Orlando Pinstriped Post

Schmitz: Injuries Hobble Orlando Magic Forwards Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus

2010-03-20T12:00:24Z

Brian Schmitz brings us up to speed on injuries to Orlando Magic small forwards Mickael Pietrus and Matt Barnes:

Barnes already has missed one game, and now he realizes he'll need to play even more minutes with his back-up, Mickael Pietrus, likely out for a week because of a sprained ankle.

"That's a big factor for me with MP out," Barnes said after the Magic's overtime win Thursday night in Miami against the Heat, which followed up their victory Wednesday against San Antonio.

Coach Stan Van Gundy called Barnes' situation "a problem for us" before the game.

Barnes has dealt with the toe problem since undergoing surgery when he played at UCLA. He arrived early for the game against the Heat at American Airlines Arena to warm up.

The Magic had pretty decent luck with regard to injuries lately, but having both small forwards hobbled as the team heads into the playoffs is a bit of a buzzkill. Pietrus and Barnes are never more than the fourth option on offense, but are the team's best perimeter defenders. They've both suffered injuries that could compromise their lateral mobility if they don't heal quickly enough.

With Pietrus out, expect Rashard Lewis and Vince Carter to spend more time at small forward. And, uh, expect a drop-off in defense at that position. Pietrus is one of the league's best there.

Orlando Magic News for March 19th: Technical Fouls, Late-Game Heroics, and NBA Jam

2010-03-19T21:15:15Z

More photos » Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

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Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Van Gundy: Refs "looking" to T up Dwight Howard
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Magic coach Stan Van Gundy believes NBA referees are looking for excuses to ring Dwight Howard up with technical fouls. In expressing that opinion, Schmitz says, Van Gundy's put himself at risk of incurring a league fine. With one more technical this season, Howard will draw a one-game suspension.
NBA Playbook – The Threat Of Dwight Howard
Sebastian Pruiti explains how Howard's presence in the lane helped Rashard Lewis make the clinching three-pointer for Orlando last night against the Heat.
Marc Stein's Weekend Dime: NBA Jam - ESPN
Marc Stein of ESPN.com explains his rationale for leaving Lewis off the Magic's three-man roster in the upcoming NBA Jam video game.
With the way Lewis has been slumping, by contrast, I don't foresee much resistance if any to our preference for Jameer [Nelson] over Rashard to complete Orlando's trio with Dwight [Howard] and Vince [Carter]. Agreed?

Where Turning Three Years Old Happens

2010-03-19T18:00:28Z

More photos » Tony Dejak - AP

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Not much free time for me today, but I did want to at least acknowledge that, 3 years ago today, I started the Blogspot site that eventually grew up to be Orlando Pinstriped Post, which you're reading right now. I've been privileged to cover the last two-plus full seasons of Orlando Magic basketball, as well as the tail end of the second Brian Hill Era, and never did I imagine that a site born of frustration about unfulfilled expectations would eventually land me, say, on press row for the NBA Finals less than three years later. It's been wild, really, going from refreshing Yahoo! Sports every 30 seconds on game nights alone in my dorm room to getting to wander about the Magic's locker room and hearing, for instance, that Brandon Bass thinks I look like Harry Potter.

I'd like to thank some people who've helped along the way, because this is not something I did on my own. Were it not for the awesome folks at SB Nation, including Matt B., who recruited me and whom I nearly turned down; Seth Pollack, who runs the basketball gig now; and Tom Ziller, as influential a writer in my life as anyone, I would not be writing this post today. Kelly Dwyer, Henry Abbott, Kevin Arnovitz, John Hollinger, Steve Perrin, Brian Windhorst, Ira Winderman, John Krolik, and the FreeDarko folks also indirectly nudged me in the right direction; I'd list Winderman introducing himself to me during Game 3 of the NBA Finals among the 10 most gratifying and surreal experiences of my life. And I would not be as comfortable in locker-room settings were it not for Josh Robbins and Tania Ganguli, who've taught me more about that side of the writing/reporting gig than I can adequately express.

Obviously, I wouldn't be in the position of requiring their tutelage were it not for the Magic organization, which is ahead of the curve with regard to its treatment of bloggers. First-class.

Eddy Rivera's obviously been a big part of helping this site grow, and I'm glad I accepted his offer to jump aboard for free. He's a superstar.

Jon Nichols graciously contributed weekly, in-depth statistical analyses to our site before a job opportunity required that he step away, and I'm indebted to him for making my Monday nights a bit easier.

But most of all, really, thank you guys. Your participation here has also grown this site, and knowing that there's an audience for what I write keeps me going; I've gone from writing for IZOD Center-like crowds to Madison Square Garden-sized ones. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support.

Also, happy 31st, Hedo.

Orlando Magic 108, Miami Heat 102 (OT): The Morning After

2010-03-19T13:30:21Z

More photos » Lynne Sladky - AP

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Orlando Sentinel – Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Technically, Dwight Howard needs to cool it
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel devotes the entirety of his Post-Game Post to the issue of Dwight Howard's technical fouls. Howard picked up his 15th T last night and is one technical away from a one-game suspension. I found this bit particularly insightful:
The other thing is this: Howard loves to have fun, and playing this way — in a constant battle with the refs — can’t be enjoyable.
A worthwhile read from a man who's covered all of Howard's professional career.
MAGIC: Denton: Magic-Heat Postgame Analysis (Full)
John Denton of Orlando Magic.com passes along this interesting quote from Vince Carter, who's become more of a playmaker lately. His dish to Rashard Lewis for three points gave Orlando a six-point edge with 28.4 seconds to play, effectively sealing victory for Orlando.
``I believe in Rashard because he’s proven through the years that he can make shots,’’ Carter said. ``I could care less about his supposed shooting slump from last week. I told Rashard if I drive and they leave you I’m going to pass you the darn ball and you had better shoot it.’’
Orlando Magic SF Mickael Pietrus said he could be out as much as a week after spraining his ankle Wednesday. - OrlandoSentinel.com
Schmitz reports that Mickael Pietrus will likely miss the next week's worth of games after spraining his left ankle two nights ago against the Spurs. Additionally, Pietrus missed one game last week due to a sore neck, which is still bothering him.

