando Magic and NBA All-Star Grant Hill.
We drive 20 minutes, our bus with 38 Magic staff members and invited guests, followed by our supply truck. This was supposed to be our annual leadership retreat. The staff decided as a group to take the money we would've spent on the retreat and our transportation - the 737 team plane - and take a real leadership retreat. Our first stop is a Salvation Army distribution center where we unload our supply truck and help the workers there organize the incredible amount of supplies that are rolling in. We are in a hollowed out grocery store. Think your local Publix minus the air conditioning, fancy point-of-purchase displays and bright lighting.
It is sticky hot. Grant Hill thanks the workers, while simultaneously unloading boxes, posing for pictures and signing autographs. I unload canned foods with an army reservist and reorganize items by category - vegetables, fruits, meats. The army reservist from Virginia looks like he hadn't slept in a week, but answers all my questions on where to put boxes with a yes sir, no sir. He tells me he is headed to Iraq in a month. War zone to war zone. We're off to a local shelter now. The goal will be to lift spirits and pass out candy to the kids. I think our group is being helped more than we are helping.
Headed to the shelter you feel the fact that Baton Rouge, just 120 miles from New Orleans, has swelled to twice its population. Traffic is turtle-like. Some of the New Orleans Hornets staff joins our group. They, and others we meet, all same the same thing: you know the pictures you see on the evening news - it's much worse. We arrive at the shelter - the Istrouma Baptist Church - and it's busting at the seams. The main sanctuary serves as the bedroom. Each family has a little square of space. It has capacity for 500, and 600 are here. The air, though chilled, is musty. The residents will live here side-by-side for 30 to 120 days, but to be honest no one knows for sure. The residents spill out of the sanctuary on to the front steps. Grant Hill is again the star, signing autographs, taking Polaroid’s, handing out books, shooting hoops with the kids, holding court. A young woman asks Grant if he can help her find a relative.
One little girl seeks out Grant's wife, recording star Tamia. She can't believe Tamia is in her makeshift home. The little girl sings a Tamia tune. The staff unloads the supply truck more, hands out Magic t-shirts and Armstrong-esque rubber bracelets with a Magic logo and the word "Commitment". I hand four to a young mother for her kids. It's as if I gave her a diamond ring. We are humbled with this hefty dose of reality. We make one last round through the shelter visiting as many as possible - us touching them, them touching us more. We head up the stairs to the second floor of the shelter. "It looks like a college dorm room," says Grant Hill, as room after room is filled to the ceiling with supplies looking like the end of the block game Jenga.
Up here is where some of the most tedious work is done and done far from the news cameras. Volunteers, joined today by Magic staff, endlessly sort through supplies in an effort to gain further organization. It seems when supplies are sent from around the country, everything - clothes, food, underwear, books - is mixed together in bulging boxes. GMs Otis Smith and Dave Twardzik do the numbing work with the Magic team. Upstairs is also the home to many young families with infants. Kids from downstairs sneak up to continue to hang with Grant and Tamia. A volunteer worker tells us that this is a great disaster, but quickly adds, "We're going to make some good from it." We can only hope. We head home changed.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 12, 2007, 1:00 PM
Armed with a “no excuses and do what we do approach,” the Magic have opened the season with five wins in seven games in 11 days. And now the squad gets ready for an eight game in 12-day stretch which comes just before a five-game West Coast Trip. While this will certainly be a November to remember, what the Magic will keep doing is this:
1) Spread the floor by shooting the three-pointer. The Magic enter this week shooting 40 percent from three-point land, averaging nearly 10 three’s made per game.
2) By spreading the floor, the Magic have opened up room for Dwight Howard to operate. “Thunder” is averaging 21 points per game and 15 boards. He averaged 25 and 16 last week.
3) Continue to rely on its big three – Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Lewis is averaging nearly 21 points per game, while Turkoglu comes in just under 20 points per game at 19.4 ppg.
4) Continue working on taking caring of the ball. The Magic are averaging just 13.1 turnovers per game, four less than last season when the squad ranked at the bottom of the league.
5) Continue to work hard on the defensive end. This is what will make your Magic go from good to great.
USA Today’s Top 10 teams in its power ranking this week was this: 1) Boston; 2) Houston; 3) San Antonio; 4) Phoenix; 5) Detroit; 6) ORLANDO; 7) Utah; 8) Dallas; 9) Denver; 10) Los Angeles Clippers.
Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will continue to keep the squad working hard and not letting it get to high, or to low.
“What I said to them in the (locker) room (after Saturday’s game) was quite honestly that people will hype you up when you’re winning, and will tear you down when you lose,” said Van Gundy. “What we got to do is just stay realistic about where we are. We’ve made some good steps here, early in the season as a team. We are going to have to raise our energy level and raise our level of intensity to play with the best teams in the league. I’ve said before, I think we have taken great steps and we have a chance to be very good, but were not their yet. As long as we are realistic, understand that, and work toward it, we’ll be OK.”
From Davis (11/8): What's up with Redick? Why is he not playing when he was playing so well pre-season?
GHF: Thanks...The day after our win in Washington to start this trip, J.J. came down with severe back spasms. The medical staff felt it would be better for him to return home from the team's week-long, four-game trip to calm things down. Hopefully with a little rest, and not having to fly from city to city on this trip, J.J. will be back on the floor soon.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 5, 2007, 10:34AM
Nice Start to Road Campaign Your Magic had a nice start to its road campaign, posting a 94-82 in Washington's home opener Saturday night.
Winning on the road is going to be important for the Magic, especially considering the team will spend 19 days on the road in November. In all 13 of Orlando's first 20 games are away from home. One key to the season will be the play of Orlando's big three -- Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu. Saturday night the trio did not disappoint. Turkoglu scored a game-high 25 points, including 16 in the second half, Lewis went for 18, all in the first half, and Howard was double-trouble again with 17 points, 15 boards and three blocks. The three-point shot was big again, as Orlando hit 10 trifectas. "The Big Three", as is Dwight-Rashard-Hedo and the three-point shot, will certainly be a common theme this season.
A couple colorful moments from the road: The team practiced at Georgetown U Monday morning. As the squad walked in the practice gym, head coach Stan Van Gundy was quick to point out assistant coach Patrick Ewing's 1984 National Championship banner to the team. Also stopping by Magic practice Monday morning was legendary Georgetown head coach John Thompson to observe.
The Turkish prime minister/president was staying in the team hotel in D.C. There was plenty of Turkish secret service around, and I believe Turkey national hero Hedo Turkoglu was invited to his suite. We will depart Washington this afternoon and head to frigid Minnesota, followed by Toronto.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, October 25, 2007, 3:50 PM
As we steam toward Orlando’s regular season-opener Oct. 31, here are a few “Glass Half Full” thoughts:
1) The point-guard play has been outstanding. Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo have done a great job in regard to assist-to-turnover ratio, getting the Magic organized and on the attack offensively, while also committing to working hard on the defensive end of the floor.
2) The three-point shooting, which is and has to be a strength for the Magic this year, has been solid. The Magic have many three-ball weapons and they are using them to spread the floor, which helps the inside attack.
3) As a team the Magic have rebounded well. This will remain a point of emphasis, as the Magic will have to play small ball (see Rashard Lewis at power forward). But, the Magic have worked hard to be a good team rebounding squad.
2007 CHINA GAMES - Adonal Foyle Takes Over Glass Half Full!
Posted by Adonal Foyle, Friday, October 19, 2007, 9:20 AM
I think someone described Macao as "Las Vegas on steroids". It's certainly a booming city. It's not quite Vegas yet, but it is getting pretty close. Certainly The Venetian (where team is staying and where 15,000 seat arena is built into hotel) here is a magnificent spectacle. It's ridiculous how big it is, probably two times the one in Vegas and I thought the one in Vegas was ridiculously big. It's just extraordinary.
We took a team photo at the Ruins of St. Paul this morning and it really made me pause because no matter how much we change or modernize we still have traces of our history. The traces of the St. Paul Cathedral and evidence of Portugese influence in this region is a beautiful thing. It was just a beautiful thing to see. No matter how much we run from it, our history leaves a DNA and today the picture we took reminded us of that.
We are going to do a basketball clinic today for some kids and then I will probably sneak off to Hong Kong in the afternoon as I have never been there. After Saturday's game we head home.
It's a pretty amazing thing to come this far across the world and to really expose the players to the global aspects of sport. I've been in the league for 10 years and basketball is a global sport, a global phenomenen. Guys see the impact they have. This is a unique opportunity for the players to really get a sense of how big our sport is and the potential for sports.
I commend Commissioner (David) Stern for this trip becuase it really opens up the guys' (players) eyes and gives us a different kind of perspective. I've seen the kids and the excitement that basketball brings and how much people know about us and the impact we have, not only on the basketball court, but in our communities. To do that here, and to take on issues like Aids or what Yao (Ming) has impacted here (in China), and to be able to be vocal about issues is truly inspiring. At the end of the day we are truly a global community and the ability to understand that is a gift in itself.
It has been an amazing trip and I've enjoyed sharing some observations. We look forward to seeing all the fans back at home.
Posted by Adonal Foyle, Wednesday, October 17, 2007, 1:00 PM
The crowd was very excited when we were scoring, but they clearly had a favorite (LeBron James and Cleveland). Maybe we need to come in more often so we can have a crowd favorite. At one point they were screaming while we were shooting a foul shot. But, the fact that we won may move them over to our side (laughs).
Dwight (Howard) had the most attention besides LeBron James tonight. There's no denying that. People love him and I think the more our team becomes visible as the Cavs have over the last year Dwight will be even more recognizable around the world. He's such a likeable commodity.
Now we play the Chinese National Team and it will be three games in four nights and a back-to-back - the first of many to come. It's a good thing for us. It gives us the opportunity to work when we are tired. The first part of the season we have something like six back-to-backs so it makes us get the experience to play when we are tired and still have to show up the next night and play.
I look forward to reporting from Macao, our next stop on the trip.
Posted by Adonal Foyle, Tuesday, October 16, 2007, 10:00 AM
I think one of Mr. (David, NBA Commissioner) Stern's plan has been to spread basketball to countries all over the world. This (China) is one of the places where he feels we can have a major influence and to that end these trips are designed around that concept. We are here to spread good will and also spreading basketball and giving access to people who want to know what a real NBA team looks and feels like. They can see it on TV, but when you are this up close and personal there's something to be said for that kind of closeness. So, you are not just seeing it on television, you are seeing it for real and that has a real impact in selling the sport internationally.
I went to Jade Temple which was interesting. You see where this country has come from and the old school spirituality. When you see that it's amazing to see the history of this country (Shanghai) and see the historical treasures of this place.
We took a team photo at The Bund this morning prior to practice. When we arrived people were gathering to see us. There is such interest in NBA basketball and there is such a thirst for it internationally. That speaks to how much people love this sport and the potential for this sport. We did the photo in a historical place that is both in the middle of Shanghai and yet represents the modernization and greatness of this city.
On the floor we also have been working hard. It seemed like we were at practice for six hours yesterday, and we were (laughs). Practice was not only physically tough, it was also mentally challenging. It was a long, long, long day. Obviously the travel took its toll and being in the plane that long you felt like a pretzel. Tough love (laughs), and this will help us in January.
2007 CHINA GAMES - Adonal Foyle Takes Over Glass Half Full!
Posted by Adonal Foyle, Tuesday, October 15, 2007, 10:00 AM
I came here (Shanghai) this summer with (the NBA's) Basketball Without Borders program to counsel young kids. That was pretty amazing because we had the opportunity to travel around and visit some of the sights and weren't on as set a schedule.
Every time you come here there is more and more construction and there's more and more building and more and more skyscrapers. You can't help but admire the economic boom that is taking place here, especially when you think of the economic downturn in Florida and the housing market. It's not something that quite connects, but it is pretty extraordinary the economic boom and growth that this place is experiencing.
It's (also) an interesting blend of modernization (growth) with traditionalism (people riding bicycles, scooters in streets, some small shops, people practicing Tai Chi.). It's pretty incredible. There is an incredible juxtaposition between the two. Somehow they have been able to experience modernization and yet still kept a pretty tight lid on the culture and still hold on to their cultural experiences too. It's a pretty amazing place. Some people say you can't have moderization and traditionalism, but Shanghai is a city that epitomizes both.
(After 18 hours of travel and 12-hour time difference) We don't know really what day it is. We had 18 hours on flight and watched every movie there is and you read and you sleep and you think about what else is there to talk about and you are still in the plane. I don't think anyone can get use to that. I'm still sore and my joints are frozen. I think we (as a team) got a lot closer because we had no one else, but each other.
I look forward to continuing checking in during our adventure.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, October 9, 2007, 10:45 AM
You have to love head coach Stan Van Gundy. He’s down-to-earth, honest, and to the point. Case in point, his post-game press conference last night: Take it away Stan:
“We said from looking at our team last year there were four areas we need to improve. Turnovers, and the numbers weren’t awful in terms of that. I thought it was great that Jameer played without a turnover. But at the end we had a huge one. Dwight still ended up with five even though he played the game solid. J.J. had three turnovers. Those numbers aren’t great, but they aren’t awful. The other area was that we had to cut our fouls. The second half was a ridiculous display of defense, undisciplined, not great effort. Our free throw shooting has to improve. We go 14-of-25 and our two centers go 7-for-10, and our other guys go 7-for-15. We did not make much progress there. The big question, quite honestly, and I just posed it to them in there (locker room), (was that) our team did not look like they wanted to run. They look like a team to me that wants to walk it up. I did not see energy. I did not see much of anything we had worked on offensively the first week (of training camp). I think that’s the major decision and I said to you guys before I came (about) all these guys talk about wanting to run. It’s hard to run. It requires a lot of effort. I did not see a team that wanted to run. We got outscored 20 to seven in fast break points. Part of that is you can’t run when they’re sitting on the free throw line the whole time, but we didn’t want to run and we didn’t want to play with freedom. (The) first one (game) is under our belt. We have a lot to work on. We’ll keep trying to go forward with the style of play we talked about, but we’re going to find some guys that want to get on board. The only real disappointment tonight was our energy level was not good. They can make whatever excuses they want, but it wasn’t good. It’s going to have to improve and we’ll get started on that tomorrow.”
The Magic will be back at work at Noon Tuesday, working to correct Monday night’s errors and getting ready for Wednesday night’s preseason game two. One big positive was Dwight Howard flashing a Duncan-esque jump shot. “Thunder” worked real hard on his shooting over the summer and hit a couple of nice bank shots, while making four-of-six free throws en route to a 30-point night. His jumper will be double-trouble for the opponents. Get up on him, and he uses his quickness and athleticism on throw one down. Back off, here comes the jumper.
From Lee (10/06): Greetings,
It is with a very heavy heart that I have to sit here and compose this e-mail.
After all these years of supporting The Orlando Magic, even through our toughest heartbreak seasons of losses and injuries, I now find myself shut out of what could be the best ever team we have put on the floor.
While I usually manage to see 1 or 2 games a year at the O-rena, my work schedule does not allow for me to attend Magic Games so I am forced to watch on TV. Now that The Orlando Magic have switched to FSN, I can no longer watch The Orlando Magic, my home team, on my own TV. As you know all to well, FSN is not on Brighthouse , but Brighthouse is what the majority of your loyal fans have in our homes.
We (fans) have been chomping at the bit all summer to see the new team you have surrounded our Dwight Howard with. Please get involved with the negotiations between FSN and Brighthouse. Be BOLD, Don't make US, BLUE.
You can make it happen, it's your team. You decide who watches. Don't forget the home team. We never forgot you.
GHF: Thanks Lee...It is fans like you who are important to us. Like you, the Orlando Magic is hopeful that Brighthouse and FSN/Sun Sports can come to an amicable resolution which will provide fans continued great coverage. We will continue to monitor the situation and we thank you for your passion. At this point, it is our understanding that Brighthouse and FSN are in continued conversations and seeking a resolution. Again, we have confidence they will come together to serve you.
Please know, the Orlando Magic is committed to this community, whether it’s donating millions of dollar ($60 million in charitable giving to community endeavors over the last seven years) to making as many affordable ticket options available as possible (this year we have a record number 8,417 seats priced $25 or under) to providing staff to volunteer in our community to the tune of 3,400 volunteer hours this past year. Thank you again for your passion and understanding.
From Randy (10/04): Mr Glass, Are you ever planning on changing your introduction? I'm over the ex Mayor of the Big Apple by the way he is running for President now. Plus for older gentlemen like myself it's hard enough to read the small print online these days and now some young man like yourself has added dark background....A little help here. I still enjoy your article and I am looking forward in reading your GHF this year. Keep up the good work keeping us informed. Remember this: It's about the pizza not the slice.
GHF: Thanks Mr. Popcorn. Haven't heard from you in a while. In regard to the intro to GHF: If it's not broken, don't fix it. I can almost smell the buttery aroma wafting through Amway now. See you Monday. The first tub is on me.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Wednesday, October 3, 2007, 5:00 PM
Head coach Stan Van Gundy’s message was loud and clear Wednesday morning. With the team in the middle of its eighth practice over a five-day span, naturally things were a little sloppy; sloppy offensively, sloppy defensively. The hours on the floor are starting to add up.
During a quick break in the action, Van Gundy, and I paraphrase, told the team things were getting sloppy. He said he knew they were tired. He understood that, but they needed to push through as if it was the fourth quarter of a game.
Van Gundy and his staff will continue to hammer home a clear message: The Magic need to continue to develop physical and mental toughness.
* * *
During a break in the morning scrimmage beloved Magic Team Operations Manager (fancy name for Equipment Manager) Rodney “Sid” Powell came under a little friendly fire from the head coach. Van Gundy asked Sid how much time he was giving for timeouts. “Give less, not more,” said Van Gundy, wanting to keep the team working. Powell, who comes from West Virginia and went to more than a few colleges, said he was doing timeouts like a national TV game so they were a little longer. “Give them 100 seconds,” said Van Gundy, adding “If you can count that high.”
Sid, who is always quick with a line, once said, “Folding towels is my calling.” He also always asks why people workout. “You’re not going to die healthy,” he says.
* * *
A new piece of equipment mandatory for all players during practices is Patrick Ewing-esque knee pads. The reason: to try to prevent unnecessary bumps and bruises. The way the Magic are working, helmets and shoulder pads can’t be far behind.
* * *
Keith Bogans continues to play well. He’s a solid defender and has been shooting the ball nice…Dwight Howard continues to improve when facing double-teams. During one two-minute stretch this morning he had three nice passes out of double-teams. He has been focused at working to improve that part of his game, is seeing the floor well and keeping the ball high so those pesky guards can’t get it.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 5:31PM
P.A.T. Sometime ago Magic bionic man Bo Outlaw tagged Pat Garrity with a nickname.
P.A.T. he called Garrity. Why? "Because he gives you an extra point when he makes a three-pointer, like a point after touchdown," Outlaw said.
Garrity is being reincarnated in the Magic offense. Why? Because the new system is built for shooters. It encourages shooting, especially the three ball in order to make the defense have to cover more of the floor.
The net result will be Dwight Howard having more room to operate down low.
Garrity spent the summer traveling to Africa in the NBA's Basketball Without Borders overseas community program, fly fishing in Idaho, putting in miles and miles on his road bike, and of course, shooting the basketball.
"What I really like with the offense is that everyones' role is clear," said Garrity. "You know what your role is, and you know what everyone else is suppose to do. It allows you to play your game."
And PAT's game is shooting.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Tuesday, October 2, 2007, 10:51AM
You May Know, But… You may know that Trevor Ariza was named to the All-Pac 10 Freshman team at U.C.L.A., but did you know that his father Kenny McClary played college basketball at the University of Florida in the mid-80s?
You may know that Carlos Arroyo scored 24 points to lead Puerto Rico to a 92-73 win over the United States in the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics, but did you know he feels the weight of a country on his shoulders every time he plays? Arroyo says, “Seeing those (Puerto Rican) flags (at the arenas) helps me understand that every time I step on the court I’m representing a group of people who really support me. I’m sort of here by myself in the NBA, but I’m trying to accomplish more things for Puerto Rican athletes and open more doors. I consider it my job to keep getting better so that I can continue to open doors for other kids in Puerto Rico who love basketball.”
You may know that James Augustine became the first player in Magic history to be assigned to the NBA Development League, but did you know that Augustine, the first player in University of Illinois history to record 1,000 career points and rebounds, has a uncle who played professional baseball in the Milwaukee Brewers organization, a uncle who played football at Miami and a cousin – Nick Sorensen – in the NFL? His dad played football at Wisconsin-Oshkosh, while his mother was a collegiate swimmer.
