Dwight Howard is looking happy and the true needs within the starting line-up.
by DaBears33 on Jan 3, 2012 12:32 AM EST
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Dwight Howard is either an outstanding actor or is showing real emotions, there has been a huge change in his demeanor. From this off-season where he seemed very annoyed to now where he seems happy and still no sign of his past self.
When it comes to Hedo Turkoglu he has been doing a lot of fading jump shots and you have to have a lot of confidence when you take them kind of shots. Also when it comes to Anderson’s and Redick’s production they have been great. They both deserve starting positions but when it comes to Redick the Magic chose Jameer Nelson who hasn’t been playing good at all. To really say that Redick has been doing better than Nelson, Nelson has shot a total of 29 FGs and has only made .414%. Redick has shot 43 FGs and has made .585% of his. Nelson has attempted 8 3-point shots and only making 1. Redick had attempted 16 3-point shots and has made half of them.
Overall right now Dwight Howard doesn’t look like he wants to be traded and everyone is doing their job. I do think that the Magic could use a lot of upgrades but this team right now is possibly one trade (that doesn’t include Howard) away from becoming an outstanding team. Of course the Magic will do just fine with the roster they have right now.
This FanPost was made by a member of the Orlando Pinstriped Post community, and is to be treated as the opinions and views of its author, not that of the blogger or blog community as a whole.
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Well I prefer Richardson in the starting SG spot because of his height.
Maybe the Magic should try Redick out in the PG during a game and see how he does.
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
It's 2 inches in height difference between Redick and JRich.
Meanwhile, consider their stats so far this season:
JRICH: 8.8 PG with a 7.63 PER
JJ: 13.8 PG with a 22.31 PER
And I know JJ’s shooting percentage will regress to the mean, but I think a much stronger case can be made that JJ should start over Jrich than JJ should start over Meer.
I don't get the whole 'pop-tart cats pooping rainbows thing,' but then, I'm old. So, there it is.
It's more than the 2 inches though because J-Rich also has a much larger wing span than Redick
I am by no means advocating Redick at point guard either (because, really, that is just stupid), nor am I criticizing his defense, but I think J-Rich is the better defender at SG than Redick. Plus Richardson can post up to give the Magic a different dimension on offense . . . albeit he hasn’t been that successful yet, but I think it will come.
I think Redick is at his ideal spot as 6-man.
If the Magic must trade Dwight, Hedo better stay. He needs to retire a Magic.
JJ is a great 6th man and also has tryannasaurus rex arms
JRich may be able to better defend an athletic wing on the ball due to his length, but JJ is a far better team defender and less likely to make mistakes. Just watch how JJ and JRich defend the same player as he moves without the ball around screens to get free. JJ battles hard through screens, makes the right play, and keeps up in away that makes it far less likely his man even gets the ball.
Again, I’m not advocating a lineup change for a number of reasons, but in most situations I trust JJ more on both ends of the floor than JRich.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
Both good points and well said (Bee/80s).
I don’t think the line-up should change . . . yet. The time may come, but it is not now. And I trust Stan.
I was just making the point that if you were going to argue there should be a change, it makes more sense to argue a change at the SG spot over a change at the PG spot-but that’s been pretty clearly articulated by some posts in this thread, and the post by atastelikeburning.
I don't get the whole 'pop-tart cats pooping rainbows thing,' but then, I'm old. So, there it is.
He's not a point guard.
You can’t just point at a shooting guard and say “point guard!” and expect him to be able to play the point.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
It's hard.
(thats what she said) I do not specialize in basketball I specialize in football so I’m not 100% sure but 6’4 as a SG seems short to me. I’m still working on my skills of writing for basketball.
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
The Bassline Spin charted the average size of all starters for a 12-day span last season
The average SG was 6’6", 211. Shortest was 6’3", tallest was 6’9".
Bob.
It's not a matter of height. It's a matter of playing point guard.
PG requires a completely different approach to offense. It’s not just about the passes you make, it’s about calling plays, directing offensive rotations, finding the open man. It’s about court vision and anticipation. A smart PG affects every trip down the court — even the ones on which he doesn’t touch the ball.
All of which is not to say that JJ is not a smart player. He is. But he’s smart at making the rotations and getting open, not at directing an offense from the point. Saying “JJ is smart, he can play point guard” is like saying “that guy’s a good violinist, he should be able to conduct an orchestra.”
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
To his argument,
I NEVER thought I would say this, but I might consider starting Duhon. The offense seems to flow better with a lineup of Duhon/Redick/Hedo/Ryan/Dwight.
Not saying this will be the case all season, but so far it’s what my eyes are telling me.
Fear the Beard!
by BleedingBlueSince89 on Jan 3, 2012 12:52 AM EST reply actions
are you saying this based on stats from the season
or from your, and everyone else’s dislike for Duhon? I mean, it’s obvious that Redick is outplaying J-Rich. That’s not even a question.
I know he’s playing fewer minutes, but he’s got a higher A/T ratio, he’s shooting the three better, and he’s playing better defense. Small sample size, but Jameer seems disinterested to me.