Miami Heat : Magic 108, Heat 102 | Sun-Sentinel.com
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel has figured out what makes the Magic an exasperating matchup.
The confounding thing about playing the Magic is you can work so hard for two points on one end, and then Orlando comes down and effortlessly flicks in a 3-pointer on the other end.
Postgame Breakdown: Magic 108, Heat 102 (OT)
Michael Wallace of the Miami Herald writes that Carter's hanging jumper over Dorell Wright, from whom he drew a foul on the play as well, was the game's turning point. "You could tell that took the wind out of the Heat," he says
QUOTE OF THE NIGHT
ESPN's Daily Dime highlights Dwyane Wade's concise thought about last night's game.
"We threw every punch we had at them. They came back and countered it."
Heat rally, then fall to Magic in OT, 108-102 - South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
In his game story, Winderman writes that Heat starting point guard Carlos Arroyo sat out down the stretch despite his solid offensive production due to his inability to contain Jameer Nelson.

Orlando Magic 108, Miami Heat 102 (OT)

2010-03-19T04:14:28Z

More photos » Lynne Sladky - AP

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The Orlando Magic used a third-quarter rally to get an edge against the Miami Heat, but an offensive dry spell late in the fourth quarter let the Heat send the game to overtime, where Orlando prevailed by a 108-102 final score. For the second consecutive night, Magic center Dwight Howard racked up too many fouls to stay on the floor, leaving it up to Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, and Jameer Nelson to carry the offensive load. Carter and Lewis delivered, combining for 51 points on 59.5% True Shooting. Fittingly, it was Carter's feed to Lewis in the left corner for three, which gave Orlando a 6-point lead with 28.4 seconds to play, that sealed victory for the Magic. And though Nelson had a forgettable game (15 points on 7-of-16 shooting, 3 assists, 3 turnovers), he made key plays on both sides of the ball which proved valuable in the win. Dwyane Wade led all players with 36 points and 7 assists, while also leading his team in rebounding, pulling down 10 boards on the night. Orlando's win knots the season series at two games apiece, but the way the game played out certainly raises questions about the Magic's ability to finish off the Heat in a seven-game series.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Magic	95	113.6	51.7%	19.3	29.5	13.7
Heat	95	107.8	45.6%	22.2	26.5	11.6
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Now I don't want to sound too negative here, because the Magic managed to win despite the deck being stacked against them in several ways, outlined here in my game preview. But it's hard to feel encouraged about a close win when the game never should have come to that. A 12-point lead with 5:07 to play should be enough to hold off a team as offensively ordinary as Miami, even on the road. Instead, the Heat scored on 8 of their next 11 possessions before Wade came up empty at the end of regulation, with Howard and Matt Barnes forcing him into a hotly contested jumper that he tried to bank in from an impossible angle. And on the other end, the crisp, quick ball movement that helped the Magic succeed for most of the game vanished. The Magic couldn't get any clean looks against Miami's stingy defense, with O'Neal shutting Howard down inside and its cast of perimeter defenders making life difficult for Carter, Nelson, and Lewis.

Nelson, for all the questionable shots he took tonight, merits praise for sinking the tying jumper with 15.6 to play. Matched up against Mario Chalmers--not a slouch defensively--on the right wing just inside the three-point arc, Nelson bided his time with several dribbles before stepping into an 18-footer that found the bottom of the net, atoning for a missed free throw on the Magic's previous possession which could have given Orlando a one-point lead.

The game ball tonight, however, goes to Lewis. Carter scored 27 to Lewis' 24, but it was Lewis' overall impact that I believe swung the game in Orlando's favor. 17 shot attempts for Lewis, with 9 coming from two-point range and the other 8 coming from beyond the arc. Once again, he exploited Michael Beasley's lack of skill and/or interest on the defensive end, blowing by him numerous times and finishing with a two-pointer. This strategy plays into Miami's hands a bit, as it'd prefer for Lewis to shoot twos instead of threes. But there's a right and a wrong way to chase someone off the three-point line, and Beasley did it the wrong way, neither funneling Lewis into help defenders nor recovering in time to challenge the shot. Should these teams meet in the postseason, this matchup might prove to be what decides the series.

11 boards for Lewis, which ties a season high and is another area of the game in which he picked up Howard's slack.

What's got to worry coach Stan Van Gundy and the Magic is O'Neal's ability to take Howard out of the game, in a literal and figurative sense. Literally, O'Neal gets Howard in foul trouble and forces him to the bench; figuratively, he gets him too focused on foul calls and non-calls to be fully engaged offensively. Five blocks for O'Neal tonight, 4 of them on Howard. For the season, Howard's averaged just 11.5 points per game on 40.1% shooting from the field against the Heat, due almost entirely to O'Neal's presence. I give him a ton of credit for standing up to Howard this year because, quite frankly, Howard made him look silly and ineffectual as recently as last season, when he averaged 25.3 points on 64.8% shooting. So O'Neal has more than halved Howard's scoring while shaving almost 25 whole percentage points off his conversion rate from the field. Yup, O'Neal has regained his health and some of his mojo, and as a result has proven to be among the most capable one-on-one defenders of Howard in the league.

And Wade? Stop it. He continued his mastery of the Magic. Let's run through those numbers again: 36 points on 59.2% True Shooting, 10 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, and just 1 turnover in 45 minutes, dominating the ball on every possession. He's unreal. Fortunately for Orlando, Van Gundy's decision to double-team him throughout the overtime period--a look Van Gundy will try against scorching hot perimeter players with the game on the line--paid off. He scored just 2 points in the period, with Beasley and O'Neal ending 2 possessions apiece, wit mixed results. You can live with O'Neal taking open 18-footers late in a close game; better that than a Wade layup, which is what he was getting with the tired, hobbled Barnes checking him.

Give Orlando's defense credit for keeping Wade occupied in overtime. With 3 guys left to cover 4 players, the defense becomes a weak-side zone that most rotate quickly to counter any pass by the double-teamed ballhandler. Miami did Orlando a few favors by standing around during these sets, but when the ball did move from side to side, the Magic were right there.

Oh, and something to watch: Howard picked up his 15th technical foul of the season, senselessly spiking the ball in overtime after picking up his 5th foul. The technical free throw, plus Beasley's two additional looks, gave Miami a one-point lead quite early on. He's now one technical away from an automatic 1-game suspension, which doesn't bother me as much as the timing of the technical does. You're in a tight game against a rocking-and-rolling home team with a dynamic perimeter scorer; you are not in any sort of position to concede points like that. Van Gundy and Howard's teammates have to do a better job of reining him in when he gets hot.

Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: at Miami Heat

2010-03-18T21:00:35Z

On the second night of a back-to-back and short their best perimeter defender, the Orlando Magic will visit the Miami Heat in a potential first-round playoff preview. Miami leads the season series, 2-1, so Orlando has a score to settle; Dwight Howard said as much on his blog today. But Orlando faces a stiff challenge tonight, as Mickael Pietrus will sit out due to a sprained left ankle suffered in last night's blowout win over the San Antonio Spurs. Matt Barnes, himself recovering from a sprained toe, will play and draw the difficult, unenviable assignment of covering Dwyane Wade. Pietrus' absence also means that Vince Carter and J.J. Redick will also spend some time tonight stranded on Wade Island, because Barnes has to rest occasionally. Clearly, this is cause for concern.

2009/2010 NBA Season
	@
48-21 (20-14 away) Won 1		35-33 (20-15 home) Lost 1
March 18th, 2010
American Airlines Arena
7:00 PM
TNT / FSN Florida
Probable Starters
Jameer Nelson	PG	Carlos Arroyo
Vince Carter	SG	Dwyane Wade
Matt Barnes	SF	Quentin Richardson
Rashard Lewis	PF	Michael Beasley
Dwight Howard	C	Jermaine O'Neal
Previous Meetings
November 25th: Heat 99, Magic 98
December 17th: Heat 104, Magic 86
February 28th: Magic 96, Heat 80
Advanced Stats
92.4 (18th)	Pace	90.3 (28th)
110.1 (8th)	ORtg	105.9 (20th)
102.6 (2nd)	DRtg	104.7 (9th)
Game Officials
Monty McCutchen
Derrick Collins
Olandis Poole

Heat center Jermaine O'Neal and Howard basically offset in the last meeting between these teams, with each getting under the other's skin and also battling foul trouble. Should that situation play out tonight, it'll be incumbent upon Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis, and Carter to score, while Marcin Gortat will have to protect the rim--which he did beautifully in the first 3 quarters against San Antonio, before mailing in the fourth quarter and allowing Ian Mahinmi to score 12 points--and occasionally clean up an errant Magic shot. Orlando can win this way, and since Gortat is better than Howard anyway, they'll be fine. Right? Of course!

Miami's offense isn't much, even with Wade and the gifted Michael Beasley carrying much of the load. O'Neal hasn't posted up since George W. Bush's first term as president, preferring instead to launch jumpers from the baseline or top of the key. That's fine, I guess, and he's having a decent year, but if O'Neal is the best third option your team has, your team is bereft of offensive talent.

The wildcard, really, is Quentin Richardson. He's similar to Barnes in that he's a safety valve offensively, benefits from opponents paying too much attention to his superstar teammates, and rebounds well for his position. The difference is that, despite their darn near identical True Shooting marks, Richardson does his damage from the outside, attempting nearly two-thirds of his shots from beyond the arc and connecting at an excellent 39.5% clip. Barnes, as we know, gets his at the rim, off cuts, and in transition. Richardson has drilled 3 or more three-pointers 16 times in 62 games, and has gone all the way up to 7 on 3 occasions. Last season, he dropped 33 points on the Magic in just 35 minutes, though he did most of his damage off the dribble in that game. I hadn't seen Richardson dribble since he and Darius Miles had their Alien Antlers thing going. Based on how well the Magic defended him that night, I'm guess it'd been a while for them too.

I'm not suggesting that the Magic need be more concerned with Richardson than Wade. He's Miami's 1, 1A, and 1B on offense. He's also a solid passer and will find the open man if pressured, especially on his way to the hoop. He'd tally more assists if he had centers with hands that can handle a dump-off pass; Joel Anthony and Jamaal Magloire are ill-suited to doing so.

Given the Heat's advantage of having a day of rest, and given the Magic's lack of a second wing defender to throw at Wade, this one could turn out ugly for Orlando, not unlike their first visit to Miami this year. Carter's shooting 31.3% from three-point range on the second night of bak-to-back sets this season, while taking a third of his shots from downtown. A lot of things are stacked in Miami's favor tonight. Except for talent, that is, and the odd bit about Orlando rarely losing (that I can remember) when wearing their home uniforms on the road. The Heat, Ira Winderman reports, van a poner sus uniformes negros que dice El Heat en la parte delantera para celebrar Noche Latina.

Finally, because Monty McCutchen will officiate this game, I can share this anecdote from Kings-beat-writer-turned-FanHouse-scribe Sam Amick, who relayed this story via Twitter 6 weeks ago:

Official Monty McCutchen has a bit more flair than your typical zebra: he rolls into the game wearing a bowtie and light blue suit...cont'..
...then when asked about it, says 'The icing on the cake? It has been an excellent hair day too.' Wow.

Outstanding.

Orlando Magic News for March 18th: Championship Hopes, Transition Defense, and More

2010-03-18T18:00:33Z

Jesse D. Garrabrant - NBAE/Getty Images

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The Orlando Magic are still championship-worthy - Ball Don't Lie
Kelly Dwyer argues rather extensively that the Orlando Magic are "not some team that lucked into a fourth-round finish last year," but are serious championship contenders. But Jameer Nelson and Rashard Lewis must be difference-makers for Orlando to succeed.
Nelson has to come through. Name Andrew Bynum, name Shaquille O'Neal (or any Cavalier beyond LeBron James, really), name Rajon Rondo, name them all. Nelson's more important. If he plays at a high level, the Magic aren't to be beaten. Because you can trust that [Dwight] Howard will do his thing and [Vince] Carter will contribute. Even on a 3-12 night from Rashard Lewis, if Jameer Nelson is on, the Magic are going to beat you.
NBA.com: Hawks hit the boards, but suffer getting back in time
John Schuhmann of NBA.com devises a method to evaluate transition defense and discovers that Orlando tops the league in that category. Clearly, coach Stan Van Gundy's strategy of not crashing the offensive boards is working.
Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Matt Barnes continues to get treatment on his sprained left big toe
Magic forward Matt Barnes is nursing a sprained big toe and had to spend much of last night chasing Spurs guard Manu Ginobili around. Tonight, he's tasked with guarding Miami's Dwyane Wade. Here's how Barnes is feeling, as reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel.
"I’m just a little sore, but I’m fine," Barnes said after the game. "It feels good to be back out there. I was probably a step slow tonight, and Ginobili was hitting tough shots. I felt I was a step slow, but I’m going to continue to get treatment, rest it and got another one tomorrow."

