Orlando Magic 89, Los Angeles Lakers 75
by Evan Dunlap on Feb 13, 2011 7:02 PM EST
in 2010/2011 Recaps
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Dwight Howard keyed the Orlando Magic to an impressive defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday afternoon, 89-75, with 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots. Orlando limited the Lakers, the league's second-best offensive team, to 71 points on 84 possessions, with purposeful, energetic defense. On the other end, it built its lead with Howard and its three-point shooters. The win is the Magic's first against a team with a plus-.500 record since January 12th.
Clearly, the story here is Howard's dominance against the Lakers' solid defensive front, which boasts Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol, two seven-footers who can cover him one-on-one; and Lamar Odom, a 6-foot-10 power forward with enough length and hops to bother his shots. In theory, anyway. In practice, Howard scored with relative ease, shooting 13-of-16 from the floor and 5-of-6 from the foul line for among the tidiest 31-point outings you'll see without the benefit of a three-pointer.
| Team | Pace | Efficiency | eFG% | FT Rate | OReb% | TO Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakers | 84 | 89.2 | 40.5% | 8.3 | 22.9 | 9.5 |
| Magic | 85 | 104.9 | 53.3% | 10.5 | 28.1 | 20.0 |
| Green denotes a stat better than the team's season average; red denotes a stat worse than the team's season average. | ||||||
Here's some context to illustrate Howard's growth as an offensive player: against this same Lakers front and scheme in the 2009 NBA Finals, he shot 48.8 percent from the floor and averaged just 15.4 points. Today, not even two years later, the Lakers had no answer for him. He showed great patience in the post, but the Magic mixed up his involvement in the offense by looking for him in pick-and-roll situations as well. He managed to create his own shots by hitting the offensive glass, corralling 6 of Orlando's 9 offensive rebounds on the night.
The most encouraging aspect of this win is that this sort of effort is clearly duplicatable. Orlando didn't need any contrivances to build its lead, shooting roughly average on three-pointers (7-of-19 for 36.8 percent) before missing four heaves in the waning moments and the game decided. Instead, it won this game with defense. Kobe Bryant made four straight shots in the second period, but never really factored into the game, scoring only 17 points on his 18 shots, and getting very few good looks at the rim. The same is true for the rest of the Lakers, really, with Bynum, at 8-of-15, the only player to convert more than half his shot attempts.
Today, we saw vintage Stan Van Gundy Magic defense: force the opponent to burn the clock, steer its shooters to the long two-point shot, hit the defensive glass hard, and don't worry about playing the passing lanes. As a result, L.A. only turned the ball over 9 times, but also shot 45.6 percent on two-pointers and 12.5 percent on threes. Moreover, the Lakers' only triples came during a 70-second stretch of the third period, with Ron Artest's bomb from the top of the arc drawing L.A. to within 2. Van Gundy called a timeout to draw up my favorite play out of Orlando's Horns offense, with Jameer Nelson dribbling, left to right, off staggered screens from Ryan Anderson and Dwight Howard. As Nelson turns the corner on the right side of the floor, Howard rolls to the rim, bringing Anderson's defender with him to shade the passing lane. Anderson pops to the top of the key and drains a wide-open three-pointer. That shot settled the game down a bit.
Orlando kept the Lakers at bay in the third, and then finished them off in the fourth with a Howard jumper, a Howard hook, layups from Brandon Bass and Gilbert Arenas, a Bass jumper, and Redick three-pointer in the opening five minutes. During that stretch, the Lakers mustered only 7 points as Orlando's defense continued to limit them to one, usually difficult, shot attempt per possession. Neither team made many trips to the foul line today--a product of lenient, but consistent, officiating from Danny Crawford's crew--which took away another avenue for L.A. to score.
All of this is to say there isn't a reason the Magic can't defend this well on a nightly basis, nor any reason why Howard can't get so many touches nightly. And the Magic's offense will typically run more efficiently than it did tonight, with Howard and Arenas combining for 10 of the team's 17 turnovers in a low-possession game. We saw a glimmer of the post-shakeup Magic's potential today for the first time in quite a while. That much has to be encouraging as the season begins drawing to a close.
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aaaaand the Lakers just lost to Charlotte by 20...
There goes any feel good notion I had of this game yesterday :(
by gatorboi352 on Feb 14, 2011 10:28 PM EST up reply actions
good win
how come stan can’t find at least a lil bit more minutes for clark. he will be a huge factor for us come the big games.
