October 2004 Archives

So, I watched a little of McGrady against the Kings on Sunday. He looked to be driving the ball more and was more active on both sides of the floor. Here are the two questions that I have for McGrady and the upcoming season.

Will he have more back spasms that prevents him from being the dominant player he can be?

Will he learn how to penetrate zone defenses?

With the increased attention to the NBA rules this season, the league is expecting more fouls to be called in the transistion area. The thought is that this will lead to more teams playing more zone defense which in turn will increase the need for perimiter shooting. If this is the case, what is McGrady going to do?

The game was not on TV, but it was an exciting game to listen to on the radio. I was on my way home from a weekend trip - and this was a good game to pass the time with. Again, I will start off with Rookie Dwight Howard. This was another solid game for him. Howard scored 10 points and grabbed 8 rebounds and blocked his first NBA shot. One of many to come. Star of the game by far was Grant Hill. Even though it was just one game - he played an all-star caliber game. Hill scored 20 points on 6 of 9 shooting and made all 8 free throws. He contributed 5 assists and 6 rebounds as well. Steve Francis has another great night running the team. He poured in 15 points,13 assists and 8 rebounds. Francis is exciting to watch for sure. Cuttino Mobley returned to form scoring 22 points.

Tonight, we got a good idea of how this team is going to perform during the regular season. The Magic had 37 fast break points. Wow. I am still in shock. The Magic had 42 points in the paint. Wow. I think I am hearing things. Next thing you know, Michael Bradley will be dunking over a 7'6” center.

Box Score

Orlando Magic play the Dallas Mavericks tonight at 6pm. Rookie Dwight Howard will be matched up against Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki should provide a good test for our young, upcoming rookie.

The Magic played a good game tonight. Even though Shaq did not play tonight, the Heat were able to pull out the win 95-89. Despite losing the game, the Magic showed signs of how well this team is coming together. Rookie Dwight Howard had another big game, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. Grant Hill is looking better each game he plays. Steve Francis has another franchise night with 17 points, 8 assists and 6 rebounds. Rookie Jameer Nelson was all over the place tonight, scoring 17 points in 14 minutes. Nelson's jump shot is getting better and he is starting to show signs of control. Cuttino Mobley and Hedo Turkoglu were off tonight, not playing their best. Both however, still managed to rebound the ball fairly well.

That is the thing I like the most about this team so far. We get effort every night from every player. When one player is having an off night shooting or defending, this team can pick up the slack. The players do what they can to contribute to the team. With each game that passes, this team gives me a little more to hope for the upcoming year.

Box Score

Magic face the Miami Heat tonight at 8pm in Tampa. The game will be televised on the Sunshine network.

Magic lose their second preseason game of the year to Atlanta, 96-88. You can't get too excited over their preseason record, because it really does not mean much. However, you have to be happy to hear how they are playing. They are keeping teams under 100 points and limiting their scoring in quarters. Both games they have had a chance to win. Grant Hill and Pat Garrity did not play last night.

Stacey Augmon started the game and provided 12 points in 19 minutes. DeShawn Stevenson got more playing time during the game, scoring 11 points in 24 minutes. Rookie Dwight Howard had 8 points and 3 rebounds in 25 minutes before fouling out. Jameer Nelson had a decent game. In 25 minutes, he had 2 points, 2 steals, 3 assists and 2 rebounds and 3 turnovers. Steve Francis led the Magic with 18 points in 20 minutes before sitting out the rest of the game.

Magic play the Hawks tonight at 7:30pm in Macon, GA. I expect Dwight Howard to start off a little nervous, as he will be in front of a home crowd. But, I got the fever now. I want more. I want to see this kid skyrocket to rookie of the year. More. More. More.

As these preseason games progress, you should see the team settle down and start noticing what will be our rotation for the upcoming year. It sure is nice playing with 5 guys on the floor this year.

The game is not televised, but should be on 580 AM in the Orlando market area.

I know it was only one game, and a preseason game at that - but what a difference a summer makes. First off, Dwight Howard looked real good. I was very impressed. Howard will probably have a few bad games, but tonight he showed why he was the #1 pick. Several thunderous dunks and running the floor like a veteran. One dunk in the third brought the half full arena to their feet and Steve Francis jumped on Howards' back. Francis, Cuttino Mobley and Kelvin Cato played exceptionally well. Franis knew where his teammates would be and delivered the ball to spots on the floor you didn't think they would be able to get to. Francis finished with 19 points, 7 assists and 7 rebounds. Mobley added 24 points and Cato added 6 rebounds. Howard finished with 18 points and 9 rebounds.

Grant Hill looked good on the court, but showed a little rust. He will only get better. This team will only get better - but they already look better than the last 3 years. This team shows no resemblence of last years team. They rebound, defend, run the floor and somewhat, make their free throws.

One last thing on Howard and one on the fans. Howard did a lot more than score a few points off a couple dunks and grab a couple rebounds. On two occassions he set screens that freed up a player to drive to the basket. Not one of those silly no contact screens, but a solid screen. Also, finishing with two hands. For you Steven Hunter fans out there, this is the difference in a rookie of the year and trade fodder. Howard goes up strong and quick, putting his body between the ball and defender and finishes with two, count 'em, two hands.

Last note for the fans. Don't be afraid to be excited and cheer for this team. They played very hard tonight. Yes, they made a few mistakes - but they deserve 110% from us every night. I will be just as hard on the team as the next guy - but I will always support the team.