You may know that blue collar power forward Tony Battie has played 680 games during his 10-year NBA career, but did you know he majored in communications at Texas Tech, loves the TV show the Sopranos, the movie “The Green Mile” and his favorite super hero is Batman?
You may know that Keith Bogans finished his college career as the fourth-leading scorer in University of Kentucky history behind only Dan Issel, Kenny Walker and Goose Givens, but did you know he was the only player in legendary DeMatha High School history to earn a varsity letter all four years other than former NBA great Adrian Dantley?
You may know that Fort Lauderdale, Fla, native Keyon Dooling majored in business at the University of Missouri, but did you know he says his mother Brenda is his inspiration? Brenda, a former English teacher who has counseled wayward teens in jail and cocaine-addicted pregnant teens in a South Florida drug center, recently published a new novel called “The Diamond Cage” about her own mother’s experiences surviving a 1926 Hurricane. The 500-page novel is a guidebook for dealing with adversity.
You may know that Adonal Foyle did not play organized basketball until he was 16, but did you know the Colgate grad has founded “Democracy Matters,” a non-profit political organization that encourages grass roots involvement in campaign finance reform?
You may know that Pat Garrity finished his college career at Notre Dame as the Irish’s third all-time leading scorer with 2,085 points, trailing only Austin Carr and Adrian Dantley, but did you know his father, Kevin, played football at Air Force? Pat sold ice cream at Air Force games while growing up.
You may know that Marcin Gortat has played with the Polish National Team, but did you know he was a soccer goalie growing up and his father was a professional boxer?
You may know that All-Star, All-NBA and Team USA member Dwight Howard (a.k.a. Thunder) enters 2007-08 with six career 20-point/20-rebound games, but did you know he loves to play paint ball, bowl and would like to do movie preview voice-overs and animated films?
You may know that Rashard Lewis was named to his first NBA All-Star team in 2005, but did you know that when he came back from his recruiting visit to Orlando this summer another team had placed a jersey with his name on it on his front door? Lewis, who entered the NBA out of high school, grew six inches between eighth and ninth grade and traded his football cleats for basketball shoes. Growing up, he always wanted to be a firefighter.
You may know that Jameer Nelson was the consensus College Player of the Year in 2004 while leading Saint Joseph’s to an undefeated regular season and a top ranking, but did you know for the last two summers he has gathered all his Magic teammates in Phildelphia for a bonding/basketball training session?
You may know that Bo Outlaw was undrafted out of college, but did you know prior to the 1998-99 season Sports Illustrated named him one of the five players “who represent the best of what the (NBA) could – and should – be.” In 1997-98, TNT’s Hubie Brown named Outlaw to his “All Floor Burn Team.”
You may know that J.J. Redick finished his college career as the ACC’s all-time leading scorer, but did you know he enjoys writing poetry.
You may know that Hedo Turkoglu is the first Turkish-born player in NBA history, but did you know that during the summer of 2005 he completed his mandatory military service for his country?
You may know that Head Coach Stan Van Gundy and his brother Jeff became just the second set of brothers in NBA history to coach against each other (Larry & Herb Brown were the first), but did you know Stan is huge baseball fan? One of his all-time favorite players of all-time is Willie McCovey.
You may know that General Manager Otis Smith was a member of the inaugural Orlando Magic team in 1989-90, but did you know he is an avid reader and usually gives books to players to read before long West Coast trips? Last year he gave the traveling party, “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team” by Patrick Lencioni.
Posted by Glass Half Full, Monday, October 1, 2007, 1:29PM
Some Glass Half Full Thoughts -Training Camp Day 3 * It hasn’t taken Rashard Lewis long to show his stuff. Give him the ball and let him go make a play. If his first few training camp practices are a precursor for the season, watch-out. He is without a doubt the scorer/playmaker the Magic longed for last season. If the shot clock is winding down, give it to him, and watch him go to work. He’s big and long, but has the quickness and shooting range of a two-guard. He brings great versatility, as he’s able to play power forward, small forward and shooting guard.
* Stan Van Gundy is a bundle of contagious energy when he is on the floor coaching. One player said this: “He’s relentless with energy and passion and that makes you pick-up your game.” Van Gundy is a straight-shooter who is constructive with his criticism, but has a nice blend of positive reinforcement. He's a heck of a teacher also.
* Monday's morning session was intense. The offense was attacking and playing at a hard-charging pace. Speaking of charges, a few hard ones were taken by defenders. Floor burns and flying around offensively and defensively was the order of the day.
* A nice sight: 11-time All-Star and Magic assistant coach Patrick Ewing working with one-time All-Star Dwight Howard on his jumper after practice. Howard will have another weapon to use once he masters the move in which he faces up to the basket and then depending on the defense uses his quickness to get to the rim and throw down a thunderous dunk, or if the defense plays back a little to bury the 10-footer like a guy named Duncan.
* The Magic coaching staff keeps track of players when they don't get back on defense. For every time they don't, they have an extra sprint to run after practice.
* If you absolutely have nothing else to do and are board out of your mind, tune into the new, first-of-its-kind internet show “Dante & Galante” on Orlandomagic.com. It makes its debut Oct. 4.
Posted by Glass Half Full, September 30, 2007, 1:06PM
The Bright Orange Construction Cone
The first training camp practice of the day was complete. Three hours in the books. And that’s when it came out: The bright orange construction cone.
Assistant coach Bob Beyer placed it just outside the lane. J.J. Redick started from the baseline, made a tight curl as if coming off a pick, caught the feed from Beyer, and tickled the twine. A set from the right. A set from the left. Do it again.
Redick is right back where he belongs: healthy…on the floor working…re-constructing his game.
It was a painful year for the Dukie a season ago. He missed his rookie training camp due to injury, was stagnant for almost four months, and then couldn’t really get on the floor once healthy.
Now, after a summer of work, first on the Magic summer league team and then guarding and listening to a trash-talking Kobe Bryant during Team USA workouts in Las Vegas, Redick is working on regaining his patented swagger.
He longs to be in the Magic rotation, to contribute, and you can just feel his presence as he is truly back in his element.
During training camp practice, the sharp-shooting Redick says his “focus and intensity is on defense” – which in the long run is what will buy him the game minutes he desires.
After team practice, he works on his picturesque jumper and recreating plays which will be his when his number is called.
There is no doubt he will make an impact this season. After all, he has a high basketball IQ, determination and desire, a growing confidence, and an orange construction cone.
Posted by Glass Half Full, September 29, 2007, 10:21AM
Glass Half Full @ Magic Training Camp At precisely 9:28 a.m., the "Time became Now."
Orlando's Magic hit the floor for the opening of training camp 2007, and the first of two practices. The players and coaches will spend the next six days together. They will share breakfast and lunch, learn new offensive and defensive concepts, watch practice film (er DVDs), get treated for normal training camp bumps and bruises, hit the weight room, and run countless and appropriately named "suicides."
Veternan Pat Garrity punctuated what the work ahead would be like when he showed up with a pillow as he entered the Magic practice complex.
There would be no time to go home between practices and he, along with his teammates, will try to find a quiet space for a classic power nap prior to the 4 p.m. afternoon session.
New head coach Stan Van Gundy is all about energy. "Let's go!" he shouted to start the initial practice session. And off they went.
He's also all about accountability. This will be a "no excuse" team. No excuses about the tough early season schedule. No excuses about injuries. No excuses about a trip halfway around the world to China midway through the preseason. Hey, no one really cares anyway.
On the floor, accountability will also be the order of the day. While offensively the Magic will be given the freedom to just play the game, that freedom comes with a certain responsibility. Responsibility to make good decisions and responsibility to be in an attack mode. Defensively, the Magic men will need to be accountable as well, both individually and in a team concept. Every coach knows while the fans want to talk "O", it's "D" that sets teams apart.
In baseball the optimistic saying at the start of any season is "hope springs eternal."
In Magicland, "The Time is Now."
Posted by Glass Half Full, September 29, 2007, 10:21AM
Season Preview: The Time Is Now Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith is crystal clear: The time is now.
“The goal is to win an NBA Championship, and anything else is a failure,” says Smith. “You want to give yourself the best opportunity to do that, and with that said you are going to have some rocky roads and you are going to have some good times. But, that is what we are going to keep talking about – how are we going to be a championship team.”
Coming off its first playoff berth in four years, the Orlando Magic will look to continue to move in the right direction in 2007-08.
“(The playoff experience) is really going to help them,” said Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups, a former NBA Finals MVP. “They have some really good guys with some really good talent all across the board. That team is dangerous.”
Named head coach back on June 7, Stan Van Gundy takes over the reins of the Magic. Van Gundy served as head coach of the Miami Heat for two-plus seasons from 2003-05, posting a regular season record of 112-73 and a postseason mark of 17-11. In 2003-04 he led Miami to a 42-40 record, an improvement of 17 wins from the previous year. In 2004-05, he led the Heat to a second 17-game improvement, as Miami finished 59-23.
Said All-Star guard Dwyane Wade just prior to the Magic’s appointment of Van Gundy: “You would love to see coach back. If we have to face him, that would be exciting to go against a coach that helped me develop. There's a respect factor involved."
Van Gundy will look to build on the Magic’s defensive tenacity, while playing a system offensively that maximizes the talents of the players. Flexibility, versatility, creativity, youth, energy and athleticism will be buzz words for 2007-08.
“My basic philosophy is, number one, you’ve got to be strong defensively, and then at the offensive end you’ve got to fit the system to the talent that you have and not the other way around,” says Van Gundy. “I think when you look at our team we have youth and athleticism. We’ve got to utilize both the athleticism and energy of the young players and I think that means playing a more up-tempo, attacking style. I think sometimes that gets presented as just running fast breaks, but it’s more than that. It means that we should always be on the attack and we should be getting to our options quicker. It should be a style of play that is fun for the players to play and exciting for the fans to watch. But the most exciting thing to watch is when you are winning and I don’t think we want to forget that.”
Orlando’s backcourt in 2007-08 will feature: Carlos Arroyo, Keith Bogans, Keyon Dooling, Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick.
Orlando’s frontcourt in 2007-08 will feature: Trevor Ariza, James Augustine, Tony Battie, Adonal Foyle, Pat Garrity, Marcin Gortat, Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu.
Dwight Howard, a first-time NBA All-Star last year and a member of Team USA, is looking forward to taking the next step.
“Making the playoffs last year motivates me to come back and play even harder,” says Howard. “I need to be more focused and ready to attack. We need to have a concentrated effort as a unit and work on the things that hurt us. We have to take every game seriously. You have to watch other successful teams and learn how they respond to challenges.”
Says the San Antonio Spurs Tim Duncan about Howard: “He is so talented. He is so developed. He has so much promise and I am just glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking.”
Adds Chicago Bulls Head Coach Scott Skiles, a former Magic player: “He’s great. I mean, he’s one of the best big men in the league. He plays with force. He plays with energy. He rebounds it and he plays above the rim. He’s got nice moves around the basket and he’s becoming a complete player.”
Says Magic newcomer Rashard Lewis, a 2005 NBA All-Star, “We are a young, talented team. I feel like I can grow with this group of guys and we have a chance to compete for an NBA championship."
Posted by Glass Half Full, September 21, 2007, 5:39PM
Getting Set for Training Camp As the Magic get set for training camp (first practice Sept. 29), here are four areas where improvement is needed to get the Glass Half Full:
1) Free Throw Shooting: The Magic ranked 28th out of 29, shooting at a .702 clip. This is always a tough one, as it is both mental and physical/routine oriented. The bottom line is that the Magic need to be better.
2) Turnovers: The Magic were last a year ago, averaging 17.0 per game.
3) Three-Point Shooting: While the Magic shot at a relatively good clip last year (35 percent), they didn’t take enough. Three-point shooting makes the defense cover more of the floor, thus creating space for Dwight Howard to operate.
4) Fouling Less: The Magic ranked in the lower third in the league in fouls committed, ultimately leading to the opponent shooting more free throws, thus getting easy points.
Posted by Glass Half Full, September 4, 2007, 1:13PM
Stan & Otis On September 7th, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will have been on the job for exactly three months. Here’s a snapshot of what Glass Half Full has witnessed:
1) Stan is an outstanding communicator. The players will without a doubt appreciate his straight-forward, down-to-earth, open, and honest communication abilities.
2) For those of you who have met him at various events around town, you know he is extremely personable.
3) He brings a great amount of contagious energy to everything he does, whether watching film, working with players individually or guiding his staff.
4) He comes from a coaching pedigree, and is an absolute gym rat. He’s here at RDV early, and stays late.
General Manager Otis Smith had some influence on the Orlando Magic’s new “The Time Is Now” theme for the coming season.
Smith has not shied away from expectations and is crystal clear.
“The goal is to win an NBA Championship, and anything else is a failure,” says Smith. “You want to give yourself the best opportunity to do that, and with that said you are going to have some rocky roads and you are going to have some good times. But, that is what we are going to keep talking about – how are we going to be a championship team.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, August 24, 2007, 2:24PM
Welcome to Orlando Adonal
What do you get in Adonal Foyle?
A solid shot blocker, great post defender, a high basketball IQ, quality citizen and veteran experience.
He brings girth and is a great guy. He fortifies the Magic front court.
The Glass Half Full bottom line: He’s the type of player you have to look beyond the box score to see his true value.
Here’s what the New York Times once wrote about him: “He will stand up at 6 feet, 10 inches for the right to be heard. Most of all, Foyle, a poetry-loving Colgate University graduate with a history degree, will encourage peers to get involved…”
Welcome to Orlando Adonal.
From Kenneth (8/17): Does this mean the Coach is actually gonna play JJ Reddick this year? And not do what Hill did with him only play him when we r way ahead.
GHF: Glass Half Full thinks Head Coach Stan Van Gundy has been very clear on the popular topic of J.J. Redick and playing time. J.J. will be given every opportunity to play and compete for minutes, but at the end of the day it will be up to J.J., who relishes this opportunity before him. J.J. has had a productive summer, first leading the Magic summer league team and more recently practicing with Team USA. He’s competed hard, especially at the defensive end. There’s no doubt J.J. can shoot it and help the Magic offensively. The challenge is how can he hold his own as Van Gundy says, “against the great offensive players in the two-guard position.” GHF thinks the coaching staff will look at the entire body of work – what J.J. brings offensively and defensively – and at the end of day it’s hard to keep a player with his basketball IQ and skills off the floor. GHF predicts he will find his way on the court and significantly contribute for your Magic this season.
Posted by Glass Half Full, August 14, 2007, 1:38PM
Now That's Professionalism Glass Half Full wandered down to the Magic practice court this morning and saw Trevor Ariza, Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling and Pat Garrity all inside working on their games.
You have to love it. August 14th…Not much off/vacation time left before the start of training camp and the marathon of a season…and this foursome – a veteran foursome at that – working to get better. That’s professionalism.
Gym rat Dwight Howard has been around a lot and now is headed to Vegas, along with teammate J.J. Redick, for the start of Team USA Training Camp tomorrow (Aug. 15th).
Carlos Arroyo is getting ready to suit up for Puerto Rico, and you know Jameer Nelson is pumping iron today somewhere in Philly.
Battie looked like he was in great shape. He’s slimmed down a little to take the pressure off his knees. He’s said he’s done it by eating right – a lot of fish and chicken – and pushing away from his favorite dishes and the big breakfasts prepared by his mother.
Battie said he did cheat a little the other day by having a piece of bacon.
“It was turkey bacon, though,” he quickly added. While Battie says it has been a challenge, he’s says he’s glad “his face isn’t looking fat anymore” and feels a little less weight will help him play extended minutes.
From Paul (8/3): GHF, i thought we were going to sign gortat but he's not showing on the roster, was this more missdirection on the magic's part?
GHF: Thank you for your interest. We are still working out Marcin's contractual obligations with his team overseas. We hope to have him in uniform prior to the start of training camp which starts Sept. 29.
Posted by Glass Half Full, August 1, 2007, 12:56PM
Checking in on the USA Senior National Team, Glass Half Full sources said that Dwight Howard was a monster on the boards, in terrific shape, and just continues to improve.
J.J. Redick also participated and continued to gain valuable experience. GHF sources said J.J. had a good mini-camp, had his best practice of the week the final day, and gained confidence playing with the assembled All-Stars as the mini-camp went on.
Team USA concluded its mini-camp July 22nd in Las Vegas with a Blue-White scrimmage. Dwight went nine-for-nine from the floor and had 21 points and nine rebounds in the contest. Team USA will regroup in mid-August in preparation for the FIBA Americas Championship. The tournament – August 22-Sept. 2 in Vegas – will include 10 teams. The top two finishers will earn 2008 Olympic Qualifying berths (Aug. 8-24, Beijing, China). The third through fifth place finishers will qualify for the 12-team 2008 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament which will qualify three more teams for the Olympics. Countries competing in the upcoming championship include: Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands.
Said USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski about the mini-camp: “We’re really pleased with the training camp. The mini-camp went even better than we imagined and I think that’s because of the veterans we added to the team and the maturity of our team both physically and emotionally was just a lot better. They all want to be here; they like one another…They played the game very hard and we need to just keep going with that.”
From The Master Blaster (7/30): GHF, I still think the Magic need to go after Agent 0 when he becomes a free agent next year. We need a perimeter scorer! I guess it will depend on how the team progresses through the 07-08 season and if the Magic can afford him !!
GHF: Thanks Master Blaster. Keep the thoughts coming in. As you know, Glass Half Full can’t tamper with players under contract, though.
From Kenneth (7/17): Hello, Are the Magic going after a true Center or they plan on having Howard doing the Center duty? Cause you put a true Center in the middle with Howard,Lewis,Nelson and Reddick. I think we would have a lineup that would scare alot of teams.
GHF: Thanks for your note. I think you will see a lot of Dwight Howard at the center position this season, but one of the great things about the Magic roster as it is currently constructed is the flexibility and versatility you have. Rashard Lewis can play shooting guard, small forward, or power forward. Putting him and Hedo Turkoglu on the floor together with Dwight will really spread and put pressure on the opposing defense. Add in sharpshooter J.J. Redick and now you have some real fire power. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will use the Magic’s youth and athleticism (see Trevor Ariza) in playing an attacking style. Glass Half Full thinks you may have to forget about traditional positions with this year’s Magic squad. Add the word creativity to the aforementioned words flexibility, versatility, youth and athleticism when thinking about the Magic this year.
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 16, 2007, 2:43PM
Setting The Record Straight on Rashard Let’s set the record straight on Orlando’s acquisition of Rashard Lewis, a deal which gives the Magic a true scorer and Magic opponents’ a match-up nightmare.
The only way to get Lewis was to create enough salary cap room (by renouncing players) and using it, or through a sign-and-trade in which $12 million worth of salary needed to be sent out. For the record, rebuilding Seattle didn't want the salary going out so a third team was needed to accomplish that in order to attempt to also keep Darko Milicic in the fold. Despite an agent, who will remain nameless, telling the media that 20 teams were interested in Darko, only one other team inquired about a sign-and-trade and it didn't work for Seattle.
Thus, the Magic worked out a deal with Seattle which will keep Lewis and Dwight Howard together as Magic cornerstones for the next six years. The deal also helped counter a number of teams which were after Lewis up until his name was on the dotted line (There was one report of a team having a jersey made and leaving it on his front door while he was visiting Orlando). Also of note, there are performance-based incentives built into the contract so the true value of the contract will not be known until it is complete.
Although Glass Half Full doesn’t make it a practice to respond to critics, there were some against the deal because of the price tag. The bottom line is that if you want Denzel Washington in your movie, you have to pay the price.
The Magic’s commitment to Lewis, and subsequent five-year extension to Dwight Howard, also shows the fans that the team’s ownership is undeniably committed to winning. The Magic now have a young, energetic, flexible, inside-outside attack which is as head coach Stan Van Gundy calls, a “tried and true” method toward a championship.
GHF can only hear the critics if Lewis, the most desirable free agent this year, got away. The big question then would have been: Why didn’t the team do everything and anything necessary to get him?
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 12, 2007, 11:09AM
Heading into Day Four
As we head toward Day 4 of the Pepsi Pro Summer League, here are a few more thoughts:
* Orlando, Chicago, Charlotte and Indiana all stand at 2-1, while New Jersey is 1-2 and Miami is 0-3. Thus, today is a big day in regard to positioning for that coveted summer league title. Orlando squares off with Chicago with the winner in prime position to take home the crown. GHF can feel the drama.