Hardwood Paroxysm | NBA HD: Dismantling the Assist
Tom Haberstroh of Hoopdata, writing for Hardwood Paroxysm, notes that assists become more valuable as the shots they create move closer to the rim. Most assists that Magic point guard Jameer Nelson dishes lead to three-pointers, which suggests his assists aren't as valuable as those of some other point guards.
A response to my critics | The Official Dwight Howard Blog
Dwight Howard fires back at his critics, namely ESPN's Skip Bayless, for getting on his case. Bayless recently said Howard lacks "championship intangibles," to which Howard responds here, "I guess 40 points and 14 rebounds in a close out conference final game is not showing up big in the playoffs?"

Orlando Magic 110, San Antonio Spurs 84: The Morning After

2010-03-18T13:30:17Z

More photos » Fernando Medina - NBAE/Getty Images

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MAGIC: Denton: Magic-Spurs Postgame Analysis (Full)
John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com calls Vince Carter's 24-point, 4-rebound, 8-assist performance Carter's "finest of the season."
Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Spurs coach says Magic have title team
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel writes that San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is impressed with the Orlando Magic.
"I think they are built for championships," Popovich said of the Magic. "They have everything that it takes. . . .They have all the elements there. It’s a matter of being consistent and focused.
Orlando Magic: The Orlando Magic hope Rashard Lewis has ended his slump after he scored 20 points in the Magic’s victory over the San Antonio Spurs
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes about how Rashard Lewis broke out of his slump last night, and reports that coach Stan Van Gundy drew up the first play of the game for Lewis specifically to get him involved early.
Lewis received some additional help. Point guard Jameer Nelson told Lewis before the game that he wanted to use some pick-and-roll plays to give Lewis extra space to shoot.

"[There was] a lot more aggressiveness from him," Nelson said afterward. "He wasn't thinking as much. You could tell. He just was playing his game. A lot of people talk about this and that, and Rashard is who he is. He's going to shoot the ball. He's going to score the ball at the end of the game. He's going to have 16 to 20 points."

San Antonio Spurs 84, Orlando Magic 110 | 48 Minutes of Hell
Graydon Gordian says the Magic's "superior athleticism and execution" makes them a tough team for the Spurs to cover.
Carter, Magic bury Spurs' win streak
Jeff MacDonald of the San Antonio Express-News reports that Tim Duncan, who shot a career-worst 1-of-10 from the field, accepted responsibility for the Spurs' defeat, their most lopsided losing margin in over 2 years. He also says Duncan's teammate Manu Ginobili didn't think Orlando's defense had much to do with Duncan's struggles.
"It's not like they did a miracle defense on him," Ginobili said. "He just had a bad night."

Orlando Magic 110, San Antonio Spurs 84

2010-03-18T04:05:27Z

More photos » John Raoux - AP

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The Orlando Magic dominated the San Antonio Spurs Wednesday night, 110-84, for their 9th win in their last 10 games. Vince Carter scored 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting with 8 assists, while Rashard Lewis broke out of a slump to score 20 of his own on 7-of-10 shooting. What was billed as a showdown of All-Star centers Tim Duncan and Dwight Howard turned into a perimeter-oriented game, with Howard limiting Duncan to 5 points on 1-of-10 shooting, the worst performance of his career; Howard, himself mired in foul trouble, only added 9 points and 7 boards of his own for Orlando. Spurs wings Richard Jefferson and Manu Ginobili combined for 38 of San Antonio's points and kept the Spurs in the game in the first half with fellow starters Duncan, Antonio McDyess, and George Hill misfiring. But apart from a pair of late first-half three-pointers by Matt Bonner, no other Spur got it going offensively with the game still interesting. About the only negative for Orlando is that reserve small forward Mickael Pietrus badly rolled his left ankle trying to plant his foot in the second quarter and had to be helped off the floor.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Spurs	85	99.3	45.6%	13.8	20.0	13.0
Magic	87	126.6	59.2%	36.6	15.6	11.5
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

With Orlando winning so many of its games by wide margins lately, I'm running out of things to cover in these recaps. What stood out to me, though, was the Magic's ball movement. The Spurs indeed elected to send double-teams Howard's way, and Howard found the open more often than not, with the ball then swinging to a cutter or to the weak side for an open look. Howard tallied 2 assists, but would have racked up several more "hockey assists" had this game, uh, been hockey. Against a strong defensive outfit like the Spurs, that's impressive.

Carter, in particular, seemed acutely aware of the defense's openings before anyone else on the floor, rifling passes to cutters for much of the first half. He also connected with Howard on a pair of second-half alley-oops, from difficult angles. The 8 assists are a season-high for Carter, and demonstrate that he's growing more comfortable in Stan Van Gundy's offense. Oddly, his best pass of the night didn't result in an assist: he grabbed a defensive board just in front of the rim, turned up the floor, and fired a 50-foot chest pass to a cherrypicking Matt Barnes, who inexplicably blew the wide open layup in transition. That goof aside, Barnes had another solid game, with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Carter's scoring and shot selection were also on point, sinking 3 of his 4 three-point attempts in the first quarter while taking nothing but two-pointers and foul shots the rest of the way.

After Orlando's 28-point first quarter, I doubted the Magic could maintain that pace the rest of the way, given their hot start from the outside. But they were able to largely because of the Spurs' tired legs. San Antonio played in Miami last night, and won, but clearly was a step or two slow in this game. After a while, they proved incapable of sticking with Magic players off the dribble and resorted to fouling instead.

Every player tonight, on both sides, scored at least two points. Fan-favorite point guard Anthony Johnson put up 6 in 6 minutes, both times sinking long jumpers while drawing a foul and converting the three-point play. At one point late in the game, Johnson and Jason Williams shared the backcourt, with J.J. Redick playing small forward. When Van Gundy trots out such a lineup, it can only mean that the outcome isn't in doubt. Tonight, the outcome favored Orlando, which controlled the game from tip to horn.

Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: vs. San Antonio Spurs

2010-03-17T22:01:39Z

The Orlando Magic will try to bounce back after their first loss in 8 tries tonight when they host the streaking San Antonio Spurs, winners of 4 straight and 8 out of 9. I'm a bit Spurs'd out after this morning's post about their defense, so this preview will be pretty brief. Ready to make the jump?