When Miami finally went to Cleveland and beat them,they figured things out.
It would be nice to see that tonite, the same thing happened to Orlando.
"Road weary Lakers"
Duhhhhhhh
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
This was their 3rd game after a day off
Save the tired leg excuses for the last road game or a back to back game
"Evan!
Unban me from the OPP!"...........David Polega
by AB's triple double on Feb 13, 2011 8:13 PM EST up reply actions
The Lakers don't have many of those - only 12 or 13 all season.
Compare that to how many home-away back to backs we have alone (13) plus away-away back to backs (close to 10) and I don’t feel sorry for the Lakers at all.
This x 100
I sure wish the Magic and their players got the same passes from talking heads that teams like the Lakers and Celtics seem to. The Magic have already played more back-to-backs than the Lakers will have in the entire season and it’s not even the all star break. In fact, the Magic would have had 1 more had the NY game not been postponed earlier.
Everyone everywhere is tired. A win is a win.
Y'know, for kids.
There is no officially strong evidence of how keeping Dwight involved in not only post-ups
but the P&R as well makes a large difference in his ability to dominate. This game is the blueprint of how we should treat Dwight from here on out.
http://borntohustleroses.blogspot.com/
and lets not get too hasty
yeah the W was good but that fully doesn’t mean we figured things out. we’ll just have to wait and see.
Just enjoy it
We played well, we won. Isn’t that enough?
by eltharion_doa on Feb 13, 2011 7:32 PM EST up reply actions
It is for today.
But he’s right. We need a string of games similar to this. No need to get caught up in one victory and start talking title.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
What we need
Is to stop trying to extrapolate the next three months of basketball from one game, win or lose.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 13, 2011 7:38 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Fair enough.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
Well, just kill all the comments on OPP why dontcha? LOL.
I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.
Told ya we were gonna win today.
"Evan!
Unban me from the OPP!"...........David Polega
by AB's triple double on Feb 13, 2011 7:32 PM EST reply actions
Good call.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
hmm
I thought a “regular lakers game” resulted in a team which has been to the nba finals for 3 years and win back to back rings? I guess that’s a different lakers team I’m thinking about.
by plyka on Feb 14, 2011 7:41 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Hello, Lakers fan.
"...sometimes your eyes lie to you..." ~SVG | I'm on Twitter
by magicfaninTN on Feb 14, 2011 9:28 PM EST up reply actions
I think it's time.
For us to start feeding Dwight until people stop him, rather than just getting him a few touches and then going away just for the sake of “getting others involved”. They’ll get involved if Dwight forces the other team to double him. If they don’t double him and he’s tearing apart the front line, then his teammates can get involved by playing defense.
….
Defense? What’s that? I… I think that’s what was played today! It was glorious. Please, please keep playing this way. Stop being such a tease, jerks.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
This, this, this.
Otis Smith, what you've just done is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard of. At no point in your rambling, incoherent trades were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this blog is now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by MoveThoseChains on Feb 13, 2011 8:15 PM EST up reply actions
This team has now played lock down defense for 8 of the last 10 quarters
Those of you asking for defense there it is. It takes commitment and we are finally seeing players give more effort on defense. Defense is all effort. Now to the game, 17 rebounds from Bass, Clark, and Anderson. Solid play. Good defensive from them as well. Gonna give credit to Turk and J Rich. Played solid d on Kobe and forced him to make tough low % shots. Better ball movement today. Now, Dwight is not the favorite for MVP them he never will. He has been destroying everyone. The only people who are stopping him at this point is his teammates. I remember in the offseason I said the Magic unless Dwight radically improved. Well time to wake up people, he is literally unstoppable. Feed him till he misses like 10 shots in a row. He has arrived as probably the best post player since Olajuwon. It is a lot more graceful and higher percentage then ever. Seriously our offense should be an all you can eat Dwight Howard buffet. Unbelievable performance by Dwight.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
That one sequence where Hedo was on Kobe
and he couldn’t get the shot up or drive by him, eventually getting stripped by Hedo was the best defensive effort i’ve seen from Hedo since the final lakers possesion of game 2 of the finals when Bryant got stuffed by Hedo.
"Evan!
Unban me from the OPP!"...........David Polega
by AB's triple double on Feb 13, 2011 8:00 PM EST up reply actions
this
I’d LOVE to see more of that, wouldn’t you?
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
I'd say since Shaq, he was pretty damn good.
