To help breakdown the Orlando Magic's game against the L.A. Lakers (10:30 PM, Sun Sports, ESPN) this evening, I called on Andy Kamenetzky of Land O' Lakers, ESPN's Lakers blog for ESPN Los Angeles. Andy was kind enough to answer four of my questions; you can see the flip side of this exercise at ESPN L.A. Onto the questioning:

Evan Dunlap, Orlando Pinstriped Post: The top seed out West is assuredly the Spurs', but the Lakers and Mavericks are in a solid battle for no. 2. How do you see that race playing out? Can L.A. threepeat if they have to play three playoff series on the road, as they'll have to if they slip to no. 3?

Andrew Kamenetzky, ESPN Los Angeles: This has been the talking point for the season once some bad losses -- not to mention the Spurs refusing to slow down -- made crystal clear home court advantage throughout the playoffs was a pipe dream. I'm in what I suspect is the minority amongst fans and media, but I think the Lakers can absolutely win a championship playing three consecutive road series. To me, it's much more important how the Lakers are playing entering/during the playoffs than where. Assuming this current level is maintained, I just don't see a team this seasoned and experienced getting thrown for a loop by the prospect of one fewer game at Staples Center.

The Lakers closed out two series on the road last season. They won the 2009 championship in Orlando against a team I felt was more competitive than the 4-1 series would indicate. And conquering the pressure-cooker of last year's Game 7, where they overcame a 13-point deficit at and Kobe Bryant uncharacteristically wigging out, provides a more tangible confidence than home court, in my opinion. People always say the Lakers couldn't have won that game in Boston. That may be true. But I also think it's irrelevant, because last year's team isn't this year's team, and the current version is incredibly blessed for having experienced that grind.

I'm not saying the quest doesn't become more difficult on the road, but winning a title is rarely a walk through the daisies to begin with. Plus, this team often responds best with a higher degree of difficulty and their backs against the wall. Whether because of an ability to handle pressure, a periodic tendency to make life tougher than necessary (or both), it's just how this team is wired, and successly more often than not.

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Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus is among the brightest minds covering the NBA today. Along with Bradford Doolittle, he published the Pro Basketball Prospectus 2010-11, which lives up to its billing as "the essential guide to the 2010-11 NBA Season," and I'm not just saying that because they let me contribute a paragraph to the Orlando Magic's "From the Blogosphere" section. The Prospectus is available as a PDF download for $9.98 or in paperback for $19.95.

Kevin graciously agreed to answer some of my Magic questions via email.

Evan Dunlap: Having to divide just 48 minutes a night at power forward between Rashard Lewis, Ryan Anderson, and Brandon Bass is a problem a lot of coaches would love to have. How would you allot those minutes?

Kevin Pelton: In some sort of hypothetical situation where I did not have to deal with the players' reactions to their minutes, I would probably play Anderson and Lewis fairly equally at power forward, give Lewis 10-15 minutes a night at small forward and leave Bass on the bench. Anderson is, to me, pretty comfortably the superior player. I totally understand why Stan Van Gundy wants to use all three guys, however.

ED: Bass didn't see the court too often last season, as he struggled with rebounding and team defense. He's taken a lot of strides in the exhibition schedule, though, which is going to make it hard for Van Gundy to keep him off the court. In the Prospectus, you write, "Bass is strictly an average reserve, and his poor rebounding undercuts the notion that playing him would really strengthen the Magic’s weaknesses," but also that he's "overqualified" as a fifth big man. Has his strong preseason play changed your stance on him?

KP: Not really. Preseason has value, but in this case the track record of Bass being average or worse on the glass is a lot more significant than six preseason games. He would have to play at this level for an extended period for me to really believe he's changed his stripes.

The rest of the interview, which includes Kevin's thoughts on Dwight Howard, Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, the team's offseason moves, and championship chances, follows the jump.

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Zach McCann probably isn't a stranger to most of you, having founded Orlando Magic Daily not so long ago. Now he's the newest member of the Orlando Magic beat, covering the team for the Orlando Sentinel. I interviewed Zach via email to discuss his new gig, the Magic, and a few other topics.

Ben Q. Rock: Let's start with some basic information, Zach. About how old are you, and how long have you been a journalist?

Zach McCann: I’m 22 and I’ve been working at the Sentinel for a little more than five years now.

BQR: This position isn't your first go-round with the Sentinel. What were your duties before?

ZM: Did a little bit of everything. I covered high schools, UCF, the Orlando Predators and about every other niche sport you can think of, among other behind-the-scenes duties (copy editing, laying out pages, taking high school calls, compiling roundups… this is going to be one hell of an interesting interview for your readers). I’ve also freelanced for publications all over the country.

BQR: So how did this job come about?

ZM: The stars sort of aligned. Tania Ganguli left to cover the Jacksonville Jaguars for the Jacksonville Times-Union, and the Sentinel editors decided to promote me. I’m excited to validate their decision

BQR: What are you hoping to accomplish in this position?