2009/2010 NBA Season
	@
40-25 (16-15 road) Won 4		47-21 (27-7 home) Lost 1
March 17th, 2010
Amway Arena
8:00 PM
ESPN / Sun Sports
Probable Starters
George Hill	PG	Jameer Nelson
Manu Ginobili	SG	Vince Carter
Richard Jefferson	SF	Matt Barnes
Antonio McDyess	PF	Rashard Lewis
Tim Duncan	C	Dwight Howard
Advanced Stats
91.4 (24th)	Pace	92.5 (17th)
109.7 (9th)	ORtg	109.9 (8th)
104.2 (8th)	DRtg	102.7 (3rd)
Game Officials
Bob Delaney
Mark Lindsay
Rodney Mott

To me, theee most important thing to keep in mind is that the Spurs are more dangerous than their record lets on. Only the Lakers, Nuggets, and Jazz have a better point differential out west. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy doesn't buy the "Spurs are dead" hype either:

"There's just not a lot of holes in their team," Van Gundy said. "I don't know what people wanted or expected, but that's a pretty good team that I'm sure those other teams in the West are not going to be looking forward to getting in the playoffs."

The Spur to watch tonight is Manu Ginobili, who more-or-less won the Spurs' game against the Heat last night on his own. He's also proven to make offseason acquisition Richard Jefferson, who's struggled to adapt to San Antonio's system, actually relevant. Antonio McDyess, another new Spur, is no stranger to killing the Magic after his most recent stint with the Detroit Pistons. His offensive rebounding gives the Magic fits. And we haven't touched on Hall-of-Fame center Tim Duncan or rookie power forward DeJuan Blair, who will challenge Dwight Howard for a rebounding title in the very near future.

If there's a positive for Orlando going in, it's that the Spurs ceded a 22-2 run to Miami last night, seemingly running out of gas. They didn't get a chance to rest much prior to tonight's game. And the last time they played in Orlando, it was on the second night of a back-to-back, and they lost. To no one's surprise, they blamed the schedule.

Similar Defensive Approaches Fuel the Orlando Magic's and San Antonio Spurs' Success

2010-03-17T12:00:33Z

More photos » BAHRAM MARK SOBHANI - AP

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In previewing the Orlando Magic's game tonight against the San Antonio Spurs, Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel notes that Magic GM Otis Smith seems to have built his team in the Spurs' image:

If there was an NBA team that the Orlando Magic modeled themselves after, it would be tonight's guest, the San Antonio Spurs.

Magic General Manager Otis Smith, long an admirer of the four-time champions, can point to the Spurs' businesslike approach to the way they've surrounded a great big man ( Tim Duncan) with sharpshooters through the years.

It's a fair comparison. Quite fair, as we'll soon see. Dwight Howard fills Orlando's Duncan role as the franchise center, while there are also parallels to draw at other positions. Speedy point guards Jameer Nelson and Tony Parker run the Magic's and Spurs' offense, respectively, with a shoot-first mentality, though Nelson is more likely to pull up for a jumper than drive to the basket, which runs counter to Parker's M.O. Vince Carter and Manu Ginobili can score quickly and efficiently from the shooting guard position while providing help on the glass and in running the offense. Small forwards Mickael Pietrus and Keith Bogans lurk in the corners, waiting for a kickout from their center or a ball-reversal from the wing to snipe from long-range. Stan Van Gundy and Gregg Popovich roam the sidelines, having earned their peers' respect with their meticulous preparation and deft playcalling despite never having played at the NBA level.

But where the comparison between the two teams is most convincing is on defense, not on offense. The similarity between both teams' approaches on that side of the floor boggles, really. We'll take a look at it after the jump.

As promised, here's the chart. You can click it to view a larger version of it:

As you can see, since Van Gundy took over the Magic in 2007, the teams have succeeded on defense using the same methods. They defend the three-point line well, don't gamble for steals, crash the defensive glass, and avoid sending their opponents to the foul line.

Those second and fourth points are what stand out to me most, and make this comparison meaningful. All coaches, regardless of individual defensive philosophy, preach the importance of defending the three-point line and limiting second-chance opportunities. What makes Van Gundy and Popovich more unique is that they punt the turnover category, instead emphasizing staying with your man and not gambling for steals. Think about it: when was the last time you saw Pietrus dart into the passing lane for a steal? Or Bogans, who spent part of last season and all of 2007/08 with Orlando? That's rare. Deflections are a bit more common, sure, but there are few teams who consciously make this sort of effort.

The foul-shooting similarity also reveals insight into the coaches' philosophy. The free throw is among the most efficient shots in the sport because it is routine: it's always worth 1 point, always from 15 feet away, and always with the clock stopped. Play aggressive defense and contest every shot, Van Gundy and Popovich say, but don't hack people. Some old-school coaches stress the opposite of that last point: take, for instance, many of Jerry Sloan's Utah Jazz outfits, or the "no layups" Detroit Pistons of the 1980s and early 1990s. This approach values "sending a message" to the opponent over logic.

It's also worth noting that the Magic and the Spurs employ advanced statistical analysts, with Orlando installing its analytics department at Van Gundy's request in 2007.

What characterizes both the Magic's and Spurs' defensive philosophies, then, is discipline: the will to stay with your man on each play, and the will to keep your hands to yourself around the basket area. Of course it helps that both teams employ stellar defensive centers who keep everything under control, and one wonders if these coaches would use this approach if they had a less skilled defender manning the pivot. But as presently coached and constructed, the Magic and Spurs operate similarly on the defensive end. Considering the Spurs' lofty standing and long-term success among all professional sports franchises, that bodes well for Orlando.

Where Clinching a Playoff Spot Happens

2010-03-17T01:47:24Z

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Per an Orlando Magic news release distributed earlier today, the team has clinched a playoff spot for the fourth consecutive year. The Magic needed any of the following outcomes tonight to happen in order to clinch:

Charlotte loses to Indiana
Miami loses to San Antonio
Chicago loses to Memphis

The Pacers just upset the Bobcats, 99-94, to formally clinch a playoff spot for Orlando and to make the results of those other games irrelevant to them.

Of course, when the season began, anyone would have told you Orlando would make the playoffs, as a defending conference champion what did not totally tear down its roster, so this news isn't exactly surprising.

UPDATE: John Denton of OrlandoMagic.com has details on how to obtain playoff tickets:

Magic season ticket holders will be given first priority at tickets for the playoffs. Fans can still become season ticket holders by calling 407-89-MAGIC. Single-game tickets for the playoffs will begin being sold in a couple of weeks.

