House Party! Magic rout 76ers in final regular-season game
at Amway
By Brian Schmitz - Orlando Sentinel
10:32 PM EDT, April 14, 2010
Even the ever relentless Stan Van Gundy took a moment on Fan Appreciation Night to tell his
players how much he appreciated them after the Orlando Magic ended the regular season.
"The guys appreciated Stan doing that," Magic President Bob Vander Weide said. "But you
could look in their eyes and tell they were done with this part. They're ready to move on to what
we all want."
And so begins the Magic's steely-eyed journey to bring home an NBA championship.
The first steps start either Saturday or Sunday at home against the Charlotte Bobcats in the bestof-seven first round series. Orlando won the season series 3-1.
They Magic fittingly turned the last regular-season game Wednesday night at Amway Arena into
a victory --- drilling the Philadelphia 76ers 125-111 --- and possibly much, much more.
They assured themselves home-court advantage to play for the title…. if they can return to the
Finals in June.
By virtue of their victory against the 76ers, the Magic finished 59-23 and captured the secondbest record in the league behind the Cleveland Cavaliers (61-21).
As the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Cavs will hold home-court throughout the
postseason --- unless they are upset. The Magic ousted them last season in six games, making
their first trip to the Finals since 1995.
The Magic wrestled the second-best record from the slumping Los Angeles Lakers, playing their
starters down the stretch instead of resting them.
And they did it with an impressive finishing kick, posting a league-best 33-8 record the second
half of the season.
Finishing the season by winning 20 of 23 games, including the last six, the Magic took care of
the 76ers (27-55) with relative ease to bid farewell to 21-year-old Amway Arena.
Cameras flashed throughout the game as the sell-out crowd sensed the historic closing after the
postseason. The club will begin play in October in the new Amway Center.
Jameer Nelson led the Magic with 21 points on 9-of-13 shooting against the 76ers and Vince
Carter added 17, going 4-of-5 from 3-point territory. Dwight Howard scored 15 points and
grabbed 12 rebounds and Matt Barnes had 12 points as Orlando shot a sizzling 59.8 percent.
Orlando broke an NBA single-season record for most 3-pointers made, with 841, passing the 837
by the 2005-06 Phoenix Suns.
"Sometimes, all anybody cares about is the playoffs and we know what that's all about," Van
Gundy said. "But what these guys have done for six-and-a- half months… it has been a very
professional group of people."
Magic players, to a man, say they are ready to make a run at a title.
"I'd be disappointed if we didn't win the championship," Nelson said.
Added Howard, "We'll be highly disappointed."
Howard said his team is better than last season's, adding, "We're deeper and we're more
motivated to get a ring."
The Magic tied last season's 59-win total, beat every team in the league at least once and finished
34-7 at home.
They went through only one bad stretch the entire season, dropping seven of nine in January.
"We really grew up as a team from the middle of the season," Howard said. "What impressed me
was that we didn't let it separate us."
The Magic made some significant changes after losing in the title round in five games to the
Lakers last season, bringing in Carter and four other new players.
The franchise's mentality coming into the season was this: championship-or-bust.
Howard and other players say their goal is to deliver the trophy to owner Rich DeVos, 83.
"When they told me that, I couldn't believe it,'' said DeVos, 83, chairman of the franchise. "I'm
honored by that. That's a rallying cry, I guess…. to win a championship before I die."
They'll need to win 16 playoffs games. Carter, addressing fans before the game, mentioned
DeVos and added, "Thanks for the wonderful season. We got 16 more to go."
Best team in the NBA? Right now, by far, it's the Magic
Posted Mar 24 2010 10:23AM – John Schuhmann, NBA,com
They haven't had an attention-grabbing, double-digit winning streak like the Mavericks, and they haven't
charged up the standings like the Bucks. As of Wednesday morning, they're only a single game closer to
first place in the Eastern Conference then they were at the All-Star break.
But since the break, the Orlando Magic have been the best team in the NBA ... by far.
The Magic are 14-3 since the break, second only to the Bucks (15-3). But statistically, Orlando has been
more dominant than anybody. The Magic have outscored their opponents by 14.8 points every 100
possessions over those 17 games. The next best team since the break has been the Phoenix Suns, who
have been just 9.3 points better than their opponents.
The Magic have been terrific defensively since November. For the second straight season, they're the top
defense in the league, allowing 99.7 points every 100 possessions, a hair less than the Celtics. But it's
been on offense that they've taken off since the break.
Best Since the All-Star Break
Points per 100 possessions
Team
Off. Rat. Rank Def. Rat. Rank
Diff.
Orlando
113.7
2
98.9
4
+14.8
Phoenix
114.4
1
105.0
14
+9.3
Portland
109.4
7
100.5
5
+8.8
Cleveland
110.1
6
102.4
8
+7.7
Utah
111.0
4
103.7
11
+7.3
Off. Rat. = Points scored per 100 possessions
Def. Rat. = Points allowed per 100 possessions
With Vince Carter finding the right balance between aggressiveness and unselfishness, and Jameer
Nelson all the way back from arthroscopic knee surgery, the Magic are now as potent as any offense in
the league. And when a team has both a great offense and a great defense ... well, even Magic coach
Stan Van Gundy admits that he's happy with the way his team is playing.
The famously excitable coach seems able now to move past the occasional defeat without much stress.
"You're going to lose games and you have to deal with it and move on," Van Gundy said Monday. "You
try to keep in perspective how you're playing and getting better. And we've been playing very well."
With Van Gundy, though, happiness is always relative. It's not as if he's satisfied.
"I'm never comfortable," he said. "I'm happy with the way we're playing. But comfortable, no. Because
there's always areas where you've got to get better. You want to see improvement in those areas going
down the stretch, and when you don't see it, you get uncomfortable."
If Van Gundy is happy with the way his team is playing -- as he should be -- he should be even happier
with the way they're talking. The Magic players have the same outlook as their coach.
"I don't think we're at the level we want to be," center Dwight Howard said. "We're still gelling. We're still
learning how to play together. We just want to be rolling come playoff time."
Monday's victory in Philadelphia was win No. 50, a mark that Carter had never reached in his first 11
seasons in the league. But the occasion brought him no satisfaction.
"I'm looking at the bigger picture," he said afterward. "I want to win it all."
The Magic aren't going to catch the Cavaliers, whom they currently trail by six games in the standings, for
the best record in the league. And they're not likely to be caught by the Celtics or Hawks, both of whom
they lead by 4 1/2 games.
They're as locked into their playoff seed as any team outside of Cleveland or L.A. But no matter what the
stakes are, or how well they're playing, Carter says that the mentality stays the same. While there will be
a loss here or there, the Magic aren't about to take their foot off the pedal.
"It can all be taken away in one series," he said. "So the approach is, each and every game, do the job.
Look at [the opponent], I don't care who they are, as one of the best."
That may be difficult on some nights, especially at this time of year. Orlando's post-break schedule hasn't
been all that challenging. Nine of the 14 wins since the All-Star Game have come against lottery-bound
teams. But two have been over the most important of opponents. The Magic beat the Cavs on Feb. 21
and the Lakers on March 7. And last week, the Magic handed the resurgent Spurs their worst loss of the
season.
Orlando is taking care of business against the weaker teams, and the Magic have held their own against
the rest of the elite. Van Gundy may want to fine tune some things, but with three weeks to go in the
regular season, no team is more ready for the playoffs than the Magic.
It's looking very likely that Cleveland and Orlando will meet again in the conference finals. And should that
happen, the Cavs will again have home-court advantage. They have the best player in the world and a
better supporting cast than they've ever put around him.
But that still may not be enough to get past the team that knocked them off a year ago. Because right
now, the Magic are the best team in basketball.
Orlando shows it has mojo
George Diaz – Orlando Sentinel COMMENTARY
8:13 PM EST, February 21, 2010
Shaquille O'Neal and his buddies concocted their own forget-me-not' arrangement after Vince
Carter moved back here this summer to take up permanent residence in Isleworth.
They scattered toilet paper all over the lawn.
Carter shot back with some neighborly back-atcha' Sunday afternoon, a day that the Orlando
Magic did much to squash the image that they are Charmin-soft. The Magic won a rough-andtumble set against the Cleveland Cavaliers, 101-95, beating them for the first time this season.
Sure it's only one in the long grind of an 82-game regular season, but the Magic needed this one
to get their mojo back against the Cavs. They had lost the first two games against Cleveland this
season, and were now facing an amped-up lineup that included All-Star Antwan Jamison.
And so with a playoff vibe in the air _ as well as a few flying elbows _ the Magic gave the Cavs
a forget-me-not-loss, a competitive reminder that the Eastern Conference banner still hangs at
Amway Arena.
Cleveland is going to have to rip it from these guys.
"People can have whatever views they want of our team," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said,
"and they've had the view for over 2 ½ years that we're a soft team, and so my response to them
is to always go back and look at our record against the teams that are supposed to be too tough
for us ... What matters in this league is results."
Cue the fourth quarter. While the rest of the world continued to obsess over Shaq and Dwight
Howard tussling over merchandising rights to the Superman logo, Carter and Jameer Nelson
showed that the little guys can own a basketball game.
Does 16 consecutive points work for you?
With the Magic trailing 85-80, Carter and Nelson went on a tit-for-tat barrage. They each scored
eight points, capped off by Nelson's 24-foot jumper that pushed Orlando's lead to 96-88 with two
minutes left.
But it was Carter's kick-out pass to Rashard Lewis for a 3-point shot that put this thing away
with 20 seconds left.
"I've been around long enough that if you have the ball in your hands in the fourth quarter, yeah
you want to score," Carter said. "But if you can penetrate and make plays, that's what makes this
thing … It's just like scoring to me."
Carter's been in a bit of a transitional funk here at times trying to be the go-to-guy on a team that
has a bunch of guys who aren't shot-shy. Van Gundy decided to help him out by putting in a
post-up play for Carter during Saturday's practice. He might want to stick with it. On a pass from
Nelson, Carter dunked over Flop King Anderson Varejao in a fourth-quarter poster shot that
reflects Vintage Carter.
I don't know what was more amazing: That play or LeBron James whining about foul calls. "I
feel I go to the hole just as much as anybody in this league and sometimes I don't get the benefit
of the calls," King James said, sounding more like a Beauty Queen.
Despite the injustice in the world, LeBron still got 33 points, but three other starters only scored
four points each. With Cleveland, it's all about damage control from the other guys. With
Orlando, it's always going to be about balance.
Anybody could wear out the telestrator breaking down all the nuances of this rivalry, but here's
the takeaway:
Either Cleveland or Orlando (sorry Doc) will win the Eastern Conference title. Both know how
to beat each other. Both have superstars and Superman. Both have strong supporting players.
It's going to fabulous to watch.
So before everyone anoints the Cavaliers as the Beast from the East, here's something to
remember:
Shaq and his teammates are paper lions unless they roll over Orlando.
DeVos Stands Strong
George Diaz – Orlando Sentinel COMMENTARY
October 29, 2009
He took in all the frantic energy from his seat caddy-corner to the Orlando Magic bench
Wednesday night: The pregame pyrotechnics, the screaming fans and rock anthems from Queen
and Phil Collins.
At 83, Rich DeVos still stands strong, despite the cane he uses to get around. It marks the
resilience of a man who needed someone else's heart to stay alive. The transplant took place on
June 2, 1997. Every day since then has been a gift.
There is an unspoken sense of purpose for the Magic as they begin another chase for the
championship.
To a man, from the executives in suits to the guys in baggy shorts sweating it out in the paint,
they want to win one for the patriarch of this organization.
Starting out with a 120-106 beatdown of the Philadelphia 76ers is as good a start as anyone could
have scripted.
"We've been close," DeVos said. "But we know who we are now and we know what it takes.
They have a different spirit than they've ever had before. I've never see this kind of conviction. ...
Let's go do it."
Now in his 21st season as a Magic owner, DeVos has been there for the exhilarating rush of two
ping pong balls that gave us Shaq and Penny, the breakup of a potential dynasty when Shaq
bolted for Los Angeles, the rough years that followed, and now the new surge keyed by another
kid they call Superman.
"Mr. D," as some in the organization call him, may seem a little out of place in the NBA. Hiphop, tattoos, and bouncy cheerleaders have never been part of his family-friendly Amway vision.
He and Mark Cuban are hardly blood brothers. Cuban starts his day on the Internet surfing
Twitter. DeVos and his wife Helen begin their day with devotionals to their four children and 16
grandchildren, praying for them by name.
Then there's his extended family. He invited the whole team to dinner Monday night at his Palm
Beach mansion. Coaches and front-office types, too.
It's a yearly tradition, where everybody can sit down casually, relax, and not say a word about
basketball. There's dinner, ping pong and billiards between the players and his grandchildren.
Mr. D tells them about the importance of faith and family, stresses on personal conduct, and
doles out advice. He tells stars like Dwight Howard to save a million dollars every year for 10
years, and then watch what interest can do to that stash of money.
DeVos knows a little something about fiscal management, turning a $49 investment in 1959 into
a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry.
"It puts things in perspective for them," Magic general manager Otis Smith said. "He doesn't
necessarily say it, but it's, 'You guys work for your money, my money works for me.' I was as
impressed by him this last Monday as I've ever been."
Not everyone is equally impressed. To some, DeVos is never going to be able to shake the
reputation of a tight-fisted billionaire who should have kicked in a lot more to help build the
team's new playground set to open next season.
Perhaps it's fair commentary. But it's also fair to mention that DeVos is one of the most
charitable people you will meet. Nearly $15 million has been raised through the Orlando Magic
Youth Fund, impacting more than one million children.
And he undoubtedly cares about the people he employs. DeVos once gave former Magic Coach
Doc Rivers use of a yacht, the 125-foot "Freedom," for a week after Rivers was honored as the
NBA's Coach of the Year. Rivers took his staff and their wives for a tour of Martha's Vineyard,
Nantucket and the Hamptons, anchoring close to a golf course every day.
On the flip side, DeVos isn't too pretentious about dropping by Wendy's for lunch (I know this
for a fact, having a Combo Meal with him eight years ago). But he certainly isn't a cheapskate.
This team went deep into the NBA luxury tax to put together this talented core group of players.
"As an owner he's done everything he's supposed to do, including opening up his pocketbook,"
Smith said. "Year after year after year he's done what you want your owner to do: Give you the
resources to your business and then step out of the way and allow you to do it. Yes, there's been
challenging times but he's been phenomenal.
"And now that he's 83-years-old, I just want him to experience being on top of the profession."
With 81 regular-season games to go, odds are looking good for Mr. D.
Orlando still fails to amaze one guy
By Pete Kerasotis, Florida Today
April 8, 2010
ORLANDO — Stan Van Gundy scowled, frowned and shrugged his shoulders. He looked lost.