ZM: In a nutshell, I’d like to find ways to tell the story of the Orlando Magic in non-traditional ways, using the Internet to complement the reporting and commentary already in place at the Sentinel. Plus, I’d like to further integrate the Sentinel’s Magic coverage with the blogosphere and establish a unique voice on the Magic that differs from what else you’ll read at the Sentinel

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It's always a pleasure to chat Orlando Magic basketball with Eddy Rivera, and their upcoming Eastern Conference Finals series against the Boston Celtics gives me another chance to do just that. I've already visited MagicBasketball.net to answer his questions. Now, it's his turn at OPP.

Ben Q. Rock: What did you take away from Boston's defeat of the Cavaliers? What bearing does that series have on the one against the Magic?

Eddy Rivera: The main thing I took away, more than anything else, is that the Boston Celtics are playing like championship contenders after stumbling along during the regular season. I know that's a "no, duh" answer but it's worth pointing out. And I've said this several times on Twitter but I find it ironic that this year the Cleveland Cavaliers built their team to beat the Orlando Magic, yet lost to the Celtics. Last year for those that don't remember, the Cavaliers built their team to beat the Celtics, yet lost to the Magic. Go figure.

Boston's victory over Cleveland simply re-affirms that they're a legitimate threat to Orlando and should be respected. Winning a title is never easy and, in a way, I think it's great that the Magic will be tested against the Celtics, a team that won it all in 2008, is fully healthy right now, and will cause some matchup problems as they've had in the past. Orlando has the chance to beat a former champion in the postseason at full strength. If the Magic are as good as everyone believes them to be, they'll rise to the challenge.

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To longtime readers of this site, Eddy Rivera needs no introduction. For over a year he posted regularly here, until moving on to the TrueHoop Network to launch MagicBasketball.net last month. Here, we've exchanged emails to preview the Magic's upcoming playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks, as we did with the last round against the Charlotte Bobcats. Our exchange produced this q-and-a.

Ben Q. Rock: The Magic swept their series against the league's best defensive team, while the Hawks needed 7 games to dispatch a scrappy outfit missing its franchise player. How much do you read into those circumstances when forecasting this series? It seems like Atlanta doesn't have much reason for optimism here.

Eddy Rivera: I'm a little surprised the Atlanta Hawks didn't take care of the Milwaukee Bucks sooner than expected. After the first two games in Atlanta, it seemed like the Hawks were poised to end the series in four or five games but give credit to the Bucks for being, as you stated, a scrappy outfit and not giving up when they had every right to do so. Atlanta does struggle on the road (19-22 during the regular season) so maybe that was the issue, when trying to ascertain why they struggled, at times, against Milwaukee.

As for the Orlando Magic, it still boggles my mind that they swept the Charlotte Bobcats with almost little to no production from Dwight Howard. But if you look closely at the numbers, it's pretty clear why the Magic were able to accomplish the feat. Look no further than Jameer Nelson. Simple as that. Nelson was a man possessed against the Bobcats and the main reason why, despite Howard's foul troubles and Vince Carter's struggles offensively, Orlando was able to sweep Charlotte.

With all that being said, does that mean the Magic will sweep the Hawks? Most likely not. Atlanta is a very good team and they should present some challenges for Orlando. However, the reason why the Magic will probably defeat the Hawks and go on to the Eastern Conference Finals isn't because of how each team performed in the first round. It'll be because Orlando is a nightmare matchup for Atlanta, and has been for a while.

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To longtime readers of this site, Eddy Rivera needs no introduction. For over a year he posted regularly here, until moving on to the TrueHoop Network to launch MagicBasketball.net less than a week ago. Eddy and I exchanged emails to preview the Orlando Magic's playoff series against the Charlotte Bobcats, which produced this q-and-a. I think I speak for Eddy when I say we both hope to collaborate again soon.

Ben Q. Rock: You asked me in the first part of this exchange about the Magic's rotation, and I responded that I expect Brandon Bass, not Ryan Anderson, to get the call as Rashard Lewis' backup at power forward against Charlotte. In the most recent meeting, Bass played 17 minutes--some of them alongside Lewis, who shifted to small forward--while Anderson logged a DNP-CD, which I suspect has a lot to do with Charlotte's deadline-day acquisition of Tyrus Thomas. Bass is a better physical match for Thomas than Anderson is. But how do you see this dynamic playing out in this series?

Eddy Rivera: I think it could go either way, to be honest.

It might, ultimately, be determined by what the Orlando Magic need on the court at that moment in time. I know that the debate between Anderson and Bass has been a hot topic among Magic fans all year and people have strong feelings for one player or the other, but the point is that they both can help Orlando in this series. You already mentioned how Bass can matchup with Thomas off the bench but if the Magic need scoring as well as someone not named Rashard Lewis that can stretch the floor at power forward, and I suspect they'll need it at some point, Anderson might get the call in that scenario. You and I both know what Anderson is capable of on offense and ever since he was re-inserted into the rotation late in the regular season, it seems like he can't miss a shot sometimes.