* The Magic were in the gym at 8 a.m. this morning going through a practice session in preparation for today’s contest. Look for a few new wrinkles in that Magic offense. The Bulls present a tough challenge, as they are led by likely First or Second Team All-Pepsi Pro Summer Leaguers Ty Thomas and Thabo Sefolosha. The pair is combining to average 29 ppg., 12 rpg. and 5 apg. You can bank on the fact that Chicago will focus all of its attention on J.J. Redick who is the league’s leading scorer at 23.7 ppg.
* Updated Power Poll (All Players This Time)
1. J.J. Redick…Averaging league-best 23.7 ppg…30 pts. in opener
2. Tyrus Thomas…16.0 ppg., league-best 9.0 rpg., 4.7 blkpg., 3.0 apg.
3. Marcus Williams…19.3 ppg., 6.3 rpg., 4.3 apg.,
4. Thabo Sefolosha…13.0 ppg., 3.0 rpg., 2.0 apg., 1.7 stlpg.
5. James Augustine…11.0 ppg., 6.0 rpg., shooting 84 percent from the floor (16-19 FGs)
6. Kareem Rush…18.0 ppg., .619 FG pct
7. Marcin Gortat…10.3 ppg., 6.7 rpg…3.3 blkpg.
8. Chris Quinn…15.7 ppg., 3.0 apg.
9. Robert Hite…12.3 ppg., 4.3 rpg.
10. Stephen Graham…15.7 ppg., 4.3 rpg.
Honorable Mentions: Kevin Kruger, Aaron Gray, Hassan Adams, Jameson Curry, Jared Dudley, Jermareo Davidson
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 11, 2007, 10:09AM
Heading into Day Three
Here’s a few Glass Half Full thoughts heading into Day 3 of the Pepsi Pro Summer League hosted by your Orlando Magic
* Exciting day in Magicland, as your hometown team prepares to ink a major free agent who will: Team with Dwight Howard to provide a pair of pivotal pillars in Orlando’s championship quest; Give the Magic a bona fide scorer; Add to the team’s youth, energy and flexibility; Be a match-up nightmare for the opposition.
* Back to summer league play…How about the Magic’s James Augustine? He’s 13-for-15 shooting from the floor and averaging 13.5 ppg., 7.5 rpg. and 3.0 apg. through two games. Augustine, the former Illini’ star, is an absolute gym rat. He’s been in the Magic practice facility every day since the season ended and his hard work is paying off. He has a high basketball IQ to go along with that work ethic which has seen him go for four-plus hours each day since his rookie season ended.
* Kevin Kruger continues to impress from the Magic point, while seven-footer Marcin Gortat also has done a nice job and is very intriguing.
* J.J. Redick continues to impress. We all know he can shoot lights out, but he’s a dynamite playmaker and has shown tremendous effort defensively.
* Here’s my Non-Magic, GHF Pepsi Pro Summer League Player Power Rankings Through Two Days:
1. Tyrus Thomas, Chicago
2. Marcus Williams, N.J.
3. Thabo Sefolosha, Chicago
4. Kareem Rush, Indiana
5. Jermareo Davidson, Charlotte
6. Robert Hite, New Jersey
7. Stephen Graham, Indiana
8. Chris Quinn, Miami
9. JamesOn Curry, Chicago
10. Kasib Powell, Indiana
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 10, 2007, 10:09AM
Heading into Day Two
Here’s a few Glass Half Full thoughts heading into Day 2 of the Pepsi Pro Summer League hosted by your Orlando Magic
As we head into the second day of a back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back, here are a few players which made an impression on Glass Half Full:
Of course, this is Glass Half Full, so J.J. Redick leads the way. He scored 30 points in the Magic’s 85-74 win over New Jersey, while chasing the Net’s Robert Hite (formerly of the Miami Heat) all over the floor (Hite finished with 16 pts.). Redick joined Travis Diener, Earl Barron, Sean May, Adam Morrison and Dorrell Wright as the only players in the history of the Pepsi Pro Summer League to tally 30 in a 40-minute game.
Also, nice job by Magic point guard Kevin Kruger. He continually got the Magic in its offense and hit a couple big shots. Kruger, the son of former Gator coach Lon Kruger (now at UNLV), really knows how to play.
GHF still says to keep an eye on Torrell Martin. He will shine before the week is out.
Marcus Williams of the Nets can really play, and fill up a box score. He had 19 points, seven rebounds, three steals and three assists.
Daequan Cook (Miami) did a nice job defensively and hit a couple big shots once he got comfortable, while Joel Anthony (Miami) is a freak athletically. He didn’t have the numbers, but keep an eye on him.
GHF also likes Jared Dudley from Charlotte, and Ryan Hollins.
From Indiana Kasib Powell took over the game late, and Stephen Graham and Andre Owens also did a nice job. Owens led the first day’s play with eight assists (actually tied Raymond Felton, who GHF thinks has used up his summer eligibility).
From Chicago’s entry Tyrus Thomas showed his athleticism, while you can tell Thabo Sefolosha will be a player. GHF also likes Aaron Gray and JamesOn Curry. Joakim Noah, although injured, showed his team spirit all game long. You can tell he has a motor that won’t quit.
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 9, 2007, 11:09AM Heading into Day One
Here’s a few Glass Half Full thoughts heading into Day 1 of the Pepsi Pro Summer League hosted by your Orlando Magic
* It continually amazes GHF how good you have to be to make it to the NBA. Each and every year NBA teams field summer league teams comprised of rookie players, recent draft picks, and free agents looking for an opportunity to get an invite to an October training camp. The players are all incredibly athletic and have been absolute stars at various levels, but often they just aren’t good enough to make it to the show. The competition is fierce in practices leading up to summer league games, and the games can be extremely competitive from possession to possession. After all, a lot of these players are playing to eat. The bottom line: you have to be terrifically talented and have dynamite drive to make it.
* After watching your Magic summer team practice for the last five days, here are a few things to keep an eye on:
- The spotlight will be on J.J. Redick. He missed last year’s summer league play and this will be a great opportunity for him to play. He is also the type of player which has a target on his back because of name recognition. GHF feels he will have a productive summer, both offensively and defensively.
- James Augustine’s basketball IQ is outstanding. He just knows how to play and will also have a great opportunity this summer.
- Here’s a name to keep in mind: Torrell Martin. The high-flying, ever-athletic, 6-5 guard can play. He’s the typical summer league player looking for a job. He starred at Winthrop, but went undrafted. GHF is a big fan.
* The top single-game scoring efforts in Pepsi Pro Summer League history belong to Travis Diener (34 pts.), Earl Barron (33 pts.), Sean May (31 pts.), Adam Morrison (31 pts.), Dorell Wright (30 pts.).
* Orlando opens summer league play vs. New Jersey tonight. For NJ, keep an eye on Marcus Williams, Sean Williams, Hassan Adams and former Magic man Brandon Hunter.
Posted by Glass Half Full, June 25, 2007, 4:46PM
Five Keys to a Successful '07-08 As we head toward the draft, summer league play, and free agency, here is an early glance at five keys to a successful ’07-’08 Magic campaign:
Attack, Attack, Attack
Look for your ’07-’08 Orlando Magic to attack offensively. This should not be confused with flat-out running and gunning. This is more from a standpoint of getting into offensive options quicker in the shot clock, driving and kicking, and generally putting pressure on the defense. The Magic will certainly play at a quicker tempo and be fun to watch, but at the end of the day the offensive system employed will be the one that maximizes the talents of the players the most. For the most part that offensive foundation will use the Magic’s youth, energy and athleticism to its fullest. The Magic will look to be more efficient on offense, cut down on turnovers, make its free throws, and utilize the three-point line more. Playing Together and Energy are big buzz words for new head coach Stan Van Gundy.
Defense Wins Championships
While all the chatter has been about offense and style of play (see above), it is still defense which wins championships. The best defensive teams (see San Antonio) play for the rings. Orlando has a solid defensive base and needs to continue to build on that from an individual and team standpoint.
ThunderCat
Look for Dwight Howard, nicknamed “ThunderCat” by teammate Keyon Dooling, to continue to strike. Defensively he will continue to block shots and hit the boards. Offensively he will look to build on his ever-expanding repertoire. Two things you need to know about Dwight Howard: 1) He wants to be the best; 2) He is an absolute gym rat, regularly spending hours in the weight room and on the floor fixing his deficiencies and building on his game.
No House Calls
Health is always a key component. Orlando must stay healthy to win. Look at almost any team: The key players go down, you fall in the standings. You stay healthy, you give yourself a chance. Orlando employs a team of health experts, from your athletic trainer to strength and conditioning experts.
They All Count
Orlando lost 19 times last season when playing a team with an under .500 record at the time of the game. If you look at the seven teams that won 50-plus games last year (Dallas, Phoenix, San Antonio, Detroit, Houston, Utah, Cleveland), they combined to average just 10 losses to teams under .500. Orlando had eight losses last year against the teams which ended up finishing last in their respective divisions. Wins lead to playoff seeding, which can lead to home court advantage and postseason advancement.
Posted by Glass Half Full, June 20, 2007, 11:45AM
"Not Bad For a Bunch of So-Called Rejects"
With the hiring of Reggie Theus as head coach in Sacramento, the inaugural Orlando Magic team from 1989-90 now can claim three current NBA head coaches (Theus; Scott Skiles, Chicago; Sam Vincent, Charlotte).
In addition, Magic General Manager Otis Smith was on that squad, as was Magic assistant coach Morlon Wiley. And, yes, Nick Anderson, Orlando’s current Community Ambassador, was the first-ever college draft pick.
As then-GM Pat Williams, the architect of the inaugural Magic team, says, “Not bad for a bunch of so-called rejects.”
From crs02c: Please let the Magic trade up and get Acie Law....PLEEEEEEAAAASSEEEE!!!!
GHF: Thanks for your note. GHF loves Acie. The Magic will explore every opportunity to improve, but it looks like it will be tough to move up as teams covet top picks in what is a deep, talented draft. Also, please realize any acquisition of a higher pick eats into the Magic's cap flexibility. Keep the suggestions coming though.
Posted by Glass Half Full, June 12, 3:01PM
Let's Talk Magic
There’s been much dialogue over the past couple of weeks. Boiling it down, here’s what they’re saying…
Head Coach Stan Van Gundy on his coaching philosophy and style of play:
“My basic philosophy is, number one, you’ve got to be strong defensively, and then at the offensive end you’ve got to fit the system to the talent that you have and not the other way around. I think when you look at our team we have youth and athleticism. We’ve got to utilize both the athleticism and energy of the young players and I think that means playing a more up-tempo, attacking style. I think sometimes that gets presented as just running fast breaks, but it’s more than that. It means that we should always be on the attack and we should be getting to our options quicker. It should be a style of play that is fun for the players to play and exciting for the fans to watch. But the most exciting thing to watch is when you are winning and I don’t think we want to forget that.”
General Manager Otis Smith on the team vision:
“The goal is to win an NBA Championship, and anything else is a failure. You want to give yourself the best opportunity to do that, and with that said you are going to have some rocky roads and you are going to have some good times. But, that is what we are going to keep talking about – how are we going to be a championship team. The team that wins the championship is not always the team with the most talent. You have to have a combination of both, talent and chemistry.”
Dwight Howard on making the playoffs last year, what he learned from last season, and on being named an NBA All-Star for the first time:
“Making the playoffs last year motivates me to come back and play even harder. I need to be more focused and ready to attack. We need to have a concentrated effort as a unit and work on the things that hurt us. We have to take every game seriously. You have to watch other successful teams and learn how they respond to challenges…Playing in the All-Star Game was fun. It was great being around all the players and they really made me feel at home. It was awesome.”
What They’re Saying About The Magic & Dwight Howard…:
Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, on the Magic:
“(The playoff experience) is really going to help them. They have some really good guys with some really good talent all across the board. That team is dangerous.”
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs, on Dwight Howard:
“He is so talented. He is so developed. He has so much promise and I am just glad that I will be out of the league when he is peaking.”
Scott Skiles, Head Coach Chicago Bulls, on Dwight Howard:
“He’s great. I mean, he’s one of the best big men in the league. He plays with force. He plays with energy. He rebounds it and he plays above the rim. He’s got nice moves around the basket and he’s becoming a complete player.”
Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, just prior to Magic’s appointment of Stan Van Gundy as Head Coach:
“You would love to see coach back. If we have to face him, that would be exciting to go against a coach that helped me develop. There's a respect factor involved."
Posted by Glass Half Full, June 5, 2:40PM
The Reasons Billy Was Attracted As the news broke Sunday, it even seemed – I know this is hard to believe for my faithful followers – but maybe, just maybe, the Glass was Half Empty.
But then I went back and replayed Billy Donovan’s press conference in my mind. Why was this Gator legend-in-the-making so attracted to the Magic?
• A young, talented core of Magic players led by the likes of 21-year-old NBA All-Star Dwight Howard.
• A playoff-caliber team; not a bottom-feeding, rebuilding project.
• Significant salary-cap flexibility this summer to help shape and improve the team.
• A down-to-earth, open, honest, egoless general manager in Otis Smith who has made solid moves to put the team in position to win (i.e. Darko trade; Ariza acquisition for Francis and Penny Hardaway expiring contract, etc…).
• A strong ownership group which cares about its employees and provides everything needed to win.
• A shared championship vision.
• A new challenge and the opportunity to arguably coach the greatest athletes in the world at the top of the profession.
• The opportunity to hire his staff and play his style.
• A family-friendly and energized hometown.
• A very nice contract.
• Plenty of sunshine.
And you know what? Every reason he was attracted, still stands true.
The Glass is Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, May 29, 11:23AM
Best Second Round Selections
With the NBA’s pre-draft camp being held this week, and your Orlando Magic holding three second-round picks (Nos. 39, 44, 54) in the June 28th draft, here is a Glass Half Full look at some of the best second round draft picks in NBA history: Rashard Lewis, Nick Van Exel, Anthony Mason, Jeff Hornacek, Toni Kukoc, Michael Redd, Mark Price, Dennis Rodman, Gilbert Arenas, Mehmet Okur, Bobby Simmons, Carlos Boozer, Cuttino Mobley, Stephen Jackson, Ryan Gomes, Anderson Varejao, Zaza Pachulia, Maurice Williams, Earl Watson, Steve Blake, Chris Duhon, Cliff Robinson, Cedric Ceballos, P.J. Brown, Steve Kerr, Vernon Maxwell.
From Dave (5/24): GHF, Your comments on Brian Hill have some merit, but there are some things you left out.
1. Reassigning or offering another position to Coach Hill. A poor PR move that you tried with Matt Goukas and Chuck Daly that only fools yourselves and the very ignorant occasional fan. You’re really insulting our intelligence with that one.
2. NBA Coaching jobs are attractive to everyone because of the money or if you’re an assistant NBA coach or College coach and want your first NBA head coaching job. What isn’t attractive about Orlando’s position is a GM that has nothing better to do than come to every practice and make all the road games, in other words a “hands on” GM that wants to run the team but not be responsible for it’s record. The best Coaches want to have a free reign to Coach the game, not someone constantly looking over their shoulders. Many of the Superstar Coaches such as a Larry Brown or Pat Riley want the GM job as well.
3. Call it an evaluation process if you want, but most people call it wishy-washy decision making. A not very attractive feature that comes with taking on the job in Orlando. Given the choice, most people like to know where management stands on things. Also, when things are uncertain most people prefer deadlines that are concrete not open ended to they are just hanging on.
Yes I am somewhat GlassHalfEmpty on this one. In defense on the Magic, Brian Hill wasn’t flexible. After the beginning of the season when teams started doubling Dwight, he couldn’t change the style of play, and even more disappointing was that he either couldn’t teach throwing out of the double team or Dwight couldn’t learn it. However, he also had the problem of his best pure point guards were Grant Hill, Hedo Turkoglu, and probably Travis Diener. Jameer Nelson clearly doesn’t have what it takes to be a playmaker point guard. Half of his assists anyone could make by just throwing the ball anywhere near the basket and Dwight goes and finds it.
I suspect Otis will want to go with someone that plays no defense and just runs like Phoenix in which case getting rid of Coach Hill had to happen. Doc tried the run n gun game with no defense and look where it got him.
Good luck finding a Coach; I would guess it will cost at least twice what you’re paying Brian Hill.
GHF: Thank you for your thoughts and obvious passion. While we may agree to disagree on some points, I think we are in agreement on one thing: You, as you state, are a tad bit more Glass Half Empty. Nevertheless, thanks for your input and we look forward hearing from you again…GHF
Posted by Glass Half Full, May 24, 2:48PM
Five Thoughts On Coaching Situation
Brian Hill did a tremendous job for the Orlando Magic. He re-instilled discipline and a tangible work ethic to the team. He was dedicated to preparing each and every day. He coached his heart out. He is a class act and did what was needed to be done to get to this point. He is a good man.
You have to love GM Otis Smith’s down-to-earth style and passion. Otis will be the architect of Orlando’s championship-caliber team. Otis’ mantra is this: What have you done today to make the Orlando Magic the champion. He lives and breathes it…every day. Through his moves (Ariza acquisition and corresponding salary cap flexibility for this summer, Darko deal etc…), Otis has the Magic poised for greatness.
The next Orlando Magic head coach will maximize the talents of the players on the roster, whether that is Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Trevor Ariza, Darko Milicic or the further development of Dwight Howard.
The Orlando Magic will be an attractive job for any coach to get…attractive and unique in the fact that most times the team that is looking for a coach is bad. That’s not the case with the Magic. They have a good core in place and the playoff experience of last year to build on.
While some were critical of the evaluation process which just took place, people have to realize that open and honest dialogue and discussion is good. And, there is nothing wrong with conflict. Conflict is needed to grow. It is actually healthy and moves you forward. All great teams must go through conflict to make them stronger.
Posted by Glass Half Full, May 10, 11:21AM
Orlando Magic's Globetrotter
He’s dined at the Catfish Cabin in Memphis, Tenn., the Huckleberry Inn in Government Camp, Ore., the No Frills Grill in Norfolk, Va., Aunt Kizzies in Los Angeles, Calif. and a Polish restaurant which the name escapes him in Hamtrammick, Mich.
Not one for chain restaurants, Dave Twardzik is the Orlando Magic’s globetrotter.
Since October, Orlando’s Assistant General Manager has seen more than 100 college games, criss-crossing the country like Randy, Paula and Simon during American Idol auditions, while also making two trips overseas and witnessing three major player showcase events. Add in his scouting staff and the numbers multiply like fleas on a dog. He’s seen no less than 85 teams play, everyone from Virginia State to the squads of the major power conferences, while visiting 31 of the nation’s 50 states.
Twardzik, whose office walls are decorated with information on draft prospects, says his initial list started with 100 or so prospects, and then “we fall in and out of love with guys.”
The Magic have three second-round picks in this June’s NBA Draft and Twardzik’s list currently stands at about 25.
Basketball IQ, feel for the game, interaction with teammates, acceptance of coaching and how a player reacts in situations on the floor are all intangibles he keeps a keen eye on. “Body language is huge,” says Twardzik, who brings more than 30 years of experience to the job and a championship ring from the 1977 Portland Trail Blazers.
Twardzik loves the game and has affection for the college atmosphere.
“I love Kansas. They are a good team, quality basketball, the building is sold out and there’s so much tradition. Duke is a great atmosphere and those Florida students have quite a presence. Maybe it’s because they seat the scouts right in front of the student section.”
The plan between now and the draft is to have more dialogue than Dr. Phil, ranging from conversations with coaches who have coached a particular prospect, but also with coaches who have coached against a player. “They can be more objective,” says Twardzik, who was the 26th overall pick in the 1972 NBA Draft. “We will do background checks, watch film and have individual workouts.”
This year is a little more challenging for the Magic staff.
“In 2004 we were basically looking at two guys – Dwight and (Emeka) Okafor. Last year, we had a list of about six guys which included J.J. (Redick). This year there obviously has to be a greater pool of players we are looking at because of our second round picks.”
While narrowing the list down is complicated, Twardzik’s philosophy on the draft is simple. “You want to fill a need, but you should never pass on a player with a better up side, so you want to take the best player available.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 27, 1:37PM
Five Thoughts Heading To Game 4 & Looking To Extend The Series To Game 5
* Detroit Pistons Head Coach Flip Saunders perhaps has said it best, “Teams traditionally respond when they know that they have nowhere else to go.” With that in mind, look for the Magic to lay it all on the line Saturday afternoon in this elimination game for your team.
* Don’t forget to wear your Magic Blue, as part of “Code Blue.” A national television audience will be watching.