Magic lose the game, 99-95 - but in the end, this was a big win for this team. We play Atlanta tomorrow night. Howard returns home - so, look for another big game.

The Magic begin their preseason tonight against the Memphis Grizzlies. Mike Miller will be facing his old team for the first time without Tracy McGrady. The Drew Gooden and Gordan Giricek trade doesn't look like such a great trade now. Anyhow, reports list the starts as Steve Francis at point, Cuttino Mobley at shooting guard, Grant Hill at small forward, Dwight Howard at power forward and Kelvin Cato at center. I figured they would probably start with this lineup and see where it goes. I would expect big minutes for Howard and Jameer Nelson. The Magic need to get these two right into the flow as I think they can contribute big this year.

Both teams can run the ball well, so look for an exciting and up tempo style of play tonight (with lots of turnovers). See you at the game. (Game is not televised).

Everyone is expecting a slow start to the upcoming season. So, I thought I would give my impression of what I think you should expect to see in the next few weeks.

Yes, the Magic have a slew of new players - but they are professionals. It will take time for them to gel and learn the system, but I don't think it will take long. Three of the starters played together last year. Kelvin Cato, Steve Francis and Cuttino Mobley are ready to go on day one. I feel that this team came together well during camp and you will see a good team giving 100% every night. The games they lose will not be because they don't have talent or effort.

We already know three of the starters, lets go over the rest. The big questions are who fills in the small forward and power forward positions. If Grant Hill is healthy, the small forward position is a no brainer. Expect Hill to start at small forward and even play some point. At power forward, we have a delima. Even though I want him to be the starting power forward, I just do not think Dwight Howard is ready. So, the question is do we start Tony Battie and bring Dwight Howard along slowly, or do we let Dwight Howard play and work out the kinks. Tough decision for me. If the rest of the team is playing well enough, I say let Howard learn the ropes early.

Expect the Magic to cut four players soon. The Magic signed Earl Barron, Corsley Edwards, Jemeil Rich and Ajani Williams to fill out the roster for training camp. These are the four most likely to be cut before the start of the season. Additionally, the Magic can only keep 12 players on the active roster. Look for Mario Kasun, Andrew DeClercq and possibly DeShawn Stevenson, Keith Bogans or Michael Bradley to be put on the disabled list.

Be patient with this team. There is talent, effort and depth on this team. There is no reason they cannot make the playoffs in the very weak division and conference. Support your Magic team. We had a couple lazy players last year that put in half the effort. Let us show our new team that our fans are real. We give 110% support every night, players and fans.

For starters, the players looked really good. Not a single one looked out of shape. The team was split into blue and gray squads and they played two 12 minute halves. The practice was full out, nothing left behind. There are a few differences I would like to make note of.

First, the overall attitude. This was definitely a practice. In the years past, it was more of an exhibition. They did not do the question and answer session or allow the players to hang around on the court after practice to sign autographs. The players were there to practice and there was no goofing off. I doubt you will see any of our guys talking on cell phones this year.

Next up, the effort. I honestly do not think I have seen the Magic this intense before. I saw guys setting hard screens, driving with a purpose and hitting their defensive assignments. Don't get me wrong, I noticed a little poor rebounding here and some sloppy play there. But the effort was all out. At one point, I thought Steve Francis would have to leave the game after almost being leveled trying to run through a screen.

The players conditioning was impressive. You could tell that most had been playing long before training camp. No one look winded or tired. Dwight Howard really put on some muscle and it helped him around the basket. His offensive is still rough - but I think that is more nerves and rushing his game too much. Howard's defense and rebouding look promising. I don't know that he is ready to start, but he has a good bunch of guys to learn from. Pat Garrity has lost some weight. Actually, I am not sure how much weight he has lost - but he looked leaner. He did not play in the scrimmage, but he did participate in warm-ups. Garrity's 3-point shooting looked really good.

Just a couple other notes. Steve Francis. Man, is this guy exciting or what? I cannot wait to see the effort he puts forth every night. Grant Hill. Teehe. I get a little giddy just thinking what might be.

It's time! The season is here. Before we get started, I just wanted to let you know that we will be updating the site with new software and a new look soon. If you have any problems, please email me and I will correct any problems.

Now, on to the Magic. We have a lot of new faces this year. It's about damn time. I know it is early, but I like what I am hearing so far. The biggest difference I have noticed, attitude. Usually the media is falling over each other trying to decide if Tracy McGrady is going to have a good enough year to carry the Magic to the playoffs. This year, they are talking about how good Grant Hill looks, the promise of rookies Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson and of course, the new leader of the team, Stevie Franchise. I like what I am hearing in the paper so far. Francis was quoted as saying, “I'm not guaranteeing anything but that they will get max effort out of me every night.” That is all that I have ever asked from this team. Max effort, every night (see Keith Bogans).

For the real fans out there, practice is open to the public at 6:30pm at the University of North Florida. I have gone many times for the open practice - it is well worth the price to get a sneak peak of the team (cost is free, by the way).

So, let's get the year started off right. Francis at point or shooting guard? If shooting guard, does Jameer start? Does Howard starts at power forward? At small forward, is Hill back for good this time? What about Pat Garrity? I really miss holding my breath as he launches another three.

In my opinion, if nothing else - we got rid of a bunch of lazy players. We have an athletic team with depth. We should see a fast, slashing style of play that will keep a lot of other teams grabbing their shorts.