But yeah, he definitely is a monster.
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
too young
To have seen shaq in his prime? Not really close in my opinion, shaq was an all time level talent and dwight is no where near prime shaq right now.
by plyka on Feb 14, 2011 7:53 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Shaq was more freak of nature 375 lbs no one could contain him than graceful.
Dwight has more moves. Doesn’t just back down and throw it up. Has the bank shot, running hooks, shake.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
Man I'm glad we won this game
Dwight is just a beast there should be no question about going to him in the 4th quarter or any quarter for that matter.
Good to see -
can they keep up the intensity? – I sure hope so.
Good to see Bass back and Clark play so well in the first half.
This was an enjoyable game to watch, and a decisive win.
Some observations:
1 – What made Dwight more efficient, in my view, was that we did not just go to him on a simple post-entry pass, but rather moved the ball around and as the defense collapsed we passed inside to him.
2 – The team defense was fun to watch, and I thought on individual defense, Bass and Clark played very well. Needless to mention Dwight’s effect since we always take that for granted.
3 – I wrote earlier about J-Rich’s slump, and hoped that he would snap out of it for this game, and he did big time.
With the next game being a rather light one against WAS followed by All-Star break, we should be able to get over the injuries and put in a little bit of practice, getting ready to continue strong with this stretch of home games.
Did he?
Richardson shot 5-15, 2-7 from behind the 3 point line.
He did, however, grab 6 boards.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 13, 2011 8:32 PM EST up reply actions
Maybe he should hesitate more
If he’s only going to shoot 33%…
by eltharion_doa on Feb 13, 2011 8:38 PM EST up reply actions
No, I mean hesistant
If he hesitates, gets closed down, and passes on a shot he’s probably going to miss, it’s a win for the Magic.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:10 AM EST up reply actions
Practice
The hesitation comes from the misses, I think, rather than the other way around. If he starts making shots, he won’t think twice about taking them.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 1:43 PM EST up reply actions
The Magic have never held the Lakers under 80 points in a game until Sunday
In Magic franchise history, the fewest points the Magic held the Lakers in a game prior to Sunday was 84 points in March of 1997.
This was the 66th game in Dwight Howard’s career that he has attempted at least 16 field goals in a game, and his 13 of 16 (.813) against the Lakers ties for his second-best FG% in those games.
The seven Lakers’ free throws made and two three point field goals made were a season low in a game for a Magic opponent.
The Magic played one of their best defensive quarters of the season in the fourth quarter, holding the Lakers to just 15 points on 5 of 19 FGs (26.3%).
Chicago Bears... 2010 NFC Conference runners-up
Chicago Blackhawks... 2010 NHL Stanley Cup Champions
Orlando Magic... 2009 Eastern Conference Champions
by Mike from Illinois on Feb 13, 2011 8:40 PM EST reply actions
I think the return of Bass was much needed
his defense and rebounding were great and its real nice to have a nice 4 big man rotation with Clark adding to the mix. With a somewhat competent backup center for certain situatiuons is all we need. Also J-Rich would have been better from the floor had he gotten some of the calls he should of gotten on his drives to the hoop. I can remember one in particular in the end of 3rd or beg of 4th. He got mugged from twp Lakers players and somehow slammed to the ground with no call. Then Dwight gets poked in the eye again with a no call. I thought the officials sucked during the boston game but man the NBA loves to call games in the Lakers favor, Also those were nice flops by Pau and Fisher in the 1st half
yeah we noticed.
kobe always seem to get away with elbows to the face and offense fouls but they never get called. Odom’s elbow to the face was a cheap shot. and the bogus offensive fouls on howard were bull.some games howard never gets the superstar treatment and usually gets mugged.
Every single fan in the NBA
Of every single team could catalog a long list of calls which have gone against them, just like you did.
I guarantee there’s some dude on a Lakers blog whining about Kobe not getting 3 FTs at the end of the first half for that ridiculous Nelson foul, or the three or four times Gasol got his hands slapped when he was shooting, or when Odom took it to the hoop on the break, was fouled on the way up, converted and didn’t get the call.
I could go on, but I won’t. Bad calls happen.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:14 AM EST up reply actions
Or when Gil stepped out of bounds and Dwight dunked it at the buzzer to end the 3rd...