* Look for the Magic to sustain more of the emotion they had in jumping to an 8-0 lead in Game 3. Like all good teams, the Pistons were able to weather the storm once the Magic emotion wore off. GHF predicts the Magic will play longer with the energy it had to start last game. Says Grant Hill: “Pride is definitely involved.”
* Jameer Nelson, who scored a game-high 27 points in Game 3, says, “I very rarely look at stats. Honestly, it doesn’t make a difference to me. I’m out there trying to win a basketball game. If I have two points or 100 points, if my team wins I am happy.
* Adds Nelson, “We have to close out quarters better.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 25, 9:39AM
Heading To Game 3
* Look for the Magic, down 0-2, to play with more desperation. There's no greater motivator than elimination.Don't mess with a wounded dog.
* Realize the Pistons did what they were suppose to do on their home court - win two games. They held serve.
* Detroit is such a well-oiled and balanced machine that Glass Half Full believes it looks like they are just going through the motions. They are just that good that they make things look easy.
* The Magic will look to thrive off its home crowd. Remember to wear blue as part of the heart-thumping "Code Blue" campaign. GHF feels the Magic won't fall as far behind on its home court.
* Glass Half Full appreciates the fact that the Pistons will be wearing it's blue road jerseys during "Code Blue" nights. Thanks for participating Deee-Troit. In reality, realize the fan-unifying campaign was developed prior to the Magic knowing its first round opponent. How else can you order 17,000 free give-away t-shirts, thunderstix, flags and glowsticks? It will be fun.
* Although Glass Half Full is a bit traditional and old-school, the Piston's PA announcer is something else. I can't stop hearing Deeee-Troit Basketball!!!!!! in my head after spending a couple of days at the Palace. It really grows on you and for that I give the Pistons credit for creating a unique home court.
* Dwight Howard, after suffering a case of food poisoning, was feeling better Tuesday. Can you say conspiracy: In Detroit: the fire alarm went off at the team hotel in the wee hours of the morning; the practice gym at Country Day School had streamers hanging from the rafters limiting the Magic's practice time between Games 1 and 2, and Dwight was served some shoddy Salmon.
Here we go. What's that Paul Porter? Magic Ball!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From Burns (4/24): What do you think the Magic should do about their coach? Why is he not playing JJ Redick? I don’t think JJ is going to come in and take the Magic to the second round but why is he not giving him any minutes? When Redick was getting consistent minutes a few weeks ago as Grant’s backup he was doing well scoring in double figures in each of the games where he got significant minutes and then for some reason back to the end of the bench and is not playing at all…
When both playoff games have almost been identical why not switch things up a bit in game 2 and use a different rotation? It’s time for Brian Hill to go. He’s an old dog and you can’t teach an old dog new tricks and his coaching definitely needs some new tricks…
GHF: Glass Half Full thinks you will see J.J. as we move forward in the series. The fact is that veterans Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu have been playing and shooting the ball well The playoffs are about adjustments and GHF thinks Coach Hill and his staff will continue to put the team in position to win by making necessary adjustments. Our team -- your team -- under Brian Hill continues to move in a positive direction. The main goal of the season was to get to the playoffs. Mission accomplished. Now, we all want more, which is understandable. Brian brings great discipline, preparation, dedication and enthusiasm to the job. He should be commended for that, not ridiculed. Thanks for your passion.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 22, 10:59AM
Glass Half Full Thoughts Heading To Game Two * Former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons on the Magic after Game 1: "They just kept fighting. That team is young and athletic and they don’t quit." Added Grant Hill about Game 1: "It was like a boxing match and they were trying to knock us out, but we survived."
* Give the Magic credit for getting to the free throw line 36 times in the playoff opener. This shows your team is working hard, being aggressive in taking the ball to the hole, and not settling for just jumpers. With 18 missed free throws and 21 turnovers, Orlando lost by just eight. Give Glass Half Full five less turnovers and five more made free thows and you have just shocked the world. Here's the bottom line: The Magic put themselves in position to steal a win on the No. 1 seed's home court. The goal now is to get Game 2 and put home court advantage in the Magic's hands.
* Orlando won the second (27-23) and fourth quarters (25-19). Hey, remember this is Glass Half Full.
* The feeling in the Magic lockerroom after Game 1 was this: While there is a healthy respect for Detroit, the Magic have a chance to take Game 2 after not playing its best. This series in the eyes of the Magic men is not a formality. Orlando is here to win.
* The playoffs are all about adjustments. Look for the Magic to turn up the tempo and try not to play at Detroit's pace. Detroit really locks in with its halfcourt defense. Magic ball and player movement, while getting out in transition will be key.
* Magic faithful should be proud of its 21-year-old twin towers Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic. While D12 didn't hit all his free throws, he did better in the second half from the line and throughout the game was aggressive, attacking and making his presence known. Nearly 20 boards in your first playoff game speaks for itself, as Howard puts his stamp on the game. As for Darko, he was attacking, used his length on defense and competed through a painful foot injury. Give him credit for showing heart.
* On the free throws, it's Glass Half Full feeling that you just have to have confidence. Step to the line and shoot it. Everyone has some advice -- do this, do that, watch the back of the rim, put your wrist this way, your feet that way. Can you say information overload?!!!! The Magic will do much better in Game 2.
* The Magic had a rude awakening Sunday morning as the hotel fire alarm went off at 6:30 a.m. and a call for evacuation went out. It ended up being a false alarm. At least one person suggested it was Rip Hamilton sneaking in the hotel in his mask to upset the Magic's rest.
Buckle up, Game 2 coming your way. I look forward to hearing from you. The Glass is Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 21, 9:29AM
Seven Thoughts For the Playoffs
Seven Glass Half Full Thoughts Heading Into The Best Of Seven First Round Series Vs. Detroit
* Grant Hill says the Pistons are like the playground bully. They will look to smack you around and send a message early. But, like that school yard bully, ultimately the pressure is on them.
* Speaking of GHill, his playoff advice to Dwight Howard was simple: Enjoy the moment and don't get down when things may not go exactly right on the court. If you miss a free throw, make the next one. If you don't get a call, turn your attention toward the next play.
* The Magic have installed a little wrinkle into its game plan. Glass Half Full can't go further than that at this time.
* While Orlando is 0-4 against Detroit this season, three of the games were decided by five points or less, including the last meeting (April 11, 104-99 in Detroit). Orlando enters the playoffs having won each of its last four games, six of its last seven and nine of its last 13.
* Orlando will look to control the boards, take care of the ball and get out and score easy baskets.
* The No. 8 seed has defeated the No. 1 seed twice since the NBA instituted its current 16-team format in 1984 (1994 Denver over Seattle, 1999 New York over Miami).
* In wins this season, Orlando scored 97.4 points per game and allowed 85.8 points per game, shot 49.3 percent from the floor and held opponents to 40. 5 percent shooting, held a plus-8 rebounding advantage, placed an avrage of four players in double-figures in scoring and averaged nearly 20 assists per game.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 16, 2:29PM
It's Great to Be Back
There's nothing quite like the NBA Playoffs and the Magic is back in the big show.
You can check-off perhaps the main objective of the season, as this Magic squad, at the end of the day, has shown movement in a positive direction. While it's been a little Glass Half empty at times, ultimately the Glass is still Half Full.
Perhaps the best dividend of gaining a berth in postseason play is the fact that your 20-something players will now get a taste. And, undoubtedly a taste will lead to real championship hunger.
Also, you never know what can happen. You win a road game early in the seven game series, and now, presto, you gain homecourt advantage. The last time the Magic were in the playoffs was 2003, and they led top-seeded Detroit three games to one. A little Deja Vu would be nice.
I look for your Magic to play loose and hard. The tension is off. It will be on whatever higher seeded opponent the Magic draw, whether it be Detroit, Chicago, Cleveland or Toronto even.
The Magic learned a little about playing with expectations and a target on its back this season. Now the pressure and bulls-eye will shift to the Magic's foe. They will be expected to win.
Whatever the outcome, don't underestimate this experience for your Magic men.
Bottom line it's great to be back. Every possession of every game will be filled with drama. Relish the ride.
From Curtis (4/9): Dear GFH, I am a die hard magic fan,The tandom of Nelson and Howard while both young, could be as good as Shaq and Penny. but the big difference is there was a great supporting cast around Shaq and Penny with Nick and 3D and Horace Grant. what plans do the magic have in getting help for Jameer and Dwight?
GHF: Thanks for your support and passion. The ever-athletic and tough-minded Trevor Ariza (Nick Anderson), sharp-shooter J.J. Redick/Hedo Turkoglu (Dennis Scott) and fellow seven-footer Darko Milicic (nice complement to the Magic’s center of attention Dwight Howard) are certainly three names that come right to mind. I think veteran and lunch pail guy Tony Battie can also play the role of Horace Grant over the next couple of years.
The future is certainly bright. I think truly learning how to win each and every night and playing every possession as if it’s your last (like Darrell Armstrong use to do) are some key intangibles. On a side note, did you know that the Magic are 22-16 this year when their three energy and top defenders (Ariza, Battie, Keyon Dooling) are healthy and in action together? Keep the faith. We are a relatively young team with three key players who are 21-years-old (Howard, Ariza, Milicic). Thanks again for your question…Glass Half Full.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 2, 10:45PM
The Battle for Seven and Eight
The Glass is still Half Full. As mention in this space a few weeks ago, the playoffs have started for your Orlando Magic. Every remaining game has postseason implications. The key battle is for the seventh and eighth spots. Below is a look at the remaining schedules for the teams in question. As GHF does virtually every morning, go ahead a mark W’s and L’s and see how many wins it will take to get in. Most of all, though, enjoy this ride. It is sure to be exciting.
GAMES REMAINING…
NEW JERSEY (9) - HOME (4): 4/4 ATL, 4/7 WAS, 4/13 NY, 4/18 CHI.
ROAD (5): 4/6 CHI, 4/10 WAS, 4/12 CLE, 4/15 IND, 4/16 NY.
ORLANDO (8) - HOME (4): 4/4 TOR, 4/7 MEM, 4/15 BOS, 4/18 MIA.
ROAD (4): 4/9 MIL, 4/11 DET, 4/14 PHI, 4/17 WAS.
INDIANA (9) - HOME (4): 4/3 DET, 4/7 BOS, 4/15 NJ, 4/18 WAS.
ROAD (5): 4/6 CHA, 4/10 PHI, 4/11 MIL, 4/13 MIA, 4/17 ATL.
NEW YORK (9) - HOME (4): 4/4 PHI, 4/6 MIN, 4/9 DET, 4/16 NJ.
ROAD (5): 4/7 MIL, 4/10 CHI, 4/13 NJ, 4/15 TOR, 4/18 CHA.
From Mr. Anguish! (3/28): GHF, I'm a frustrated diehard fan that is wondering if we even deserve that final playoff spot. This is the first time in Magic history that I've found myself secretly wishing for us to miss out on the playoffs so we can decimate this failure of a basketball team and start over from scratch. With no passion, no clear leadership, and no "go-to" guy in the clutch...I don't see the point in even reaching the playoffs this season. Please help turn this frown upside down!
GHF: Hang in there. Don’t jump. Here’s the bottom line: While Glass Half Full feels your frustration, there still is a lot to play for and there still is time for a storybook finish.
It comes down to what GM Otis Smith told the media yesterday after practice: “We’re competing against ourselves. I don’t think we’re competing against the other team. Whether it’s a good team or a bad team, the Magic are competing against the team in the mirror. We have to do a better job of executing and preparing ourselves to play. We just have to beat that team in the mirror and come to play.”
As for me, I say this: While we have had a roller coaster ride of a season, we still control our own destiny. We still can get the coveted seventh spot and an interesting playoff match-up. Instead of dwelling on the Boston massacre, think about the party in the Garden against New York a couple nights prior when we made key clutch plays down the stretch to win - most notably a pair of Jameer’s jumpers, a couple Dwight blocks and some key plays by Tony Battie.
We have four in a row at home starting tonight. Keep the faith.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 27, 2:45PM
Random Thoughts Some Glass Half Full random thoughts...
With consecutive victories over New Jersey and New York, your Magic is now in seventh place in the East….With that in mind, here’s a GHF idea. I say No. 1-7 make the playoffs in each conference and the eighth spot becomes a single-elimination tournament for teams No. 8-15. In three games you can declare a play-in-to-the-playoffs winner...
Orlando is 19-3 with its energy guys (Trevor Ariza, Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling) healthy and in uniform…Orlando is 12-9 this season in games decided by five points or less, in other words, in playoff-type games. Orlando was 10-14 in five-point games a year ago...
Never say die: Orlando has come back for a victory six times this season after trailing by 10 or more points…Orlando is shooting 46.8 percent from the floor this year, fifth-best in the NBA…Orlando has allowed 94.1 ppg. this year, sixth-best in the NBA…Orlando is 24-3 when holding its opponent to 90 points or less this season…When Dwight Howard pulls down 15 or more rebounds, Orlando is 12-4.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 19, 5:33PM
Smacked in the Face
Glass Half Full felt Miami mentor Pat Riley had some pretty telling quotes after the Magic’s 97-83 victory over his defending champions.
Said Riley:“Everybody wants a piece of the playoffs now. They don’t care where they get in. They just want a piece of the playoffs. Sometimes you need to get sobered up, smacked in the face.”
While Riley may have been talking about his own team getting whacked around a little Sunday, it can also be said that might be true for your Magic. You see, in order to grow you need some adversity. With 14 games to go the hope is that the Magic have an end-of-season run just like last year (and the beginning of this year) in them.
GHF feels the team has been “smacked in the face” enough to go on that run. It won’t be easy. Three of the next four are on the road, and the next two home games are against prime playoff contenders in New Jersey (Mar. 23) and Indiana (Mar. 30). But it seems after going 8-22 the health is back and adjustments have been made which put your Magic in position to be successful.
The adjustments put more pressure on the ball defensively at the point of the opposition attack, get the top defenders on the floor, and create movement offensively. These next 30 days are going to be full of excitement and some great box score/standing watching.
And while you need to keep one eye on the standings, destiny is still in our hands. As Magic GM Otis Smith likes to say, we are not playing against anyone, only ourselves.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 9, 1:49PM
Glass Half Full Bracketology March Madness is upon us, and as you know we have our own brand of madness right here in Magic land.
As has been advocated in this space, the playoffs have started for your Orlando Magic. And who said the regular season doesn’t mean much.
Think of this final stretch as your play-in games.
Orlando has 19 games to play and sits in the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot (Glass Half Full News Alert: This is the same spot the Magic stood in prior to last night’s disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls…So, you entered yesterday in eighth and the sun came up – it really did – and you are still eighth. No damage done).
Looking at the Glass Half Full bracketology on this beautiful Friday (March 9th), here is what I see for the teams fighting for a ticket to the NBA’s version of the Big Dance.
* Indiana (29-31, No. 7) has 22 games left, 11 at home and 11 on the road. Of their remaining games, nine are against teams with a .500 or better record.
* Orlando (29-34, No. 8) has 19 games left, nine at home and 10 on the road. Of our remaining games, eight are against teams with a .500 or better record.
* New Jersey (28-33, No. 9) has 21games left, nine at home, 12 on the road. Of their remaining games, nine are against teams with a .500 or better record
* New York (28-34, No. 10) has 20 games left, 10 at home and 10 on the road. Of their remaining games, 10 are against teams with a .500 or better record.
If you say Detroit (37-22), Cleveland (36-25), Washington (34-26), Toronto (33-29), Chicago (36-28) and Miami (31-29) are in, than two of the four above teams will also make it. Also of interest and doubling the fun, Orlando has games left against New Jersey, Indiana and New York, while Indiana and New York also each have New Jersey twice more. That’s seven head-to-head games against the four teams battling for the final two spots.
Orlando is 1.5 games out of seventh and 3.5 games out of sixth. Keep the faith, baby. The playoffs are here. Enjoy the ride.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 2, 11:37AM
Glass Half Full Alive and Well
Angel Rivera writes: Reading your section on the Magic's web site; I noticed your last entry is dated Feb. the 8th of this year. We miss your positive spin on things, where are you?
Angel, Glass Half Full is here for you. I was taking a little break in order to let the fans have their say, whether on orlandomagic.com message boards, on other web sites, in letters to the newspapers, or on talk radio. My thoughts after listening to the fans is that there is a ton of passion for Magic basketball. Although some of it may not be Glass Half Full material, the bottom line is people care...a lot. And that's a great thing. No indifference or shortage of opinion in Magic land.
Here are GHF's latest thoughts. Despite a few too many missed free throws and a few too many turnovers, and generally a tough stretch with injuries, the schedule turning nasty, and honestly some less than stellar play, the Orlando Magic is still moving in a positive direction when you consider the big picture.
For example keep in mind that the Magic frontline is anchored by three 21-year-old talent players in Dwight, Darko, and Trevor (no last names needed) that everyone in the league would love to get their hands on.
And consider these stats:
* Last year at this point (after 59 games) we were 20-39. This year 28-31 - an eight-game improvement.
* Last year we won 10 road games all year. We have already won 10 road games this year.
* Last year we were 10-14 in games decided by five points or less. This year we are 11-8 in those games.
My final thought is that what the Magic is going through is the trials and tribulations of a relatively young team learning how to win. The adversity that we are going through will make us stronger.
There is obviously still some very important, exciting basketball to be played, and the beauty of it all is that all the games have playoff implications.
In essence playoff basketball has started early for your Magic.
Keep the passion and thanks to all for their opinions. Talk to you soon.
P.S. Forget about just sneaking into the eight and final spot, let's get the seventh or sixth spot. The big picture is about winning a championship, not just making the playoffs this year.
From Lauren (3/1): I'm a comitted fan, but I was wondering what has gotten into the Magic? I mean 28-30 come on? We just dropped since our start of the season. Redick hasnt played in games and you never see Diener. Howard is great but seems a little weezy. We just got Trevor Ariza back from injury. Why doesnt Hill take a risk in playing the rookies or playing Diener and freshen up the court?
GHF: Lauren...Thanks for your passion. It has been a tough stretch for your Magic, but I believe this is part of the trials and tribulations of a young team which is still figuring things out. I think the tough times will make us stronger and better as the team continues to grow together. No one ever won anything without a little adversity.
Remember the squad is anchored up front by three players who are all of 21-year-olds in Dwight Howard, Darko Milicic and Trevor Ariza. Last year after 59 games the team was 20-39. Today, we are 28-31, with some very meaningful games remaining. Last year the team won all of 10 games on the road. We have already won 10 road games this season. Last year the team was 10-14 in games decided by five points or less. This year: 11-8 to date.
Could we do with a few more made free throws and a few less turnovers? Absolutely, but we are moving in the right direction when you look at the big picture. I think you will see all the players contributing down the stretch. Stay tuned. There's some exciting basketball to be played.
Posted by Glass Half Full, February 8, 9:30PM
Six Game Improvement Through 50
While it's been a tough stretch for your Magic with injuries, turnovers, missed free throws, and some defensive lapses, keep in mind the following Glass Half Full Fact: After 50 games last year, Orlando was 19-31 enroute to a 20-40 mark before turning things around with a 16-6 finish. With 50 games in the books this season, Orlando is 25-25 for a six game improvement over last year. While it has been tough, there's still a lot of important basketball play.
From James (1/30): How refreshing will be for ANYBODY in the Magic organization, to Finally!!!!!!!! be honest with us the fans; and tell us once and for all, that this team isn't as good as all of you made it out to be. A little bit of honesty will go a long way with the majority of us Magic fans, that we are tired of listening to the utopia, that the marketing department is selling for at least 6 or 7 years now.
GHF: Thanks for your thoughts. Things are never as bad or good as you think. But this is Glass Half Full, and we will just keep on working hard to put the best product on the floor possible. We went 16-6 at end of the year and 13-4 to start the season. So, this group of players basically went 29-10. Now, we have lost eight of our last nine. Where we are is probably somewhere in the middle of that which would make this young core of talented players a playoff team. Thanks for your passion and keep on writing.
Posted by Glass Half Full, January 29, 11:25AM
Back to Delivering Donuts Orlando forward James Augustine didn’t mind returning to his rookie duty of delivering doughnuts to the Magic veterans, or singing happy birthday to strength and conditioning coach Joe Rogowski.
Likewise, Augustine didn’t mind becoming the answer to a trivia question when in mid-January he became the first-ever Magic player assigned to the NBA Developmental League, or what’s known in league circles as “The D League.”
“It was great for me,” said Augustine, who nonetheless was all smiles after returning to the Show after the eight-game assignment to outposts which included Little Rock, Arkansas, Sioux Falls, South Dakota and Broomfield, Colorado.