The focus of Denton's write-up, though, is Orlando gearing up for another championship run; it is more than just ticket information, in other words. Strongly recommended, as is everything he writes.

Orlando Magic News for March 16th: Rashard Lewis' Vital Importance, Matt Barnes' Toe, Amway Center's Furnishings, and More

2010-03-16T21:00:41Z

Orlando Pinstriped Post Photo / Bruce Maddox

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Rashard Lewis is key to Orlando Magic's NBA title hopes - Britt Robson
Britt Robson of Sports Illustrated interviewed Orlando Magic GM Otis Smith for this piece about how important Rashard Lewis, who's struggled lately, is to the team.
"I contend that his personality is as important as his shooting for this team," Smith said. "Having Dwight [Howard] and Vince [Carter] and Jameer [Nelson], it is hard for everyone to get all the hype, but he's been below the radar his entire career. He just goes about his business and at the end of the game you look up and he's got 18 and six or 18 and nine. Dwight is our franchise player. Your best player has to understand he is your best player, and your role players have to understand they are your role players."
Orlando Magic BasketBlog – Matt Barnes sits out contact drills in practice, plans to play against Spurs
Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel reports that Magic forward Matt Barnes will return to the lineup tomorrow night against San Antonio after missing Sunday's game versus Charlotte with a sprained big toe. Barnes went through practice today, but sat on the sidelines during the contact drills "so as not to bang up the toe."
New Orlando Magic arena: New digs will get nothing but the best in interior furnishings - OrlandoSentinel.com
Mark Schlueb of the Orlando Sentinel lists some of what taxpayer dollars helped buy for the Magic's new arena, Amway Center. It includes a $10,000 conference table and an $87,600 Zamboni. (Hat tip: malars)

The Magic have announced they will host the 2010 Vince Carter Basketball Camp from June 28th to July 2nd at Orlando Sports Center. The camp includes appearances by Carter and "other Magic celebrities," 32 hours of instruction, and other goodies. For complete details, call 407-916-HOOP or visit www.OrlandoMagicCamps.com. I last attended a Magic basketball camp about 10 years ago, so I'm not sure what--if anything--has changed, but I can't say enough nice things about it. It was fantastic.
Sports And Success: Dwight Howard : Men's Health
Christopher McDougall of Men's Health wrote a cover story about Howard, which includes some details about how Howard handles the media.
Every other player on the team is long gone, but Howard is still patiently taking pointless questions from the press. Seriously, is there really any mystery surrounding how he feels about leading the team in points, blocks, and boards, and setting a club record for road wins? On his birthday? "It sucked," he says. "I didn't fire up enough threes."

Announcing the Winners of Our 14th T-Mobile Trivia Challenge

2010-03-16T12:00:26Z

This post is sponsored by T-Mobile.

It's time now to announce the winners of our latest T-Mobile Trivia Challenge. The two winners will each receive two tickets to tomorrow's Orlando Magic / San Antonio Spurs game.

Everyone who responded correctly to the trivia question had his or her name entered into a random drawing. Here's the question we asked:

Will Dwight Howard attempt more than or less than 7.5 foul shots in the Magic's game against the Charlotte Bobcats on Sunday, March 14th?

Howard attempted 10 free throws in the game. Our winners are CaptWes213 and sufcbpier. Congratulations. We've already gotten in touch with them, but thought we'd share the good news with the community.

Keep reading OPP for your next chance to win Magic tickets.

Orlando Magic News for March 15th: Vince Carter's Improvement, Dwight Howard's Free-Throw Shooting, and More

2010-03-15T21:30:23Z

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NBA.com: Magic's Carter finding groove after rough start to 2010
David Aldridge writes about Vince Carter's rapid improvement after a horrid January this year, and asks coach Stan Van Gundy how he turned his season around.

"I really can't answer that," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "He's really playing well now, very efficiently. He had some injury stuff early, both his legs and his shoulder. I think he feels better. He seems very comfortable playing with everyone else. He's shooting the ball well. Everything's gone well for him. He keeps playing like that, obviously, we're pretty good."
4. Taking Care Of The Rock - Daily Dime - ESPN
The Elias Sports Bureau passes along this disheartening, albeit probably meaningless, note about Dwight Howard's free-throw shooting.

Dwight Howard scored 27 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, but his 3-for-10 foul shooting might have cost the Magic a victory in their 96-89 loss to the Bobcats on Sunday. It was the sixth time this season that Howard's missed free throws accounted for the margin of defeat for Orlando. That ties breaks a tie with Brook Lopez for the league lead in this category-without-a-name.
Don't boo, Portland -- be thankful - ProBasketballTalk
Kurt Helin of ProBasketballTalk says the Portland Trail Blazers lucked out when Magic free-agent forward Hedo Turkoglu jilted them after verbally committing to sign there to instead take the Toronto Raptors' offer.

More after the jump.

Defining Dwight Howard’s place in Orlando Magic history
UPDATE (from Eddy): Austin Burton of Dime Magazine asks the question, "is Dwight Howard already the greatest Orlando Magic player of all-time?"

Dwight Howard isn’t as brand-new as you think. Though it doesn’t seem like that long ago since he took the stage on NBA Draft night ‘04 with those braces shining on his teeth, and while his persona makes him seem younger than he is, Dwight is a veteran at 24 years old and now in his sixth pro season.

In other words, it’s not too early to discuss (or at least make realistic projections for) his place in history.
Top 15 NBA In-Game Dunkers
UPDATE 2 (from Eddy): On a lighter note, Howard is listed as the third-best in-game dunker in the NBA.

Off-Day Open Thread: Should We Worry about Rashard Lewis?

2010-03-15T18:00:36Z

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As noted in last night's recap of the Orlando Magic's loss to the Charlotte Bobcats, forward Rashard Lewis has struggled mightily lately. He's not having a great season overall, sure, but he's been especially ineffectual since the All-Star break, averaging 11.6 points on 51.3% True Shooting, and 3.8 boards in 33.1 minutes. He laid an egg last night against Charlotte, missing 6 of his 7 shots--many of them wide-open--and grabbing just 2 rebounds in 34 minutes. In the last week, he played 110 minutes and managed 11 rebounds, which is almost exactly the rate at which Boston's Brian Scalabrine, who's about as mobile as the basket stanchion is, has boarded this season. And after last night's loss, coach Stan Van Gundy expressed concern about Lewis' lack of energy lately.