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
It was nice to see
Bass have a good game and adjust so quickly after missing the first couple of shots. Bass and Clark look really good together on the floor at the same time but that leaves anderson out if we ever get a true back up center. Hopefully we can keep this kind of game plan flowing bc the type of post moves dwight was using are close to unstoppable when he is rolling
You mean like the Anderson/Howard combo that has been starting every single game?
Otis Smith, what you've just done is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard of. At no point in your rambling, incoherent trades were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this blog is now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by MoveThoseChains on Feb 13, 2011 11:09 PM EST up reply actions
Oh, okay.
You mean playing Clark out of position.
That makes sense, because Clark is so clearly a great player, we need to take desperate measures to get him more playing time.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
Certainly he's improving, and his recent play demands more playing time
But is SF really “out of position” for Clark? That’s like saying PF is out of position for Hedo. It’s not ideal, but it can work given the right matchups.
For example, Durant will get his, but I would rather Clark defending him than Hedo, or God forbid J-Rich.
It might be something to try for a short time
I’d rather give Q-Rich minutes on the wing than use Clark to defend the elite, experienced scorers in the league, though.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:16 AM EST up reply actions
He was a SF in college
I could see him defending SF, maybe. Still I like what I have seen from him at 4. The only minutes he could get would be if Anderson and Bass give Dwight longer breaks by either of them playing the Center.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
This is what the Lakers Blag had to say about Howard
That’s just the kind of development we like to see from the guy the Lakers will be acquiring in the summer of 2012.
It'd be a sign-and-trade after Howard informs the Magic he doesn't intend to re-sign with them.
by Evan Dunlap on Feb 13, 2011 10:03 PM EST up reply actions
Is Bynum an asset?
Seems to me he’s a 12 point/8 rebound center who gets injured a lot.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
You guys will be capped out
For the immediate future then with Turkoglu’s and Arenas’ contracts on your cap, not to mention any extension you give Richardson. Methinks taking some meaningful asset back if Howard leaves is better than having what would essentially be a lottery team with an awful payroll. Doesn’t necessarily have to be Bynum — although of the places Howard would be interested in going, he seems to be the best IMO; feel free to disagree — but having Howard walk without some form of compensation would be disastrous.
Also, Bynum has been a solid defensive center who has posted four consecutive (including this one) 20+ PER seasons, so yeah, he’s not chopped liver, injury history or not.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
If Howard leaves
We’re not going to win a Championship whilst Hedo and Arenas are on board.
Blow it up, get draft picks, build it again. Putting Bynum on the Magic might make them better than the Cavs are, but it won’t win a title – and it’ll just mean the Magic are one of those rubbish low playoff/high lottery teams who don’t get good picks and have zero chance of a title.
And then Bynum will leave anyway. To go win a title somewhere.
There’s no upside to losing Howard. Get a trade exception, maybe, but otherwise, blow it up, start again.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:19 AM EST up reply actions
I'm not saying Bynum instantly makes Orlando a contender again
My point is that you guys can’t “blow it up.” Turkoglu and Arenas are essentially unmovable; it was only because Smith was willing to take back the former and you had a contract as bad as the latter. Add on whatever extension you get Richardson and that’s negligible flexibility for the next three years no matter how much you’re sucking. Given that those pieces are probably good enough to give you a puncher’s chance at making the playoffs any given year in the East, regardless of how much you try to blow it up, you’re not getting decent picks in that period, so you might as well pick up an asset you would have zero chance of getting outside the top five picks and certainly not as polished a product as Bynum.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Well, we'll see if they bring Richardson back
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 2:41 PM EST up reply actions
I'd imagine that you guys would have to
Not doing so or getting something for him via sign-and-trade would basically be telling Howard to walk at the end of the year.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Well, sure.
Because how are we going to get by without our fifth-best player?
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
If you have a panacea on the wings, I'd love to hear about it
Redick or Q. Richardson isn’t that.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Honestly, I'd be 100% happy with Redick starting,
but it’s Redick’s backup that would worry me.
Otis Smith, what you've just done is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard of. At no point in your rambling, incoherent trades were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this blog is now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by MoveThoseChains on Feb 14, 2011 5:40 PM EST up reply actions
I don't think Bynum is a "meaningful asset", though.
I think he’s just another third-fourth guy, only because of all the hype surrounding him, he’s going to demand a huge contract, and because he’s a center, some dumb team is going to clog up its cap to fill that demand. Then he’ll either be hurt all the time, or be healthy but still overpaid.
