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Predict the 2010-11 NBA playoff teams - Rufus on Fire
David Arnott of Rufus on Fire invites everyone to vote for which NBA teams will make the playoffs this year. It's a safe bet to include the Orlando Magic, yes?
Orlando Magic News for September 2nd: Debating Chris Duhon's Value, Jameer Nelson's Shot Selection, and Amway Center's Toilets
by Ben Q Rock on Sep 2, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
in News
6 comments
- Basketball Prospectus | Articles | SCHOENE on the Summer
Marc Normandin of Basketball Prospectus is bullish on Orlando Magic point guard Chris Duhon, signed in free agency this summer, being a solid value this season after toiling as "a replacement-level player last season" as a New York Knick:
it's easy to see why he will improve. The roster around him is significantly different than what he was playing with in New York thanks to Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, and Vince Carter, three scorers whom Duhon can feed.
- LeBron James, Dwyane Wade rank as top free-agent bargains of 2010 - Ian Thomsen - SI.com
But as Ian Thomsen of Sports Illustrated writes, the analyst Rich Steinlauf sees Duhon as one of the worst signings of the summer in terms of value. "His salary of $3.5 million is at least $1.5 million too much," says Thomsen, "according to Steinlauf."
- NBA HD: Visualizing Shot Selection by Position | Hardwood Paroxysm
Tom Haberstroh's latest NBA HD post at Hardwood Paroxysm concerns shot-selection by position. His findings show that Magic point guard Jameer Nelson's shot selection was the most typical of that of any point guard in the league, which is to say Nelson's mix of shot locations is most similar to the overall positional average.
- Magic to conduct Amway Center toilet test Sept. 8 – Orlando Magic BasketBlog
The Orlando Sentinel's Matt Humphrey points out that the Magic have turned toilet-testing at the Amway Center into an event, known as the Drano Royal Flush. It occurs to me that this event should be less a testing and more a celebration, as the old Amway Arena had but four bathrooms. Four.
Advanced Metrics Handbook, Vol. 3: Pace
by Ben Q Rock on Sep 2, 2010 8:00 AM EDT
in Analysis
12 comments
Part of an occasional series explaining some of the advanced statistical terms employed at Orlando Pinstriped Post. Today's topic: pace.
The Golden State Warriors have put up impressive scoring numbers since re-hiring head coach Don Nelson in 2006. In the four seasons since then, the Warriors have ranked second, first, second, and second in points per game, with an overall scoring average of 108.7 points per game. He's an offensive genius!
Or maybe not. The biggest problem with per-game statistics, especially on the team level, is that they fail to account for pace, which refers to the number of possessions a team uses per game. The famed North Carolina coach Dean Smith is said to have defined "possession" as, roughly, what occurs during the time one team has the ball without giving it back to its opponent. As we'll see below, pace uses traditional boxscore statistics to estimate the number of possessions each team uses. On a single-game level, one can comb through play-by-play data to count the possessions individually, but pace is a solid, shorthand way to get an accurate figure from larger sample sizes. From there, we can learn more about teams' tendencies and true aptitudes.
The formula:
0.96 * (FGA + 0.44 * FTA + TO - OReb
In plain English:
Pace counts the myriad ways a possession can end: via a shot attempt, a free throw, or a turnover. It adjusts for possessions that extend after a shot attempt by disregarding offensive rebounds, and accounts for technical and and-one free throw chances by multiplying total foul-shot attempts by 0.44.
Orlando Magic News for September 1st: J.J. Redick Starting, the Magic's Moves, and the Amway Center Experience
by Ben Q Rock on Sep 1, 2010 4:00 PM EDT
in News
1 comment
- Fact or Fiction: J.J. Redick Will Become a Starter This Season | Magic Basketball
At MagicBasketball.net, Eddy Rivera lays out the arguments for and against J.J. Redick joining the Orlando Magic's starting five this season. Here's how that situation could arise:
If J.J. Redick is starting for the Orlando Magic at the shooting guard position on the eve of the 2011 NBA Playoffs, then one of three things probably occurred: Vince Carter a.) slid over to the small forward position, b.) was traded, or c.) was benched.