"We're struggling right now to stop people, and that's concerning," the Orlando Magic head coach said, his downcast eyes
scanning a stat sheet. "I would've thought we'd be further along this close to the playoffs."
Never mind that the Magic clinched their division this week, or that they're the No. 2 seed, or that they trail the Los Angeles
Lakers by a half game in the standings, meaning that if the two teams meet again in the NBA Finals, the Magic might secure
home-court advantage.
And, oh, while we're at it, never mind that Wednesday night at the Amway Arena, Orlando spanked the Washington Wizards
121-94 in a game that saw 66 points come from its bench players.
Never forget that Van Gundy is a coach, and as such it's in his DNA to never be totally happy or completely satisfied.
With coaches, if it isn't doom then it's gloom.
The glass is half empty.
Always.
Coaches can't step back and take a deep breath, because when they do the air is stale with failure. They see shortcomings in
boldface and all capital letters. Meanwhile, all that is good is in agate type.
So, a little perspective.
This team is very good. Scary good. Someone asked Van Gundy to compare this team at this point of the season, with four
regular-season games remaining, to last year's team -- the one that went to the NBA Finals.
"I'm not interested in making comparisons because we don't play last year's team," he said. "I'm interested in the teams we're
going to play going forward. We have great confidence, but I still want to get better. I don't think there'll be an easy round in the
playoffs."
Maybe not.
But, really, this is a three-team race.
It's the defending-champion Lakers, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Magic.
Though, perhaps, not necessarily in that order.
Again, Van Gundy is a coach, so he isn't interested in revisiting past glories. He's too wrapped up in current concerns. That's
understandable. So is his reluctance to make comparisons.
That's where we step. We in the media. We're not only professional second-guessers, we also thrive on comparisons.
So allow me.
This Magic team is better than last year's. It's deeper, more balanced and if Vince Carter keeps peaking toward the playoffs, it's
going to be fun to watch them. Jameer Nelson should be healthy for the entire postseason, too. And, keep in mind that Dwight
Howard is a year older, wiser and better.
He is, in a growing number of people's opinions, the league MVP.
That doesn't mean he'll win the MVP. In fact, he probably won't. It'll likely go to LeBron James. That's because what LeBron
does on a basketball court consistently makes ESPN's highlights. Meanwhile, what Dwight is doing will only make history.
Last year, Howard became only the fifth player in NBA history to lead the league in rebounds and blocked shots. It put him in
some pretty good company. You know, guys like Bill Walton, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Hakeen Olajuwon and Ben Wallace.
This year, he'll become the only player to do it in back-to-back seasons. Ever.
But rebounds aren't sexy, and blocked shots only make the highlights when there is something thunderous about them. In other
words, as great as Howard has been this season, he's still a smaller blip on the radar screen of recognition.
Sort of like the Magic.
Put it this way, Howard has nine 20-rebound games. Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA has 20 combined.
He's been good.
Scary good.
Sort of like the Magic.
They showed it again last night.
Even if Stan Van Gundy doesn't want to see it.
Magic's Van Gundy the perfect model of hoops coach
Posted Mar 25 2010 8:33AM – Shaun Powell, NBA.com
If you could draw up the perfect sketch of a basketball coach, how could you go wrong with Stan
Van Gundy as the model?
Really: He's shorter than his point guards, a bit rumpled-looking in suits that scream off-therack, has a worried expression on his face and moans for respect from the refs. Also, in
interviews, he sometimes comes across as suspicious of "you guys" (reporters) and rarely
laughs or shows a sense of humor, unless it's self-deprecating every now and then.
Basically, Van Gundy never seems to be satisfied or secure. And that's what makes him a good
coach, and why his team is tearing through the home stretch as the playoffs draw near.
When training camp began, the Magic were wounded from a rather decisive defeat in the NBA
Finals and also working in new faces, with Vince Carter's the prettiest. Van Gundy's job was to
lift confidence in the locker room, find a way to maximize Carter's skills, build a tighter
relationship with his franchise center and keep the Magic among the NBA elite. All of those
boxes have been checked.
There's one more task -- win the NBA title -- that will be settled, one way or another, in a few
months.
So how's he feeling? Optimistic about the future? Thrilled with the progress? Just hunky-dory
overall?
"Miserable," he said. "It's been tiring. Always worried about the next game, next problem, you
know, what needs to be corrected. That's just a personality problem, not a reflection of our team
or our guys."
See? He's the splitting image of the stereotypical basketball coach. That's understandable,
given he's the son of a coach and brother of a coach. Van Gundy is a gym rat who, once
outside the home, finds peace and even enjoyment with a dry-eraser board and 12 committed
players. The other stuff, he can do without.
Typical Van Gundy: Ask him about the chances of the Magic stretching their surge deep into
June, and he is both grumpy and giddy at the same time.
Giddy: "Well, yeah, that's the goal and that's what we're trying to achieve."
Grumpy: "Ah, it's important not to get too ahead of yourself. You don't want to start thinking
about those things."
Well, place his hand on a Bible, and Van Gundy would probably admit to thinking about that
trophy a lot. For a variety of reasons. He has a championship ring already but confesses to
never looking at it much. That ring wouldn't weigh as much as a new one, mainly because it's
hollow. Van Gundy was given that ring in Miami under suspicious circumstances. He didn't
coach the Heat to the 2006 championship, Pat Riley did. Van Gundy famously left the bench a
month into the season, either to "spend time with family" (the wink-wink company line) or
because Riley/Shaquille O'Neal wanted him out, whichever scenario you choose to believe
(remember Shaq calling Van Gundy "the master of panic?"). In any event, the ring doesn't quite
sparkle as it should to the owner. That, you can believe.
Winning with Orlando would carry much more weight. One: Because it would validate Van
Gundy as a solid coach, in the minds of those who still aren't sure. Two: It would bring a tear to
the eye of his father, who taught sons Stan and Jeff the basics of the job and the work ethic
necessary to do it right. Three: It would erase any lingering memories of Miami.
Four: It might force a smile and a laugh from Van Gundy.
Undoubtedly, it would mean Van Gundy and Dwight Howard are on the same page, not that
they were ever completely off it. There was one episode that got plenty of ink, when Howard
openly questioned the gameplan last year in the playoffs. But their relationship, from the outside
anyway, appears respectable now. Howard even does a dead-on Van Gundy impersonation, for
laughs.
"There's no problem," Howard said. "We're fine."
And so are the Magic. They will approach 55-plus wins, keep the homecourt at least through
two rounds of the playoffs, and bring some swagger into any postseason matchup, Cleveland
included. It's hard to easily dismiss a team with Howard's presence on defense and the glass,
along with a handful of outside shooters.
"Our confidence is very high," Van Gundy said. "I think our guys believe we have a chance to do
some good things. Our heads are in the right place, I think. You don't know until you get to the
end."
And you can bet Van Gundy will worry until the very end. Orlando could skate past the
Cavaliers, reach the NBA Finals, go up 3-0 in the series and hold a big lead late in Game 4, and
knowing Van Gundy, he would fear his team might relax.
Then again, maybe he'd finally relax. For once.
Van Gundy's rise to NBA stardom is truly storybook stuff
Stan Van Gundy and his brother, Jeff, love the game, taking after their father,
Bill
By Brian Schmitz - ORLANDO SENTINEL
8:54 PM EST, February 12, 2010
The Orlando Magic and New Orleans Hornets are 40 minutes away from tip-off at Amway
Arena. While his son, Stan Van Gundy, is poring over his game-plan in his office below, Bill
Van Gundy is up above, pacing the concourse.
Well, not so much pacing as walking off nervous energy.
Before every Magic home game, his gut churning, Stan's white-haired, wiry father heads to the
concourse and walks. And walks. And walks.
"Nerves, I guess," Bill says. "Sometimes after games, too."
"Oh, he's a wreck," laughs Cindy Van Gundy, Bill's wife and Stan's mom.
Bill still feels the tug more than a decade after coaching his last game, hanging on every win and
loss. It's like somebody who lost an appendage and still feels pain in the missing limb.
Now you know why Stan is a ball of fists on the Magic's bench and his gut churns every game.
It's in his DNA.
Sunday's NBA All-Star Game in Dallas will be the only time the Van Gundy family will be able
to halfway relax this season.
Stan will be coaching the Eastern Conference all-stars. Frankly, with apologies to Commissioner
David Stern, the gig doesn't exactly thrill him.
It's not a real game, you see. Doesn't matter who wins.
Growing up Van Gundy, this is a foreign concept. It goes against everything ingrained in you by
a competition junkie (Dad) and a perfectionist (Mom).
Van Gundy 101: If there's a court, a ball and enough guys to run a pick-and-roll, well, you figure
out how to do it right and beat the other guys. Anything else is basketball blaspheme.
And no quote captures the Van Gundys more than one uttered by various coaches: "There's
winning and there's misery."
Everyone in Orlando has watched Stan suffer on the bench. His Dad was an intense, tortured
soul, too, although recently he said, "If I had a regret, I wish I had enjoyed winning more."
There was always the next game. Stan conceded he loses perspective at times. The other day, he
was reminded of his luck by Pat Williams, a terminally upbeat soul in an ever-present Hawaiian
shirt. Williams, a Magic VP and former general manager, congratulated Stan on being named an
all-star coach.
"I said, 'Yeah, Pat, I'd think I'd rather have the rest, though.' Pat said, 'Hey, come on, babe. You
were at SUNY-Brockport [College], bopping around there, wondering about coaching these level
of guys one day. Come on now, you can forgo a little sleep.'
"Pat's perspective was correct, as it usually is," Stan said. "For me, and where I come from, it's
pretty phenomenal."
Stan played for his Dad at SUNY-Brockport and then coached basketball part-time and lined
baseball fields as an equipment manager at Castleton (VT) State for $1,500 a year. He thought
he'd remain a lifetime high school or small-college head coach (as his father did for 40 years)
until landing the University of Wisconsin job in1994.
Then the Badgers fired him, severing his coaching umbilical cord. Stan could hear his father's
two rules in his head: 1) if you want to be loved, don't coach; 2) save your packing boxes (for
your next move).
How Stan wound up in the NBA is storybook stuff.
His brother, Jeff, was a successful high school coach in Rochester, N.Y. One day, Stu Jackson,
then an assistant at Providence under Rick Pitino, came to recruit a player and witnessed one of
Jeff's practices. Jackson recommended him to Providence coach Rick Pitino, who hired him.
Small world? It gets tinier. Jackson became the New York Knicks coach in 1989 and hired Jeff
Van Gundy as an assistant. Jeff was promoted to Knicks' head coach in 1996, taking over for
Don Nelson, who replaced Pat Riley. Riley had moved on to coach the Miami Heat.
The tale gets better. When Riley was looking for an assistant, he was told by Jeff there was this
other Van Gundy available.
Riley hired Stan before the 1995-96 season, and Stan replaced Riley as Heat head coach in 2003.
He coached the East all-stars in 2005.
"I had to get very lucky. Turned out I had the good fortune of being fired by Wisconsin," Stan
laughed. "So my biggest break came when my brother got to know Stu Jackson, who was
looking at one of his players. It's crazy.
"I would have been very happy if I remained a small-college coach my entire life and that's what
I planned to be. I never thought for one second I'd be coaching at this level."
The Van Gundy boys likely were destined to coach, being around their father and mother, a
Hoosier who also knew her basketball. They once took a vacation at the Final Four.
"My Dad has such a passion for it. You're around somebody every day that loves what they're
doing, it rubs off," Stan said. "That's what made it natural for my brother and me."
They already knew zone defense from man. So it was perfectly natural what happened when Bill
needed surgery to remove a brain tumor on Pearl Harbor Day. His young sons — Stan was in
seventh grade and Jeff in fourth —scouted the next opponent and filed a report for their
recovering father.
"My Dad's still hyped up. It's still all about basketball, but now there's no release," Stan said.
"He's nervous. He wants it to go well."
The Van Gundys simply are trying to keep up a winning pace.
Howard demands less for himself to make Magic better
By Shaun Powell – NBA.com – March 31, 2010
Dwight Howard says the Magic are better off without the selfish and self-serving player who
thankfully left the team last summer, and we know what you're thinking: Does he really hold
such a low opinion of Hedo Turkoglu?
Well, actually, Howard was speak about himself. His old self.
"Last year and the year before, I would get upset if I didn't get a number of shots, or if I didn't
score the way I wanted to, the way I knew I could," he said recently in a candid moment. "That's
not me anymore. That person is gone. Now I understand."
Normally jovial and kid-like, with the personality of a Nickelodeon host, Howard would
sometimes simmer whenever he was ignored offensively. He'd point an accusatory finger at
Stan Van Gundy and question the coach's strategy. He'd bark at teammates if the Magic went a
few trips down the floor without giving him a touch. Howard never threw a fit or caused a major
disruption; he's not that extreme. But he never hid his annoyance.
That's all changed, with the epiphany coming soon after Orlando was chopped down by the
Lakers in the NBA Finals. He saw Kobe Bryant, a me-first player himself once, share the ball
and ultimately lift the trophy. He took stock of himself and his teammates. And he knew Vince
Carter was coming aboard.
Maybe the problem, Howard concluded, wasn't the players surrounding him.
"I've matured," he said. "I still have to dominate on defense and the boards but on offense I
have to trust them. If I get my teammates involved, it'll only make us a more dangerous team."
There were games this season in which Howard took only a spoonful of shots and he dealt with
it. He's still the club's leading scorer, but that's due to 60 percent shooting. He's taking only 10
shots a game and often is the fourth option. But he can live with it as long as Orlando wins.
"Teams will have to pick their poison now," Howard said, rather gleefully. "If they want to keep
double-teaming me then we'll knock down the shots. If they don't double, we'll pound it in the
post. We feel confident either way."
Ever since he arrived as the No. 1 overall pick in 2004, Howard has taken great pride in being
the face of the franchise. That's not unusual for a young player with his talent. His personality
takes over the locker room. Otis Smith, the general manager, even admitted to taking that into
consideration before weighing whether to trade for Carter. There's only room for one strong
personality, or at least that's what Orlando thought.
But Howard says he's OK with Carter assuming the largest share of the offense, and in fact,
adds he wouldn't have it any other way.
"A guy like Vince needs attempts," Howard said. "We all understand we've got to sacrifice for
him. And we have. People are wondering why (my) numbers are down but we're just being
efficient. That's what makes a great team."
Howard recalled a conversation last summer with Dikembe Mutombo, who had strong words,
saying Howard was letting his talent go to waste. It was an eye-opener for Howard, a two-time
All-NBA player and clearly the league's best low-post defensive stopper. But Mutombo kept
wagging a finger.