Look at him — he’s not even a top-3 guy on the Lakers. He’s not even the best center named Andrew B.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
He's not a top three guy on the Lakers
Because two of those players are Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom is having a career year. And Bogut is solely better than Bynum defensively — where Bynum is hardly a slouch; compare the Lakers’ defense and rebounding before he came back and after — as Bynum has a much better developed offensive game. Bynum has essentially been a 20/10 guy whenever Pau has been out and he gets the ball enough, and I’d hardly call a guy, who again, posted four straight 20+ PER seasons and is a legit defensive anchor “overpaid.”
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Do you legitimately believe Bynum deserves a max contract?
If not, do you legitimately believe Bynum won’t GET a max contract from some team?
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
If healthy, meaning Kobe isn't falling into his knee
Then sure. Per Evan below, it’s not his fault that he doesn’t get the ball enough in an offense that features two top 15 players (depending on where you rank Pau, but I digress), and he’s a legit post scorer and defensive anchor. Why does it matter regardless? You guys will be capped out, you won’t be able to fix that problem until Arenas’ and Turkoglu’s contracts expire, and that’s that. If you have a better compensation package for Howard from a team he’d be willing to go to, I’m all ears.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Well, I don't know who he'd be willing to go to.
But there are at least five other centers I’d rather have. And that’s not even counting Pau.
But honestly, if the Magic can’t have a franchise player, they’re better off dumping everyone, running out the cap, and getting whatever draft picks they can.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
I agree, and even the thought of losing Dwight and getting Bynum in return is depressing.
We have been lucky with the ball 3 times before, and I prefer to blow it up, and collect pieces carefully and patiently. Plus Bynum has knee injury which brings back bad memories.
The worst part about getting someone like Bynum
Is that it locks you into mediocrity. Being mediocre is the worst possible scenario in the NBA, unless you can create cap room.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 6:06 PM EST up reply actions
Yeah, the common sense approach would be to keep only young, promising and cheap players, and Bynum does not fit that mold.
If Dwight leaves, there is not a single player on the roster which could be pegged as the center piece to build around. Therefore, only young players with upside potential should be kept waiting for that center piece to be acquired either via FA or draft or a combination thereof.
The sad truth is that we didn’t have to see the team in the position which it is in right now, saddled with two unmovable contracts leading to potential departure of the franchise player.
15 and 10, with 2 blocks, per 36 minutes in his career. Also, 56.9% FGs, legit size, and back-to-basket game
It’s not his fault he’s never had a usage rate over 20.7 percent in his career.
Nor is it his fault that Kobe /twice/ crashed into him on a drive and buckled his knee.
Freak accidents.
Kobe hates Bynum: Quick ESPN put me on for this latest story.
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
Me too
If Howard wants to go play for the Clippers or the Kings, let him.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:16 AM EST up reply actions
Gotta love the sense of entitlement from Lakers fans.
They think that since they signed a future HoF Center away from us 15 years ago, it’ll happen again. I’ll laugh when the Lakers are awaiting his arrival next year only to get turned down as the Knicks knew for sure they were getting LeBron.
The Lakers don’t need another center. They are pretty solid on the frontline for years to come.
by California Girly Girl on Feb 13, 2011 10:00 PM EST up reply actions
just wishful thinking/ jokes over there
no one’s really claiming that its gonna happen.
"Pluto’s not even a planet no more, which I’m very disturbed about. I grew up when Pluto was a planet. Now, I’m 25, I turn around and Pluto’s no longer a planet. I’m going to elbow that guy in the nose." -Ron Artest
Congrats on the win. I like Earl Clark. Kisses.
by California Girly Girl on Feb 13, 2011 9:58 PM EST reply actions
Umm... This sounds right up TGS alley.
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
???? yeah I regularly send out kisses to various blogs
Excuse me while I whip this out.
by TheGiantSquid on Feb 14, 2011 1:52 AM EST up reply actions
Evan: Did we run more post-ups for J-Rich this game?
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
I am stoked about the win
but something keeps bothering me:
Why does ball movement on the perimeter seem hesitant? It seems like we always hesitate before moving the ball around the 3 point line. And in that moment of hesitation, the other team tightens up their defence.
Maybe I am just seeing it when it is not there (that’s why there are so many “seems” up above). Or maybe our players are reading a defensive adjustment that I can’t see on television. But the ball movement just seems sluggish-I am constantly thinking, “OK, now the ball is going to the corner” and it does. That’s a change from Magic teams in the past.