Unsurprisingly, Lewis--who made waves earlier this year by refusing to re-enter a game because Ryan Anderson, his backup, was playing so well--is saying the right things about putting the team first and his individual needs second. From Josh Robbins of Orlando Sentinel:

"It's a team," he said. "It says ‘Magic' on the jersey and not ‘Lewis' on the front of the jersey."

And from Tim Povtak of NBA FanHouse:

"I'm a veteran now on a good team, a team competing for a championship. It's loaded. Sometimes you have to sacrifice for that. As long as we're winning, I'm comfortable with it.''

Check that last part again: "as long as we're winning." Lewis spoke up earlier this season about not getting enough touches, and one wonders if he might voice his frustration again if Orlando goes through another rough patch.

So my question is two-fold: how concerned are you with Lewis' recent poor play? And to what extent are you worried about his attitude toward taking on a diminished role this season?

An optimistic argument goes something like this: around this time last year, his productivity had a similar decline, and he bounced back in time to play quite well in the postseason. Odds are he makes it two years in a row; betting against Lewis to deliver in key situations during his Orlando tenure has proven unwise.

The pessimistic outlook? He's 30 years old and taking more jumpers (and, consequently, fewer foul shots) with each passing year. And he's owed in excess of $60 million over the next three seasons.

T-Mobile Player of the Week: Dwight Howard

2010-03-15T16:00:37Z

This post is sponsored by T-Mobile.

The Orlando Magic improved to 47-21 last week after going 3-1, due in large part to Dwight Howard's stellar play at both ends of the floor. He's our T-Mobile Player of the Week yet again.

Dwight Howard	Pts	Rebs	Ast	Stl	Blk
Dwight Howard	22.3	13.0	2.8	0.5	2.0
	FG%		3FG%		FT%
	80.0		0.0		58.6
	eFG%				TS%
	80.0				77.0

Howard led the Magic in scoring and rebounding three times and shot an incredible 80% from the field. His averages would have improved were it not for the Magic's blowout win over the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night, in which his services were required for just 20 minutes.

Howard's excellent week overshadowed another strong performance from Vince Carter, who provided efficient offense (19.3 points, 65.6% True Shooting, just 2 turnovers in 131 minutes) from the perimeter when the Magic needed it, with Rashard Lewis struggling to get involved and Jameer Nelson becoming more of a distributor.

Finally, he surpassed Tracy McGrady for 2nd place on the Magic's all-time scoring list yesterday in defeat. He can realistically overtake Nick Anderson for the top spot two seasons from now, provided he averages 20 points per game and does not miss many games.

Charlotte Bobcats 96, Orlando Magic 89

2010-03-15T06:34:23Z

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In a potential first-round playoff preview, the opportunistic Charlotte Bobcats exploited the Orlando Magic's lack of rest and depth and ended Orlando's 8-game winning streak Sunday night by a final of 96-89. Stephen Jackson tallied a game-high 28 points and dished 6 assists for Charlotte, whose offense rolled along despite the absence of All-Star small forward Gerald Wallace. Orlando's Dwight Howard shot 12-of-14 for 27 points and pulled down 15 rebounds, while Vince Carter tallied 23 points and 6 assists, and spot-starter Mickael Pietrus drained 5 three-pointers en route to a 20-point outing. But those 3 players proved to be Orlando's only reliable scorers, and the Bobcats handily outrebounded the Magic, 46-34, to win rather impressively.

Team	Pace	Efficiency	eFG%	FT Rate	OReb%	TO Rate
Bobcats	86	111.8	50.0%	28.0	32.4	17.5
Magic	84	106.3	53.5%	16.7	20.9	17.9
Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average.

Tonight's game was the third in four nights for the Magic, who'd played less than 24 hours earlier in Washington, D.C. The lack of energy was especially apparent early, with the Bobcats moving the ball around the perimeter and getting wide-open looks on nearly every possession, when they weren't busy turning the ball over, as is their wont. The Magic can't blame a lack of rest for this loss, though. As coach Stan Van Gundy said, "we weren't very good at anything today." Howard added, "You never want to use fatigue as an excuse because we’re NBA players and we train to do our jobs, but we were a little tired."

In these sorts of short-rest situations, reserve players have to take on additional responsibility. At home, the Magic's bench should have been able to best Charlotte's, which is among the weakest in the league in terms of talent. With Pietrus in the starting lineup, the bench lacked its usual spark. J.J. Redick missed 4 of his 6 shots and didn't shoot any free throws; ditto for Jason Williams, though he at least managed to sink two three-pointers. Brandon Bass looked oddly tentative all day and missed all of his shot attempts as well. A discouraging performance from a usually solid group.

I think the Bobcats had the right idea in this game: attack the Magic's tired defense. Jackson and point guard Raymond Felton had their way with Orlando's backcourt, combining for 44 points on 32 shots thanks to 13 free-throw attempts. Charlotte was the more aggressive team. Even Howard, usually a stout defender in all circumstances, had his problems, twice losing track of Theo Ratliff on his rolls to the hoop, which resulted in a slam for the 36-year-old veteran both times. Orlando's defense is among the best in the league, while the Bobcats' offense is among the worst. Even accounting for the lack of rest, Orlando should have been able to limit Charlotte more.

If you're looking for a positive, it has to be Carter, who continues to play extremely well. Calm and in-control, Carter asserted himself early and never really let up. This locked-in version of Carter is the one Orlando had in mind when it traded for him, and the one they hope to have in the postseason. His off-ball defense can still use some work--I know Stephen Graham's not a world-beater, but you've got to honor his shot more than that, but overall, Carter's been tremendous.

This loss is one the Magic should be able to shake off, especially after beating the Bobcats in the first three meetings; as Magic TV play-by-play man David Steele said, it's hard to beat a good team four times in one season. Orlando was not up to that task today, which is disappointing but not necessarily alarming. What's becoming a problem, though, is Rashard Lewis' recent stretch of horrid play. The twelfth-year forward grabbed just 11 rebounds in 110 minutes last week, averaged 6.8 points per game on 45.2% True Shooting, and struggled defensively. He's far, far below replacement level right now, and Van Gundy's lamented his lack of energy of late, too. This slump is something that bears watching going forward.