"He said I should be the best player every year until I got old," Howard said. "He said I had to
challenge myself more to become the best player. He wanted me to take advantage of all the
things I have now, the ability to move around in the paint and my athletic ability. 'You don't want
to wait until you get older; do it while you're young.' That's what he said, to dedicate myself more
as a player.
"It was a great talk, and I've always admired Dikembe as a player, both what what he did on the
floor and off. We still talk a lot and he's been an inspiration to me. I listened and decided I wasn't
going to waste my talent. Everything he said was right."
And so the "new" Howard is determined to do what the old player didn't: win a championship,
start a legacy and possibly a dynasty. Problem is, LeBron James has the same idea. And Kobe.
And so on.
"Well," Howard said, "whatever's meant to happen will happen. But if we go out there wanting to
win, then we're going to win. Nobody's stopping us. When we play determined and together,
nobody's going to beat us. It doesn't matter who we play and who's in our way."
Obviously, it'll take more than Howard to bring a ring of truth to that for Orlando. Carter must
shoot a higher percentage. Rashard Lewis often disappears, same for Jameer Nelson. But the
last two months, they've found a rhythm, and just in time, with the playoffs weeks away.
"I'll be a different player in the playoffs," Howard said. "A better one."
Media should take off its blinders and start giving Howard
some MVP love
Superman is every bit as valuable and dominant as the King
Mike Bianchi – Orlando Sentinel SPORTS COMMENTARY
8:43 PM EST, February 25, 2010
"Alpha dog pedigree, sidekick mindset." — ESPN's Bill Simmons on Dwight Howard
"He should be the 21st century's Wilt Chamberlain. No NBA big man has Howard's athleticism and
power. Yet, despite the protestations of Howard's apologists, he continues to underachieve for a man of
such significant physical presence." — CBSsports.com's Mike Freeman on Dwight Howard
"Become the alpha dog, not the tail-wagging, happy-go-lucky puppy." — Orlando Sentinel's George
Diaz on Dwight Howard
"Has a rabid alpha dog eaten the eyeballs of Simmons, Freeman and Diaz? These guys obviously are
covering games while blind." — Me
Seriously, you know what's amazing? That three columnists all criticized Howard within days of each
other — during the same time frame when the Magic's magnificent big man was named the NBA's Player
of the Week.
It's mystifying.
It's logic-defying.
They call him an underachiever. They call him a puppy dog. They call him a paper tiger.
They ought to be calling him an MVP.
But they won't, you see, because that would be NBA blasphemy.
As Magic coach Stan Van Gundy points out, "It's over. LeBron's going to get the award."
This is no knock on LeBron; he is certainly worthy of the MVP. He leads the league in scoring and has
led the Cavs to the best record in the NBA. All I'm saying is Superman deserves to be mentioned in the
same breath as the King by the nation's media.
I can understand NBA fans being blinded by the endless LeBron lovefest and eternal highlight loop on
ESPN, but you'd think the media would be a little more discerning. You'd think the media would have a
bit more historical perspective and appreciate that Dwight is on the verge of doing things that have never
been done in the NBA.
It's absolutely laughable when you read these columns about how Dwight is not an "alpha dog." Good
grief, this guy is the biggest, baddest alpha dog since Cujo. He dominates the pack and the paint like very
few have in the history of the sport.
He currently is the NBA leader in rebounding and blocked shots and will likely finish this season as the
first player in league history to lead the league in both categories more than once. Let me repeat that: The
first player in NBA HISTORY TO LEAD THE LEAGUE IN BLOCKED SHOTS AND REBOUNDING
MORE THAN ONCE!
That's right, last year he was the youngest ever to lead the league in both rebounding and blocked shots,
becoming only the fifth player in league history to do so. The other four: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill
Walton, Hakeem Olajuwon and Ben Wallace.
We say we want our NBA stars to be humble and hardworking. We say we want players who don't just
score points but sacrifice themselves and their offensive production for the sake of the team. But is that
really what we want?
Howard leads the league in doing the dirty work — rebounding, blocking shots and playing defense —
and yet he gets no love for it.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: They should just stop calling it the MVP and start calling it the
ESPY. Because all that matters anymore is how many highlights you have on SportsCenter.
How can it be that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year — a guy who leads the league in rebounding
and blocked shots and averages nearly 20 points per game — is not only ignored as an MVP candidate
but continues to get ripped by some in the media?
It's not like Dwight is an offensive liability these days. In fact, he has become the Magic's most consistent
offensive weapon in recent weeks. In the four games since the all-star break, he's averaging 28.5 points,
16.3 rebounds and 4.3 blocked shots.
He hit 11-of-11 shots in Houston Wednesday and set a new Magic record with this 19th consecutive
double-double. He scored 30 points and had 16 rebounds against the Rockets. If you're scoring at home,
the last player to score at least 30 points, grab at least 16 rebounds and not miss a shot in a game was Wilt
the Stilt himself. And that was 41 years ago.
As you might expect, Van Gundy is sick and tired of hearing and reading the criticism about Howard
smiling too much while other stars in the league are portrayed as relentless and ferocious competitors.
"Kevin Garnett has been in this league forever and he's won six playoff series in his career," Van Gundy
said a few days ago. "Dwight's won four and he's [24] years old. That's a pretty good comparison. Why is
Kevin Garnett a great winner and Dwight Howard's not? I don't get it.
"And if you're just going to go by titles, Kevin Garnett's got one, and Dwight's got as many as LeBron's
got. But LeBron's a great winner and Dwight [isn't]? I don't get it."
The only explanation is sightlessness.
There's an alpha dog out there somewhere whose food bowl is filled with the eyeballs of three blind
sports columnists.
By John Denton
Orlandomagic.com
ORLANDO – This was certainly a first for Dwight Howard – getting kicked as he was giving out an autograph – but there was
nothing malicious about the shot the Orlando Magic’s superstar center took.
``I think he’s kind of ticklish,’’ Howard said with a chuckle as he signed the onesie outfit of six-month-old Jayden. ``My pen is
tickling his ribs.’’
Howard gave plenty of autographs on Thursday and took dozens of pictures with fans big and small at Orlando’s BETA Center.
The BETA Center program provides middle school and high school academic training to teen moms throughout the Orange
County School System’s Alternative Education Program. The center provides tutoring to teen mothers so they can stay on track
to graduation and future educational goals.
Howard, the winner of the Rich and Helen DeVos Community Enrichment Award each of the past three years, donated $25,000
to the BETA Center from the DeVos Foundation. The remaining $25,000 from Howard’s 2009 win of the Community Enrichment
Award will be donated to the Blessings in a Backpack program.
Howard said on Thursday that BETA Center was a cause near and dear to his heart because he’s seen through the years how
teen mothers are sometimes treated. When Howard heard about the program that helps young mothers stay in school, he
jumped at the chance to get involved.
``Trying to help these young teens means a lot to me. Anyway I can be of service, I’m happy to do it,’’ Howard said. ``I don’t
know what it’s like to go through something like this, but I have seen how people have treated teen mothers and I’m just glad
that they have a great place to come to like the BETA Center. They get their education and can be around other girls who are
pregnant with small kids. It’s a great thing.’’
And it’s certainly a great thing what Howard has done in the Orlando community. He was awarded the NBA Cares Community
Assist Award for November because of his work at Florida Hospital. Howard helped to create a state-of-the-art game room
designed for teenage patients at Florida Hospital for Children. As part of his ``Dwight Howard’s Big Change for Kids’’ program,
Howard provided an initial $30,000 to fund the new room, which will feature the latest in videogame technology, movies, board
games, and education resources to provide young patients undergoing difficult medical treatment with a place to relax and
have fun.
Howard said he made a promise to himself when he was selected first overall in the 2004 NBA Draft by the Magic that he would
do whatever he could to give back to the Orlando community. And Howard saw the $25,000 gift to the BETA Center as a small
token for all the support he’s gotten from Magic fans.
``That’s just me, whatever I can do to help anybody that’s what I’m willing to do,’’ Howard said. ``I’ve been blessed with
everything in life and I don’t need anything. But I can always give back to other people, especially people who really need it.’’
``For me, it’s just about putting a smile on other people’s faces and it makes me happier about myself and where I am in my life
doing stuff like this.’’
Howard certainly put a smile on the face of several infant children on Thursday. He took one baby, nicknamed Cupcake, into his
massive arms and asked if she wanted to go home with him. He bumped fists with one 3-year-old boy and he taught 2-year-old
Masiah Blount how to chant,
``Dee-fense! Dee-fense!’’
Christy Blount, Masiah’s 19-year-old mother, was in awe of Howard and said what he was doing for others should be lauded.
``It’s so exciting just getting to meet him,’’ Christy said. ``It’s a really great thing he’s doing, helping the girls here at the center.
It really means a lot to a lot of people here.’’
====
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard each week on ESPN 1080
AM. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
On With The Show
He's finally on a team with a real chance of winning an NBA title, but that doesn't mean Orlando's Vince Carter is
going to stop trying to entertain fans whenever he can
LEE JENKINS, Sports Illustrated, April 14, 2010
Vince Carter scooped up the ball at half-court, 47 unobstructed feet in front of him, a blank canvas awaiting his impression.
He took a dribble, considered all available forms of aerial gymnastics, then decided to do the prudent thing. He would simply
lay the ball in, run back downcourt with his head bowed and assume his defensive stance. He would act his age (33) and his
position (veteran presence on a championship contender). He would be, for perhaps the first time in his high-flying life,
pedestrian.
Then he took another dribble and heard the siren song that still accompanies every one of his breakaways, the expectant
gasp formed by thousands sucking in their breath at once. He thought about the Easter Sunday crowd at Orlando's Amway
Arena inching forward in their seats, folks at home creeping off their couches, his mother flashing him the sideways look
from the fourth row that says, Come on, give me somethin'! He feared that if he went through with his all-business finger roll,
even his mom might boo. "I still feel an obligation," Carter says, "to do what you've never seen before."
For 12 years he has filled airwaves with windmills and tomahawks, honey dips and reverse 360s—like the one he finally
chose to punctuate his Easter breakaway with against the Grizzlies. He does not levitate the way he once did, but he
complements his occasional jams with age-inappropriate half-court jumpers, kick-out fadeaways and lefthanded threepointers he throws up after the whistle. More remarkable are the stunts he saves for scrimmages and layup lines, passed
down like folklore. At 6'6" he has swiped change off the tops of backboards, hung from rims by his elbows and finished alleyoops that he threw to himself off gym walls. In practice he once dunked over nine players, including his four teammates. In a
shootaround he walked into the stands and made 7 of 10 from the lower bowl. "He does things with a ball," says former Nets
coach Lawrence Frank, "that astronauts do in space."
After one workout this season he plopped next to center Dwight Howard in the key and fired a fastball from a sitting position
at the basket on the other side of the court, 86 feet away. Even that went down. Orlando general manager Otis Smith has
tried to figure out Carter's fascination with trick shots and has come up with only one explanation. "He's so talented, he gets
bored," Smith says. "He tries to increase the degree of difficulty." In that way his career has been an endless extension of
the 2000 slam dunk contest, for which he spent weeks choreographing an intricate routine, scrapped it at the last moment,
improvised every move and still put on the most mind-bending display in the history of the event.
Carter dreamed of dunk contests before championships, but he was a kid then, and the dream has changed. "Now I need a
championship," he says. Of course, that goes for every thirtysomething ringless athlete looking to round out a résumé.
Carter has something extra at stake. He is one of the NBA's great showmen, but in this era the entertainers take a backseat
to the assassins. Even though Carter is an eight-time All-Star and a probable Hall of Famer, a title would prove once and for
all that he is more than a mix tape.
When Carter first heard about the trade that made him relevant again, he was in the middle of his summer basketball camp
at the Orlando Sports Center last June 24, and he sprinted out the door screaming. He made such a scene that he had to
tell the campers about the deal, even though the Magic did not announce it for another day. For someone who grew up an
hour north of Orlando in Daytona Beach, played pickup games with Magic regulars Nick Anderson and Bo Outlaw in high
school and begged the team to draft him out of North Carolina, it felt like another 80-foot prayer answered. On the day in
August that he dedicated the Vince Carter Sanctuary, a gleaming drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility he helped establish
outside Daytona, he choked up when he saw the crowd that formed to greet him. Patients at the Sanctuary now watch
Magic games on the flat screen in the dining room, next to a photo of Carter.
For the first time he has a dominant big man in the post, a deadeye shooter on the wing and a picture of the Larry O'Brien
Trophy in his locker. For the first time he won more than 50 games in the regular season. "In the next couple of months,"
says Magic forward Matt Barnes, "people will find out who he really is." Carter has long been defined by extraordinary plays
made under modest pressure. But the postseason is defined by routine plays made under suffocating pressure. Carter does
not have to amaze anymore. He just has to execute: dump down to Howard, kick out to forward Rashard Lewis, bury the
open jumper. Then he might do something else that no one has ever seen before.
"Vince has never had the personality of an assassin," says Nets president Rod Thorn. "Guys like Kobe Bryant and Michael
Jordan want to put you in the dirt every day. Vince does not have a killer's edge." So does that mean he cannot lift Orlando
to its first title? "No," Thorn says. "I think he can do anything."
During the NBA postseason, reputations can be sullied or remade in a series or even a game. But Carter has not been to
the playoffs in three years and has never been past the second round, so he is still most commonly associated with a shot
he took for the Raptors nearly a decade ago in the Eastern Conference semifinals. "Oh, man, I should have made that shot,"
he mutters, shaking his head. "I should have made it."
On the morning of May 20, 2001, Carter attended his graduation ceremony at Chapel Hill. (Carter, who left school in 1998
after his junior season, got his degree in African-American studies.) He ducked out before the commencement address and
was back in Philadelphia for the Raptors' 12:30 p.m. meeting. He ate with the team. He took his afternoon nap. But that
night, down a point in Game 7 to the 76ers, he missed a shot with two seconds left. It was no gimme—an off-balance 18footer—but it left him open to a line of criticism that has followed him ever since. "It made you wonder," says one former
teammate, "how much he wanted it."
Until then, Carter and Bryant had been the most popular candidates to assume Michael Jordan's mantle. Bryant would go
on to win three straight championships, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would enter the conversation, and Carter would
fall out of it completely. "The truth is he was never interested in that," says Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison, one of
Carter's closest friends. "You'd tell him he was the next Jordan, and he'd say, 'Nah, bro, not even close.'"
Vince Carter always wanted to be the next Julius Erving. He had Dr. J jerseys and an autographed Dr. J ball. He would
write his book reports in school on Dr. J biographies. "I like that he took pride in winning," Carter says, "and also
entertaining." In the spring of 2004 the Raptors were looking for a general manager, and Erving, then senior vice president
of the Magic, called Carter to express his interest. Carter called the Toronto brass to recommend him.