I guess my answer to the question jives with head coach Stan Van Gundy's mentality for these type of things -- it'll come down to the matchups.

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When it comes to the Los Angeles Lakers, there's no lack of coverage for one of the most successful franchises in the history of professional sports. Forum Blue & Gold is one of those outlets that covers the Lake Show, an excellent site that was ran by Kurt Helin for five years before stepping down to write for NBCSports.com's basketball blog, ProBasketballTalk. Taking over is Darius Soriano, who has done a great job of maintaining everything that's made FB&G a go-to source for all things Lakers.

A few days ago, I was able to ask Soriano a few questions to preview tomorrow's game between the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Before the season, the APBRmetrics community was intrigued by the swap of Trevor Ariza for Ron Artest because it created an opportunity to conduct a real-life efficiency vs. usage experiment. Artest has silenced concerns that he would use up too many possessions, given that his usage rate (16.5%) is - by far - the lowest it's ever been in his career. Even though he's not as efficient on offense as Ariza was in a similar role last year, there's no denying Artest's impact on defense (I've read your glowing reviews lately). What are your thoughts on what Artest has brought to the Lakers?

I've been very happy with the Artest acquisition.  On offense he's not the slasher that Ariza was nor is he the above the rim finisher that can make one of those types of plays that really gets the crowd going.  But he's much steadier and has a much more well rounded game.  I think that he'll continue to grow in the Lakers' sets and learn the nuance of the Triangle more over the next several seasons and that he'll be even better on offense over the life of his contract.  I have been slightly less than impressed with his post game - I thought he'd be better on the block in a lot of our sets - but he passes well from the post and off the dribble and that play making part of his game has been a pleasant surprise for me.  I also love his ability to make post entry passes, which to me, is an underrated trait for a player.  As a fan of a team that has a marquee big man, you understand that having a player who is not a good post entry passer leads to possessions where one (or more) of your better players don't get the opportunities that are available to them.  But, Artest has been very good on that end and I think it's helped our big men to have an offensive threat that can create for himself while also still create for them.

But his real impact has been on defense.  Last season, the Lakers were, statistically, one of the better defensive teams in the NBA using their strong side zone scheme.  However, this season they are number one in defensive efficiency and I think Ron has a lot to do with that.  His ability to guard the opposing team's best wing player , and do it without much help, gives the opposition's offense fits while also giving Kobe more of a breather on defense.  Most fans saw how Artest pestered and bullied Carmelo last weekend and that is something that the Lakers could not do last season with the personnel on hand.  So, when you combine his stellar defense and his well rounded offensive game, I think Ron has been a great addition.

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DallasBasketball.com is an independent NBA team website that covers the Dallas Mavericks and the man behind the madness is Mike Fisher, an award-winning sports journalist that has been around the block (spending a decade as a columnist for the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, for example) and who also covers the Dallas Cowboys, among other things. DallasBasketball.com is a must-read for people who want to get their fix on the Mavs because it blends old-fashion reporting with humor.

Because he's in Dallas, Fisher reported 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend and described the experience as "a breathtaking spectacle." Coming from a man who's covered 16 Super Bowls, that's high praise. Seriously. Fisher's resume as a writer is impeccable.

A few days ago, I was able to ask Fisher a few questions to preview tonight's game between the Orlando Magic and the Dallas Mavericks.

I know some people think that, unless Caron Butler plays at or near an All-Star level, the Dallas Mavericks' acquisition of him and Brendan Haywood doesn't do much to dramatically improve the team. What are your thoughts on that?

I think most people with an understanding of the cap and the future – combined with the on-court stuff – see that this is a steal for Dallas. They are giving up a disgruntled Josh Howard (who recently just played 11 minutes in a game from the back of the rotation) for two starters … Josh was going to be a summer trade chip.

… now Caron can be that (even better) chip if they want to sell him in combination with The DUST Chip (Dampier’s super-instant-expiring) for a huge free-agent sign-and-trade. … and contractually, Haywood now has his Bird Rights here so Dallas has its center of the present/future locked in. In terms of where Dallas was a year ago without these moves (and this is including the Marion acquisition), the Mavs have actually CUT costs!

And on the court, it’s a major win. The Mavs moved out a Josh Howard who was out of gas here and get in Butler the sort of wing who, athletically, this franchise has pretty much never had. … plus a center who is top-notch defensively and sound offensively … plus the loss of Gooden in the trade might boomerang back to them.

In the last two major trades, Dallas will likely end up having moved out (in terms of actual front-of-rotation-level players) Josh Howard … while moving in Marion, Butler, Haywood, Gooden, rookie Roddy Beaubois. The whole thing sets Dallas up to continue to win 50-a-year at a pace matched only by the Spurs … and to maintain that level, plus flexibility, in the future.

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