As to the Lakers fans counting on getting Dwight – won’t happen if this team keeps playing defence and learns the system SVG is preachin.
I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.
How D12 feel about Arenas making 2 mill a season more than him?
by greenSanDiego on Feb 14, 2011 12:40 AM EST up reply actions
Not his fault, Washington was dumb.
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
and Otis traded for a dumber contract,
Still Devos is willing to spend over the Cap, so it really isn’t much of a problem.
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
Probably the same way
All youngsters on limited contracts feel about older veterans earning bigger deals.
Dwight’s on a max contract with Orlando – there’s no way he can match Arenas deal. He knows we’d give him more if we could, but we can’t.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 9:24 AM EST up reply actions
The game was being broadcast early in the morning here in Sydney
So the win put me in a good mood for the rest of the day. Out of all the teams we break out and get a “marquee” win, it’s against the Lakers.
Not overstating Bass’ importance, but it allowed Dwight to play only 39 minutes (as opposed to 48 against Boston). Clark’s arrival as a rotation player is also a bonus for a team lacking bigs.
good win for the team
hopefully it will help their confidence and team chemistry. Hopefully we can see this type of effort for the rest of the season.
Earl Clark has been set free!
After Fridays humiliating loss it was nice to see ORL play with effort. Bass returning also helped. Could be the jump start to rest of the season I hope. Go Magic!
by O-Town MagiCane on Feb 14, 2011 9:38 AM EST via mobile reply actions
Absolutely Disgusted and The Van Gundy Era need to end.
There is a reason you do not get too high or too low during an 82 game season. Yes this win is nice, but it is even better if you look at how the Magic have been playing this week. They have played lock down defense in 11 of the last 16 halves. If they do not play stupid in the last 5 minutes of the Hornets game they are on a 5 game winning streak.Also I do not buy the excuse of the Lakers are tired. Its February. Everyone is tired. And also not buying the disinterested in this game either. The Lakers did not give up till about 5 minutes left in the game. Kobe could not get going, and Gasol and Bynum could not defend Dwight. Also J Rich had a good first half. Didn’t make anything in the second half. We need to give him the ball more. Needs to be second on the team in shot attempts. That is how he gets going. Notice he finally solid defense when his shots were falling?? Dwight Option 1, J Rich Option 2, Earl Clark Option 3. Just kidding on the last part, but seriously Dwight and Richardson are our most talented offensive players. I like our other players, but JJ and Ryan Anderson should not have 25 attempts combined. It looks good as far as having a balanced attack, but I want J Rich comfortable knowing he is our second option come playoff time. I think that may have hurt VC last year. Never knew what he was on this team. Was he the second option, was he suppose to intiate the offense, etc.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
We gave Richardson 15 shots
In a low possession game. He wasn’t making them. How many shots should we give to someone who isn’t making them?
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 10:23 AM EST up reply actions
He made them in the first half
And yes I know he didn’t make in the second, but going forward, I would like him to be involved early and play to his strengths. I know he missed all of his shots in the second half, but by then he was feeling good about himself and was committed to the defensive end of the game. And I am not just referencing yesterday’s game. It seems like we forget we have him in most games. He drifts open a lot and no one sees him. It affects his defense. When involved offensively, his defense picks up.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
JJ and Anderson, combined
Had 11 shots.
I just honestly have no idea where you’re coming from.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 10:33 AM EST up reply actions
Me neither.
I don’t understand taking away shots from efficient scorers to give them to someone who’s inefficient right now unless he’s in transition.
People should stop worrying about how many shots J-Rich gets and worry more about him putting forth the kind of defensive effort that he did on Sunday. I know Kobe still scored on him sometimes, but he made it incredibly hard on him.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
Again not just referencing that specific game.
But there are games where JJ and Anderson have almost 30 shots combined. Anderson actually has more shot attempts when he comes off the bench then when he starts. But involving him more leads to him being focused on the defensive side. Yes I know he was terrible in the second half, but because he was already playing good in the first half he carried the same energy into the second half.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
That's not even close to being true
In the Magic losses since the end of the post-trade winning streak, the most combined shots that Redick and Anderson have tallied is 21. In not one single loss did either Redick or Anderson take more shots than Richardson. The fewest shots taken by Richardson in those losses is 8 (he made 2); in that game, Anderson also took 8 (and made 2) and Redick took 6 (and made 1). That was the recent loss to Boston.