Post-Game Media Availability: Not a Well-Played Game

2010-03-15T02:52:50Z

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Coming into tonight’s game, the Orlando Magic were on an eight-game winning streak and looking to tie a franchise-record for most consecutive regular season wins with nine. But catching the Charlotte Bobcats, a team without All-Star forward Gerald Wallace, on a back-to-back proved to be too much for the Magic. After the game, head coach Stan Van Gundy bemoaned Orlando's poor play. For the Magic, it was just one of those nights.

I was able to speak with Van Gundy amongst the media, as well as Mickael Pietrus, and Dwight Howard. Here’s what they had to say:

Stan Van Gundy:

Could you talk about Mickael Pietrus’ performance tonight?

I thought M.P. played well, yeah. I thought M.P. … on the offensive end, I thought M.P., Vince [Carter], and Dwight [Howard] all played well but it was pretty much a three-man show. Nobody else could really get anything going and so it’s just not enough.

More after the jump.

Mickael Pietrus:

With shots not falling for Jameer Nelson or Rashard Lewis, did you feel the need to be more aggressive on offense?

Oh, no, just trying to play my game. I mean, they called my name and I tried to be extra-focused on that end of the floor to help my team so hopefully we come back strong on Wednesday [against the San Antonio Spurs].

Do you see the Charlotte Bobcats as a possible playoff matchup? Or are you even thinking about that, at this point?

No, we’re not thinking about that. We’re thinking about the way we’re playing, how we have to share the ball inside and out, and then the most important thing for us is try to get into a rhythm – all of us – going into the playoffs.

On Wednesday, do you guys plan on changing up anything?

No, I mean, we didn’t change anything when we were winning games. I mean, we just have to do the same thing and have fresh legs.

Could you talk about Stephen Jackson’s impact on the Bobcats? That’s a former teammate of yours.

That’s why they traded for him because he’s a great player. He’s going to get it done, no matter what people are going to say. He’s going to get it done and I played with him in Golden State and he’s a great player. He’s really carried the Bobcats through the season.

You’ve talked about being on the All-Defensive team in the past. Does that remain a goal of yours?

Yeah, that will always be my goal, to make it to the [All-NBA First team] defensively. I’m trying to focus on that but I can help my team in many ways. On offense, on defense, I’m just trying to enjoy my time on the floor and do everything I can to win games because in the NBA, it’s not easy.

Dwight Howard:

Could you talk about Charlotte’s defensive gameplan, aside from them double-teaming you in the post? Was there anything else that caught your eye?

That’s about it. That’s about it. I think we just missed a lot of shots tonight. We didn’t do well, as a team, rebounding and we didn’t capitalize on just the little things. Overall, if we would have just made some of those shots and gotten some of those rebounds, it would have been a different outcome.

Do you see more and more teams gambling by doubling you in the post and forcing your teammates to make the shots from the perimeter?

Well, they have been doing it all season. They would rather us shoot threes than get their bigs in foul trouble. We understand that. Guys are going to knock down shots. I think M.P. came out tonight and had an excellent game without Matt [Barnes] being in the lineup and we’re just going to move forward from there.

Do you think officials have a quick trigger with you, with regards to technical fouls?

Well, I think sometimes, as a ref, they may feel as if we’re trying to show them up when that’s not the case sometimes. We all understand that they make mistakes also, and our emotions sometimes get the best of us. Sometimes I think there are techs that shouldn’t be techs but we just have to abide by the rules.

I know it seems cliché but was tonight an off-night?

You’re going to win some, you’re going to lose some. We’re not going to win 100% of the games. We expect to win, we want to win but we all understand that these are NBA players, they’ve been playing in this league for a while, and you never can get too up when you win and you never can get too down when you lose.

Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: vs. Charlotte Bobcats

2010-03-14T20:00:42Z

The Orlando Magic can clinch a playoff spot and tie a team record with their 9th straight win if they defeat the Charlotte Bobcats tonight in what could be a playoff preview of sorts. I say "of sorts" because All-Star small forward Gerald Wallace will sit out with a sprained left ankle, and he'd most assuredly play a big role in a potential first-round matchup. Additionally, the recently signed Larry Hughes is recovering from a hand injury suffered earlier this season with the Knicks and will not be available for at least a week. So essentially the Bobcats are spotting the Magic two rotation players today. But will that advantage lead to a franchise record-tying win?

UPDATE: Orlando's Matt Barnes is day-to-day with a sprained left big toe and won't play tonight. Mickael Pietrus will start in his place. Barnes had yet to miss a game this year.

2009/2010 NBA Season
	@
33-31 (9-23 away) Won 5		47-20 (27-6 home) Won 8
March 14th, 2010
Amway Arena
6:00 PM
Fox Sports Florida
Probable Starters
Raymond Felton	PG	Jameer Nelson
Stephen Jackson	SG	Vince Carter
Stephen Graham	SF	Mickael Pietrus
Boris Diaw	PF	Rashard Lewis
Theo Ratliff	C	Dwight Howard
Previous Meetings
November 10th: Magic 93, Bobcats 81
November 16th: Magic 97, Bobcats 91
January 23rd: Magic 106, Bobcats 95 (OT)
Advanced Stats
90.7 (26th)	Pace	92.6 (16th)
103.8 (25th)	ORtg	110.0 (8th)
102.7 (5th)	DRtg	102.6 (4th)
Game Officials
Scott Foster
Bennie Adams
Gary Zielinski

As Tom Ziller writes, the Bobcats' margin for error without Wallace is "minuscule", largely because he's among the few players on the team who can score. Stephen Jackson, Raymond Felton, and even struggling second-year guard D.J. Augustin will have to assume more responsibility on offense, which is where the Bobcats are weakest. Charlotte's just one-tenth of a point per 100 possessions worse than Orlando on D, which is why they could be dangerous in the playoffs. With Theo Ratliff, Tyson Chandler, and DeSagana Diop up front, the Bobcats have three defenders who can handle Dwight Howard reasonably well one-on-one, which in turn helps them cover the Magic's shooters. This strategy worked in the last meeting, albeit with different personnel checking Howard, as he scored just 10 points.

So it again looks like Jameer Nelson and Vince Carter will have to step up for Orlando to win this one. Otherwise, given the Bobcats' iffy offense, we could see a score somewhere in the 86-80 range, which favors Charlotte. Without Wallace, the Bobcats' perimeter defense weakens, which is why Carter should be especially aggressive.