"I was like, If we can get Dr. J in here, coaches will want to come here, players will want to play here, we'll be on our way!"
Carter says. "They were like, O.K., we'll look into it, and that was it. After that, my communication with the organization was
different. I didn't get calls returned. It felt like they didn't want me anymore."
The divorce between Carter and the Raptors was one of the messiest in modern sports. Coach Sam Mitchell would sit him
on the bench for long stretches of the fourth quarter—"He was never a distraction," Mitchell says, "but you could tell he didn't
have the passion for it"—and Carter would in turn tell new general manager Rob Babcock, "Move me if you don't want me."
Fans came to games dressed as babies. Teammates questioned Carter's injuries. Even former Raptor Charles Oakley, a
keeper of NBA cred, told a Toronto newspaper, "My heart beats different."
Nets officials watched the ordeal unfold and saw a player who had gone from overrated to underrated in record time. "He
became a victim of his own ability," says former Toronto coach Kevin O'Neill. "He'd make a three-pointer falling away from
the basket with two guys on him, and then if he missed an open 14-footer, it was like he wasn't trying hard."
When Carter was traded to New Jersey in December 2004, his game expanded, though he insists his effort level stayed the
same. He became a better passer, a better leader and better under pressure, shooting 50.0% last year in clutch situations,
according to 82games.com. After he left, the Nets flirted with the worst record in NBA history, a backhanded tribute. "He's
one of the more maligned superstars we've had in the past 10 to 15 years," Frank says. "But the perception doesn't meet the
reality."
The Magic declined to sign Carter as a free agent two years ago because Smith thought he floated through parts of games.
In fact, Smith still thinks Carter floats through parts of games, relying on his jumper despite his ability to drive. Carter makes
fewer than half as many shots at the rim as he did four years ago, according to hoopdata.com, a common side effect of
aging, and he rarely gets to the line. "You don't know if he just loves his jumper," says one opposing coach, "or doesn't want
the contact."
Orlando was poised to re-sign free-agent forward Hedo Turkoglu after reaching the Finals last season, but when Turkoglu
rejected the team's initial informal offer, Smith revisited Carter's numbers. The Magic opted to trade for Carter (giving up
guard Courtney Lee in a five-player deal) and let Turkoglu walk, and at the beginning, management looked like fools. Carter
vacillated between shooting all the time and passing all the time. He had the worst month of his career in January, scoring
8.7 points on 28.4% shooting, and he was booed lightly at home. But at week's end he was averaging 17.8 points on 48.7%
shooting since Feb. 1. Meanwhile, Turkoglu has replaced Carter as a target in Toronto, where he signed for five years and
$53 million and was scoring 11.5 points per game through Sunday, amid familiar questions about commitment.
Several contenders made splashy moves last summer and did not get any better—the Lakers with Ron Artest, the Celtics
with Rasheed Wallace, the Spurs with Richard Jefferson. The Magic is the exception. Point guard Jameer Nelson is back at
full strength, Barnes is thriving as a bouncer for Howard, and Carter says he's eager to show off "all the parts of my game
they didn't know I had." While the Cavs and the Lakers will try to win with their headliners, Orlando will do it as a group.
There will come a time, though, when the clock is ticking and the Magic needs someone to sink the kind of shot that Carter
missed nine years ago. He is raising his hand again. "You know why I missed it?" he says. "Because I wanted so bad for it
to go in. I live for that moment." And if the ball rims out again, he fails to win a title and all he leaves behind are highlights,
the judge he cares about most will appreciate him still.
"You can't measure everything in championships," says Erving, who happened to be 33 when he won his first NBA title.
"There is a special category of player who can do things on the court that no one has ever seen before—things that inspire
people, make them believe in themselves, give them something to hold on to and remember for the rest of their lives. That's
a significant contribution, too."
Nelson playing like an all-star again
By Brian Schmitz - Orlando Sentinel
6:11 PM EST, March 2, 2010
J.J. Redick was asked what a healthy Jameer Nelson means to the Orlando Magic.
"He takes us to another level," Redick said, matter-of-factly.
It seems as if the court of public opinion sometimes wavers regarding Nelson, the club's starting
point guard.
But in the locker room, there is no debate.
When Nelson is at the top of his game — and lately he has scaled to the apex — the Magic are
confident they are as good as anybody in the NBA.
Memo from the court of public opinion: The Magic reached the Finals last June essentially
without Nelson, who was injured the last half of the season and through the Eastern Conference
Finals. Didn't Rafer Alston get them there as a temp?
True enough.
But as Rashard Lewis and other teammates remind us, the outcome of the Magic's title series
against the Los Angeles Lakers might have been different (Lakers in five) if Nelson had been
sound physically.
Nelson had averaged 27.5 points and 6.5 assists per game against the Lakers and keyed the
Magic's first-ever sweep of L.A. during the regular season. But he was a shell of himself as a
back-up in the Finals (3.8 points, 2.8 assists per game), when he returned after sitting out about
four months to recuperate from shoulder surgery.
Alston's numbers against the Lakers as the starter: 10.6 points, 3.0 assists per game.
Some fans will always wonder how valuable Nelson is to the cause, especially when he's prone
to injury, inconsistency and fits of turnovers. But his worth to the team likely has never been
greater in this, his sixth NBA season.
Why?
Because Hedo Turkoglu is gone, having crossed the border to play.
Turkoglu, at 6-feet-10, could set up teammates, play the drive-and-kick game and handle the ball
late.
His exit to Toronto last summer left Nelson as essentially the prime playmaker, with Jason
Williams providing support. Vince Carter and Redick also have their moments.
What's the current reading on Nelson?
He's playing about as well as he did when Eastern Conference coaches selected him to his firstever all-star appointment last season (the shoulder injury prevented him from playing).
Before the injury sidelined him for the season in Game 42, Nelson was averaging 17.0 points, 5.4
assists and 2.0 turnovers per game.
Over the past eight games, Nelson is averaging 16.2 points, 7.6 assists and 2.5 turnovers per
outing — comparable to his numbers during his all-star season.
"Everything's so wide open when he gets it going," Carter said. "He can finish or feed the open
guys. It can make for easy games."
Nelson has 30 assists over the last three games. And this stretch comes, of course, after he
missed 16 games from late November-to-late December because of knee surgery (it wouldn't be
a Nelson story if surgeons weren't involved).
Nelson had surgery after Game 11. After missing the club's final 35 games last season, it was as
if — save for the Finals cameo — he never quite got in a lengthy run before another body part
broke down.
"I think I'm back right now," Nelson said after scoring 22 points and dishing 10 assists in a rout
of Philadelphia on Monday night. "I think I can play better.… attacking, driving, creating
problems for other teams looking for my shot or somebody else's shot, just trying to get
everybody involved.
"I'd knew it take longer because I'm playing on it [his knee]."
This is the place in the story where Dwight Howard reaches for some wood to perform his goodluck knock. He just hopes that Nelson can avoid injuries because "when he's aggressive, when
he's attacking … we're a much better team."
Coach Stan Van Gundy said that Nelson is finally healthy — and in condition after missing time
to rehab.
"He's playing very well right now," Van Gundy said. "He always tried to attack. I think now he's
able to do it more effectively. Everything's coming together for him."
And maybe for his team, not so coincidentally.
Denton: Lewis Remains Clutch
By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com
February 24, 2010
ORLANDO – To be a great closer, you have to have something special. A swagger and
a supreme confidence that no moment is too big and the ability to handle both the highs
and the lows.
New York Yankees' pitcher Mariano Rivera certainly has it in baseball. Indianapolis
Colts' quarterback Peyton Manning certainly possesses that killer instinct with the game
on the line, the latest Super Bowl notwithstanding.
And with the Orlando Magic, standout forward Rashard Lewis is becoming that coldblooded killer of foes in the fourth quarter and the team's big-shot-maker with games on
the line.
Three weeks ago, Lewis calmly drained a clutch, go-ahead 3-pointer against the
Washington Wizards. And this past Sunday, in an absolutely, positively got-to-have-it
game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Lewis delivered the knockout punch with a
corner 3-pointer with 20 seconds to play.
In so many ways – spot on the floor, time in the game and opponent – the shot was
reminiscent of the huge 3-pointer Lewis made in the Eastern Conference Finals last
spring to beat the Cavs.
A Magic team that has superstar center Dwight Howard down low and historically
prolific closer Vince Carter on the wing still depends on the mild-mannered Lewis often
in the tense moments of games. And that's just the way Lewis likes it.
``You have to have that confidence to take those shots and I feel like I'm a guy who can
make that shot that will get us back in the game or help us win,'' Lewis said. ``I've
always been like that my whole career. For some reason, I step up to challenges. I love
games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics –
games where you have to step your game up to win those games.''
Lewis, who returns home tonight to Houston when the Magic (38-19) face the Rockets
(28-27), has certainly stepped his game up of late. He has a run of 18 straight games of
scoring in double figures and he's made at least two 3-pointers in 16 of the last 17
games – the only exception being the blowout in Chicago two weeks ago where he
played limited minutes.
``He has shot the ball well and he's tried to be more aggressive,'' Magic coach Stan Van
Gundy said of Lewis, who averages 14.9 points and 4.7 rebounds a game. ``The days
when he isn't aggressive, that's when he doesn't get the ball early or get involved in the
offense. That's something I need to watch. Because when he gets into the game, he
can score without having to run a lot of plays for him.''
It's been anything but an easy, breezy season for Lewis. He was suspended the first 10
games because of a NBA-mandated suspension and getting back into rhythm hurt his
shot. And he's had to get used to playing with Vince Carter instead of Hedo Turkoglu
after forming such a close bond with the latter for two seasons in Orlando.
With Turkoglu, Van Gundy always kept Lewis on the play-making forward's right hand
so that it was easier for him to drive the ball and kick to the corner for the open 3pointer. Carter is more of a scorer than passer, so there was a trickle-down effect to the
change for Lewis.
``It's most definitely been an adjustment playing with Vince,'' he admitted candidly.
``Vince is a guy who dominates the ball and shoots 20-plus shots and has the ball in his
hands all the time. He's used to being the first option. It was an adjustment, but we're
getting better and getting the chemistry down better.''
Teams have also worked to take away Lewis' 3-point shots from the top of the key, but
Van Gundy said that has left more driving lanes open for Carter and point guard Jameer
Nelson. As a result of getting more defensive attention Lewis now ranks fifth in the NBA
in 3-point makes (115) and seventh in attempts (288) after leading the league in both
categories last season.
But he's still there at the end of games for the big back-breaking 3-pointers that seal
games or put the Magic ahead. Lewis actively looks for the big shots at the end of
games, and his coach usually acts accordingly.
``Rashard has great confidence and absolutely no fear,'' Van Gundy said. ``He's made a
lot of big shots in his career, certainly a lot of them for us. He likes having the ball in that
situation and we try to get it to him.''
Rashard Rebounds
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
11:42 PM EDT, March 17, 2010
Rashard Lewis knew Wednesday would be a good night just 16 seconds into the Orlando Magic's game
against the San Antonio Spurs.
He spotted up on the baseline, received a pass from Vince Carter and drained an 18-foot jump shot for the
game's first points.
The basket sparked what followed.
Lewis would go on to score 20 points as the Magic trounced the Spurs 110-84 at Amway Arena.
His open look on Orlando's first possession was no accident. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy called a play
specifically for Lewis to get the starting power forward into the flow of the game right away. Lewis came
off of two screens for the open jumper.
"Especially when you make your first shot. Then you feel like you're going to make every shot you put up
that night," said Lewis, who made seven of his 10 shot attempts.
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."
The Magic now hope Lewis will continue to be a force offensively.
Lewis entered Wednesday in one of his least productive stretches of the season. He had scored less than
10 points in four of Orlando's previous six games. Lewis said adding that he was happy to take fewer
shots as long as the team was winning.
Van Gundy had said he was confident that Lewis would snap out of his funk, but Van Gundy also
expressed concern that Lewis wasn't preparing as well as he had in past years.
Following a recent practice, Van Gundy told reporters, "I think the key for Rashard is to make sure that
he's really putting everything into it and preparing himself the way he has for previous years in terms of
taking care of his body and then his approach going into games. Other than that, his skills have not
deteriorated or anything else, so he should be fine as long as he prepares himself the right way."
All along, Lewis said he had confidence he'd end his slump.
"I come out and play the same way," Lewis said. "I just didn't make very many shots for the past two
games."
Barnes: Great theater
George Diaz – Orlando Sentinel COMMENTARY
9:03 PM EST, March 7, 2010
Matt Barnes woke up Sunday morning to play with his 16-month-old twin boys, exhilarated by
the ga-ga, goo-goo world of fatherhood.
He went to work Sunday afternoon, exhilarated by the flying elbows, the spittle in the face, the
body shots, the cursing, and the fury.
The two images are easy to reconcile.
Barnes, the family guy, punches the clock with more frenetic energy than anyone on the Orlando
Magic roster. He also became my favorite Magic player Sunday, when hard-workin' Orlando
squeezed out a 96-94 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers at Amway Arena.
In a prelude to Oscars night, Barnes took on the most formidable of all Hollywood divas —
Kobe Bryant — and punched him on the red carpet. At least it felt that way.
He guarded the best player in the league — No. 2 at the very least — and pushed and prodded
and poked with the kind of intensity that can get you arrested in some parts of this country.
"He had his wrestling game on today," Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "All he
needed was a cape, tights."
Dwight Howard, a k a Superman, is the good guy with the great game. Barnes is cast as a Legion
of Doom guy. Super Villain or Super Hero, depends on your rooting interests.
"You hate me if I'm against you, but you love me if I am with you because I got my teammates'
back," Barnes said, "I respect everyone but I fear nobody."
That includes Bryant. They mixed it up with a little bit of playground spice. They drew double
technicals after one spirited exchange in the third quarter. There were other forget-me-not
bouquets in the afternoon: Barnes almost whacking Bryant in the face on an out-of-bounds play.
A couple of elbow shots by Bryant. An inches-from-a-head-butt retort by Barnes.
That was just a prelude to the big finish: Barnes hitting a huge 3-pointer in Kobe's face with 1:10
to go, and then a final must-have stop on Kobe's 20-foot jumper that would have sent the game
into overtime. Kobe told Barnes he was going to hit the shot, reflecting the last bit of drama in
what was great theater for 48 minutes.
Bravo!
"It was a blast," Barnes said, assessing the entire afternoon.
"It is entertaining" Kobe said when asked what affect Barnes had on him. "It was very
entertaining."
And it was, as they say, "playoff basketball."