Our starting back court seems to be getting torched every game.
Fear the Beard!
by BleedingBlueSince89 on Jan 3, 2012 3:19 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
@BleedingBlueSince89
Jameer Nelson has been more reluctant to shoot the ball and usually just passes it. Which is good for his assist stats but if the shot is there he should take it. But I do have a strong feeling that the only reason Nelson is in the starting group is because Dwight Howard and Nelson are best friends.
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
Wow
The only reason why Nelson is in the starting lineup is because he is our BEST PG. Nelson has not been scoring because he is trying to show he can be a more traditional assit oriented pg as opposed to a Westbrook type scorer pg….which is both a benefit and a critism (only Rose can walk on water).
by OrlLove on Jan 3, 2012 11:39 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Agreed.
Nelson has a strong track record of good play… just because his shot is a little off for a few games is no need to start panicking.
That much having been said, I hope you’re not right, because that reasoning doesn’t make a lot of sense. Now that the Magic have a game plan that utilizes Hedo as Hedo, that should free up Nelson a lot more for the spot-up shooting he’s so good at.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
If Jameer Nelson was going to start specializing in passing the ball
then why is he averaging only 5.2 AST per game? But Rajon Rondo is averaging 10.5 and Jose Calderson with 9.8 AST?
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
How many of those teams have point forwards?
One: Orlando.
Bob.
How many of those teams...
…rely heavily on a back-to-the-basket post scorer in Howard (no assist if he puts the ball on the floor and backs his man down), shoot massive numbers of threes (1.5 times as many points for the same number of assists) and depend quite so heavily as the Magic on quickly passing the ball multiple times (see aforementioned comments regarding “hockey assists”)?
There are a lot of reasons why PG for the Magic is not a position where it’s possible to rack up big numbers of assists… Hedo is only one of them.
Also, may I point out that Nelson has missed a game due to injury, and likely hasn’t been 100% for some of the subsequent games?
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
by 3.3seconds on Jan 4, 2012 11:25 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
True
Hedo’s just the simplest answer. Things get a lot more complicated than just Hedo.
Boston: Rondo has 63 assists. The entire rest of the Celtics have 80 assists. Kevin Garnett is #2 with 23.
Toronto: Calderon has 49 assists. The rest of the Raptors have 91 assists. Bargnani and Johnson are tied for #2 with 12 each.
Orlando: Nelson had 26 assists after 5 games. He was #2 to Turk’s 27 in 6 games. The Magic other than Nelson have 99 assists.
So, the Magic have a lower total number of assists (125 in 6 games to 143 in 6 games for Boston and 140 in 5 games for Toronto), and they have 4 players with at least 15 assists (Turkoglu, Nelson, Duhon, Redick). Boston has 3 (Rondo, Garnett, Allen), and Toronto has 1 (Calderon).
Orlando uses a much more even distribution of ball-handling responsibilities, and, as 3.3 pointed out, the use of the three pointer, extensive back-to-the-basket play, and quick ball rotation tend to reduce the impact the point guard has on assist totals. Hedo’s #3 among all small forwards in assists and assists per 48 minutes (behind LBJ and Iggy), and Dwight is #6 among centers. The PG’s assist rate is deflated by van Gundy’s system. That would be true regardless of who we have at that position. Yes, Rondo or Calderon would probably have somewhat higher numbers than Nelson, but they would be lower than in their current roles with their current teams.
Bob.
by The Dark on Jan 5, 2012 12:07 AM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Exactly.
For another example, look at Tony Parker. Clearly an elite point guard when he was in his prime, probably a better passer than Jameer if we’re being honest — 5.8 career assists per game. He’s never averaged more than 6.9 assists a game for a season.
The Spurs’ offense didn’t allow it — for some similar reasons, e.g. quick multiple passes, centering the offense on a back-to-the-basket big man, etc. Also some different reasons, e.g. the Spurs’ very slow offense. Parker’s assists per game have actually increased slightly in the last 3-4 years, even though nobody thinks he’s better now than he was in 2004 or whatever — because the Spurs have sped up their play, and don’t rely on Duncan backing guys down as much any more.
It's on like Gregg Zaun!
by 3.3seconds on Jan 5, 2012 3:30 AM EST up reply actions 1 recs
He also mostly plays against other teams back ups.
That and he is just a flat out liability on offense. Granted, Jameer hasn’t been playing well and I’m not a huge Jameer fan, but he’s still better than Duhon. Duhon doesn’t have the speed or quickness to create that dribble penetration and drive and kicks that Jameer seems to do so well (when he feels like doing it) and that are necessary for the offense to flow the way it needs to.
by JeffShann3 on Jan 3, 2012 6:12 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
Those drive and kicks also cost Nelson some assists
There are a fair number of plays where he’ll drive, kick, that guy will make one more pass to the open shooter, and Nelson ends up with a hockey assist.
Bob.
Duhon has been productive based on what I have seen on game day and in stats
Jason Richardson, J.J. Redick, and Chris Duhon all deserve starting spots. They have all produced and have played the whole floor well enough to be considered starting worthy. J.J. Redick should be tested to see if he can play in the PG position because he could share that starting spot with Duhon.