“When I got to Colorado my room was 20 degrees, so I slept in two pairs of sweatpants and a hoodie under the covers,” said Augustine. “They lost our bags, we got in late to the hotel, and it was freezing. One of my teammates had all hot water in his room, and I had all cold water in my room. It’s something you laugh at now.”
Augustine said it was undrafted and 14-year Magic and NBA veteran Bo Outlaw who helped him out, telling him that he needed to have confidence in his game. “Bo’s been through all this. He’s been through the minor leagues and had to work his way up. So, I went in with a chip on my shoulder and it went well.”
Well, indeed, as Augustine, the University of Illinois’ all-time leader in rebounding and field goal percentage and the 41st pick in last year’s draft, averaged just over 10 points and nine rebounds for the Anaheim Arsenal. He recorded a 14-point/17-rebound game and a 26-point/10rebound contest.
Augustine has a however-I-can-help-the-team view in this his first professional season. “Whether I’m just a practice player (in Orlando) for the rest of the year, or if they want me to go back down, if it helps the team I’ll do it.”
Gaining a greater appreciation for the NBA, Augustine said in the D League you are on your own. “In the NBA you go to a nice restaurant and you can eat well and get a salad. In the D-League the best you can do sometimes is McDonald’s or Denny’s, so I lost a lot of weight. It’s a different lifestyle (in the D-League) and it makes you want to work harder to stay here (in Orlando). I think it really puts in perspective what I have to do to get better.”
And not freeze.
From TR (1/26): This game against the Hawks (yes, those Hawks) is the single most embarrassing loss I have seen the Magic have in the past 4 years, and they've had some pretty crummy teams over that stretch. Please, after much drinking postgame, tell me two things this Magic team does well right now at this moment because I can't name one. And convince me this team won't get their usual 36 wins this year, and the next 3 years after that, with the roster as currently constructed. I know you're going to say it's not as bad as I'm making it out to be, but every single true Magic fan is extremely frusrated with their play of late. Be honest with me here, which team was flying to all the offensive rebounds and loose balls in crunch time, and which team looked scared to lose on the other end?
Just someone in this organization come out and say this team isn't any good and we will all lower our expectations. Until then, however, all these assurances by the front office, players, coaches, and GHF that we will turn things around soon seem like the empty promises we have often been fed over the years. Yes, I am still a very loyal fan, but this team needs to give us a reason to, as you say, "Keep the Faith!". What's our best option: more Dwight? more Grant? more Redick? What do you think of Pau Gasol for Darko, Redick/Diener, Garrity, and a future #1 (works under cap rules)? Please help us all keep the faith, and go magic.
GHF: TR – We feel your pain. This is certainly a tough stretch we are going through, but we will get out of it and march toward the playoffs. I don’t think you should make change for the sake of change. Rest assured the Magic leadership will explore roster/playing rotation/game planning options, but only if it will make us better today, and tomorrow.
Building, especially, with a young team, takes a little time. Realize your center is just 21 and attracting a ton of attention on the court. But, this same team started 13-4, so that was a ray of hope for you and the Magic faithful. This team as constructed can compete, and will compete. Injuries have been tough.
It would have been nice to have Trevor Ariza shadowing Joe Johnson last week, along with Keyon Dooling. But those are the breaks. Just don’t blow it up because we’ve had a rough stretch. I heard Miami mentor Pat Riley once say that you need adversity to build character and champions. It’s just part of the process, and we are going through it a little right now.
Just like Brian Hill cautioned to hold the parade when we were 13-4, likewise we can’t totally give up when things are not going as well as we’d like them to. The team will continue to work hard and it will improve. These tough times will make us stronger. Thanks for your suggestions and keep them coming. And, thanks for your burning hot passion. You obviously care, and we do too.
From L.M. (1/25): GHF, could you ask JJ why he changed up his free throw routine? He just dribbles several time and shoots the free throw. He used to spin, dribble, spin, dribble, spin and then shoot throughout his high school and college career. It has worked for him all this time, why the change?
GHF: Will do. Thanks for noticing and thanks for you interest.
From Dustin (1/23): ghf. Why is Brian Hill so inconsistent with Redick? When he plays he does well(had a career high 13 the last game he played) And we're 28th I believe in 3-point shots a game. If JJ played thats bound to go up, and who know's, we might start winning some. Thanks!
GHF: Thanks. Glass Half Full thinks you will be seeing a lot more of JJ over the second half of the season. Rest assured the process JJ is going through (not unlike a rookie quarterback goes through in the NFL) will make him a great player for the Magic. Keep the faith. Thanks for your interest and support.
From Robert (1/17): Why do we continue to play Carlos Arroyo when we’ve seen night in and night out that he cannot shoot the ball? We have Diener sitting on the sidelines, not getting any minutes and yet out of the three point guards he is by far the best shooter. I love Jameer Nelson’s heart and attitude but he is consistently among the leaders in shots taken and doesn’t make them – why not give the ball to Howard more? Or give Grant Hill some more opportunities?
And PLEASE would someone tell me WHY we play Pat Garrity at all? He’s done. If we need someone coming off the bench that can be a long range threat, I’d rather see Reddick get the minutes – at least he’s got upside. I love the Magic but get frustrated watching them try to score – knowing they have two guys sitting on the bench that could definitely spread the floor and make defenses pay for collapsing in on Howard.
Are there any trades in the works that might bring in some scoring? Or if not, has Brian even thought about using the young guys off the bench to try and spread the floor? With the power Howard has inside, if we had any outside threat at all, we would be destroying teams!
GHF: Please remember this is Glass Half Full, so one at a time:
One of the beauties of this team is the depth and flexibility, especially at point guard. When one guy has an off night (it does happen) we have others to go to. I think as the season progresses you will see all three running the point. No disrespect (as this is Glass Half Full), but we didn’t hear from the critics when Carlos was rolling and/or Jameer was burying game-winners.
The Magic are working hard every day at committing to get Dwight the ball more. It’s just that he commands so much attention now that it’s sometimes easier said than done. GHF spys has heard that teams spend their entire morning shoot-arounds game planning and working on defending Young Thunder. Rest assured, though, this is a major point of emphasis in game planning, practice, shoot-arounds and games. It takes a team effort, though, as it relates to getting good position down low, making good entry passes, getting it to him early in transition and making the defense pay when he kicks it out of double-teams and our shooters hit shots.
It is GHF’s thought that Grant Hill will continue to get opportunities and Pat Garrity still needs to be honored from behind the arc and can serve in spreading the floor so our big guys can work. The same goes for J.J., and as we progress in the season he will get opportunities to do what we does.
We like the chemistry we have, so don’t look for any blockbuster deals. We are moving in the right direction, growing and maturing as a team. Remember, tough times don’t last, tough people do. This is a marathon, not a sprint.
Last, but not least, Mr. Frustrated Bob, keep the faith and keep the suggestions coming. It’s fans like you who are important to us. We love your energy, emotion and passion. All the best and remember, “The Glass is Half Full.”
From Lee (1/10): Do you know what Dwight’s free throw percentage is after MADE baskets? It’s seems he is pretty consistent after a made basket and getting fouled.
GHF: Thanks for your question. GHF CSI has this to report in regard your question. Dwight ranks as one of the best in the NBA in three-point plays, meaning he hits a lot of free throws after made baskets and fould. Your instincts are excellent. Dwight ranks tied for 9th in three-point plays with 19.
From Nathan (1/9): I'm loving this team, however I caught my eye on a intriguing prospect on NBA.com Fed Ex that has an affiliation with this franchise. He goes by the name of Ramon Van de Hare. Could you fill my glass on this guy and as an affiliation what do you provide to such players you represent?
GHF: You have to love when Glass Half Full goes international. We obtained Ramon's draft rights from Toronto on Jan. 2, 2004 in the famous Mengke Bateer and Van de Hare for Robert Archibald trade. We still have his draft rights. He's a Shawn Bradley-esque seven-footer. We will have to see how he continues to develop.
From Mark (1/9): Just found your Glass Half-Full articles and loved them! My wife Karen and I are Magic season ticket holders. Do you have other Glass Half-Full type writings that you have done? Karen is a writer (humor column for a local newspaper and inspirational writings over the internet). I'm sure she would enjoy reading other positive writings you have done. Keep up the funny, upbeat, informative articles!
GHF: Thanks…You are officially President of the Glass Half Full Fan Club…Here is one of my favorites, kind of a Glass Half Full Classic...
Ever wonder what it’s like to travel with an NBA team? Here’s a glimpse:
It’s like Best Buy had a head-on collision with Borders at 35,000 feet.
Computers, cell phones, DVD players, Ipods and instant messaging gadgets litter the main cabin of the Orlando Magic’s team jet. Reading choices range from Mitch Albom’s “Five People You Meet in Heaven” to The National Enquirer.
Welcome to lift off of the Orlando Magic’s West Coast trip. Over the next 11 days, the team will play games in six different cities and log more than 5,421 air miles. It’s the longest road trip of the season and you can feel a buzz on the plane as the Eastern Conference front-running Magic (11-5) head West for the first time this season.
Packing is a challenge, as Orlando will visit cold cities (Denver, Salt Lake City), mild weather cities (San Francisco/Oakland for meeting with Golden State and San Antonio) and hot cities (Los Angeles, Phoenix). It seems everyone has extra luggage, and the first challenge of the trip is Travel Coordinator/Equipment Manager extraordinaire Rodney Powell’s to solve – not all the bags fit in the belly of the 737-300. The extra bags end up being stowed in a closet and restroom at the rear of the aircraft.
Orlando takes off on its magic carpet ride headed to stop No. 1 – Denver.
On board are 41 passengers – 15 players, six coaches, the general manager, the director of player development, a security representative, an equipment manager/travel coordinator, a trainer, a physical therapist, a strength coach, a video coordinator, a pr person, five broadcasters, three TV production people, and three sponsors.
Over the next four hours, players will watch DVDs, listen to music, play cards, eat, read and catch-up on some sleep. The coaches will watch film of Orlando’s upcoming opponents.
One interesting aspect of the trip is the brain child of Otis Smith – the team’s director of player development. Otis has switched up the seating for the long trip West. Rookies sit next to veterans, as Otis mixes and matches the main cabin so the vets can pass on some knowledge. Rookie Dwight Howard is seated beside nine-year veteran Andrew DeClercq. Jameer Nelson – who on every previous trip this season sat beside Howard – moves to the four-top table next to Grant Hill and Pat Garrity.
Also, of note, is a relaxed dress code. On flights of three-plus hours, sweats and blue jeans are allowed. Shoes don't stay on long.
Kelvin Cato bobs and weaves to some tunes, Grant Hill reads a book on Michael Jordan, Mario Kasun shares some Croatian fruit candies, Steve Francis grabs some much deserved shut eye and the broadcasters battle it out in their game of choice - Scrabble.
Heading West, here we go. Stay tuned.
Posted by Glass Half Full, January 3, 11:37AM
Keep An Eye on Trevor Ariza As mentioned in this space a little while back (See my Oct. 4th entry below), keep an eye on Trevor Ariza. He’s making a case for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
Case in point:
His career averages entering this season were: 5.3 ppg., 3.4 rpg., 1.1 apg., 17.4 minpg., .431 FG pct. In the first 15 games of the season he averaged: 5.1 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 17.4 minpg., .464 FG pct. (32-69 FG).
Over the last 12 games of 2006, he averaged: 12.9 ppg., 5.2 rpg., 1.7 apg., 1.50 stlpg., 29.3 minpg., .613 FG pct. (65-106 FG).
And over the last six games of 2006: 15.8 ppg., 5.8 rpg., 2.0 apg., 1.83 stlpg., 32.3 minpg., .623 FG pct. (38-61 FG), while scoring in double figures in all six outings and recording a double-double on Dec. 30 vs. Miami with 16 points and a season-high 10 rebounds.
From Justin (12/28): Hi, I'm more than a little concerned about our three point shooting! Our best shooters (Diener, Redick) just aren't seeing the floor enough. Turkoglu is a little too inconsistent in my mind. And Garrity, well I won't even go there. Remember when we had Shaq and he was kicking out of the double team to Nick and 3-D? We were raining 3's! More floor time for our top shooters will help space the floor for Dwight. I'm sure Coach Hill knows this, he's the one who coached 3-D, Nick, and Shaq! It just seems like the lack of 3-point shooting was one of, if not our biggest problem last season (it's obvious management knew that since they drafted the top shooter in the country to address that problem)...but things aren't getting better (see tonight's Lakers game!)....Is something happening in practice that's making Coach Hill not play our best shooters more?
GHF: Don't be confused. We have just hit a little rough stretch here, but will get out of it by continuing to work hard and get back to doing what made us successful to start the season - solid defense and great ball and player movement which creates good shots, not necessarily long shots. With good player and ball movement we will get back to getting the shots - including your beloved three-pointers - within the framework of the offense. Remember you can live and die by just shooting jumpers. You need, as you stated, a good mix of taking the ball to the hole and hitting the trifecta. Travis and J.J. will cointinue to play a key role in our success this season, as will the depth and flexibility of our roster. Keep believing, as you did when we were 14-5 and were in first place for 43 straight days.
From Robert (12/17): We are JJ Redick fans. Donn’t understand why you don’t have an injury button on your site or why JJ dresses for some games and not others. Also, what are the coaches plans for him? Bring him along slowly, he’s not good enough to play, not good enough on defense, etc.
GHF: Thanks for your interest. J.J. is not injured, and as a matter of fact, we have no injuries to speak of at this point (Keyon Dooling did have back spasms last night, but should be fine). For fans who do not know, there is no longer an injured list. There is just and Active and Inactive List that can be changed from game to game (up until an hour before each game as a matter of fact). Teams are permitted to have as many as three players on their respective Inactive Lists. J.J. is doing great. He missed just about all of training camp with a foot injury and thus got a little behind. He has worked himself into shape and actually received some minutes last night. He is adjusting to the NBA game. He is a gym rat and will find his way on to the floor during the season. Also, as mentioned often in GHF, this Magic team has a ton of depth and flexibility in the backcourt. Thanks again for your note. All the best…GHF
Posted by Glass Half Full, December 11, 2:41PM
Happy Shopping With just a handful of shopping days left, here are some Glass Half Full random thoughts:
* Magic Head Coach Brian Hill is doing a heck of a job. He’s brought the Magic discipline. He communicates with his players and lets them be who they are. He is outstanding from an X and O/game preparation perspective. He has made some great in-game calls such as drawing up the Trail Blazer-beating, Grant Hill back-door cutting, lay-in on the recently completed West Coast trip. Orlando has won at home, on the road, and in close games. A mark of a great coach is one who puts his players in position to win games night-in and night-out. Orlando really has just one blowout loss on the season and is a league-leading 7-1 in games decided by three points or less this year.
* The Magic have a nice mix. They have young monsters (i.e. Dwight Howard), elder statesmen (i.e. Grant Hill), energy guys (i.e. Keyon Dooling, Trevor Ariza, Bo Outlaw), hard-hat, thermos types (i.e. Tony Battie), sharp shooters (Hedo Turkoglu, Pat Garrity, Travis Diener, J.J. Redick), shot blockers (i.e. Darko Milicic), players with a defense-first attitude (i.e. Keith Bogans) and a pair of starting point-guards who pick each other up (Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo).
* The more I think of Dwight Howard, the more I like his approach which I boil down to this: “Have Fun. Play Hard.” Sounds like it could be a commercial.
* Try this: Look at the standings/team records of your favorite teams (i.e. the Orlando Magic). Take the team’s road wins and subtract the home losses. Then rank the teams based on the formula. The better teams will be on top. (i.e. Orlando 7 road wins minus 2 home losses = +5).
* I heard this on the radio the other day so I am going to steal it and pass it on in the holiday spirit. If you buy your significant other (i.e. your wife) clothes, always buy a small size. The gentleman who said this said it serves two purposes: 1) She will think you think she is a small; 2) She is going to return it anyway and get what she wants so it really doesn’t matter.
Happy shopping and always believe in Magic.
Posted by Glass Half Full, December 7, 5:00PM
J.J. - Once and For All
We rightfully get tons of e-mail regarding J.J. Redick. Here is the GHF J.J. Update. J.J. is doing great. He is a gym rat who is working extremely hard and the process he is currently going through in getting acclimated to the NBA game will be beneficial to him and the Magic over the course of the season and really his career. He did miss basically all of training camp because of a foot injury and did get behind, but is now healthy and continues to work very hard daily.
In addition, the Magic have a great amount of depth and flexibility and talent in the backcourt. It is a good problem to have, so much depth among its guards. Before it is all done, J.J. will play a role in the Magic's success this season. There you go. The J.J. Update. Glass Half Full signing off.
From Happy (12/6): What is the big deal about headbands? Last week I read Ben Wallace can't wear his playing for Chicago and now I see they are not allowed in Brian Hill's rules either.
GHF: There really is no big deal about headbands. It’s just a team guideline and not really part of our uniform. Our players have no issues with this. Thanks for your interest.
Posted by Glass Half Full, December 5, 10:08AM
Jameer, Dinner is On...You The question was could the Magic bounce back from its blowout loss in L.A. or had the West Coaster caught up with them?
Jameer Nelson provided the answer with a gutsy, game-winning, three pointer.
In the joyous locker room afterward Tony Battie said, "Jameer, dinner is on...(pause for dramatic effect)...you."
Winning in all different ways. Winning when not playing great. Winning on the road. Winning close games.
The Magic just may have something brewing here. TV play-by-play man David Steele says it's 'Mojo.' There were some that suggested it was the new puffy jacket TV graphics man Mike Griffin purchased after his luggage was left in Sacramento. Hey, whatever works.
Orlando will fly all day Tuesday, losing time going West to East. A stop in Indy for the trip closer and then home for one day of rest and then a back-to-back against Detroit (on Dwight Howard's 21st birthday) and Philadelphia (vs. Allen 'The Answer' Iverson).
The Magic had the answer Monday night, winning for the first time in Sacramento since 1993, or as Brian Hill kiddingly says, 'Was Dwight born the last time we won there?" The Magic have a chance to have its most successful six-game West Coast trip. Twice before Orlando has gone 4-2. Never 5-1 in a six-gamer out West.
Posted by Glass Half Full, December 4, 2:56AM
You Still Want Another One
No matter how many you win - in the Magic's case three straight on the West Coast, six straight overall, and 10 of its last 11 - you still want another one. Kind of like potato chips: you can't just eat one, three, six or 10.
The Magic couldn't munch the Clippers and now head to Sacramento for the back end of a back-to-back.
The mood, as you would expect, was a little no joy in mudville somber. You see in the NBA while some think it's just one game (of 82), those in the league wonder when the next streak will start and/or when can you stop the bleeding right away.
Foregoing the usual game day morning shoot-around in order to save the legs a little, the Magic will meet in the morning as a team, watch a little Sacramento film, get the game plan from the coaches who will be up most of the night, and share a nice breakfast spread in the hotel ballroom.
Then its a little more rest and some treatment (ice, stretching, etc... from the training staff) before boarding the team bus about two hours before the opening tip for another road test.
Being the fifth hotel in the fifth city, when everyone heads back to their respective rooms there is no doubt they will be challenged to remember their floor and room number - just another pop quiz during this road test.
Posted by Glass Half Full, December 2, 3:52AM
Business Deal #3 Closed
There's nothing quite like winning on the road.
That was one of Head Coach Brian Hill's first thoughts after he drew up a game-winning, buzzer-beating, old school, back door cut for Grant Hill off an out-of-bounds play to beat the Portland Trail Blazers, 91-89, Friday night.
Jameer Nelson set a little screen, GHill cut hard to the hoop, and shooter extraordinaire Hedo Tukroglu threw a picture-perfect pass. Start the bus baby, the Magic have won three straight on the trip, six straight overall, and 10 of the last 11.
There were congratulations all around the Magic visiting locker room. Grant Hill credited Coach Hill, who he calls his uncle from time-to-time because they share the same last name, as well as Turkoglu, who said with a smile, "You know me," in a 'I can pass it too sort of way.'
Rodney Powell wrote "Business Deal #3 Closed" on the grease board, Dwight broke into singing in the shower mode, and video man Ben Metcalf replayed the game winning sequence on his computer for the troops.
With the win the Magic earned a much-deserved day off in the City of Angels.
Yes, winning is good. L.A. here we come.
From Guy (11/30): Nice piece on Bo Outlaw. The Orlando fans have always loved Bo because of his hard work and great attitude. It is nice to see him back in Blue! He is a great example for the young guys on this team.