Richardson has averaged 12..625 shots in those losses – slightly below his overall numbers since joining the Magic, but only by a tiny amount.
If you’re complaining about Richardson not getting enough shots in Orlando wins then, well, I just don’t know what to tell you.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
Actually
Richardon’s taken more shots in the losses than otherwise. I had it in my head that he’s taking 12.8 shots a game since joining Orlando, but it’s only 11.8 shots a game.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 12:02 PM EST up reply actions
Alright. You guys win
For some reason it just seems like he never shoots enough.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
Because your observations are off-base.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
did...you just reply to yourself?
Excuse me while I whip this out.
by TheGiantSquid on Feb 14, 2011 11:00 AM EST up reply actions
This year's Bass is smarter than last year's Bass.
It is nice and all to say who should play more and this and that, but you only have 48 minutes a game. If you are gonna say Clark needs to play more, you gotta say where and how and who is gonna play on the court with. Earl should play, but only if SVG wants to give Dwight longer than 9 or 10 minutes of break. Anderson and Bass have played good this year that does not merit them a lot of time.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
The Bass thing is such revisionist history.
He couldn’t play worth a damn last year, had no spacial relation on defense.
http://borntohustleroses.blogspot.com/
Congratulations, you get nothing-enjoy.
People stop this dance, Say damn this persons fascinatin'
We blowin' dro up in the air, You smell it?
That's the fragrance, I got the focus, got the heart
And I got the patience
If you thought last year they should've played Bass more...
It makes me assume you’re the same type person that thinks Gil should play more than Nelson this year. Why play a guy that isn’t very good?
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
Clark's fun
But he’s not good enough to play more than a handful of minutes.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 11:59 AM EST up reply actions
He's in kind of the same posiition Bass was in last year.
He doesn’t know the defensive rotations, and gets himself out of position a lot. (This is excusable, given that he just sort of fell onto the team mid-season.)
He’s a reasonably accurate scorer in raw FG%, but given that he doesn’t shoot threes and doesn’t help himself out by making a lot of free throws, that doesn’t add up to efficient scoring. (In fact, his TS% with Orlando is currently a disastrous 48.4%. 46.3% on the season!)
And the former could improve. but the latter HAS to improve. Bass is actually (I’ll admit it) a decent scorer even though he relies so much on long twos, because he’s great at those long twos, because he dunks a lot, and because he’s an awesome FT shooter (if not an especially high-volume one.)
Clark has yet to show any real aptitude for the long two, and he’s not a very good FT shooter either. Which means he’s going to need to take a LOT more of his shots around the rim, or else develop a three (unlikely), to be even playable as a scoring option. And if he’s not a scorer, what is he going to do to justify playing time?
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
Holy crap, 48.4%?!
I had no idea it was that low. That’s nearly Gilbert Arenas territory.
Otis Smith, what you've just done is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard of. At no point in your rambling, incoherent trades were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this blog is now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by MoveThoseChains on Feb 15, 2011 8:38 AM EST up reply actions
Gilbert Arenas Territory...
AKA The Dead Zone. AKA The Mariana Trench.
"We just want to chill" - Chris Bosh.
Proud Jameer and Rashard apologist since '07
Gil would buy a new shark if he could get
48.4% TS.
He’s down at 43.3%. Clark’s closer to the league average than he is Arenas’ level of sucktitude.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 15, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
He's actually behind Gilbert for the season.
46.3% to 47.4%.
Not, mind you, that either is good.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
48.4%
would be tied for 279th out of 331 qualifying players this season. Tied with Quentin Richardson, Randy Foye, Spencer Hawes and DeMarcus Cousins.
(Just ahead of those four at 48.5%-48.6%: Yi Jianlian, John Wall and Andray Blatche… it’s been a long year in Washington.)
His full-season average of 46.3% would be tied for 309th with Juwan Howard.
Other players in that range: Mo Williams at 47.1%, Hasheem Thabeet at 46.6%, CJ Watson at 45.3%,
And Gilbert Arenas at 47.4%.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
any time you're mentioned in the same sentence as Thabeet, it can't be good.
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
I'm a little shocked.
I knew Thabeet couldn’t score, and I knew Thabeet couldn’t rebound. (Then again, he could NEVER do either of those things, even in college.)
But I assumed he was at least blocking shots, like all the other huge men who couldn’t hack it in college but got drafted too high anyway.
Turns out he’s not even doing that any more.
