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Schmitz: Injuries Hobble Orlando Magic Forwards Matt Barnes and Mickael Pietrus
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 20, 2010 8:00 AM EDT
in News
14 comments
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.
14 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic News for March 19th: Technical Fouls, Late-Game Heroics, and NBA Jam
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 19, 2010 5:15 PM EDT
in News
17 comments
- 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?
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Where Turning Three Years Old Happens
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 19, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
in Diversions
42 comments
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.
42 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic 108, Miami Heat 102 (OT): The Morning After
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 19, 2010 9:30 AM EDT
in The Morning After
24 comments
- 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.
24 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic 108, Miami Heat 102 (OT)
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 19, 2010 12:14 AM EDT
in 2009/2010 Recaps
62 comments
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.
62 comments | 0 recs |
Tonight's Orlando Magic Game: at Miami Heat
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 18, 2010 5:00 PM EDT
in 2009/2010 Previews
1089 comments
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.
1089 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic News for March 18th: Championship Hopes, Transition Defense, and More
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 18, 2010 2:00 PM EDT
in News
20 comments
- 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."
20 comments | 0 recs |
Orlando Magic 110, San Antonio Spurs 84: The Morning After
by Ben Q Rock on Mar 18, 2010 9:30 AM EDT
in The Morning After
22 comments
- 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."
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