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
I would like to see it to because then you would realize why SVG plays Nelson as the starter
In the wins we have had this season I haven’t seen Duhon spark the offense and go on to win like Meerkat has done in the 3rd q at least twice. Nelson is doing exactly what we want him to do and that is to be aggressive and penetrate. There isn’t a direct stat for that, but Duhon can’t do it. Duhon is much improved and I am really happy, but there is a reason we brought Larry Hughes in and also looked at Pruitt as back up pg. wait till we start playing some real teams.
No. JJ and to a lesser extent J-Rich deserve starting spots, but not Duhon
I mean JJ has been playing lights out. Definitely above any expectations set for him. J-Rich has hit a little slide but for the most part has been a great factor in the first half of our games. Duhon hasn’t done anything outstanding. He filled in for Jameer when he was hurt and has been playing better than he did last year. That’s about it. Jameer is starting off slow, but he has proven himself over the years. The same can’t be said about Duhon. Wait a couple more games and see what Jameer does. If he is still missing shots then bring Duhon up again, but if not then you’ll know why Jameer is the starter. And JJ shouldn’t be at the point. He can’t see passes like a Jameer or Hedo can so I wouldn’t want him to be at PG. If he continues to outplay J-Rich then he should be the starting SG but that’s the only position he should be playing for us.
"If Dwight spent more time practicing and less time b!tching, then maybe he’d be playing a little better." -My Mom
chip-caliber
if we had the current team plus Deron Williams we’d be as good as anybody, no? why wouldn’t dwight and d-will make that happen?
I’d even go as far as to say if they don’t do that then they’re not really interested in a championship, but just the NY market.
They are certainly
mostly interested in the NY market. If Dwight just wanted to win, he wouldn’t limit the teams he would play for, and would certainly be fine with going to say Chicago or OKC, because those teams are close.
This is primarily being driven by Adidas and Dwight's agent.
I’d bet cold hard cash on that.
I'm torn. Is JJ Redick the White Mamba or the White Ray Allen?
by EnnBee on Jan 3, 2012 4:28 PM EST up reply actions 2 recs
Williams doesn't seem to care in the least about the "NY market"
Someone posted a recent quote from him in another fanpost (I believe) and in it he said he wouldn’t (or doesn’t) make that much more being in a NY market, and when compared to the state taxes and city taxes, it’s not even close.
Sounded more like a cry for Mark Cuban than anything else.
But it may be possible Deron makes his way here…only problem is how do we get him in FA because you know NJ won’t trade for him to ORL unless Dwill says Otown or bust. We need to clear space and I don’t know how we do that without trading assets. Net we may be worse off…especially if Nelson starts playing well.
This is the link:
Deron Williams speaks about his free agency (big market vs small market)
NY Daily News (1/1/2012)
Williams said he’s never been advised by Nike on how a location would boost his marketing value, and he doesn’t envision himself commanding the type of cachet that reportedly landed Derrick Rose a $250 million deal with Adidas, even as Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov is promising global stardom. Without such a lucrative endorsement deal, Williams hinted that the high cost of living in New York — where he rents a SoHo townhouse — offsets the smaller monetary bonuses of playing in a big market.
"I’m sure I could make a couple more hundreds of thousands or something like that a year (on endorsements), or maybe a $1 million per year," said the 27-year-old, who is married with four children. "But you could go somewhere in Florida or Texas and you’re not losing 8% state tax, plus you don’t have a city tax, plus the cost of living isn’t two times higher than anywhere else."
…ultimately it relies on something that’s eluded the Nets the last five years. "Win. That’s the only thing I can think of," he said. "I’m already averaging 20 and 10."
For context excerpt is from: Orlando vs Dallas vs Brooklyn
I’m sure winning is at the top of the list, but climate, proximity to family and friends, will it be a cool place to live etc. all factor in just as much….these young guys are just like everyone else – they factor in the same things you would factor in if you had to make a decision about a major relocation.
Dwill and his wife are from Dallas and they have 4 kids – for him I guarantee proximity to grandparents and trusted family could be a major point.
One thing everyone is assuming is that DWill and Dwight will play together….but it might not be as simple as that….Dwight might want to team up in Brooklyn but DWill might want to do it in Dallas…their own personal and family interests could be incompatible. There is also the question of who is following who? seems trivial but for two alpha males that could be more than enough to create tension.
by MagicLA on Jan 4, 2012 12:51 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs
I understand that.
If he is anything like me I will do anything to go back to place where I belong (Chicago). Would make sense if Dwight wants to form something he has to do it in Dallas. But other then draft pick what does the Mavs have to offer in a trade? They wouldn’t give up Dirk Nowitzki so really I wouldn’t want a trade to be done with the Mavs.
"You can’t process me with a normal brain." - Charlie Sheen
No trade needed for him to do that…Dallas has the capacity to sign both in the summer as detailed in this: Orlando vs Dallas vs Brooklyn
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