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy didn't want to hear any of that, insisting this was "one of 82
[games]," but that's like saying that Brooklyn Decker is just another pretty face, despite the
Sports Illustrated cover.
The Lakers were the guys partying on the Magic floor last June after winning the NBA title.
Barnes wasn't with the Magic back then, but one of the reasons he is here now is to bring a
certain chippiness to this team.
Barnes even types hard. He got a little too graphic on his Twitter page last week, and the
corporate suits asked him to tone down the language.
He did. After playing with sons Isaiah and Carter on Sunday, Barnes wrote: "Its gonna b a good
day I can feel it."
After the game, he had a little more to say: "Haters I wanna thank all u please keep it cumin. U
lucky I can't cuss no more but I still luv u guys. I told u 2day was gonna b a good day."
Barnes needn't offer any apologies for his language. He plays and talks grown-up basketball.
Anybody who can't take it should cover their ears and stay away.
Barnes does the dirty work
Orlando Magic forward gives the club a hard-nosed edge
By Brian Schmitz - Orlando Sentinel
8:19 PM EST, February 18, 2010
The Orlando Magic's starting lineup includes four all-stars, past and present, two of whom could
wind up one day in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ( Vince Carter and Dwight
Howard).
Then there's the other guy — small forward Matt Barnes.
He's not going to be inducted into the hall of fame — unless there's a tattoo wing. He has never
been an all-star like Howard, Carter, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson. He has never really
found a permanent basketball home beyond a few seasons.
"I'm happy to be here. I've had a hard road to get where I'm at. I'm OK with not being a
superstar," Barnes said. "I just want to be on a winning team and do my part."
Guess what? The Magic's title hopes might hinge on how Barnes performs in likely playoff
scenarios.
For the least-paid, least-acclaimed and probably least-appreciated Magic starter, here's all they
are asking of Matt:
At some point, defend Boston Celtics all-star Paul Pierce and/or Cleveland Cavaliers alleverything LeBron James.
Will anyone be facing more pressure than Barnes, who is often assigned the other team's best
wing player? A guy who seldom commands the spotlight will likely have it glaring on him in the
postseason.
Tonight, Barnes will take his turn guarding new Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Caron Butler
at Amway Arena. He then squares off against LeBron on Sunday when the Cavs come to town.
"Absolutely, I look forward to that. It's a great challenge within a team game," Barnes said.
"LeBron's one of the best players in the world and you definitely have to step up and take that
challenge because you know you might see him in the playoffs."
Don't think that Barnes has forgotten what Butler did against him the last time they met: Butler,
then with the Washington Wizards, hit the game-winner jumper to highlight a 31-point night.
Barnes knows the old saying: Sometimes you eat the bear; sometimes the bear eats you.
He helped hold Pierce to 13 points in Boston earlier this month; weeks before that, Pierce
managed just 12, going 3-of-12. King James was struggling against Barnes and Mickael Pietrus
until coming alive in the fourth quarter to spark the Cavs' win last week.
Playing his seventh NBA season, Barnes has knocked around the league — playing for his
seventh different team — and earns just $1.6 million this season.
But he has become a gritty leader, the conscience of a club that doesn't always bring a hardnosed intensity that has become his trademark, along with his tattoos. One, across the front of his
chest, reads: Whatever means necessary.
And that describes Barnes, 29, a 6-foot 7 former high school football star who, not surprisingly,
relishes contact. Wednesday night against the Detroit Pistons, he blindly ran through a screen
and bowled over Pistons forward Jonas Jerebko.
He drew a Flagrant 1 foul, but will appeal the call to the NBA, saying he didn't lead with an
elbow or forearm. Then again, unlike many of his teammates, he gravitates to physical play. "I
have no problem doing that," Barnes laughed. "Couldn't you tell how I accidentally kind of made
a running back move?"
Seriously, Barnes is encouraged that his physical nature has rubbed off on the Magic.
"It's something I've said in team meetings," he said. "You can't be afraid. You never want to be
dirty. But if somebody fouls hard and hits you, go back at them. And if they try to take on your
superstar [in this case, Howard], we got to band together.
"I try to bring just an edge and a toughness and it's starting to carry over, definitely."
Barnes concedes that the Magic have an image as a 3-point shooting finesse team.
"I think so. Not to be negative, but it's just something that's out there," he said. "I think we're
making a conscious effort to change that, that no 3-point team can really be physical."
Averaging 8.5 points and just as many floor burns per game, Barnes makes hustle plays. He does
all the little things that, until the final horn, seemingly go unnoticed. Which often describes Matt
Barnes' lot in the lineup.
Redick confidence shines through
By Josh Robbins - ORLANDO SENTINEL
December 21, 2009
For J.J. Redick, the difference between success and failure in the NBA largely has come down to self-confidence.
He plays well when he has faith in himself. His confidence is flowing after Monday night.
Redick scored 11 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter as the Magic defeated the Utah Jazz 104-99 at Amway Arena.
"I'm just going to roll with it right now," Redick said.
Magic officials consider Redick one of the team's best conditioned players, and it showed as he played the entire
fourth quarter. In November, Redick received the team's Iron Magic award for his performance on a variety of
agility, speed and strength tests. He even received a championship belt for his victory.
But for him, the real prize came in last season's Eastern Conference semifinal series. He started all seven games
against the Boston Celtics, and the experience gave him a dose of confidence that carried into this season.
"He is playing with great confidence -- and for good reason," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "Success breeds
confidence, and he's playing very, very well. On top of the confidence, the guy is just so focused and tough. He's on
top of everything."
Redick needed that confidence Monday night.
He led the team in scoring during the first half and also provided one of the better hustle plays for the Magic this
season when he crashed into a baseline billboard as he chased after a loose ball.
But he still didn't get into the game in the third quarter.
In the past, that might have disrupted his shooting rhythm, but he responded well when he came onto the court at the
beginning of the fourth period. He made a 14-foot floater along the baseline to give the Magic a 72-68 lead. Later,
he drove past Ronnie Brewer and made a layup to cut Utah's lead to 86-84.
The play showed how much Redick's game has developed since the Magic used the 11th overall pick in the 2006
NBA draft to select him. Back then, the knock on Redick was that he didn't have the speed to create his own shot or
defend.
He has eliminated those weaknesses through his grueling offseason workout regimen. On Monday afternoon, he was
talking with his former coach at Duke, Mike Krzyzewski, about the need to constantly master his craft.
The plan is working.
As Redick walked out of the Magic locker room, Dwight Howard yelled, "Bye, MVP!"
The quip brought a smile to Redick's face.
Redick’s Road to Success
By John Denton – Orlandomagic.com
November 8, 2009
ORLANDO – When J.J. Redick was awarded a WWE-style title belt on Saturday as the
winner of the Orlando Magic’s ``Iron Man’’ award, he jokingly ranked it alongside other
career highlights such as playing in the NBA Finals and being mentioned in a Lil’ Wayne
rap song.
Just prior to training camp, each Magic player was tested in eight different categories
ranging from bench press, vertical leap, 3-minute run, agility and three-quarter-court
sprints.
No one was more surprised by the ultimate winner than Redick himself. He laughed at
the assessment that he is the Magic’s best pure athlete, insisting instead that he won
because ``I’ve always been good at standardized tests.’’
But deep down, the ``Iron Man’’ accomplishment was a tremendous one for Redick
because it shows just how far he has progressed as an NBA player. Doing this would
have never been possible four years ago when he was fresh out of Duke, new as a NBA
player and maybe not quite ready to be a steady contributor.
But Redick has progressed to the point now where he is one of the Magic’s most trusted
players in coach Stan Van Gundy’s eyes. It’s why Redick has filled in admirably for the
injured Vince Carter, and why he’ll likely start again Sunday when the Magic face the
Oklahoma City Thunder. Redick has come a long way, and he knows it.
``I really think a big part of having success is being in the right spot at the right time. But
you have to be ready for it,’’ Redick said. ``Maybe I wasn’t ready to do this sort of thing
last year or a couple of years ago. Back then I probably couldn’t have stepped in and
played a lot. It’s a testament to the coaching staff who has helped me improve.’’
And improve Redick has, so much so that there’s little consternation from Magic fans
now even with Carter struggling to overcome a nagging ankle sprain. Redick was
phenomenal in his first game in relief of Carter with a career-best 27 points against
Toronto and he’s hit double figures in scoring in five of the Magic’s six games this
season.
At 14.7 points per game, Redick ranks fourth on the Magic in scoring. But that number
alone doesn’t begin to tell his overall improvement. He’s averaging three rebounds and
three assists a game and he routinely gets raves from Van Gundy for his defense
because he rarely gambles and rarely makes mistakes.
``J.J. has played really well. He came up really big for us last year in the playoffs,
starting against Philadelphia and Boston, and played a big role. I think that helped him,’’
Van Gundy said. ``He’s a guy you can really trust because you know he’s going to be in
the right spot and not make a lot of mistakes.’’
Redick’s biggest mistake last season, oddly enough, was not being able to hit enough
shots for his liking. He carved out a role in the Magic’s rotation by improving his defense
and his playmaking abilities, but one of the best shooters in college basketball history
was puzzled as to why his shot betrayed him. Redick shot 39.1 percent from the floor
last season and 37.4 percent from 3-point range – well short of his goals of 45 percent
overall and 40 percent from beyond the arc.
So Redick went to work on his shot over the summer. He took just two weeks off after
the NBA Finals, getting back into the gym and the film room along with assistant coach
Bob Beyer. Redick launched hundreds of shots a day – some on the move, some spotup shots and dozens of others off curl screens.
The results so far have been spectacular for Redick. Through six games, four of which
have been starts, the fourth-year shooting guard has made 44.8 percent of his shots
and a dazzling 51.6 percent of his 3-pointers. His shooting in the Toronto victory – he
made a career-best five 3-pointers – helped the Magic get off to a strong start and led
the way for 17 3-pointers that game.
Redick is very much a deep thinker and often philosophical and analytical when it
comes to his performances. He analyzes the process as much as he does the result,
and truly believes his success now is because of his growth and maturity as a player.
He says he simply might not have been ready to succeed when he first came into the
NBA. Now, he added, everything has come together for him and he’s reaping the
benefits.
``I learned how to be a pro. I worked on my body, worked on my game and worked hard
in practice,’’ he said. ``I’ve put myself in a position when I could improve and I think I’ve
done that.’’
More than a passing fancy
Jason Williams play this season has made him a valuable addition
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
6:47 AM EDT, April 7, 2010
Orlando Magic players usually smile when someone asks about backup point guard, Jason
Williams.
Williams spices up long plane flights with card tricks. He enlivens the locker room with jokes
and one-liners. He dazzles teammates with an arsenal of fancy shots and showy passes.
"He's kind of like a one-man circus," starting point guard Jameer Nelson says. "I love the guy."
There's also the way Williams has played.
The Magic love that most of all.
The 34-year-old has enjoyed a career renaissance this season. After taking a year off to help his
wife through a difficult pregnancy, Williams is posting career-highs in field-goal percentage and
in his shooting percentage from beyond the arc. He also ranks among the league leaders in assistto-turnover ratio.
Williams has proven to be one of the best bargains of last offseason's free-agent market. With
Orlando already over the salary cap, Magic General Manager Otis Smith signed Williams in
August to a one-year deal worth about $1.3 million, the minimum salary for an NBA veteran
with at least 10 years of experience.
Williams, a University of Florida alumnus, has benefitted, too. He didn't have to uproot his
family from their Isleworth residence.
"I've been trying to get here since '98," Williams says. "We've got a chance to win a
championship, too. Since '98, I don't know realistically how many years the Magic had a chance
to win it. Now, I think we have as good a chance of any chance ever."
The Magic will look to fine-tune their game when they face the Washington Wizards tonight at
Amway Arena.
Indeed, Williams already has helped the Magic win a championship. The Magic clinched their
third consecutive Southeast Division title Tuesday night when the Charlotte Bobcats defeated the
Atlanta Hawks.
The Magic also secured the Eastern Conference's No. 2 playoff seed when the Hawks lost.
Williams knows a little something about titles.
He's the only player on the Magic roster who has earned an NBA championship ring. He started
at point guard for the Miami Heat when the Heat won it all in 2006. Some current Magic players
have asked Williams about the experience, but Williams concedes that the Heat's NBA Finals
victory is "hard to explain."
"You've got to be there to really feel it and witness it," Williams says. "You've got to pour the
beer and the champagne on people's heads and stuff like that. You can't really explain how you
feel about that. You've got to be there to feel that."
As Nelson's backup, Williams figures to be a supporting player on any potential title run this
time around. But Williams already has played a key role this season on and off the court.
A mid-November knee injury to Nelson elevated Williams into the starting lineup, and Orlando
has compiled a 14-4 record with Williams as the starter at the point.
Williams has made 44.5 percent of his field-goal attempts and is shooting 37.9 percent from 3point range.
"On the court, his energy and his ability to push the ball up and down the floor has been his
biggest contribution," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says. "But I think maybe bigger than that is
he just brings a great spirit and energy to our team. In a long season and with a coach that can be
pretty negative at times, I think it's really important to have guys like that."
You can see Williams' influence in the layup line before every game. Minutes before tipoff,
there's always a moment when power forward Rashard Lewis grabs Williams and hoists
Williams toward the hoop. Williams then receives a pass from a teammate and dunks the ball.
The pregame ritual is just a sideshow compared to what occurs when the West Virginia native
tells jokes and does card tricks for teammates.
"He's straightforward," Lewis says. "He's a country boy. He talks real country. He's loud. He
speaks his mind."
For example, Williams has fun at the expense of Polish center Marcin Gortat.
"Catch the ball or I'll take your visa and you'll go back to Poland," Williams sometimes tells
Gortat.
Of course, Gortat smiles as he recounts that joke.
Williams has had that effect on just about everyone this season.
White Chocolate Now Old Faithful
By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com
January 12, 2010
SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Incredibly, White
Chocolate has morphed into Old Faithful.
Jason Williams, who hit the NBA 11 seasons ago
as a flashy, daring point guard who wasn’t afraid
to try any sort of pass or shot, has remarkably
become a steady, trustworthy playmaker for the
Orlando Magic. The fans in Sacramento, where
Williams first took the league by storm back in
1998 and dubbed him White Chocolate for his
ability to inject some soul into the game, might
not even recognize the point guard today who
now values possessions and is a model of
consistency.
Williams ranking third in the NBA in assist-toturnover ratio (4.0 assists for every turnover) is
akin to Brett Favre leading the NFL in
quarterback efficiency or Ichiro Suzuki leading
Major League Baseball in home runs. But Williams, now 34, has changed personality and his
game to fit his surroundings in Orlando. At this stage in his career, he’s still around for just one
singular reason.