- Rising stars to watch in the 2010-11 season | NBA.com
Shaun Powell of NBA.com, meanwhile, says "it's only a matter of time before [Redick] replaced Vince Carter, or at least gets more minutes in the rotation. Powell pegs Redick as a "rising star to watch" in the coming season.
- Vote: Grade the Orlando Magic’s offseason – Orlando Magic BasketBlog
Josh Robbins invites readers to vote and comment on the Magic's offseason moves, which included the signings of Chris Duhon and Quentin Richardson, as well as the drafting of Daniel Orton and Stanley Robinson.
- Amway Center Pricing Takes Shape
Philip Rossman-Reich of Orlando Magic Daily discusses how the Magic fan experience might change this season as the team moves from Amway Arena to Amway Center.
Off-Day Open Thread: Who is the Orlando Magic's Biggest Rival?
by Ben Q Rock on Sep 1, 2010 8:00 AM EDT
in Off-Day Open Thread
29 comments
If you're at all familiar with my work, you know I don't often veer into topics charged with emotion. But I think it's relevant to discuss, with the NBA season looming, who the Orlando Magic's biggest rivals are. For once, it's actually a question worth considering.
The term "rival" comes up far too often in sports, I believe. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox have a storied, decades-long rivalry, and play in the same division, for instance, but the Yankees are a cut above the Red Sox right now; the Tampa Bay Rays pose a more immediate threat to their chances of repeating as World Series champions than the Red Sox do. In a rivalry, what I look for is competitors at roughly the same level, preferably among the elite. I mean, the L.A. Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves might have bad blood stemming from the Timberwolves' hilarious tanking effort to avoid having to deal a draft pick to the Clippers, but because neither of those teams matters much in the NBA landscape, you'll have a hard time convincing me I should care.
Having established my preferences here, we should now take a look at the contenders for the Magic's biggest rival.
Orlando Magic News for August 31st: Another Carmelo Anthony Trade Scenario, D-League Musings, and More
by Ben Q Rock on Aug 31, 2010 7:00 PM EDT
in News
16 comments
- SLAM ONLINE | Trader’s Market: Melo Pt. 2 - Southern Hospitality
Sandy Dover says the Orlando Magic are contenders to land Denver Nuggets All-Star Carmelo Anthony via trade because they can offer salary relief (Vince Carter's partially expiring contract) and solid talent (Mickael Pietrus, whom Dover calls the "real treat" for Denver in the deal). He believes pairing Anthony with Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, and Rashard Lewis could help the Magic "go to the NBA Finals."
- Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Southeast Division | D-League Digest
Four well-respected experts agree: the Magic earn an F for their non-use of the NBA's D-League so far. Eddy Rivera points out that the Magic don't have much need for the D-League, since they're a contending team, but Matt Hubert counters with this bit:
Sure, they’ve been successful on the court the past few seasons, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Other top teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs have made much better use of the D-League as a developmental tool than Orlando.
- Dwight Howard to visit Haiti and host charity event for Haiti – Orlando Magic BasketBlog
Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel passes along word that Howard will support earthquake relief for Haiti in a variety of ways.
- charitybuzz | Test Your skills with Superman Himself, Dwight Howard
As we posted in this FanShot earlier, Howard is also supporting Usher's New Look, another charity, by auctioning off a game of HORSE.
Test Your skills with Superman Himself, Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is auctioning off a game of HORSE with him to benefit Usher's New Look.
Happy Birthday, Chris Duhon!
by Ben Q Rock on Aug 31, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
in Diversions
6 comments
Orlando Magic point guard Chris Duhon turns 28 today. Duhon finally signed with the Magic as a free agent this summer after nearly joining them in 2008. Despite Duhon's choosing the Knicks over the Magic that year, Magic GM Otis Smith's interest in Duhon never wavered, and he jumped at the chance to ink the veteran to a four-year deal earlier this summer. Duhon figures to back up Jameer Nelson this season, and he'll do so in a no. 25 jersey, which has upset Magic fans who believe the team should retire it for Nick Anderson.
Many happy returns, Chris.
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