Speaking of examples, I really like the direction the Magic have gone. Not only is the team doing phenomenally well, it is also a group of guys that we can be proud of. There is a very special combination of talent and character. Dwight openly lives his faith, and shows that he can be a fun guy and a devout Christian as well. Grant Hill has long been recognized as one of the really "good guys" in the league. Carlos Arroyo seems to show class and character while being a model for others from Puerto Rico. And, of course, there is Bo.
By the way, is there any chance of getting better coverage on the Magic in the Tampa area? I lived in Orlando for 20 years, and just move to St. Pete less than 3 years ago. The Magic coverage here is almost non-existent. No Radio, only Sun Sports for TV. The St. Pete times often relegates the NBA to the inside back page of the Sports section, which is where you usually find horse racing and fishing. Is there any hope of getting better coverage here?
GHF: Thanks for your thoughts. Well said. My advice on coverage is to contact the papers yourself. Readers have more influence then you think. Tell them what you want. We will certainly accomodate them with credentials to cover the team. Checkout orlandomagic.com for TV affilate information in your area also. We've added a few games over the Magic TV Network in Tampa.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 30, 1:25PM
Bionic Bo Outlaw Man, Donald Trump would love this team.
With "Business Deal #2 Closed" (see Magic 94, Sonics 84), the Magic made their way from snowy Seattle to rainy Portland. But it's all sunny in Magicland as the squad moved to 2-0 on the trip and 12-4 overall.
With snow falling and Seattle acting as if it had never seen the white stuff before (the Seattle-area schools were all closed, reminiscent of when Florida schools close because a potential hurricane is coming off the coast of Africa and Super Doppler 2 is tracking it), it took more than two hours to get from Seattle to Portland (the flight time is just 30 minutes). With the team bus driving four miles per hour through the slush and the plane needing de-icing, it became in the words of Bo Outlaw the "longest, shortest trip ever."
You have to love Bo. First, I swear he is bionic. Just change his oil every once in a while and make sure his wiring is good and the electrodes are firing and you have your one-man, full-court press. I can't think of a player who keeps himself in better shape year-round than Bo.
Second, he's like the Pied Piper, touching fans one at a time, whether in the community, in the arena or at Seattle's legendary Pike Fish Market where I took him the other day to tape the Sun Sports TV open. Instantly Bo, with his booming personality, had made friends with passer-bys and the fish-throwing workers.
Third, fourth, and fifth, he has an incredible basketball IQ which he passes on to the Magic youngsters, truly appreciates his placed in the big leagues after going undrafted and having to work his way to the top without a jump shot and finally, he just gets it.
He's just a good guy who plays and practices hard, stays ready for when his number is called, and cheers for his teammates harder when he is on the bench.
Dwight Howard, who constantly imitates Bo's baritone voice, calls this Outlaw "legendary."
He is. And bionic.
From Terry (11/28): Hi GHF, I hope that the trip West continues to go well. As a season ticket holder and someone who goes to some away games, I can feel the difference in this Team this year. It starts with the fun on their faces and continues with Bo dancing at shoot around - the Magic are the Team. A very important part of this success in my mind is Grant Hill, whether through his play or just his presence, he is someone to look up to. My question is, shouldn't we be making sure that Grant is here to stay, offer him a three year contract and if his health is a problem, he would be great in the front office or on the training staff. This would ensure the Team keeps its natural leader - I would rather have Grant than one of the 'named' future free agents.
GHF: Terry...Thanks for your thoughts. We and Grant are on the same page - get through this complete season, including a nice playoff run and then see where we are. Make no mistake we want Grant part of the organization for many years to come. You are correct in that he brings incredibly valuable tangible and intangible qualities, both on the floor and off.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 28, 12:02PM
More from the West Coast Rolling with General Manager Otis Smith’s “This is a business trip” theme, the message on the dry-erase board in the visiting locker room said it all: “Business Deal #1 CLOSED”. Final score: Eastern Conference-leading Orlando 88, Western Conference-leading Utah 75.
Fighting off the demons of West Coast trips gone bad (Orlando entered this trip 3-25 over the last three years on the West Coast, including 0-9 last year), the Magic used its collective power to silence the Jazz.
Speaking of collective power, it is double-double machine Dwight Howard who has punctuated the Magic’s identity of togetherness.
Before and after each practice, shoot-around and game, the team comes together for the all-for-one-hands-in ritual.
In the huddle, head coach Brian Hill may deliver a final message and then fun-loving Dwight says this, “With our powers combined we are the Magic…On three…1,2,3…Team!”
Howard says he decided on the chant after watching something called ‘Captain Planet’ on the Cartoon Network. Now, I haven’t watched much Cartoon Network of late, but according to the young one, the characters in the animation are Fire, Water, Earth, Wind and Heart. Evidently, they combine their forces to make the world a better place and come together to say ‘Go Planet’ at the end of each episode.
Hey, it’s working for your Magic.
You could sense the giddiness on the flight from Utah to snowy Seattle. Dwight, the resident team movie decider, put in “You, Me and Dupree.” The team had a spaghetti dinner. The coaches did what the coaches do: they watched DVDs of the Sonics, Orlando’s next business deal.The broadcasters played Scrabble in the back and spiced up the trip with a little wager.
Radio play-by-play man Dennis Neumann said it would take less than two hours to fly from Utah to Portland. TV analyst Matt Guokas said it would take more than that. TV play-by-play man and team weather man David Steele set the over/under at one hour, 45 minutes. TV Producers Tye Eastham and Kevin Patterson broke out the official Magic TV stop watch and started the clock. The wager: a ‘Trading Places-esque” $1.
David Steele provided some commentary, saying Dennis underestimated the 113 mph head wind and the weight of the team‘s luggage. You just can’t get analysis like that anywhere.
Any way, as the landing gear went down and the wheels hit the runway the time was 1:38, giving Neumann another giddy victory.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 26, 8:07PM
From the West Coast
Like a stomach-dropping amusement park ride, there’s nothing quite like a West Coaster.
Six games and cities; 11 days and nights; 41 people, from coaches and players to support staff. 115 suit cases, including 18 packed by Team Operations Manager extraordinaire Rodney Powell; and 7,070 total miles.
In 1905 Horace Greeley’s advice was “Go West, young man,” as he encouraged young families to migrate westward and make a land claim. Fast forward 101 years and your Orlando Magic – the Eastern Conference leaders at 10-4 – are looking to stake its own claim of sorts, as the team embarks on a mettle-testing trip.
Normally when asked about such trips a coach will give the aged-old advice that his team “will take them one at time.” While true, Magic Head Coach Brian Hill actually breaks the season into 16, five-game sets. Orlando went 3-2 in the first set, 4-1 in the second stanza and is 3-1 in the current block with the West Coast Opener at Western Conference-leading Utah (12-2) serving as game five. You win three of every five and you have 48 wins with two games left over and a chance at 50 victories for the season.
General Manager Otis Smith goes straight to the point, telling the team prior to take-off that this is a “business trip” and there are six deals ahead.
Today – Sunday – is a travel day. The Magic will move from Salt Lake City (Utah) to Seattle to Portland to L.A. (Clippers) to Sacramento to Indiana and then back home.
The mood aboard the Magic carpet – Orlando’s 737 - is fitting for a first-place team. Dwight Howard leads the “Zzzzzz’ brigrade, catching up on some much-deserved shut eye (Note: Dwight is the only person I know who can drink six Shirley Temples, complete with Maraschino cherries, and a pack of Starbursts, and fall asleep soundly).The Dukies – Grant Hill and J.J. Redick – are taking on point guards Carlos Arroyo and Travis Diener is a spirited card game complete with the requisite fun-loving trash talking. The coaching staff is breaking down film, er DVDs, of upcoming opponents, and General Manager Otis Smith’s in-air library is open for business.
Smith, an avid reader, routinely stocks the airplane with a set of books for players to read while on the road. Today’s selection includes “220 Best Franchises To Buy” to “Cultural Living: What Every American Should Know” to “Your First Business Plan.” Last year he handed out “The Five Dysfunctions of a Team.”
The feeling is good, as through the first 14 games Orlando has established somewhat of an identity.
First, they like each other and like to play with each other, no small feat in today’s world, nor something which should be dismissed. Second, they believe in ball and player movement which makes for a team effort each and every time out. Three, they continue to improving defensively. Four, they are deep, flexible and versatile. Five, young Dwight Howard is blossoming before our eyes as the center of attention. Orlando is 4-1 in games decided by three points or less, a nice sign as they continue the maturation process of going from last year’s underdog/no expectations squad to a marked team.
Buckle up, here we go.
From Wilfrid (11/15): Okay, that is all fine and dandy but, you didn't answer my question. I'm not trying to be rude to anyone, I wanna be 100% behind these team. JJ is what is most important for to spend money that I really don't have to go to a game. So just give it to me staight. If you know the truth. I f not sorry to bug you.
GHF: Straight up: there are no guarantees. We simply don't know and our active/inactive list changes game to game based on game plans. Even if a player is on the active list there are no guarantees that he will play. Thanks.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 8, 11:01AM
Heading Into Game Five
As we head into Game 5 tonight, a couple of thoughts:
1) As expected your Magic are not going to sneak up on anyone anymore. Coming off last season’s 16-6 finish, every game has a feel of a playoff game. The Magic have already beat two playoff teams from a year ago in Chicago and Washington, dropped a nail-biter to Philly and simply did not play well in Atlanta. Playing with expectations is a key to the maturation of your Magic.
2) If you think about the season in 16, five-game segments and win three of every five games you would end up with 48 wins and two games left over. Orlando looks to win game three of its first five tonight.
3) The Magic has been able to flash its depth, flexibility and versatility in its first few games of the season. The depth especially has been key, as head coach Brian Hill has been able to ride the hot hand when its presents itself (see Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling).
From Michael (11/6): Here we go again! How many coaches will it take before someone realizes that Garrity can't play in this league? Our winning or losing directly relates to how much time he and Nelson get on the floor. Nelso has a 2 to 1 T/O to assist ratio-going the wrong way!!
He is the worst ball handling guard since Brian Shaw-and that's saying something. I would venture to say he leads the league in blocked shots the wrong way.
GHF: Thanks. He will win a game for us soon.
From Brad (11/6): Greetings GHF, I am like all other Magic Fans. One great game and then flat. I could go around in circles saying what I think is the problem, but that does not do much good. Here's what I have seen so far. Grant Hill gets an A from me. I have not figured Hedo out. He can be great or he can miss everything. Then I am not sure Jameer is ready for the season. Getting his head smashed really put him back. If Darko could finish better and make free throws, wow! I think all of are looking forward to the Washington game with both fear and trepidation as well as excitement. Which team will appear?
GHF: Thanks for your thoughts…Keep them coming and, more importantly, keep the faith…GHF
From Wilfrid (11/6): I was just wondering if you know about how long it will be before JJ Redick is on the court? I have been a die hard Duke fan since I was seven years old. I live in West Virginia and I am going to Cleveland to see the Magic play the Cavs on dec.23rd. Grant Hill was one of my favs as a youngster, so it is awsome to see him do well. Am I going to get what I have wanted for four years or will my favorite player in Duke history be riding the pine pony? let me know:)
GHF: J.J. is doing great. He’s working extremely hard, putting in the extra work needed as he recovers from a soft tissue foot injury and returns to competitive basketball shape. He said this morning that he will be ready when his number is called. GHF believes J.J. will play a key role this season, but perhaps needs a bit more time as he has not really played competitive basketball because of injury (back/foot) since March Madness. The other thing to keep in mind is the depth this Magic team has. There are no less than seven capable/versatile guards on the roster in Jameer Nelson, Carlos Arroyo, Grant Hill (starter at two-guard), Keith Bogans, Keyon Dooling, Travis Diener and J.J. That’s a lot of talent and a good problem to have for Magic fans.
Posted by Glass Half Full, November 3, 1:45PM
Dwight's Shoulders
“Pardon the Interruption”, of Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser TV fame, had a toss-up question of whether they would want Shaq or Dwight today?
ESPN The Magazine and USA Today have come calling.
Former Magic player, now Chicago Bulls Coach Scott Skiles gushed, “He's one of the best big men in the league. He plays with force. He plays with energy. He rebounds it. He plays above the rim. He's got nice moves around the basket. He's becoming a complete player."
Dwight Howard, fresh off a summer bolstered by play with Team USA, is taking another step right before our eyes.
Today, after the morning shoot-around he was asked this question by members of the Fifth Estate: “Are you ready to carry the world on your shoulders?”
His I-have-a-great-opportunity-but-this-is-also-a-team answer: “God blessed me with big shoulders. I just have to go out and have fun and work hard. We have a great team and I look toward my team for everything.”
Pardon the interruption, Dwight Howard is getting ready to explode…right before our eyes.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 25, 5:53PM
The Glass is Half Full
Yesterday after the morning shoot-around Grant Hill was posed the question of why he endured five ankle surgeries, a life-threatening staph infection, and painful hernia surgery to keep playing. Afterall, he had a guaranteed contract and could have walked away. Simply said Hill: “Because I love to play; because it's a privilege to play this game."
Today after a three-plus hour film/practice/conditioning session, Keyon Dooling was bouncing around the Magic locker room at the RDV Sportsplex and telling anyone in range, “We have a great job, the greatest job in the world. Let’s not forget that.” In this crazy world, every once in a while it’s nice to know professional athletes – and your Orlando Magic players - have a keen understanding of their situation and they care. The Glass is Half Full in this T.O.-type world.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 16, 5:05AM
Preseason Thoughts
Through three preseason games, here are some thoughts:
1) Travis Diener, who had a great summer, is having a great preseason. He’s just playing with so much more confidence and shooting the ball really well;
2) The Magic had a good day today in regard to injuries. Tony Battie, Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling and Hedo Turkoglu all returned to the practice court. Just Trevor Ariza and J.J. Redick are still sidelined, but they are getting better as well;
3) Orlando needs to continue to work hard at the defensive end. As you know the non-glorious, more-sweat-less-headlines defensive end is what separates the good teams from the not-so-good teams. On the flip side, Orlando’s ball movement on offense looks good;
4) Orlando needs to work on starting the game better. The Magic have trailed each preseason game early. It’s a little GHF concern, but being addressed by the team;
5) Carlos Arroyo and Bo Outlaw took time out this morning to serve as crossing guards at a local elementary school. You probably won’t read about it in the morning paper or see it on the news, but they got up early, greeted the kids at school, and in turn made a back-to-school Monday morning a little brighter.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 6, 2006, 8:46AM
Hey Hedo
Perhaps one guy flying under the radar is six-foot, 10-inch Hedo Turkoglu. Turk, who averaged a career-high 14.9 ppg. last season, is what coaches like to call "a basketball player."
Turk, once content with just being a sharp-shooter, has expanded his game and is now having an impact in all phases when on the floor -- from knocking down the three-ball, to using his length and determination on defense, to hitting the boards, to causing match-up problems because of his size and ability.
And, as coaches say, he just knows how to play, as he has a tight grasp on the complexities of ball and player movement. You can see from training camp the impact the "Michael Jordan of Turkey" (when he signed in the NBA with Sacramento his press conference was nationally televised in Turkey) has on the Magic. Quite simply, when he is off the floor, or as he was battling a flu bug the other day and out, the team just wasn't as crisp and sharp.
Turkoglu's development also kind of mirrors the Magic's continuity. Because essentially the same group is back this season, players feel more comfortable with the Magic offense and defensive system so they are able to just play and not have to think as much. Turkoglu, once content as a back-up, has blossomed into a bonafide starter. He obviously has put in the work this off-season and should get some All-Star consideration as he takes the Magic to the next level.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 5, 2006, 3:56PM
Thoughts Through Day Three
Through five practices - including two sets of two-a-days - here are three thoughts:
* Attention to detail has been emphasized in every single drill. Bottom line: when on the floor, whether setting a screen, taking care of the ball, or being in the correct defensive position, do things the right way. The little things make a difference.
* Like last year, the focus of camp has been on defense. It's what separates the good teams from the bad. Glass Half Full goes back to a key defensive stat from a season ago: Orlando was 1-19 when allowing its opponent to shoot 50 percent or better from the floor.
* With essentially the same group returning, cleaning up offensive execution, limiting turnovers and player and ball movement has also been a point of emphasis.
* Bonus: Camp MVP to date: Keyon Dooling. He brings energy and has shot the ball extremely well.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 5, 2006, 8:23AM
J.J. Update
J.J. Redick, who went through the first three training camp practices, sat out last night's second session after experiencing some discomfort in his left foot. He has a soft tissue injury in the middle/bottom of his left foot which he first hurt a few weeks ago. He will be placed in a walking boot to give it a chance to heal completely (probably about a week or so). His return to the court will, however, depend on how he responds to treatment. The training staff for precautionary reasons feels at this point it is better to just let it heal completely. On the bright side, his back is fine.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 4, 2006, 12:41PM
It's Trevor Time
Once raw as Sushi, Trevor Ariza is starting to cook.
Make no mistake that Orlando's six-foot, eight-inch, 21-year-old forward will play a key role in whatever success the Magic has this season.
He's long, athletic, and plays hard whether he is on the floor for thirty seconds or thirty minutes. He defends like a Doberman and is active from baseline-to-baseline.
The coaching staff loves the positional flexibility and depth he provides. It's no wonder that ESPN.com named his re-signing as one of the 10 most underrated moves of this past off-season.
A variety of jump shots, from set to off-the-dribble-mid-range, is how he would answer the aged-old question, "How I spent my summer vacation." And you can definitly see the work in the first two days of training camp that Ariza put in to refining his shooting. Simply, he has more confidence in his release and follow-through. That will pay dividends, as he will now have the opportunity to get and make open shots. Then, when the opponent gets up on him, he can use his athleticism to get to the basket.
In Orlando's first three practices, Ariza has flashed his ability on both ends of the court Defensively, he has made some Houdini-like strips, while adding a few Flying Wallendas-like dunks. He has taken charges and displayed his new-found soft shooting touch.
Ariza, who was a two-way football player in high school, but preferred safety, was a Parade Second-Team All-American in hoops for Westchester High in Los Angeles. His father, Kenny McClary, played at the University of Florida, and Ariza suited up one year at UCLA before making the jump. A 2004 second-round pick by New York, Ariza was caught in the Knick's drama before coming to the Magic in the Steve Francis trade last February.
Ariza's favorite motto says it all, "Tough Times Don't Last, Tough People Do." Yes, it just might be Trevor Time.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 3, 2006, 11:22AM
Day 1 Training Camp Impressions
Here are some early impressions from Day One of training camp:
* Head Coach Brian Hill's attention to detail is alive and well. Employing a little-things-make-a-difference philosophy, Hill's constant chatter during practice encourages his team. "Contest every shot"..."Stay in your defensive stance"..."Move your feet, don't reach."..."In 2-on-1 you need a layup"..."Take good shots."
* During one three minute stretch during this morning's two-plus hour workout, Keyon Dooling, Grant Hill and Trevor Ariza all took charges. It's one of the most selfless plays in a basketball game, nevermind a practice. It's as if I asked you to stand straight up and then I slugged you in the stomach.
* Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo are going to be fun to watch. They are battling each other, and making each other better.
* Darko Milicic has an air of confidence about him, no doubt a byproduct of his success in this past summer's World Championships. I love the way Darko and Dwight Howard complement each other, and it's even better with a little Tony Battie, blue collar, veteran leadership sprinkled in.
* J.J. Redick's back is just fine.
* Grant Hill and Hedo Turkoglu on the floor at the same time will provide a headache for opponents. They are just so versatile and really know how to play.
Posted by Glass Half Full, October 2, 2006, 9:17AM
Magic Keys
You can hear the squeaking shoes. You can feel the bouncing basketball. And you can just about taste the buttery sweet, yet salty popcorn. With the lights getting brighter, here are your keys to a Magical season.
Pack Your Bags
Last season, playoff teams averaged 20 road wins (18.8 in the East, 21.2 in the West). Non-playoff teams 12. The Magic 10. If you take a look at home court records, the Magic with 26 home wins was better than two Eastern Conference playoff teams and within a victory of five other playoff teams which finished with 27 home victories. The road separates the Haves from the Have-nots. Like they did at the end of the season, the Magic will look to continue to bond together and have a few more happy flights home.