``It comes with the territory of where you are in your career and how your team plays,’’ Williams
said at ARCO Arena, site of Tuesday night’s game between the Magic and Kings. ``Now, it’s all
about trying to win a championship, and whatever it takes to get that done, that’s what I need to
do.’’
What Williams has done this season is become a reliable fallback option for a Magic team that
has had to deal with Jameer Nelson’s lingering soreness following arthroscopic surgery. He’s
been equal parts brilliant and steady, giving the Magic a lift on nights when Nelson has
struggled or been ineffective.
That has come as a shock to some after Williams sat out all of last season. Just two months
after signing a free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in the summer of 2008,
Williams abruptly retired to spend more time with his wife, who endured a troubled pregnancy.
Both wife, Denika, and 8-month-old daughter, Nina, are both fine now, allowing Williams to
return to the NBA this season with the Magic.
And thus far he’s played like a veteran who is treasuring every second on the court. Being away
revitalized Williams, who has impressed the Magic with his high level of energy and playmaking
through 37 games.
``It took him a little while to get back into it and get it back, but his efficiency has been
outstanding. He’s not turning the ball over and he’s shot the ball better than I would have
thought,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy admitted. ``But he’s playing around other quality people
and a big man (in Dwight Howard) where he’s getting quality shots. He’s been phenomenal, but
I can’t say that I’m surprised by it.’’
In a season beset by injuries, illness and suspension so far, Williams is one of just four Magic
players to play in all 37 games. His numbers – 7.1 points and 4.2 assists – are more than the
Magic could have ever hoped for in 23.6 minutes a game. He’s shooting 44.7 percent from the
floor and 41.7 percent from 3-point range. And he’s turning the ball over just once a game on
average.
The once, wild, somewhat out of control Williams has been a model of consistency for the
Magic.
``It’s still just basketball and if you play the game the right way and you are surrounded by great
players, it just makes your job a lot easier,’’ Williams said.
He’s made life somewhat easier for the Magic’s struggling offense with some performances
where he’s poured in points in bunches. He had 14 points on Saturday against Atlanta – all of
them coming in a second-quarter explosion.
There was a 16-point, seven-assist performance against Milwaukee in which he made all five of
his 3-point shots. He had another 16 in early December when L.A. Clippers fans booed him
relentlessly. And there was the spectacular 25-point night earlier this season against Miami that
showed every one that Williams still has plenty of pep in his step.
But Williams said he’s beyond trying to prove anything to anybody now. His only mission is to
get a second championship ring to pair with the one he won in Miami with the Heat. He thinks
this Magic team is more talented than that Miami squad, but has yet to live up to its full potential.
``I just think sometimes we think we can show up and win, but teams are coming at us with all
they’ve got,’’ he said. ``We’re Eastern Conference champs, we have some superstars and allstars and people are coming for us.’’
As for Williams long-term future, he sounds like a person who still enjoys playing and hopes to
stick around the Magic long beyond this season.
``I’m just trying to get through this year,’’ he said with a laugh. ``I love playing, so we’ll talk about
that in the summer time.’’
Pietrus Getting Into Rhythm
By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com
April 3, 2010
ORLANDO – For Orlando Magic guard/forward Mickael Pietrus, it’s time.
With the start of the NBA playoffs just two weeks away, Pietrus has shown signs of late
of sharpening his focus, tightening up his shot and once again becoming the player that
he was last spring when he helped the Magic to the NBA Finals.
The 53-23 Magic, who host the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night at Amway Arena, split
their Texas two-step in Dallas and San Antonio, but the big find on the roadtrip was
Pietrus’ 3-point shot. In the big win against the Mavericks, Pietrus made seven of eight
shots and all six of his 3-point shots en route to a season-high 24 points. And he was
one of the true bright spots in Friday’s loss to San Antonio, hitting another seven of nine
shots and two 3-pointers for 18 more points.
For Pietrus, it’s reminiscent of the scorching run he went on during the playoffs last
spring. He said he realizes that now is the time for him to elevate the level of his play in
order to help the Magic make another deep playoff run.
``I just have a great feeling now and I know that I can help my team with my play,’’
Pietrus said. ``Going into the playoffs, I’m trying to get my game right. This is the time
we play for.’’
Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis were obviously the Magic’s headliners last season
during the run to the Finals, but Pietrus also made a made a name for himself as a
gritty, clutch player. He bounced back from an injury-filled first season in Orlando and
lived up to the four-year, $24 million contract that general manager Otis Smith awarded
him prior to last season.
Against Boston in the second round of the playoffs, Pietrus averaged 12.1 points a
game, hit 10 3-pointers in the seven games and locked down Celtics’ star small forward
Paul Pierce. And he was even better in the Eastern Conference Finals against the
Cleveland Cavaliers. He averaged 13.8 points in that six-game series while making a
staggering 17 of 36 3-point shots. And in The NBA Finals against the Los Angeles
Lakers, Pietrus helped give the Magic another offensive weapon by scoring 10.6 points
a game.
``After Joakim Noah, he’s my second favorite player in the league,’’ TNT analyst
Charles Barkley said of Pietrus on Thursday night. ``I never realized what a hell of a
player he was until the (Eastern) Conference Finals last year. He’s great defensively
and he loves guarding LeBron (James) and those guys. He guards the best player
every night. He’s a terrific three-point shooter and maybe the most underrated player in
the NBA.’’
Pietrus’ strong play in Texas was somewhat surprising considering that he was coming
off missing the previous two games because of a badly sprained ankle. He hurt the
ankle twice in the past month, and before the Dallas game he seemed unsure of even
playing because of lingering weakness in the ankle. But, not surprisingly, that pain
disappeared when Pietrus started raining in one 3-pointer after another.
``It’s great to see M.P. playing like he is now because he’s such a big part of our team,’’
Magic point guard Jameer Nelson said. ``We have a lot of weapons on this team and
he’s one of the weapons. He’s out there shooting the ball with confidence and just
playing really free.’’
The happy-go-lucky Pietrus could certainly be described as a free spirit, but there’s no
questioning his determined focus late in the season. He made an impression on Smith
back in 2007 when he played extremely well in the playoffs for the Golden State
Warriors when they shocked the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
And thriving last spring and helping Orlando get to the NBA Finals was the crowning
achievement of his career, Pietrus said. Now, there’s only one thing left to do this
postseason – win a NBA championship for the Magic.
``Next week will be our time to start the playoffs and try to win that championship, so I’m
doing everything I can now to help my team,’’ Pietrus said. ``We have a lot of guys on
this team who have been in the playoffs and deep in the playoffs and it’s time for us to
combine all of that experience and go win a championship.’’
Bass finally getting his Magic wish
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
11:04 PM EST, March 3, 2010
The Orlando Magic's four-year, $18 million man finally has gotten his wish.
Brandon Bass has received the playing time he has wanted for so long.
Bass scored 10 points and collected a season-high seven rebounds as the Magic routed the Golden State
Warriors 117-90 on Wednesday night. The burly power forward now has played in three consecutive
Magic games for the first time since early January.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy explained afterward that both Bass and Ryan Anderson need to be ready to
contribute during the postseason. Van Gundy added that has played Bass several games in a row because
Orlando has faced teams with quick power forwards and because it would allow Bass to knock off some
rust.
"I thought he was a lot better tonight than he has been, a lot more active," Van Gundy said. "I thought he
made some real hustle plays [and] got on the boards. That's the element that he can bring to us.
"We know what Ryan can bring. I think we need to have them both ready headed into the playoffs
because depending on what the matchups are either one of them could be the guy in a playoff series.
Ryan's not going to sit now for the last 20 games, I can tell you that."
Anderson played the final 5 minutes, 25 seconds Wednesday night and went scoreless as he missed all
five shots that he attempted. Immediately after the game, Anderson went out to the Amway Arena court
and worked on his shooting for about half an hour to stay sharp.
"I haven't lost faith in myself or anything," Anderson said. "That's not at all why I'm doing this. I'm doing
it just so I can maintain shape and be in playing form when I play. But we're winning games. It's not like
we're doing anything wrong. I can't complain about anything. I'm playing on a winning team, so it's a
great situation. I'm happy."
Bass also was happy.
He has played in just 34 of Orlando's 62 games after he signed a lucrative four-year deal in July that
includes a player option for the 2012-13 season
A smile crossed his face when he heard that Van Gundy wants him to be ready for the postseason.
"It's great to hear," Bass said. "I know I can play, and I know if I keep working I can overcome some
things. That's all I'm going to do. I know that everybody in this locker room can play and everybody in
this locker room is a good player. I'm just going to try to stay ready."
'Hammering' Down the Opposition
By John Denton – OrlandoMagic.com
January 29, 2010
ORLANDO – Marcin
Gortat made a clutch bank shot
Thursday night that gave the Orlando Magic their
first lead of the night against the Boston Celtics.
He had a nifty alley-oop pass to fellow center
Dwight Howard for a dunk, he played his most
minutes since early November and he was on the
floor for most all of the tense moments of one of
the biggest wins of the season.
But Gortat’s favorite moment from what proved to
be a memorable night came much earlier and on
the other end of the floor.
With Gortat baling the Magic out of trouble after
Howard picked up three early fouls, the reserve
center swatted a shot by Paul Pierce and then on
back-to-back entry passes, he poked the ball
away from superstar Kevin Garnett. It doesn’t get
much better than that for a wide-eyed player from
Poland who is still sometimes star-struck by players he’s facing.
``First of all, it was a huge dream for me to play against K.G.,’’ Gortat said. ``He’s a great player,
but there was a stretch of about 15 seconds there where he couldn’t get the ball. It was weird,
but it was great, too.
``My energy was great. Playing that kind of game, I was ready,’’ Gortat continued. ``I had this
huge adrenaline in my body and I was ready to jump out of the gym.’’
Gortat proved to be a central figure in Orlando’s 96-94 defeat of the Celtics on Thursday night
when head coach opted for the Magic’s biggest lineup to combat Boston’s towering frontline.
Having Howard at center, Gortat at power forward and Rashard Lewis at small forward is a look
that the Magic (30-16) could feature in the future, maybe as soon as Saturday against the
Atlanta Hawks (29-15) at Amway Arena.
``It is a lineup that we need to give more thought to at times, but it’s strictly situational,’’ Magic
coach Stan Van Gundy said Friday following practice. ``I’ve never had my doubts that that can
be a really good defensive lineup for us because we have great size and a better chance at
protecting the basket. The question is whether or not we can be efficient offensively and get the
spacing that we need. But (against Boston) we had a very good offensive fourth quarter with
those guys together. It allows us against big teams to matchup better. It’s got some real
positives.’’
There was plenty of positives to take out of how Howard, Lewis and Gortat meshed against the
Celtics. Lewis made the game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining and had a game-high
23 points by aggressively attacking off the dribble. Howard shook off his early foul trouble by
scoring 11 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and he added 10 rebounds and four blocks.
As for Gortat, who has mostly been relegated to reserve duty this season behind Howard, he
played as well as he has all season. In almost 27 minutes, he scored six points, snatched eight
rebounds and blocked three shots. And he played a major role in holding Garnett, one of his
boyhood idols, to just six points on two of eight shooting.
``Marcin is one of the best Polish centers to ever play the game,’’ joked Howard, who playfully
tweaks Gortat on a regular basis.
Added Van Gundy: ``He got bigger minutes and at a newer position, one that he’s excited about
and he likes being able to play with Dwight. He played with great energy and, for one night at
least, it worked. (Gortat) has put in a lot of time working on all aspects of his game. Give him
credit because he put on a great performance.’’
When Gortat played almost 16 minutes in Thursday’s first half in relief of a foul-plagued Howard,
he figured he would return to his reserve role and play only sparingly in the second half. But
much to his surprise, head coach Van Gundy opted to give the big lineup a look.
Orlando had experimented with it three nights earlier in Memphis with mixed results when the
Grizzlies played a big frontline of Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph and Rudy Gay.
Gortat said one of the biggest keys to his success was being prepared for the opportunity. He is
a tireless worker before and after practice, usually get up hundreds of shots in an attempt to
expand his game so that he will be given a shot at playing power forward.
``I was ready because I have been paying attention in practice and picking up stuff from (power
forwards) Rashard, Ryan (Anderson) and Brandon (Bass),’’ said Gortat, whom the Magic
retained last summer by signing him to a five-year, $35 million contract. ``I’m just happy that I
was ready.’’
Gortat has never been one to be lacking for confidence, and he feels he’s more than ready for
an expanded role in sets where he can play center or power forward. Offensively, he’s confident
in his shot. As for the defensive end of the floor, well, his faith is off the charts with both him and
Howard on the floor together.
``It’s different offensively with both of us because we both normally play on the block, but I think
it’s going to be good for Dwight because he will have only one big guy on him and not two,’’
Gortat said. ``And if he can swing the ball, I can get duck-ins on the other side. And defensively,
we’re killing it out there. There’s no way anybody can stop us defensively. We can stop
everybody defensively with two big men under the basket blocking shots.’’
Anderson still has it
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
8:46 PM EST, March 26, 2010
Perhaps no one inside Amway Arena on Friday night enjoyed seeing the Minnesota Timberwolves more
than Ryan Anderson.
Sensing a matchup that suited the young power forward's skill set, Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
put Anderson into the game with 1:38 remaining in the first quarter. Anderson hadn't played in the first
period of a game since Feb. 11.
Anderson made the most of his opportunity by finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds in the Magic's
106-97 victory. Yet even he acknowledged that it's been tough to maintain confidence over the last
month.
"It's tough," he said. "I think it's tough for anybody. But ¡K I really tried to break out of that and focus on
working hard, getting stronger, getting faster. I really tried to on every off-day get out and run, box." Yes,
he said "box."
Like some other Magic players in recent years, Anderson's workouts have included boxing at an Orlando
facility called Gym Rat Boxing and Fitness.
That extra work paid off shortly after Anderson first checked into Friday's game. Twelve seconds later, he
gathered a rebound and then drained a 3-pointer on the possession to cut Minnesota's lead to 27-25.
He made only six of his 16 total shot attempts, but some rust was to be expected because he had not been
a regular part of Orlando's playing rotation since late February. Brandon Bass had been the first power
forward off the Magic bench since Feb. 28.
Van Gundy said Anderson earned his latest playing time through strong recent practices.
He also played well against Minnesota on Jan. 1, and the Timberwolves' method of defending center
Dwight Howard often leaves the Orlando's power forward open on the perimeter.
"I didn't know how he'd look, quite honestly, because he hasn't played in so long," Van Gundy said. "I
think it's a real credit to him that he played as well as he did."
Van Gundy repeated Friday that he wants both Bass and Anderson to be ready to play in the postseason,
depending on the matchup the Magic will face.
"If I'm sitting, I'm going to cheer my teammates on and hopefully we win," Anderson said. "I want to win
a ring, whether I'm sitting or not. And when I'm playing, I've got to just stay focused and ready. I think
there's a different energy in the playoffs, so everybody's just kind of got to be ready and focused for
whatever happens."
On Friday, Anderson reminded everyone how he could help down the road.
He made a case for himself on Friday night.
Anderson: A standout as a stand-in
By Brian Schmitz – Orlando Sentinel
November 3, 2009
AUBURN HILLS, Mich. — After watching this Ryan Anderson kid through his first three starts
as a stand-in, you have to ask (if only in jest):
So how are the Orlando Magic going to find Rashard Lewis playing time when he comes back?
Even Anderson laughed at the question.
Anderson, 21, has been doing more than just keeping Lewis' power-forward spot warm, but he
realizes his days as a starter are numbered. He'll be heading to the bench when Lewis returns
from a league-mandated suspension in seven more games.
Anderson has been very Lewis-like in playing the role, averaging 17.3 points per game, second
only to Dwight Howard's 21.7 ppg. He, too, is 6 feet 10, and can shoot 3-pointers, nailing 11-of20 for 55 percent.
And he'll be looking to provide offense again if shooting guard Vince Carter (sprained left ankle)
and small forward Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) are unavailable tonight against the
Detroit Pistons.
Coach Stan Van Gundy concedes that Anderson's stellar play has presented a ticklish problem,
not to mention an impressive logjam at the position among Lewis, Anderson and Brandon Bass.
"It's something we're going to have to deal with, no question," Van Gundy said. "But it's a good
problem for a coach to have: Too many good players. It's better than the other way around."
Barring injuries, Anderson and Bass are going to see their playing time shrink.
Van Gundy has every intention of starting Lewis at power forward when he's eligible to come
back — Nov. 16 against the Charlotte Bobcats in Orlando.
Lewis turned 30 in August and has been a workhorse as a two-time all-star. He led all teammates
in minutes played last season (36.6 per game) and was second next to Howard in his first season
in Orlando.
He has given the Magic a matchup advantage with his ability to shoot the 3-pointer, leading the
league last season in 3s made and attempted.
The Magic reached the NBA Finals with Lewis providing an unconventional twist in Van
Gundy's lineup, so why would Van Gundy change now?
Lewis will see some time at small forward, but only in certain situations, leaving Anderson and
Bass to battle for the leftovers. This is the way it works on contending teams that are loaded.
So why not move Lewis to small forward — once his natural position — and keep Anderson at
power forward?
The issue comes down to defense.
The Magic are starting Pietrus at small forward so he can mostly guard the best perimeter player.
He has a much better chance than Lewis of keeping up with the likes of LeBron James and
running through screens to chase the Pistons' Rip Hamilton (who, by the way, is out tonight with
a sore ankle).
Lewis played small forward his first nine years in Seattle, but has now become comfortable with
the switch as he ages and fits into Van Gundy's system.
For Anderson, he knew the score coming in when he arrived in a trade from New Jersey with
Carter. But he says he'll chat with Van Gundy about his role.
"All I can do is play as hard as I can. It's not really up to me," he said. "It's something eventually
I'll have to talk to coach about. I have no idea what will happen when Rashard comes back,
whether I'll play alongside him or come off the bench. I just want to help us win."
A.J. is a true pro
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
November 27, 2009
Anthony Johnson had every reason to feel upset about his role with the Orlando Magic until
Thanksgiving night.
The team's regular starting point guard, Jameer Nelson, is out with a knee injury, but Johnson
still didn't play in the second halves of Sunday's game against Toronto or Wednesday's game
against Miami.
Johnson responded like he always does. He didn't complain. He continued to offer teammates
tips and suggestions culled from his 12 previous seasons in the NBA. He worked on his shooting
after practices.
That extra effort paid dividends Thursday when he came off the bench and scored 17 points to
help the Magic beat the Atlanta Hawks 93-76.
"Everybody that's in this league wants to play a lot of minutes, but sometimes it's not in the
cards," Johnson said afterward. "I'm just trying to stay patient and trying to stay professional.
The bottom line is longevity and just being a good teammate. I'm just trying to stay positive and
stay ready."
The Magic need Johnson to continue to provide more strong performances, beginning with
tonight's road game against the Milwaukee Bucks and their lightning-fast rookie point guard,
Brandon Jennings.
With Nelson injured, the Magic have just two point guards, and coach Stan Van Gundy
acknowledges that 34-year-old starter Jason Williams needs more rest than normal these days.
Sunday's contest against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden will end a grueling
stretch in which the Magic will have played four games in five nights.
Johnson played just over 21 minutes against Atlanta, including the game's final 13 minutes. Van
Gundy said afterward that the Magic wouldn't have beaten the Hawks without Johnson.
Dwight Howard said other players can learn from Johnson's example.
"He wasn't worrying about or mad about not playing in the last few games," Howard said. "He
just came out and did his job. That's the difference between this year's team and last year's team.
When we have situations where guys miss games, usually when they come back and play they're
[ticked] off and they don't perform like they want to.
"He didn't think about why 'the coach hasn't played me' or this or that. He just went out there and
played. It shows that this team is not worried about points or who plays the most minutes but just
winning."
Johnson, 35, has dealt with professional disappointment this past year. He helped the Magic
reach the NBA Finals after Nelson suffered a serious shoulder injury on Feb. 2, but when Nelson
returned for the championship series, Johnson didn't play a single minute against the Los
Angeles Lakers.
This summer, the Magic also tried to trade for Golden State Warriors point guard C.J. Watson in
an attempt to acquire a younger backup to Nelson.
Johnson stayed quiet through it all. He never expressed any anger publicly.
"When you're in the rotation and you don't play, it's easy to get frustrated," Vince Carter said.
"He's been wonderful. He's been very supportive."
Johnson has perspective. He said he recently thought back to 1997, the year the Sacramento
Kings used the 40th overall pick in the draft to select him out of the College of Charleston.
Johnson realized that he's one of perhaps 10 players chosen that day who still draw an NBA
paycheck.
He smiled as he recalled that thought.
"His professionalism, his work ethic, his toughness are the reasons that he's had the lengthy
career that he's had," Van Gundy said. "He's a competitor."
As Thursday showed, he's someone who's not done competing just yet.
Why Adonal Foyle is the Magic's most important player
George Diaz – Orlando Sentinel - COMMENTARY
7:44 PM EDT, March 20, 2010
The Most Important Player on the Orlando Magic roster hasn't played a minute this season.
He's only played 62 minutes over the last two seasons.
He wears a stylish sports coat instead of a jersey on most nights. He sits on the far end of the
bench, close enough for any courtside fan passing by to reach out and touch, unless the security
guy intervenes.
His salary is $1.3 million.
The Average Joe sitting in the upper deck might look down at Adonal Foyle and hoist a beer in
his honor: "You've got the cushiest job in sports dude!"
Perception is a funny thing. It's true that Foyle isn't dazzling anybody with his low-post moves.
Nobody will ever mistake him for Superman. It's hard to remember the last time he rated a
mention on ESPN.
But if you peek behind the curtain, where games are won and lost in the day-to-day grind of
practice, or in the privacy of the locker room where discussions are held about a team's focus or
post-retirement options, Foyle is a million-dollar bargain.
"He may not be the Most Valuable Player but he is the most important player we have on the
roster," said Magic General Manager Otis Smith. "He's a veteran who can help young guys deal
with the ins and outs of basketball as well as the game of life. Basketball is bigger than what we
see for those 48 minutes."
Outside the scope of those 48 minutes, Foyle is one of the most intriguing players in the NBA.
His fingerprints are all over the place — the degree from Colgate (magna cum laude), the stack
of poems he has written, the 900 or so bottles of wine in the cellar of his Bay area home, and two
foundations he has established. Did we mention that he's also in the Humanitarian Hall of Fame?
That kind of resume deserves a closer look.
Foyle allowed me tag-along access to his world last Wednesday, leading up to Orlando's game
against the San Antonio Spurs in the Amway Arena. We started with coffee at 8 a.m. at the
corner unit condo he leases overlooking Lake Eola in downtown Orlando, and said goodbye
around 11 p.m., as he was leaving the arena to drive to the Orlando Executive Airport for a
charter flight to Miami.
In-between, he jockeyed with Dwight Howard in the post during practice, then went-one-on-one
with Magic Spanish-language broadcaster Joey Colon in five games of racquetball in the
afternoon. He left the racquetball court for a quick haircut, and then scooted back to his condo to
pack for the one-day road trip before going to the arena at 6:30 p.m.
Foyle has no worries about tweaking any muscles on the racquetball court. He's not on the active
roster, although he has suited up when other players have been inactive for various reasons. He
was dressed and ready to go when Orlando played the Chicago Bulls on March 11, a night when
Magic fans began chanting his name during a 29-point blowout. Coach Stan Van Gundy decided
not to play Foyle for meaningless, mop-up minutes.
No offense taken.
"There in the moment, it was a nice thing, but I'm also thinking, ‘Oh my God, I've been sitting
here for three hours,' " Foyle said, laughing. "I understand the context in which it was meant. In
many ways it was a compliment."
Foyle, who recently turned 35, has been around long enough to understand the intricacies of the
league and the dynamics of team chemistry. It is one of the very reasons he remains in the NBA,
and why Smith opts not to give up that last roster spot to some young guy with potential.
Experience has its perks.
He has been hopping on those planes for 13 seasons now, a journey of professional and personal
growth. His political awareness, appreciation for art, and taste for wine has evolved over the
years, much like his role on the basketball court.
He played 10 seasons with the Golden State Warriors — starting in 269 games as a post-position
player — before the two sides mutually agreed to part ways in 2007. Foyle has spent the rest of
his NBA career with Orlando, expect for a brief period in Memphis after the Magic traded him as
part of the deal to acquire Rafer Alston in February of 2009. Smith brought him back 21 days
later after Memphis cut ties with Foyle, reflecting Smith's strong feelings of what he can bring to
this franchise.
With each snippet of our conversation, ranging from campaign finance reform to the subject
matter of the thesis he is working on — the struggles of retired NBA players — its' easy to see
why Smith is so smitten. Foyle makes an impression.
None of this will ever show up on the stat sheet.
"Everybody thinks the game is the moment," Foyle said. "But basketball is about the world
behind the game. The game is the easiest part of this life. To get to the game so many things
must come together. That game becomes a performance. You have to do all the work of putting
it together. There's a whole lot going on behind the scenes that people don't see."
In those private moments is where Foyle pushes Howard, not only with his muscle in practice,
but with his words. He challenged Howard to work harder during a players' only meeting in late
January, after the Magic barely beat the Boston Celtics. "The things that Adonal said were
probably the most poignant things and really challenged a lot of guys, especially Dwight,"
teammate J.J. Redick said. "He has Dwight's respect, the franchise player."
On any given game night, Foyle will take notes on a stat sheet, helping prep all of Orlando's bigs
— Howard, Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass — on nuances that will help them win battles up
front. Against the Spurs, he urged Howard to go to the baseline because defenders were doubleteaming him from the middle of the floor. He told Bass to adjust his shot by attacking the
shoulder of a bigger defender, instead of trying to shoot over the top.
And then there are all those other conversations, on worldly topics.
A man who smiles easily, Foyle stormed off the practice court in late January,
uncharacteristically furious. Elizabeth Brett, a Magic intern, asked him what was troubling him.
Foyle was upset over a Supreme Court ruling, prohibiting the government from banning political
spending by corporations in candidate elections.
It's that passion that has driven him to start two foundations. Democracy Matters seeks to engage
young people in the political process. The Kerosene Lamp Foundation promotes education and
health awareness for kids, providing free basketball clinics and other opportunities. The name
comes from Foyle's own experiences: Growing up in Canouan, an island in the southern reaches
of the Caribbean, Foyle didn't have the luxury of electricity or running water. Because candles
were too expensive, he studied with a kerosene lamp by his side.
Foyle can afford a few perks these days. His apartment is apartment-model immaculate, a few
pieces of art and wine bottles dotting the walls. A miniature Magic basketball on the coffee table
is the only giveaway that he has an interest in sports.
He travels when he wants. He has put his brother through school, and paid for his sister to go to
culinary school and become a chef. Foyle didn't get the chef's gene. Making coffee is his one and
only culinary talent. There's a lot of takeout food and eating out at Kres, Hue, or Ruth's Chris
Steak House in Winter Park.
He plays racquetball at least once a week with Colon, his feisty nemesis who is much more apt to
scream at the end of a point than Foyle. Colon got the better of him on Wednesday, without the
advantage of seven racquets that Foyle brought with him in his gym bag.
This Magic thing is a good gig.
Foyle knows it. He sees himself as a vagabond traveling salesman, but he's never trying to dump
anything on your doorstep under false pretenses. There is honor and passion in what he does.
There is sweat. There is sacrifice.
And yes, there are perks.
On game nights, Adonal Folye has the best seat in the house.
Vince the bowler? DJ Pietrus? Magic players have many
talents besides hoops
By Josh Robbins - Orlando Sentinel
6:02 PM EDT, April 10, 2010
We all know what the Orlando Magic can do on the basketball court.
But what about off the court?
After all, professional athletes are people, too.
And like everybody else, Magic players have talents that have nothing to do with their jobs.
Marcin Gortat learned how to repair cars in his native Poland. Jameer Nelson and J.J. Redick cook well. Jason Williams astounds
teammates with card tricks.
Ryan Anderson crafts music on his MacBook laptop. Brandon Bass creates and sings rap-music lyrics. Mickael Pietrus spins
records at clubs.
Adonal Foyle writes. Dwight Howard impersonates just about everyone. Vince Carter can hook a bowling ball down a lane.
Indeed, Magic players have plenty of talents off the court.
These are their stories.
The bowler
The next time you go bowling, don't be surprised if you look up and see Vince Carter in the lane next to you.
The Magic's starting shooting guard loves the sport so much that he played this past summer in a local league. He owns six
bowling balls and four pairs of bowling shoes.
His high score is 256.
"Summertime is when I play all the time," Carter says. "I love it."
Carter bowled a bit as a kid growing up in Daytona Beach, but he traces his fascination with the sport to watching it on TV. He
saw professional bowlers hook the ball, and Carter decided he wanted to master the hook himself.
His passion grew when he played for the Toronto Raptors from 1998 to 2004. When the Raptors would play their trademark early
Sunday-afternoon home games, Carter would go directly from the arena to a local alley and be bowling by 4 or 5 p.m.
Carter continued to bowl after Toronto traded him to New Jersey in Dec. 2004. In Jersey, he and teammate Jason Kidd joined a
bowling league together.
Now, Carter bowls with a group of friends that includes Magic community ambassador Bo Outlaw.
Carter keeps four different bowling balls in the trunk of his car. One of them has his initials — VLC, for Vincent Lamar Carter.
He uses one ball only for oily lanes. He uses another for dry lanes.
He still watches old tournaments on ESPN Classic.
And, one day, after his basketball career has ended, he can envision himself attempting to become a pro bowler.
"Absolutely," he says.
"I like bowling so much that I don't go there just to have fun and for leisure and to laugh and joke. When it's your turn, let's go.
That's how I bowl."
The mechanic
Marcin Gortat repaired cars before he concentrated on basketball.
The affable backup center spent four years at a high school in his native Poland learning to become a car mechanic. He also
apprenticed in repair shops.
"I was like an intern over there, and I was watching their hands and what they were doing," Gortat says.
At the time, he didn't realize that he would eventually play pro basketball in the United States.
But now that he's making a handsome living — he's in the first year of a five-year contract that will pay him $34 million — he
indulges his love for fine cars.
Gortat owns a black BMW M5, and it's his pride and joy.
He doesn't work on car himself because it would endanger his hands and because much has changed about cars since he was in
school. He leaves the nitty-gritty labor to experts.
But he's constantly asking those folks to make improvements to the vehicle — and that's where his background as a mechanic
comes into play. All those tweaks, he says, has made driving his BMW from 0 to 60 mph feel like piloting a jet airplane.
"That was the car of my dreams," Gortat says. "Because I bought the car of my dreams, just one day I came up with the idea,
‘Hey, let's make a beast out of this car.'
"I'm talking about every little detail. I'm thinking how to make the car lighter. People are laughing that I spend a lot of money on
my rims, but they don't know that all my four rims weigh the same as one rim in another car. And they're way powerful."
The magician
Jason Williams originally gained fame for his flashy passes and dribbling.
These days, he's putting his hand-eye coordination and natural flair for showmanship to use off the court.
The backup point guard enlivens long plane flights with card tricks.
"He could be like David Blaine and do magic tricks and stuff," Dwight Howard says.
Williams picked up the card tricks from friends and from his father, Terry.
"It's all sleight of hand," Jason says. "These guys are easily amused on this team. It doesn't take much."
He's being modest.
Williams performed three of his tricks the other day for the Orlando Sentinel after a team practice.
He took a stack of cards, shuffled them and asked a newspaper reporter to pick a card.
It was the Jack of Clubs.
"You can show the camera," Williams said. "Just don't let me see it."
The card went back into the deck, and he shuffled again.
Williams picked a card out of the deck.
"Is that your card?" he asked.
"No."
Williams placed the card onto a table.
He repeated the process for three other cards — none of them the Jack of Clubs.
With four cards on the table, he said, "Touch of two of 'em."
Then, he took the other two cards away.
He pointed to the two cards on the table.
"Touch one of them," he said.
Done.
Then Williams turned over that card.
It was the Jack of Clubs.
And a smile crossed Williams' face.
The music man
Before the 2009-10 season even started, Ryan Anderson and teammate J.J. Redick said they were producing a rap song, with
Anderson creating the music and Redick providing the vocals.
The national media had a field day with that visual. Next thing you know, major magazines reported that Redick was putting
together a rap album.
Now, almost six months later, the world is still waiting to hear a song — any song — from the duo and we're kinda doubting that
it'll ever exist. We think Anderson and Redick, two guys with healthy senses of humor, pulled a fast one on those gullible media
types.
But Anderson, a 21-year-old backup power forward, does produce beats.
We've heard them with our own ears.
The Magic's backup power forward uses the computer programs GarageBand and Fruity Loops on his MacBook laptop to create
music. He's even recently purchased an acoustic guitar, and the programs allow him to record the guitar's sounds onto his
computer.
Anderson's beats are fun to listen to.
One of his recent beats included piano and orchestra strings. The 3½-minute song took him about 1½ to two hours on a team
plane flight to complete.
Anderson became interested in creating his own beats from Maurice Ager, a former New Jersey Nets teammate.
"It's kind of what I do for fun," Anderson says. "I don't think people would look at me and think I make beats, but it's just kind of
fun."
The writer
Adonal Foyle is a renaissance man.
Born on the Caribbean islands of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Foyle used the light from a kerosene lamp to study at night as a
child.
All that hard work paid off. He earned an undergraduate degree from Colgate University and is working on a master's degree in
sports psychology.
All along, he's pursued an interest in writing.
Foyle, a third-string center, writes poetry.
He also contributes to the Sentinel's Orlando Opinionators blog, penning essays on issues such as health-care reform and on Tiger
Woods' ability to be a role model.
He also serves as the literary editor for Hoop, the NBA's official magazine.
"One of the things that I dislike is that people tend to assume that by virtue of the fact that you're an athlete or you do something
that you're really good at that you should not have a voice in other things," Foyle says. "I think what is most critical for me is that
I feel like you need people from all walks of life to engage in anything that is happening."
The rapper
Backup power forward Brandon Bass is one of the most popular players in the Magic locker room.
Teammates love to kid around with him and make fun of the Louisiana native's southern accent and trademark syntax.
"We're going to get him a thesaurus," point guard Anthony Johnson says. "We're going to get him a dictionary."
In fact, Bass might be one of the best poets on the team.
In his spare time, Bass records rap music culled from his life experiences. He produces the music mostly as a release. He has no
plans or desire to market it to an audience.
One of his songs revolves around his mother, Aretha, who died of a heart attack when Bass was 10 years old.
Set to the hooks of Drake's and Trey Songz' "I Just Want To Be Successful," it features this passage, which Bass can recite by
heart:
My ma, that's all I asked for
I swear to God
I grind hard every day
Like there's no tomorrow
A superstar destiny
Lord, I see You blessing me
But I'd give it all back
For my momma to be next to me.
Bass has been in the studio four times this season, as recently as a week ago.
"What I enjoy about it is putting my life story in a rhyme," Bass says.
The cooks
The Food Network airs a popular show called Iron Chef America in which two chefs compete against each other in an hour-long
cooking contest.
May we suggest a showdown between Magic starting point guard Jameer Nelson and backup shooting guard J.J. Redick?
"I'd put money on me," Nelson says. "I can make whatever you need me to make. I'm serious."
"Jameer has his own chef!" Redick says. "Jameer does not cook."
Sounds like smack talk.
But, seriously, folks, both guys are pretty good around the kitchen.
Nelson says he cooks for his family.
"I don't follow recipes or anything like that," Nelson says. "I just cook off of imagination."
Redick often cooks with his fiancée, Chelsea Kilgore.
"To me, it's relaxing," Redick says. "Sometimes we make a homemade brine for a pork tenderloin. Sometimes we make a
homemade marinade. So, we do different things. When you go through that process and then you finally get everything on the
table and there's a finished product and it tastes good, it's satisfying. It's rewarding."
The impersonator
We all know Dwight Howard has a taste for the theatric.
Donning a Superman cape during the 2008 slam dunk contest at All-Star Weekend is proof of that.
But Howard, Orlando's starting center, also is an excellent mimic.
He does impressions of plenty of basketball personalities, including TNT analyst Charles Barkley, Magic coach Stan Van Gundy
and teammate Jason Williams.
All are spot-on.
His impersonation of Barkley seems to be his favorite.
"LeBron Raymone James is the best player in the world," Howard says, picking up on Barkley's Alabama accent. "If he played
golf, he'd be the best golfer to ever golf. He'd be the best Twitterer if he Twittered. He would be the best Facebooker. LeBron
James can do it all."
The record spinner
Mickael Pietrus sees parallels between his job as a pro basketball player and one of his favorite hobbies, spinning records.
Last Wednesday, the backup small forward employed a laptop and a turntable to play songs for patrons of an Orlando club called
the Backroom.
At games, the audience enjoys watching Pietrus and his teammates play basketball. At the club, people enjoy listening to the
music Pietrus plays.
"You want people to enjoy what you do," Pietrus says. "People, after the game, go out there and try to have fun with me. I just
have fun with it."
Here Comes The Amway Center
By John Denton
Orlandomagic.com
ORLANDO – As the final seconds of 2009 ticked away last week and a new year was ushered in,
Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins couldn’t help but think of one thing: 2010 is the
year that Central Florida and the Magic will finally welcome a sparkling, new events center.
Forgive Martins and his planning team these days if they are a bit consumed with the construction of
Amway Center, which is scheduled to open in October. In addition to his daily duties of running the
Magic, Martins has also has been the leading figure behind the design and construction of the 875,000square-foot facility. Martins and his executive team of planners and designers usually spend a large chunk
of their day dedicated to the construction of the new, state-of-the-art facility.
In a matter of months, Amway Center has gone from a vision on blueprints to a massive, eye-catching
facility adjacent to I-4 in downtown Orlando.
Finally, the walls of the facility that is nearly three times the size of the current Amway Arena gives fans
something tangible to see and get excited about.
Martins has certainly shared in that excitement as he’s watched the building take shape. ``I joke with
some people in the community that we’re building one of the best buildings in North America, one of the
biggest buildings in North America and the most technologically advanced building in North America.
And, oh by the way, my other full-time job is running the business of a professional basketball team,’’
Martins said with a laugh. ``But it’s definitely a labor of love building that building because it’s
something that this community is going to be recognized for for decades to come.’’
Martins said the $380 million project is on schedule and set for a ``Grand Opening Month’’ in October.
The environmentally friendly, LEED-certified facility, which will seat 18,500 for NBA basketball games
and up to 20,000 for other events, will be enclosed on three sides and along the roof by the end of
January.
In February, the air conditioning and heating units will be fully installed and once the humidity is taken
out of the building, the interior design can begin in full. Martins said the fans that he talks to in the
community and at Magic games marvel at the sheer size and design of the new building. And they should
marvel considering that it will almost triple the size of the current 367,000-square-foot Amway Arena.
The new facility will have 60 suites, 1,400 club seats, seven levels, 37 restrooms, retail stores and one
concession point of sale for every 125 spectators.
The massive construction project has also served as a boon of sorts to the construction business in a time
when jobs have been scarce because of the sharp downturn of the nation’s economy.
And the Magic have worked closely with local minority and women-owned businesses -- some of which
are based out of the nearby Parramore community -- awarding them with 35.9 percent of the contracts
totaling a whopping $91,228,940 million.
Of the 155 minority and women-owned firms under contract working at the facility, there are 56 AfricanAmerican-owned firms, 44 women-owned firms, 34 Hispanic-owned firms, 19 Asian-American-owned
firms and two Native-American-owned firms.
``You certainly can’t miss it now when you drive along I-4 because it is so massive. It definitely sticks
out on the western skyline of downtown,’’ Martins said. ``The anticipation is definitely building toward
October. Everybody has known that this building is going to be built and is on our horizon, but now that
we can actually see it people are starting to get excited about getting their first look at events inside the
facility.’’
What truly makes Amway Center unique, however, is the technology and the level of amenities available
to every ticket-buyer. The facility will feature Everyfan’s Bar and Food Court, a Club Restaurant, the
Nutrilite Magic Fan Experience and Orlando Info Garden Kid’s Zone, three bars, an outdoor plaza
overlooking downtown Orlando and several retail stores and novelty stores.
And the facility promises to be affordable to Magic fans on several different levels.
There will be 2,500 seats priced $15 or less, 7,000 seats priced $25 or less and 10,000 seats priced $50 or
less. And for the first time ever, the Magic will be offering approximately 600 $5 tickets to each game.
The overall goal, Martins said, was to make more amenities available to fans in the facility regardless of
whether they are spending $5 or $500 for a ticket.
``We’ve designed a facility that has so many built-in amenities for every level of ticket-buyer,’’ he said.
``So many of these buildings in the past have been designed where a lot of the amenities have focused
only on the premium ticket-buyer, the courtside seat holder or the club-seat holder. But here with the new
building, we have bars, restaurants and clubs on every level for every ticket-buyer. And that’s for Magic
games and every event. So it really is going to be a building that has a high level of amenity for
everybody.’’
And because the entire facility will be digitally wired by Harris Corp., the look of the venue will change
from night to night depending on the event taking place.
Advertising boards can be changed in various parts of the building to target certain demographics of
people. Digital menus can be adjusted easily from night to night, allowing changes whether the facility is
hosting a Magic game, a Latin concert or a motivational speaking tour.
The bigger size, flexibility and advanced technology will allow Orlando to attract bigger concerts, major
political conventions and compete for more major sporting events such as the SEC, ACC and NCAA
tournaments.
But Martins feels the true selling point of the facility is that it will bring a better sense of enjoyment for
the arena’s patrons. ``I think the community recognizes this will give us the opportunity to attract all of
those events, but what people don’t recognize is how significantly improved this building is going to be
over the current Amway Arena,’’ Martins said. ``The common fan still doesn’t have an understanding of
the level of amenities, the level of technology and the level of comfort that we’re going to have
throughout the building. Those are the kinds of things that fans are going to be incredibly surprised by
when they walk in that building for the first time.’’
That ``first time’’ for many fans will come in October when City of Orlando, Orange County and Magic
leaders unveil the new facility to the public.
Intensive planning is already underway to book a wide variety of events for the first few weeks to turn the
grand opening into a month-long celebration of Orlando’s newest, grandest facility. ``We want it to be
spectacular and to live up to the hype of the design and live up to the expectations of the community. We
want it to be very special,’’ Martins said. ``It’s not going to be an Opening Day or an Opening Week; our
intent is that we’re going to have an Opening Month of grand activities. ``Our whole goal in that monthlong celebration is to host events that touch every segment of our community,’’ Martins continued. ``One
night it might be a Magic preseason game, one night a Rock-and-Roll concert and another night a country
concert, another night a Latin show and another night a Hip-Hop show. Our intent is to fill the whole
month of October with a diverse offering of events so that by the time that our Grand Opening Month is
complete we will have given every segment of the community something with which to have gone and
seen the new building.’’
Martins said he’s eager to see the looks on the faces of fans when they walk into the new Amway Center
for the first time.
And he’s already dreamed about what Opening Night of the 2010-11 season for the Magic will look like.
In fact, he already has in mind a scenario that would make the opening one of the grandest nights in
Orlando’s history. ``To be able to close down the Amway Arena by hoisting that trophy and then opening
the Amway Center by hoisting the banner, that would be a storybook finish to building a new building.
You couldn’t dream of a better opening,’’ Martins said. ``We dream about that every day. We’ve never
been better poised in the history of our organization to give us an opportunity to do that. This team is as
deep and as competitive as any that’s ever played here in Orlando and it gives us our best chance ever to
win a World Championship. ``Hopefully we’ll stay healthy as a team, continue to improve as the year
goes along and hopefully it will take us toward winning our first World Championship in June.’’