They should just play Hamed Haddadi. Sure, he can’t score either, but at least he can rebound. (And Memphis didn’t use a no. 2 pick to get him either.)
Bass and sharks are BOTH fish.
Clark has improved his defense a lot lately.
And his last 4 game he has shot 50% or better in all of them and is shooting 80% from free throw. When you rarely play as he does it is hard to judge his numbers. Yes small sample size, but we have seen improvement in the last four games offensively with a rise in minutes. But getting back to his defense, to me it seems he is missing fewer rotations. The Houston here awhile ago he was just awful, but lately I would say he is missing 2-4 compared to the 7-9 he missed when he first got here. Plus SVG, used him in the Philly game in a defense/offense switches with Ryno. I agree he is still raw. But what I like is that he allows Bass or Anderson to play more minutes at center to give Dwight a break. I know more Dwight is more good, but he has to breather a little.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
He's improved his shooting
By cutting out the silly long twos and getting in around the rim, not by actually being a better shooter…
by eltharion_doa on Feb 15, 2011 1:27 PM EST up reply actions
And by showing us a different really small sample size
I actually don’t disagree with you, but the minutes are too sparse and few at this point to really have anything remotely akin to a trend.
To quote one of my favorite sayings, “The plural of ‘anecdote’ isn’t ‘data.’”
Y'know, for kids.
He's improved his shooting...
…to 48.4%. He was somehow even worse in Phoenix.
You mess with the 4-out/1-in, you get the Horns.
Agreed that he seems to have improved
I’d venture also that the defensive substitution has a lot to do with his overall athleticism and crazy wingspan. If you aren’t worried about ongoing and complicated team defensive schemes, those assets cover up a lot of mistakes on a single possession.
Y'know, for kids.
I thought in this game they corrected most f everythin that went wrong in last ones.
I hope they’ll build on this. Great W. Always feels good beating LA.
Don't mind my spelling. I'm a Typo Master.
They just played D
If they play D like that every night, they’ll compete with anyone and beat most.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 12:01 PM EST up reply actions
And they actually went to and stayed with Dwight in the 4th quarter.
And if that works against the Lakers’ front line, that should work against just about anyone.
Otis Smith, what you've just done is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard of. At no point in your rambling, incoherent trades were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone on this blog is now dumber for having witnessed it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.
by MoveThoseChains on Feb 14, 2011 12:07 PM EST up reply actions
I do not think anyone in the NBA can legitimately guard Dwight.
If he makes his FT’s, he is unstoppable.
Arenas needs to hurry up and shoot himself (out of this slump).
That's how it is with every superstar,
the ‘if only’ argument holds no water.
http://borntohustleroses.blogspot.com/
While the Defense was fantastic yesterday, I don't think its reasonable to expect Dwight to score 31 every night or shoot >75% from the field.
The caveat to that is that no one else really played that well on offense, so there is lots of room for improvement there. Defense has always been the key. (and will always)
No it is not realistic
But he is more than capable of shooting 60-65%. But yes you are right, defense last night was fantastic. Lakers, even they were tired, at 75% is better than 60% of the teams in the league, so for the Magic to play lock down defense for 4 quarters is not out of the question for this team. Defense is all mental.
Roll Bass and War Ryno for me
He doesn't have to
If we can keep opposing teams around 85-90 points.
by eltharion_doa on Feb 14, 2011 12:17 PM EST up reply actions
This, This, This
It all comes down to defense with us…we can score with ANYBODY..we just have to be able to consistently get stops
Buried the Lakers. Gotta Love It!
Didn’t see the game so I can’t comment too much.
Here’s hoping for a strong surge into the All-Star break.
Lately the opening tip has been deciding our games
When we lose the tip we win, when we win the tip we lose. Please inform Dwight and SVG of the statistic so that we botch all tips from here on out.
I hope that was in-jest.
If you’re being serious, wow.
"But I'm still down with OPP."
http://www.twitter.com/JShannonhouse3
http://www.twitter.com/Amway_Get_Loud
We should also start the shark-tamer at PG, right?
(Kidding.)
I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself.
I didn't see the game live because of work, but I saw the replay on ESPN 2.
I was really proud of our guys in that game; especially the second half. We played with tons of intensity and aggressiveness. I’m glad Dwight got his touches and went into beast mode on Gasol, Bynum, and anyone else that got in his way. lol That was an example of what we can be if these guys bring it every night and lay it all on the table.
Live, Laugh, Love
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