featured-image

Magic vs. Heat: Sunshine State Rivarly Has New Look

Josh Cohen
Digital News Manager

By John Denton
Oct. 26, 2016

ORLANDO – Because their heydays have never really lined up in the same years, the Orlando Magic and the Miami Heat have faced each other just once in the playoffs and they’ve never built much of a true rivalry with one another.

Now, however, with both teams expected to be in the fight for a playoff spot in an Eastern Conference that should be wide open all season, an emotion-filled distaste for one another could be dead ahead for the new-look Magic and rebuilding Heat.

The battle for season supremacy between Orlando and Miami tips off tonight when the two Sunshine State squads face off in the regular-season opener at the Amway Center. It will be just the third time that the Magic and the Heat have opened the season against one another and the first time since Magic defeats of the Heat in 1992 (behind 42 points from Nick Anderson) and ‘93 (behind 42 points from Shaquille O’Neal).

Orlando guard Evan Fournier said that even though there have been few meaningful games against Heat in recent years that the two teams have a distinguishable distaste for one another. Fighting for the spotlight in the same state and having to play one another four times a season – often in front of many fans from the other team even in home games – can do that, Fournier said.

``Honestly, I think playing against Miami in the first game is special because we don’t like them and they don’t like us and it’s no secret,’’ Fournier said. ``It’s the Florida rivalry and it’s always great to play against them. There’s going to be a lot of Heat fans (at the Amway Center) and I look forward to (the challenge). It’s always fun to play the Heat.’’

The Magic and Heat might have trouble recognizing one another tonight considering all the changes that both teams made in the offseason. Orlando has nine newcomers on the roster after trading for Serge Ibaka, Jodie Meeks and C.J. Wilcox, drafting Stephen Zimmerman and signing free agents Bismack Biyombo, Jeff Green, D.J. Augustin, Arinze Onuaku and Damjan Rudez. The Magic spent much of training camp and the preseason trying to build chemistry and cohesiveness – a process that will most likely continue well into the season.

``I think everybody is eager to get started and get the games that really count going,’’ said Green, one of the team’s most experienced players who see time at both forward slots tonight. ``We’ve fought and trained all preseason for these games and guys are eager to get it started. I think we have a good sense of how things are going to go for us and I think the future is bright for us.’’

Miami’s days of ``The Big Three’’ and ``The Heatles’’ are long gone with Dwyane Wade defecting to Chicago in the offseason and Chris Bosh being ruled out because of debilitating blood clots. Wade, Miami’s leader since the 2003-04 season, followed the lead of LeBron James by bolting South Florida and returning to his native South Florida.

``Thankfully we had the preseason to go through all of that (transition without Wade),’’ Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said. ``A constant in this league is change, and it’s no different here. It felt different when (Wade) wasn’t here in training camp, but right now all that I’m focused on is this group because they deserve that.’’

Orlando will be without one of its key pieces – Biyombo – tonight against Miami center Hassan Whiteside, who signed a massive free-agent deal with the Heat in July. Formerly a member of the Toronto Raptors, Biyombo picked up a fourth Flagrant I foul in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals last spring, necessitating a NBA-mandated one-game suspension.

Even though Biyombo changed teams and signed with the Magic, he still must vacate the Amway Center tonight. That will undoubtedly be a blow to a Magic team that had major troubles last season defending Whiteside, who averaged 16 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.5 blocks while shooting 59 percent from the floor in four games.

Orlando will once again use Nikola Vucevic against Whiteside, but it now also has the option of throwing an elite shot-blocker such as Ibaka against the 7-footer. The Magic want to use the perimeter shooting abilities of Vucevic and Ibaka to pull Whiteside away from the rim, and they are hopeful that Ibaka can defend the Miami center.

``I’ve still got things that I’ve got to earn and awards that I want to earn,’’ Whiteside said of his motivation going into this season. ``I still don’t get the acknowledgement that I want, so there’s stuff still out there to earn.’’

The Magic got a sneak peek at the new-look Heat last week, and it was an ugly sight for them. By playing guard Goran Dragic, Dion Waiters and Tyler Johnson together, Miami is playing with more pace. Because the Heat have a shortage of outside shooting, their guards are being asked to probe the defense – something they did quite well against Orlando in a humbling 107-77 preseason game.

``Maybe one of the biggest tests of the year because this is a hard-driving team,’’ Vogel said of the task facing his team’s perimeter defense. ``They were in the paint all night against us last game – 54 points in the paint. We can’t have that type of performance tonight if we expect to win.’’

Even though many of the Magic players are still learning one another, there is a great expectation to win – both tonight and this season, Vogel said. He said whatever the team might lack now in chemistry it can make up for it with execution, hustle and physicality. And he wants all of that on display tonight for the home fans at the Amway Center.

``We’ve got to start strong because getting into the playoffs for us is going to be an 82-game race,’’ Vogel stressed. ``Winning these three games this week are just as important as winning the last three of the season. Obviously it’s not going to be perfect in Game 1, but we’ve got to compete to get this win.’’

Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors.