January 2004 Archives

Tracy McGrady did not play in tonight's game due to a death in the family. With the current state of this team, there is little hope for the team to win (outscore) against another team. At times the Magic played as a group - showing a little sign of defense. I am glad to see some balanced scoring - and that our team distributed the ball decently. I am upset, however, that Keith Bogans grabbed 8 rebounds. Why? Because he had the most on the team. Ugh. Juwan Howard had 5 rebounds - not going to cut it. Drew Gooden had seven rebounds - better - but nowhere near his potential.

Steven Hunter update - for the back and forth going around: Hunter had 7 points, 2 rebounds and 0 blocks in 15 minutes.

For all of the reasons that Orlando won against Washington are the reasons they lost tonight to New Jersey. Absolutely no defense and the effort was less than desirable. The Nets are a good, athletic fast break team. But the reason they are a good fast break team is that they play exceptional defense. They forced the Magic into turnovers that our team normally does not make. So, with our fast break offense being implemented (at least, we have been told that it was happening) - where is our defense? One more time for everyone out there, defense wins ball games. Until this team buckles down and plays tough defense, we are not going to win any games.

Now, on to the discussion about Steven Hunter and our interior defense. Our current problem with interior defense is when Drew Gooden and Juwan Howard are on the floor at the same time. For whatever reason, Gooden has decided that he is flat out not going to play defense this year. I really though this kid was going to be awesome this year. Anrew DeClercq provides good, solid minutes in the middle - clogging up the lane. Everyone cheers Big 'Z' for a reason when he comes into the game - he plays hard. Every play, every minute - he is in there bumping someone or fighting for the loose ball. A few people (very few) are asking why Hunter does not play more. Simple, in three years - he has not done jack. He has been given the starting role a couple times to help boost his confidence and get some production out of him. Blocking shots does not cut it. Too often he disappears on the defensive end of the floor and he cannot matchup against the other teams center. In three years, he has had plenty of time to bulk up and learn the NBA game enough to provide some good quality minutes - but it hasn't happened. I will give Hunter a little credit for the way he played against the Nets. He came in and made the most of his minutes. But he also kept playing around with his shirt and had to tie his shoes. Ugh, will our real center please stand up.

Last notes. Howard fell on a camera in the first quarter and had to go to the locker room. Tyronn Lue - at the end of the game - was staring off (possibly talking to someone) into the stands when one of our players inbounded the ball to him. Idiot. Gooden - again - was sitting on the bench as starting player introductions were underway. Get up off your ass and go out there with the rest of the team.

The difference in this game - balanced scoring. Now, most would think I am talking about the team and how well everyone helped out. Well, that is the case to a point - but there have been times when there was balanced scoring but nobody left to finish the fourth. Tracy McGrady put together one of his first solid, start-to-finish games of the season. McGrady looked more like the player from last year.

This year has brought some good games, but not typical McGrady games. Now, he is starting to become more consistent during all four quarters and close out games. I think it can be attributed to 3 things. The first, Keith Bogans. Bogans is often able to defend the other team's best player, leaving McGrady with energy in the fourth. Number 2, Juwan Howard. Howard is playing more like himself lately. The pick and roll that he runs with McGrady is starting to look really good and become effective. The last thing, Rod Strickland. I'm sorry to say that Tyronn Lue is not a starting point guard. Strickland does a better job and allows McGrady to run the floor more loosely. Strickland is not our answer to the starting PG spot - but he is a better solution than Lue.

Great game - I am looking forward to tonights game versus the Nets. Watch for a trade in the next week or so.

Magic played a decent game considering they were missing what I think is the best defender on the team. Keith Bogans did not play due to the injury suffered in the Houston game. Tracy McGrady came out ready for the challenge of playing against Lebron James. McGrady knocked down 8 consecutive 3 pointers in the first half and had 29 total points when they headed to the locker room. Already playing with a couple injuries, McGrady came out in the second half looking to build on his impressive first half. Partially into the third quarter, McGrady injured his left big toe again and left the game for good. The Magic struggled to find consistent offense. Drew Gooden also suffered an injury early in the second quarter and was out the rest of the game. Rod Strickland and Shammond Williams played the majority of the second half and provided some decent offense. In the end however, the effort was not enough and Cleveland pulls this one out by 1 point.

Reserve Steven Hunter finally got some playing time. With all of the injuries and the upcoming trade deadline, it is my guess they decided to showcase Hunter for a couple of teams that may be interested in acquiring him. It would be nice to get a little something out of the miserable 3 years he has provided us - even a second round pick. Hunter's contract extension was not picked up and he is a free agent after this season.

Keith Bogans suffered a bruised right quadracep muscle in the Houston game on Sunday. He is not expected to play tonight against Cleveland. This most likely moves Gordan Giricek into the starting lineup.

Absolutely no answer for the dominating play of Yao Ming. Our centers did about as much as they could except defend Ming. Like coach said, they should have been double-teaming Ming further away from the basket and off the dribble in order to decrease the amount of touches he received and how close he got to the basket. When you are 7'4” and can reach 12' into the air - there isn't much that anyone can do to keep you from shooting the ball from 4' away.

Outside of that, the Magic played a decent game. The defense intensity was missing and the team looked a little tired. The players seem to put together one good game playing well together and then its on/off in the next and then they completely disappear in the next. The consistently isn't quite there - but that pick and roll with Juwan Howard and Tracy McGrady is starting to look real nice. They should be able to run that play all night long on both sides of the floor. I think Big 'Z' would fit great into this role as well.

Another intense game with a good defensive effort. The Magic are finally learning to play within what they have. Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard are becoming more consistent in their numbers and their effort. What more can you say about Keith Bogans? This guy is providing a spark night in and night out. Bogans wants to play and he want the team to win. I still think that Rod Strickland is a better on court leader for this team. He is not our solution for a point guard - but he definitely commands respect on the court. I would really like to see Strickland starting and Tyronn Lue or Shammond Williams coming in off the bench. Big 'Z' had a few good minutes in the game. He came in with effort and really frustrated the Sixers with his physical presence. Z's numbers won't always show the difference he makes in the game - but if you watch - you know.

One more win and another solid effort in this game. Houston on Sunday. Let's go Magic!

The team played with intensity and a lot of energy tonight. I like that the team is playing more aggressively. Having Keith Bogans playing like well, has allowed our defense to become better and our offense to open up a little. Big 'Z' has provided some physical toughness off the bench that we have been missing all year. Bogans played good defense most of the game, but Michael Redd eventually got hot and put up 40 points on the Magic. I think a few of those are on Gordan Giricek. It would be interesting to see how many shots are made/missed against Bogans and what portion of a players points are with him guarding them and without.

The Magic carried over the energy from the win on Monday and played a good game. Let's hope we can take this energy and get a win in Philadelphia on Friday.

An all around solid effort by the Magic this afternoon. Tracy McGrady is starting to look more like his old self. He appears to becoming more familiar with his teammates. I believe McGrady appreciates the hustle of Keith Bogans and Big 'Z' when they are on the floor together. He seems to open up his shot selection more and looks to drive to the basket. What about Bogans and Z? Bogans is shutting down big players with his defense and pulling decent rookie numbers. Z is making a push to become our starting center if you ask me. Both of these two rookies are becoming fan favorites and I hope they stick around for years to come. Juwan Howard finally had a Juwan Howard type of night. I wish he could do this everynight consistently.

I hate to see anyone get injured, so it was bittersweet when Tyronn Lue left the game. I hate to see him get hurt - but damn, Rod Strickland needs to be running this team. Is he the point guard we need? No way. But he is a veteran that shows good floor leadership - and our team is lacking that. It is good to see Lee Nailon get a few minutes every now and then. I really think he could provide some good minutes when given the chance.

Drew Gooden. Where are you dude? Even with the 32 point performance on Friday night - he did not play good defense and grabbed only 8 rebounds. I really miss his 20-12, 20-15 games. I rather see Gooden play more solid defense and grab 12-15 rebounds a night. He is very capable of becoming a rebounding force - and by that, he can get his 20 points. But for whatever reason, he is looking to become an offensive threat more than a defensive one. Personally, I think Howard is on his way out - so I would not try to compete.

Great game. Tracy McGrady played a huge game and Keith Bogans played monster defense on Paul Pierce. The game went to overtime - but the Magic wanted the game more than the Celtics in the end. Drew Gooden had a great game but was lacking slightly on the defensive end. There were a few times when Gooden failed to contest wide open shots. Big Z was a huge factor tonight. Z set some big time screens on Celtic players. At one point, the Celtic point guard nailed a three - on his way back down the court, Z just stopped and planted his ass on the ground.

We finally have Bogans playing some huge minutes - how long until Z starts getting the minutes that he really deserves? The kid plays some tough basketball and does not let anyone push himor his teammates around. Oh, and coach - if you were listening at all during the game - you could tell how much the crowd appreciated Z's effort - everytime he came in or went out - the crowd went crazy.

Personally attending this game, I really did not think the Magic would win. =). They are now 0-7, when this Magic fan visits the O-rena (it will never be the TD Waterhouse Centre to me). Keith Bogans - is the man. I said during the summer league this guy was going to be good, and I say it about once a week. So, this guy is going to be good. Bogans was consistent and played harder than anyone else on the floor. He is not afraid to mix it up while on the court. My man Big 'Z' played pretty well too. He was banging and rebounding. I am starting to get a little upset with the officials - they call no fouls in his favor. The only they finally called was when a Philly player actually grabbed his should and yanked him down to the floor.

Tracy McGrady had a pretty good game. I thought his shooting touch was slightly off. McGrady did have one dunk attempt blocked - and this is the difference. Jordan or Bryant would have taken the ball right back in. McGrady disappeared after that. You're still my favorite player - but damn, you have to be more aggressive.

Rod Strickland was slightly slowed tonight with a hamstring injury. Tyronn Lue was just taking up space. Lue played Iverson ok at times, but I thought Bogans did a better job. Bogans forced Iverson into tough shots (that he missed). Lue also made about 3 bonehead plays that everyone on the court could see would have turned out bad - but he didn't. We really need a good point guard that can see the floor.

All around good game. Keith Bogans is fitting nicely into the starting lineup. I like having his energy on the floor. Even when other players seem to be lagging, he is still putting forth 100% effort. I like that Tracy McGrady and Bogans were both involved in double technical foul situations. Maybe the team is finally starting to show a little toughness.

Abusive. That is what our defense intensity is. We serious need to check it into a clinic to see if they can help. I don't know if I am prepared for another losing streak like this. I actually missed parts of the game thinking about how I was going to feel if we rattled off another 10 losses. I'm keeping this one short - there really isn't much more to say.

The Magic gave up major points in the first half by not playing defense. Still though, the game was somewhat close thanks to Tracy McGrady lighting up the Pacers in the second quarter. Throughout the second half the Magic would pull close only to stop playing defense and the lead would go back to double digits. The game was within 10 with 3 minutes to go, but McGrady couldn't find the range from the outside like he had in the previous 3 quarters and no one else on the team could hit any clutch baskets. Juwan Howard had a few good baskets but played horrible defense. At one point, he simply stared as Jermaine O'Neal rebounded and then dunked the ball right in front of him.

Keith Bogans continues to prove that he is going to be a good role player in the NBA. He has consistently provided good minutes with a solid effort each night. Although his numbers are not always a double-double - if you watch the games, he is always after loose balls and rebounds. Bogans does a great job at leaving the smaller defender behind and working the boards. Steven Hunter provided a few good minutes tonight. I will be the first one to tell you straight up that this guy has had a horrible start to his NBA career. I was against drafting him, starting him and keeping him. About the only thing the Magic did right in the past three years with this guy is not pick up his option and took him out of the starting lineup. However, he was very active tonight - running the floor, defending and rebounding. He played good defense on O'Neal - but there were times when he did not block out or simply did not have the full effort. I did see him finally put a body on a guard through one of those screens. If he could pick up the intensity on the defensive side, not look to score (except on offensive rebounds, box out better and dunk the ball with TWO hands - then I could see giving him 10 minutes a game to prove himself. Lee Nailon got his first minutes as a Magic player tonight, scoring 4 points and grabbing 3 offensive rebounds in 9 minutes.

Well, it is not going to get much better. We play Boston tomorrow night at 7pm.

The Brushback has provided us with a funny article about the last remaining Magic fan.

Read the article here

ORLANDO (The Brushback)--Thomas Krieger, 32, the last remaining Orlando Magic fan, finally called it quits Sunday after his favorite team’s 19th consecutive loss. The season ticket holder surrendered his courtside seat to anyone who was interested and left the arena for good. At press time, the seat was still empty.

“Well that’s too bad,” said star forward Tracy McGrady. “He was the last of a dying breed. I’m really gonna miss that guy, but I guess 19 in a row is a test even for the most loyal fan. It’s sad though. He didn’t even say goodbye.”

Krieger had been a fan of the Magic since their entry into the league in 1989. He stuck with them through good times and bad, but nothing could prepare him for the 2003 season.

“I thought when Shaq left the team that I’d never recover,” said Krieger. “But things got better after that. We got Grant Hill. We got T-Mac. We had a nice season last year. We really overachieved. But this year…My God, what happened? 19 in a row? 19? In a row? That was enough for me. I don’t need to suffer through this any longer. Goodbye Orlando Magic, it’s been real.”

The departure of Krieger signifies the end of an era for the Magic – the era of fan attendance. Now virtually every seat in the TD Waterhouse Center is empty, even the owner’s box.

“The owner? I haven’t seen him in weeks,” said McGrady. “He took off around our 14th loss and nobody has seen him since. He hasn’t even picked up his mail. Its been piling up for two weeks. Geez, you think he could make it down just to get his mail, at least. Are we that bad? Yes. Yes, we are.”

According to reports, the owner, Rich Devos, left his wallet in his luxury box and has refused to return and get it.

McGrady says that the crowd at Magic home games has been steadily declining since the beginning of the season. The team started 1-10 under coach Doc Rivers, prompting ownership to fire the former Coach of the Year and replace him with assistant Johnny Davis. However, Davis was not able to stop the bleeding, and the losing streak reached an embarrassing 19th game before the team was able to pull out a victory against the Phoenix Suns, thereby avoiding the distinction of being the only team to lose 20 games in a row. Unfortunately for the Magic, the win was not enough to bring back their last remaining season ticket holder.

“Yea, big deal, they won,” said Krieger, from his home in Orlando. “Woo hoo! My team didn’t lose 20 games in a row! I’m so glad I paid 5 zillion dollars for the season ticket. Are they gonna put a banner up in the rafters that says ‘Stopped losing streak at 19 games?’ Great. I don’t think I’ll be coming back to watch them chase their third victory. Call me when Grant Hill returns. But call me fast, because he’ll probably sprain his ankle during warm ups.”

Star forward Grant Hill has been the poster boy for the Magic’s run of bad luck. Hill was widely regarded as one of the NBA’s best and brightest when he was drafted in 1994. He spent 5 successful seasons with the Detroit Pistons before the Magic signed him as a free agent.

“I thought that was gonna turn everything around,” said Krieger. “Grant Hill. What a great player, and a great guy. But no. He has a season ending injury his first season, then another one the next season. And another one after that. Another one! Unbelievable. But that’s the Magic for ya.
Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.”

Compounding the Magic’s problems is the departure of many of their key assistants and staff members. Several employees, including the water boy and ball boy, have reportedly stopped showing up for work.

“The ball boy is gone. I can’t believe I just said that,” said Coach Johnny Davis. “The ball boy quit. Usually you have a line a mile long of kids wanting to be ball boy, but no. Ours quit and won’t come back. We even offered to pay him.”

“It really makes things difficult,” said McGrady. “When I’m practicing my free throw shooting I have to shag the balls myself, which is a pain in the ass because we only have three balls left. I don’t know where they all went. I think the ball boy might’ve taken them.”

Krieger also said that being a known Magic season-ticket holder had it drawbacks. People often teased him and questioned his sanity. The problem got so bad that he had to seriously question his relationship with the team.

“It’s a bad year to be a Magic fan,” Krieger said. “If I had a dime for every person who snickered at me when I told them about my season tickets, I’d be loaded. When the losing streak hit double digits, people were laughing right in my face. They weren’t even trying to hide it. But I can’t say that I blame them. Being a Magic fan is pathetic.”

The Magic have tried a number of strategies to bring back some semblance of an audience. They have held several promotions, including free beer night, which have fallen flat.

“I can’t believe free beer night didn’t work,” said Coach Davis. “It’s free fucking beer. What do we need to do, have free pussy night? Oh well, I guess the upside was we all got to drink that night. We were totally shitfaced during the game, every one of us. Now that was a fun night.”

Krieger isn’t ruling out a return someday, but it won’t be any time soon. The ex-season ticket holder is enjoying his time away from the Magic.

“I have to admit, it’s been a very positive change for me,” said Krieger. “My mood has been elevated, I’m not depressed and embarrassed all the time, I haven’t hurt myself with those razor blades, it’s just a totally new me. Maybe someday I’ll become a Magic fan again, but for now I just want to be alone, find myself. I feel like this is the first day of the rest of my life.”

Reprinted with permission.