They All Count
Orlando ranked No. 20 in the NBA in free throw percentage. They will look to do better. This is especially important when you put it in the context of close game. Orlando played 24 games last year where the margin was between one and five points. Orlando lost six games decided by three points or less last season. Make a few more foul shots and get a handful more victories and the Magic are playoff-bound. Consider this statistic as well: Over the last 11 years in the Eastern Conference, eighth (in the dance) and ninth (on the couch) place has been separated by an average of 1.8 wins. Every game is important, whether in November or in the dog days of February. Finding ways to win close games is paramount, whether with a few free throws, a big stop, or a big shot.
There’s No ‘I’ In Team
Orlando won 16 of its final 22 games last season – the best finish in franchise history - by playing team and unselfish basketball. Player and ball movement on offense was a key, while trust and individual/team defense was stressed. The Magic will look to pick-up where they left off. Key stats to watch: number of assists per game, assist-to-turnover ratio (think 3-to-1), and defensive field goal percentage. Orlando was 25-9 last year when having the same or more assists than its opponent and 11-37 when having less. Orlando was 1-19 last year when the opponent shot 50 percent or better from the field and 35-27 when holding foes under 50 percent shooting.
Board Games
Orlando was one of the better rebounding teams in the league last year and will look to continue its board games. With Dwight Howard leading the way (he was second in the league in rebounding last year with 12.5 rpg.), Orlando will look to limit its opponents in regard to second chance points. You know the feeling. The team digs down to make a key stop. The shot clock winds down. The shot goes up…and the offensive team collects the rebound to start the process over. Deflating. Orlando was 13-20 when being out-rebounded last year.
Give Them A Shot
I know its sounds obvious, but Orlando needs to stay healthy. Everyone is rooting for Grant Hill, who spent the summer commuting from Orlando to Vancouver to work with arguably the top core training specialist in the world. Jameer Nelson was sidelined for 20 games last season and Orlando went 5-15 without him. The energizer, Keyon Dooling, missed 20-plus games due to injury. The Magic need a shot of good luck.
Dynamic Development
This is a relatively young Magic team (11 players 27-years-old or under). Dwight Howard, Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo will look to build on their respective summer World Championship experience. Jameer Nelson has taken a leadership role. Hedo Turkoglu will look to benefit from his first summer of rest in the last seven years. The ever-athletic Trevor Ariza and sharp-shooter J.J. Redick will look to take a step up. You can keep going down the line, but the Magic will look to grow up quickly and together. While young, a big plus is the veteran leadership and character which exists in the locker room (see Tony Battie, Pat Garrity, Grant Hill, Bo Oulaw).
Posted by Glass Half Full, August 23, 2006, 5:16PM
Jameer Gets It Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi says athletes can be broken down into just two categories: A) Those that get it; B) Those that don’t.
Jameer Nelson gets it.
This past August, Nelson, on his own initiative, gathered his Orlando Magic teammates for a week-long bonding/basketball conditioning camp. The players worked out during the day and broke bread at night. Nelson passed out T-shirts to the team which said: “Together-Effort-Attitude-Magic.”
When asked about the camp, Nelson simply said he just wants to win, “and whatever it takes to do that, I’m willing to do.”
Not quite six-feet, Nelson’s been shaped by the streets of Chester, Pennsylvania, by slipping to 20th in the NBA Draft after leading Saint Joseph’s to a storybook Elite Eight appearance in 2004, and by being mistaken for a ball boy too many times to count.
While he may be as tough as a bad steak, he also has a huge heart and a good head.
Last season, he served as a crossing guard at a local elementary school, participated in a holiday party for kids, visited with season ticket holders at one of the Magic’s “commitment parties,” and gave his game shoes away more often than a Payless sale. He’s a regular at youth basketball camps as well.
“I look at last year as a stepping stone for every body on this team. We just have to be committed to one another and say that I trust that this guy is going to get better as an individual and a team player. That's one of the things we had at the end of the season – trust and commitment. Everybody knows that we are a real team, so it's going to be that much harder and we have to prepare ourselves for that,” says Nelson about the coming season.
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 11, 2006, 2:15PM
Summer League Impressions
Glass Half Full impressions from the Pepsi Pro Summer league hosted by your Orlando Magic:
It’s amazing how good you have to be to make it at the NBA level. Every player here has gobs of talent and the corresponding physical attributes, yet they are, for the most part, fighting for jobs. Think about it…any player here could show up at any YMCA and/or most playgrounds and dominate beyond belief.
They were most likely always the first one picked on the playground, the best on their youth team, best on their junior high team, best on their high school team, best on their college team (where applicable), yet most are not quite good enough to take the next step. It makes you want to scream sense into the next youth coach/dad you see who is living through his seven-year-old at your local little league park.
Because it’s beyond a long shot that the youngster will ever make it, when they are little, kids should play to have fun (so they will want to keep playing), learn a few fundamentals and gain an understanding about being a good teammate and making good decisions…Off the soapbox, here are a few players which really impressed GHF.
They may not all have had the numbers on the opening day of action, but you can tell they got game: Travis Diener (Orlando), Marcin Gortat (Orlando), Marcus Williams (New Jersey), Adam Morrison (Charlotte), Danny Granger (Indiana), James White (Indiana), Thabo Sefolosha (Chicago), Aaron Miles (Chicago), Cedric Banks (Chicago)…
Posted by Glass Half Full, July 8, 2006, 10:36AM
Holding Redick Out
There's obviously and rightfully been a lot of chatter on the Magic's decision to hold J.J. Redick out of summer league play.
After reading assorted blogs, Glass Half Full is actually plesantly surprised at the fact that most fans get it.
The move is a precautionary measure with a steady eye on long-term interests for everyone (the team, J.J., and Magic faithful). J.J. hasn't played competitively in a few weeks (since he stopped pre-draft workouts to take the strain off his back), is not in top basketball shape, and being a gym rat he's not the type of player who will protect himself during two-a-day, mutli-hour practices which prepare the summer squad for five straight days of games (July 10-14) - games where players are playing for potential jobs and to feed their families. He plays the game all out, one speed.
Couple that with the mission: we aren’t trying to win a summer championship, but instead prepare for the season (teach rookies Magic X and 0's, give players like Travis Diener playing time/chance to run a team, and possibly find a hidden gem).
Of note, Redick's recent MRI showed improvement in his back. He will be in the gym all week still learning offense and defense as he works on core strengthening and takes part in some non-contact and shooting drills.
In our cynical world, Glass Half Full is almost certain that the people who criticize picking Redick at No. 11 in the draft would criticize the Magic if they made a short-sighted decision and let him play in the summer league.
The current basketball operations crew, led by GM Otis Smith, has a great run of decisions going (see Darko and Carlos for Cato; gaining future cap flexibility in Francis trade; re-upping and structuring of Battie contract; putting right pieces around Nelson and Howard).
This decision is another good one.
Posted by Glass Half Full, June 26, 2006, 11:38AM
Magic Man Laws
Stealing may be the most sincerest form of flattery. With that in mind, here are some “Magic Man Laws” for you to sink your teeth into. I heard some of these on a recent ESPN radio discussion, but you can Email me your comments, additions and/or subtractions to the list.
* No Cell Phone in TV Shot - You know the picture: Guy gets in camera shot (behind announcers etc…), waves frantically, while talking on his cell phone to friend who is watching on TV. Stop the madness, please.
* If You Are Old Enough… - This may be right out of Seinfeld. If you are old enough to come to a game by yourself, you can not paint your face. Not old enough, show your Magic colors.
* Don’t Start The Wave - Here’s the rule: You can not start the wave, but if the wave starts, you must participate.
* High Five Is OK, But… - The high-five is OK and permitted after a big play, but you must be able to do it with some level of coordination. There is nothing worse than two men trying to high-five and not being able to figure out who goes left, right, up or down.
* Arm Rest - Some say it is OK to share the arm rest with person next to you provided that there is no touching. This one is up for great debate.
* No We & They - When we win everyone is “we, we, we”. When we lose, it’s “what were ‘they’ thinking.” One of the real beauties of sports is going through the tough times together. It makes the good times sweeter.
* Wear Magic Gear - No more bandwagon dressing because a particular player is hot. Also see “We & They” above.
There you have it: Magic Man Laws.
Posted by Glass Half Full, May 26, 2006, 11:01AM
The Head Coach & General Manager One of the most delicate subjects around any professional team is the relationship between the head coach and the general manager. In this day and age, head coaches must have a relatively short-term view – win today. General Managers want to win today, but need one eye on the future. Think husband-wife.
There’s push, pull, strain and tension. There needs to be mutual respect and communication, so the relationship doesn’t snap like a worn rubber band. .
Orlando Magic head coach Brian Hill brought up the subject with then-assistant GM Otis Smith during his job interview last year.
“One of the ways you build a championship-caliber team is if there is a partnership between ownership, the general manager and the head coach,” says Hill. “If there are three different visions, or even two different visions, it’s not going to work.”
Hill and now-GM Otis Smith have a rock solid relationship. They both believe in the same theory on how to build a winner, and perhaps more importantly, they both believe in open and constant communications.
The carpet between their offices is well worn.
“We share the same philosophy of how to put a team together,” says Hill. “You need talent, talent with character, chemistry and complimentary pieces. We take input from each other.”
Says Smith: “I think we approach the job as a team and we’ll do that when it comes to making a decision on a player. I don’t expect Brian and I, or Dave (Twardzik, assistant general manager), and I to always agree. I don’t think you grow if you are all on the same page all the time. As I told Brian, I expect him to push for everything he wants as a coach, the type of player he would like to have or what he would like to see on the floor. We will huddle up together to make decisions.”
And what if there isn’t an agreement? “The tiebreaker always lies with ownership,” simply and realistically says Smith.
From obtaining Darko Milicic and Carlos Arroyo from Detroit for Kelvin Cato and a protected first-round pick, to getting Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway’s expiring contract for Steve Francis, to extending Tony Battie’s contract, Magic management has had a nice run in regard to the decision-making process.
“There is a lot more to building a team rather than just picking the sexiest player that’s on the block,” says Smith. “If you saw our team over the last month, the chemistry was good, so what we have to look to have on this team is something that won’t take away from whatever chemistry we have already built. If you build it the right way, it will sustain growth. While talent is very important, the team with the most talent doesn’t always win.”
Quick Hitters: Magic GM Otis Smith’s philosophy on the draft is to take the best available player regardless of position…This past June 16th, Magic owner Rich DeVos donated the use of the Magic team jet to fly 26 children from across Florida to Louisville, Kentucky to compete in the National Kidney Foundation 2006 U.S. Transplant Game, an Olympic style competition for all transplant recipients….Since 1970, the Rich and Helen DeVos Foundation has donated $365 million as part of its faith, education and community philanthropy efforts….Brian and Kay Hill will host their annual Cystic Fibrosis “Play for a Cure” golf, tennis and gala Sept. 9-10. For more information, contact 407-896-1113…A balanced attack: This past season Orlando had five players averaging at least 11 points per game and had five or more players score in double-figures 48 times…Dwight Howard has had six games over the course of his career in which he has collected 20 or more rebounds…Howard, 20, finished second in the NBA in rebounding (12.5 rpg…Kevin Garnett 12.7 rpg.), but will still have an opportunity to become the youngest player in NBA history to win the rebounding title. The youngest ever was Dolph Schayes, Syracuse, 1950-51, 16.4 rpg., 22 years, 226 days…Orlando averaged 92.8 ppg. prior to the February trading deadline and 98.5 ppg. after the trading deadline. The team shot 45.7 percent from the field before the trades and 49.8 percent after.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 26, 2006, 3:11PM
Strong Finish Your Orlando Magic finished strong.
Sixteen wins in its last 22 games, the best finish over a 22-game span in franchise history.
Twelve wins in its final 13 home games, re-establishing a home court advantage.
A 7-2 April, compared to 2-9 the previous April.
Orlando, which was 20-40 on March 6th, but went 17-13 since “The Trades” (Darko Milicic, Carlos Arroyo and a future protected first-round draft pick for Kelvin Cato and Trevor Ariza and Anfernee Hardaway’s expiring contract for Steve Francis), will have more than “Magic” on its collective chest come next season.
There will be a big, fat, bull’s-eye, with the word “expectation” sprinkled all over. No more sneaking up on its opponents.
“The off-season is very important, “said Head Coach Brian Hill. “I think collectively guys have to work on their games this summer. As a coaching staff, we have to work on what we do. I think everybody has to come back with the mindset that next year is not going to be easy. Next year is going to be harder because we are not going to sneak up on anybody. We are going to have to play with the pressure and expectations which this year’s team didn’t have to play with in the second half of the season.
“I think we have to come back with right attitude and if anything was learned this year, it was the importance of all 82 games, “added Hill. “Games in November, December, January and February are just as important as March and April when you talk about being a post-season team.”
Perhaps the best thing gained from Orlando’s finish was the fact that the players stuck together like Elmer’s Glue, gained a certain confidence and swagger, and now have a sense of purpose in regard to their off-season work.
“I look at this as a stepping stone for every body on this team, “said point guard Jameer Nelson. “We just have to be committed to one another and say that I trust that this guy is going to get better as an individual and a team player. That’s one of the things we had at the end of the season – trust and commitment. Everybody knows that we are a real team, so it’s going to be that much harder and we have to prepare ourselves for that.”
Added backcourt mate Carlos Arroyo, “Just to know where we are as a team, it gives us confidence to come back next year and know what we can do when we play as a team.”
Assistant General Manager Otis Smith agrees, “I personally think we had to go through this. I think we had to learn from this. There’s a lesson to be learned that you can’t take games for granted early in the season. I think this is a process, a step in the right direction.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 20, 2006, 9:04AM
Just The Facts
Here are the facts on Orlando's magical finish. Orlando won 16 of its last 22 games overall (16-6 is the best 22-game finish in franchise history. Orlando was 20-40 at one point). Orlando was .17-13 since Feb. 22 (last of two trades). Orlando won 12 of its last 13 at home. Orlando won eight of its last 10 overall. Orlando was 7-2 in April. Last year Orlando was 5-19 over its last 24 games, 1-8 in its last nine last and 2-9 last April.
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 4, 2006, 12:30PM
Moving in the Right Direction
Entering the final two weeks of the regular season, the Magic have won nine straight at home, four in a row overall – including victories over Dallas, Detroit and Miami - eight of its last nine and 12 of its last 16. Since Feb. 22nd (last of two trades), Orlando is 13-11. Can you say “Moving in the right direction.” Orlando is playing team basketball and getting contributions from everyone on its roster. GMs Otis Smith and Dave Twardzik have gotten the right pieces on the bus, while head coach Brian Hill has done a tremendous job of keeping the team together. The players have come to work every day and have played hard, giving Magic fans a window into the future. Perhaps Piston All-Star Ben Wallace said it best last Friday night, "They have young, athletic, energetic group of guys who play extremely hard."
Posted by Glass Half Full, April 3, 2006, 11:17AM
National Praise
The national praise keeps coming on the recent moves made by your Orlando Magic basketball operations department. If you aren’t a Glass Half Full believer, take it from a noted NBA critic. In his Sunday New York Post column Peter Vecsey wrote:
"The Magic, meanwhile, are infinitely better than their 29-44 record suggests. Since distancing themselves from Steve Francis, acquiring Darko Milicic, Carlos Arroyo and Trevor Ariza, committing to Jameer Nelson and G'ing up Tony Battie for $22 million over the next four years, Orlando has become what's known outside of New York as a "team.
"Let's hear some appreciation for Magic management. Co-GMs Otis Smith and Dave Twardzik, with plenty of input, no doubt, from coach Brian Hill, are re-building the rational way.
"Half past their first year in charge, they dumped swollen salaries/egos, established Dwight Howard as the rightful franchise player upon Francis' extradition and took a relatively irrelevant financial gamble by agreeing to assume Arroyo's two-year, $8 million contract as the tax for attaining a luxury item such as Milicic." (Read Full Article Here)
Enough said.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 24, 2006, 2:21PM
Blue Collar Battie
Tony Battie is true blue…blue collar that is.
When the 6-11, 240-pounder punches in for work it’s as if he has his hard hat, lunch pail and thermos.
“Tony is a true professional,” says Otis Smith, Orlando’s assistant GM who recently signed Battie to a four-year contract extension. “His tremendous character is important both on the court and in the locker room.”
This is especially true with 10 players that are 26-years-old or younger on the Magic roster and why Head Coach Brian Hill emphatically said earlier this year, “I want Tony Battie on our basketball team.”
Battie is part level-headed good cop Andy Taylor from the Andy Griffith Show and part bright-light interrogating bad cop Andy Sipowicz from N.Y.P.D. Blue, with a little John Wooden teacher/motivator sprinkled in.
On a daily basis, the Dallas, Texas product can be seen in practices pulling aside either one of Orlando’s ‘Daily Double,’ Dwight Howard and Darko Milicic, and providing encouragement after a coaches’ constructive criticism, or cajoling one of the Magic’s 20-somethings on doing things the right way. He often demonstrates a defensive nuance or maneuver you might not see in the playbook.
Battie, whose nickname at Texas Tech was ‘T-Bone’, talks soft, but his words have meaning to the Magic.
His actions do to.
Battie, whose favorite motto is ‘Whatever It Takes,’ could have entered the free agent market this summer and taken a lot. Instead, he chose to stay in Orlando and worked with the Magic to structure his contract so that the organization could maintain its future salary cap flexibility.
“This is the situation where my heart is,” simply says Battie, whose favorite subject in school was History. “I bleed blue. I want to be a Magic player.”
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 9, 2006, 9:55AM
Magic Showed Smarts
Glass Half Full is actually going to do something he rarely does. I am going to give up my space for this entry to a very smart NBA writer, Mr. Israel Gutierrez of the Miami Herald. Here’s what he recently wrote...
It's easy, and a lot more entertaining, to focus on the New York Knicks' side of the Steve Francis trade.
It's fun to forecast just how disastrous a relationship between Stephon Marbury, Francis and Larry Brown will end, or to ridicule Isiah Thomas for putting together a group of has-beens and never-will-bes and expect the New York fans to swallow it.
But to ignore the other side of the move - the more logical, sensible, calculated side - would be a mistake. Because there is so much right in what the Magic did when it basically gave away the player that was supposed to be the centerpiece of the franchise.
The Magic could have kept riding Francis on that pointless journey to the middle, which at best would have resulted in one or two low playoff seeds by the time his enormous contract expired after the 2008-09 season.
NO MEDIOCRITY
But assistant general managers Dave Twardzik and Otis Smith chose not to settle for mediocrity. (Is it a coincidence that the Magic started making intelligent personnel moves after hockey hothead John Weisbrod resigned as GM?) So after contemplating some offers that included getting players with big salaries back for Francis, the pair decided instead to take the expiring contract of Penny Hardaway and a young, inexpensive prospect in Trevor Ariza from the Knicks.
Taking that option gives the Magic the ability to have one of those instant turnarounds every bad team in the league is looking to make. In the NBA, instant means about two to three years. After the 2006-07 season, when Grant Hill's contract expires, Orlando will have seemingly endless amounts of room under the salary cap with which to sign free agents; right now the team only has about $22 million committed to five players for that season, assuming it picks up the options on Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson.
Moreover, it has a true franchise player to build a team around in Howard. The second-year forward just turned 20 and already leads the league in rebounds, which will make the Magic an enticing team for free agents in 2007 to consider.
And what a group of free agents it will be. The group could potentially include Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups, Dirk Nowitzki, T.J Ford, Kirk Hinrich, Rashard Lewis and Chris Bosh. LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony could also be free agents, but no one really believes their respective teams will ever let it get to that point.
With even one of those big free agents, another quality draft pick, Howard, Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu and Keyon Dooling, the Magic will have the makings of what should be a real playoff team, not just a group that can make a token postseason appearance.
In the meantime, the Magic can still keep fans interested in Orlando. As long as Hill, Howard and Nelson can remain healthy, next year's Francis-free group might be able to make a decent run at the playoffs. And even if they don't, the team will be able to see if former No. 2 draft pick Darko Milicic is worth re-signing, or if he really is the bust those in Detroit figured he was.
REVENGE FACTOR
Then there's the kinda-silly, kinda-fun revenge factor that came in the trade. The Magic obtained Hardaway in the trade strictly for his expiring contract, which the team made perfectly clear when it announced the trade in a press release. This is the same Hardaway who began a player revolt as a member of the Magic in 1997 that eventually led to the firing of Brian Hill, who is now in his second go-around as coach of the Magic. The Magic quickly waived Hardaway, which had to give the coach some sort of perverse pleasure.
Everything considered, it's pretty obvious the latest regime in Orlando knows how to run a franchise.
Posted by Glass Half Full, March 2, 2006, 9:15AM
What Didn't the Pistons Like About Darko?
With certainly no disrespect intended, but exactly what didn't the Detroit Pistons (they certainly deserve all our respect for playing basketball the right way) like about Darko Milicic? He is a big body who blocks shots, an excellent fundamental defender (probably from playing again Ben Wallace etc... in practice), has a soft shooting touch, great footwork, is an outstanding passer who sees the court extremely well, and has a solid understanding of the game.
He looks to be forming a great bond with Dwight Howard to form the new-look Magic 'Daily Double'. Two 20-year-old, athletic, seven-footers. Wow! (side note: last night at Golden State D&D combined for 29 points and 21 rebounds). There was a reason GM-extraordinaire Joe Dumars selected Milicic with the second pick in the NBA Draft over the likes of names like Wade, Anthony and Bosh. With Darko's change of scenery, maybe Magic fans are seeing glimpes of why he was No. 2 behind LeBron. Enjoy Glass Half Full Faithful.
Posted by Glass Half Full, February 22, 2005, 5:38PM
Our Magical Moves
Cutting to the chase, here's the Glass Half Full take on our magical moves. First, you need to take any opportunity you can in this league to improve and you can't look at one move on its own. Look at all the moves which set you on a direction toward winning. A little less than a week ago we acquired a seven-footer with unlimited potential in 20-year-old Darko Milicic and a true point guard with flair to his game in Carlos Arroyo. Today, we added an athletic defensive specialist in Trevor Ariza. All were nice additions to our core led by the likes of Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson. And, the beauty is in the process we set the table for the future by acquiring future salary cap flexibility.
Now, GHF knows when we say "salary cap flexibility" you think they are throwing in the towel. That is simply not true. This is not "another plan". It's not an overhaul. It's a tune-up. The Magic will be better for the moves. While injuries played a part, Orlando was 53-71 over the last year plus. After several discussions it was determined that we needed to make some moves and these (Darko, Carlos, Trevor, fututre cap room) were the best moves available - for now and for the future. We are not that far from putting a competitive team on the floor that Magic Fans will be proud of. Also, fan favorite Bo Outlaw will be back once the paperwork clears. Keep the faith.
Posted by Glass Half Full, February 21, 2005, 8:57AM
Time to Get Back to Work
The Orlando Magic's first practice after the All-Star break Monday afternoon in cold Cleveland had a "first-day-of-school-feel" to it. There were players introducing themselves to newcomers Carlos Arroyo and Darko Milicic. There was Dwight Howard impersonating the barritone voice of Bo Outlaw on the team bus on the way to practice. There was a good spirit to the group, as it embarks on its final 31 regular season games of the season.
Tony Battie summed it up best when he said during the two-plus hour, heart-pounding workout, "It's time to go back to work." The focus of the workout was on getting rid of the weekend rust and introducing Arroyo and Milicic to the Magic playbook. Both flashed their skills during the practice. Arroyo is a true point guard who is an oustanding passer. It's as if the minute he started moving the ball it became highly contagious. He has a certain flair to his game which Magic fans will soon see.
You can see the skills and athleticism that made Milicic a No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft. He showed flashes of brilliance with quick dunks and a soft outside shooting touch. You can certainly tell that he hasn't played a lot and have to remind yourself that the seven-footer, like Dwight Howard, is just 20 years old. Once he learns the playbook he will stop thinking as much and just let his talents take over. The Magic open with a back-to-back, at Cleveland tonight and at New Jersey Wednesday night.Said Milicic after the workout, "I feel good about it (a new start, new chance). Good guys, good players, good city. I want to show Coach (Brian Hill) how hard I want to play."
Posted by Glass Half Full, February 14, 2005, 4:43PM
We Are Still in it
As we steam toward the All-Star break, the Glass Half Full take is this: We are still in it. Through all the trials, tribulations, and a little drama, as you scan your NBA standings today (Valentine’s Day) your Magic are just 4 1/2 games back of the final playoff spot. That’s it. Four-and-a-half games! Philadelphia, at 24-26, would be the last Eastern team in if the season ended today. Orlando, which has battled injuries and inconsistency all season, is 19-30. Five Magic wins and five Philly losses and we’re in. In fact, seeds five through eight are separated by just 2 ½ games. The back half of the East resembles the interstate at rush hour – all backed up. The Magic will have 31 games left after the break. All will be meaningful. As they say on TNT, “We Know Drama.” Stay tuned.
Wednesday, January 25
We All Have History
The Boston Red Sox traded Babe Ruth to the New York Yankees for $125,000 in 1920.
The New York Mets selected Steve Chilcott with the first pick of the 1966 amateur baseball draft. The second pick: ‘Mr. October’ Reggie Jackson.
Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in 1984 (see Portland Trailblazers), 12 teams passing on Kobe Bryant in 1996, 198 players going before Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady, or one of my favorites Lou Brock from the Cubs to the Cardinals for the one, and only, Ernie Broglio.
Hey, it’s time to realize this fact: All teams/organizations have history.
Some of it we are “March-To-The-1995-NBA-Finals” proud of. Some, we are “Say-It-Ain’t-So Shaq” disheartened by.
But, regardless if it’s Howard-over-Okafor-esque or more “What I-regret-I-did-on-prom-night,”we all have it.
Every team has it and every fan of every team thinks their team’s history is the worst.
The bottom line – it’s part of being a fan.
So, realize that the Bucks and Mavericks swapped Dirk Nowitzki and Robert “Tractor” Traylor on draft night in 1998, the New Jersey Nets sold Julius ‘Dr. J’ Erving to Philadelphia for cash, and LaRue Martin was the first pick in the 1972 NBA Draft.
Did I mention the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trade? Abdul Jabbar and Walt Wesley to Los Angeles for Elmore Smith, Brian Winters, Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman.
How about Brett Favre from Atlanta to Green Bay in 1991 for a draft pick?
Saturday, January 15
It's been quite a few days on the Left Coast. But here's the bottom line: What happened with Steve Francis happened. Let's deal with it as best we can and move on together. Most likely there will be a sitdown conversation when we return home. Friday night your Magic put on a highuoctane show, only to fall 113-108 at Portland. The Magic played with great effort, although the Blazer trio of Juan Dixon, Sebastian Telfair and. Steve Blake (combined 63 pts) was a litle too much on this night. The positives: Jameer Nelson (again) with 19 points and 13 assists, Hedo Turkoglu with 27 points and "Daily Double" Dwight Howard with, you guessed it, a double-double 20 points and 13 boards. We're off to Sacramento in search of some more positives as we try to right the ship. I still contend your Magic will be playing meaningful, playoff implication basketball games post-All-Star break. There are a number of teams in the East that will be fighting for the last one or two playoff spots. You never want negative things to happen, but you can't make that let you think negatively. As head coach Brian Hill has said, it is unfortunate what has happened this past week, but in the end it will hopefully make you tougher and stronger and allow you to grow as a team.
Monday, January 9
What do the Pittsburgh Steelers, Detroit Pistons, Tigers Woods and Navy Seals have in common?
Well, they were all aboard the Orlando Magic team jet as we headed out on an eight-day, four-game West Coast swing.
You see, a rash of Playstation Portables (PSP) handheld video games have taken over the main cabin of the Magic's 737. On the cross-country journey, Grant Hill is make-believing he's Jerome "the Bus" Bettis in a game of Madden '06, DeShawn Stevenson is playing as the Detroit Pistons (good choice) and Travel Coordinator/Equipment Manager Rodney Powell is hitting the ball like Tiger Woods.
And then there's Athletic Trainer Ted Arzonico. In a definite show of "I'm-a-secure-individual-and-names-can't-hurt-me," Teddy Ballgame, as we call him, has brought along an alphabet decorated baby boppy to cuddle with on this five-hour plane trip. Head Coach Brian Hill says he looks, and I quote, "Cute." Along with the 'U' shaped pillow, Teddy, whose father is still a New Jersey volunteer fire fighter at 70-plus, has the latest edition of Fire Apparatus Journal. A baby boppy and Fire Truck Apparatus. Has anyone in the world, EVER, packed those two things for an airplane ride? Ok, then...
Coming off an 108-82 feel-good win, the team is a little loose as we begin the journey. "Wedding Crashers" is the community movie of choice on the TVs in the main cabin, Steve Francis shares pictures of his baby girl with Patty, Missy and Becky - our Flight Attendants and unsung heroes, and Ipods are shared among teammates, as in "Hey, listen to this tune."
With a game not until Tuesday, Coach Brian Hill made the decision to leave Sunday so the team can get better acclimated to the time change. We will practice Monday afternoon at the LA Lakers practice facility, shoot-around Tuesday morning at the Staples center and then let the games begin starting with the LA Clippers Tuesday night.
As is often on the West Coast swings, the media wants to know what will be a successful trip. Brian Hill told them 4-0. The media presses, as if to say, "Ok, then..." and Hill followed up with the main thought of the trip, "We'll just take them one at a time."
Here we go.
Thursday, January 6
With 22 games to go before the All-Star Break and a treacherous road schedule still ahead (12 of the 22 will be played on the road), it’s a good time to remember one of the key goals coming into the season – develop a team culture which emphasizes professionalism, a strong work ethic and consistent effort. This has been head coach Brian Hill’s mantra, as he continues to lay a strong foundation for the team. The Magic have taken nice strides in these areas which lead to winning, but have from time to time lost its focus. It seems we have a little bunny hop effect going on – take two steps forward and one step back. Hill will continue to hammer home these values and prides himself on working harder when times get tough. The bottom line, it’s just going to take some time, but the end result will be a team - and culture - the fans can be proud of.
Tuesday, December 27
Five Glass Half-Full thoughts, as we steam toward the New Year:
1) Head coach Brian Hill has done a solid job of tailoring the offense to fit his player personnel. While the Magic still run some Princeton offensive sets (precise ball and man movements), they have been running more traditional pro sets (i.e. pick-and-rolls, attacking the basket) and are also trying to get out and run a little more to get easy baskets.
2) Orlando’s team defense remains tough. The Magic are allowing 92.2 ppg., nearly 10 less than last year. That will keep you in a lot of games. It will also be a key as Orlando embarks on a January which has 10 of the 15 games in the month on the road.
3) The Magic are close to getting completely healthy. Energizer Bunny Keyon Dooling is coming along and should be on the court soon which will give the Magic its full arsenal. It’s great to have Grant Hill back.
4) Dwight Howard continues to draw more and more attention by the way of double teams. This is the next step in his baskeball maturation process.
5) Two unsung heroes: DeShawn Stevenson and Tony Battie. DeShawn has been outstanding, drawing the other team’s top scorer (i.e. Kobe Bryant, Michael Redd etc…), while continuing to attack the basket. His defense feeds his offense. Tony continues his lunch pail/hard hat effort, helping young Dwight in the paint and taking advantage of the attention being paid to Dwight to score on the offensive end. The guy simply comes to work everyday.
Wednesday, December 14
There's nothing quite like winning in the city that never sleeps. Orlando's 105-90 victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden - the world's most famous arena - was, well, awesome - and on many fronts. Grant Hill returned. Pat Garrity shot the three ball (5-of-7 from downtown). Dwight Howard double-doubled (23 pts., 13 rebs.). Hedo Turkoglu had 18 points (including four three's) off the bench. Jameer Nelson knocked in 11 points and dished out seven assists in 25 minutes off the pine. Orlando flashed its versatility and flexibility as six players recorded double digit points. The Magic's bus ride to the airport was alive, as the Magicians -led by young Dwight - took turns imitating Bo Outlaw's baritone voice. Ahhhh, winning is good. It's off to the Big D now, before returning home from Dallas for a critical six-game holiday homestand.
Joel Glass is the Director of Communications for the Orlando Magic.
Former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani once said he could walk out into the middle of Times Square and start handing out $100 bills. A third of the people would say he was not handing out enough money. Another third would say he was handing out too much money. Another third would say they didn’t like the way he was handing out the money. Welcome to a new feature on orlandomagic.com – GLASS HALF-FULL. A local sports writer once told me that his job was to watch the battle from the mountain top, ride down, and bayonet the wounded. We live in a world of cynics. But not here, at GLASS HALF-FULL. I will do my best to answer your questions going forward.
Tough Break, Silver Lining
At his introductory press conference, it was the question of the day.
As your Orlando Magic get set for its first trip to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in a dozen years, pause for a moment to realize two weeks ago there were still 30 teams playing. When Orlando hits the hardwood for round two, there will be just eight.
Winning 50-plus games for the first time since the 1995-96 season, the 2007-2008 Orlando Magic captured its first divisional title in 12 years. With the winning came a certain buzz felt far and wide.
With the Raptors coming to town Sunday, here’s a six pack of keys to the series:
With just a handful of games to go before the playoffs, here’s a triple-play of keys the Magic will be focused on down the stretch and en route to securing the Southeastern Division title, winning 50-plus games and setting the franchise record for road victories:
Once again, I present my Glass Half Full idea to change the NBA playoffs. I say numbers 1-7 make the playoffs in each conference and the eighth spot in both the East and West is decided by a one-loss-and-your-out elimination tournament.
Talking NBA Coach of the Year today and here’s my Glass Half Full question: Why Not Stan The Man?
While it’s no time to relax, as the Magic are tuning up for a memorable playoff run, take a moment to take the following in:
How about Brian Cook and Maurice Evans Magic fans?
Ok, Glass Half Full, on behalf of Dwight "Thunder" Howard, is asking loyal readers for ideas for the upcoming Dunk Contest. Send them in, quickly.
Sweet Lew’s Sacrifice
From Mike (2/06): I as a season ticket holder and many others that I have talked to all have the same question: Why are we not making a move for a Power forward? Please don’t say that Lewis is a 4. We are so deep with guards and attractive expiring contracts. A defensive and rebounding presence along with Dwight will help tighten up a team that is supposedly built around defense. It would then help ease the fact that we are sometimes weak in the point position as well. With the way Hedo plays, he is more a big 2 than a small forward. He often runs the offense and controls the ball. The starting lineup can be Dwight C, newly acquired PF, Lewis SG, Hedo SG, one of our options PG.
After last night's tilt at Charlotte, your Magic have hit the halfway mark.
Potential Headline: Paint By Numbers
After a 2 a.m. Eastern time arrival into Houston, the Magic were back at practice Tuesday afternoon.
With win number two on the trip secure, the Magic headed from Seattle to Phoenix.
Willie Nelson's hit "On the Road Again" seems to be the appropriate ballad as the Magic men arrived in gray and chilly Portland for the first of five games in eight days away from home. With the culmination of this trip, the Magic (12-3 overall, 7-1 away) will have played an NBA-most 13 of their first 20 games on the road.
Next week, November 19th, the Magic will meet the Hornets in New Orleans, as professional basketball has returned to the Crescent City. With that in mind, Glass Half Full got to thinking of the Magic’s relief trip to the Katrina-stricken area back in September, 2005. Here is a portion of my blog entry from the trip:
Armed with a “no excuses and do what we do approach,” the Magic have opened the season with five wins in seven games in 11 days. And now the squad gets ready for an eight game in 12-day stretch which comes just before a five-game West Coast Trip. While this will certainly be a November to remember, what the Magic will keep doing is this:
Your Magic had a nice start to its road campaign, posting a 94-82 in Washington's home opener Saturday night.
As we steam toward Orlando’s regular season-opener Oct. 31, here are a few “Glass Half Full” thoughts:
I think someone described Macao as "Las Vegas on steroids". It's certainly a booming city. It's not quite Vegas yet, but it is getting pretty close. Certainly The Venetian (where team is staying and where 15,000 seat arena is built into hotel) here is a magnificent spectacle. It's ridiculous how big it is, probably two times the one in Vegas and I thought the one in Vegas was ridiculously big. It's just extraordinary.
The crowd was very excited when we were scoring, but they clearly had a favorite (LeBron James and Cleveland). Maybe we need to come in more often so we can have a crowd favorite. At one point they were screaming while we were shooting a foul shot. But, the fact that we won may move them over to our side (laughs).
I think one of Mr. (David, NBA Commissioner) Stern's plan has been to spread basketball to countries all over the world. This (China) is one of the places where he feels we can have a major influence and to that end these trips are designed around that concept. We are here to spread good will and also spreading basketball and giving access to people who want to know what a real NBA team looks and feels like. They can see it on TV, but when you are this up close and personal there's something to be said for that kind of closeness. So, you are not just seeing it on television, you are seeing it for real and that has a real impact in selling the sport internationally.
I came here (Shanghai) this summer with (the NBA's) Basketball Without Borders program to counsel young kids. That was pretty amazing because we had the opportunity to travel around and visit some of the sights and weren't on as set a schedule.
You have to love head coach Stan Van Gundy. He’s down-to-earth, honest, and to the point. Case in point, his post-game press conference last night: Take it away Stan:
Head coach Stan Van Gundy’s message was loud and clear Wednesday morning. With the team in the middle of its eighth practice over a five-day span, naturally things were a little sloppy; sloppy offensively, sloppy defensively. The hours on the floor are starting to add up.
Sometime ago Magic bionic man Bo Outlaw tagged Pat Garrity with a nickname.
You may know that Trevor Ariza was named to the All-Pac 10 Freshman team at U.C.L.A., but did you know that his father Kenny McClary played college basketball at the University of Florida in the mid-80s?
You may know that Jameer Nelson was the consensus College Player of the Year in 2004 while leading Saint Joseph’s to an undefeated regular season and a top ranking, but did you know for the last two summers he has gathered all his Magic teammates in Phildelphia for a bonding/basketball training session?
* It hasn’t taken Rashard Lewis long to show his stuff. Give him the ball and let him go make a play. If his first few training camp practices are a precursor for the season, watch-out. He is without a doubt the scorer/playmaker the Magic longed for last season. If the shot clock is winding down, give it to him, and watch him go to work. He’s big and long, but has the quickness and shooting range of a two-guard. He brings great versatility, as he’s able to play power forward, small forward and shooting guard.
The Bright Orange Construction Cone
At precisely 9:28 a.m., the "Time became Now."
Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith is crystal clear: The time is now.
As the Magic get set for training camp (first practice Sept. 29), here are four areas where improvement is needed to get the Glass Half Full:
On September 7th, Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will have been on the job for exactly three months. Here’s a snapshot of what Glass Half Full has witnessed:
Welcome to Orlando Adonal
Glass Half Full wandered down to the Magic practice court this morning and saw Trevor Ariza, Tony Battie, Keyon Dooling and Pat Garrity all inside working on their games.
Let’s set the record straight on Orlando’s acquisition of Rashard Lewis, a deal which gives the Magic a true scorer and Magic opponents’ a match-up nightmare.
Heading into Day Four
Heading into Day Three
Heading into Day Two
Heading into Day One
As we head toward the draft, summer league play, and free agency, here is an early glance at five keys to a successful ’07-’08 Magic campaign:
"Not Bad For a Bunch of So-Called Rejects"
Let's Talk Magic
As the news broke Sunday, it even seemed – I know this is hard to believe for my faithful followers – but maybe, just maybe, the Glass was Half Empty.
Orlando Magic's Globetrotter
Five Thoughts Heading To Game 4 & Looking To Extend The Series To Game 5
* Former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups of the Detroit Pistons on the Magic after Game 1: "They just kept fighting. That team is young and athletic and they don’t quit." Added Grant Hill about Game 1: "It was like a boxing match and they were trying to knock us out, but we survived."
Seven Thoughts For the Playoffs
Some Glass Half Full random thoughts...
March Madness is upon us, and as you know we have our own brand of madness right here in Magic land.
Orlando forward James Augustine didn’t mind returning to his rookie duty of delivering doughnuts to the Magic veterans, or singing happy birthday to strength and conditioning coach Joe Rogowski.
As mentioned in this space a little while back (See my Oct. 4th entry below), keep an eye on Trevor Ariza. He’s making a case for the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award.
With just a handful of shopping days left, here are some Glass Half Full random thoughts:
The question was could the Magic bounce back from its blowout loss in L.A. or had the West Coaster caught up with them?
Man, Donald Trump would love this team.
Rolling with General Manager Otis Smith’s “This is a business trip” theme, the message on the dry-erase board in the visiting locker room said it all: “Business Deal #1 CLOSED”. Final score: Eastern Conference-leading Orlando 88, Western Conference-leading Utah 75.
Orlando Sentinel columnist Mike Bianchi says athletes can be broken down into just two categories: A) Those that get it; B) Those that don’t.
One of the most delicate subjects around any professional team is the relationship between the head coach and the general manager. In this day and age, head coaches must have a relatively short-term view – win today. General Managers want to win today, but need one eye on the future. Think husband-wife.
Your Orlando Magic finished strong.
