The Orlando Magic rallied late from a 20-point deficit to make a game of it, but Houston wins 89-84. Grant Hill played a great game, frustrating Tracy McGrady at times while scoring 22 points. The Magic team looked off the entire night, that is, until Carlos Arroyo was running the show. At times, it appeared as if Arroyo was the only Magician that showed up. I wish we could get the other 4 guys on the floor to play with as much heart.
The Orlando Magic end their 8-game losing streak with a win against the Seattle Supersonics, 102-89. The Magic did just about everything right in this game.
For those of you who have asked or are still wondering, there is only one way Penny Hardaway will ever wear an Orlando Magic jersey. Hardaway would have to go into his closet, pick out one of his old jerseys and then go sit by the pool and sip margaritas with little Penny. Otherwise, it will never happen. There is absolutely nothing that Hardaway brings to this team except cap relief - and even that is not really worth mentioning his name and the Orlando Magic in the same breath.
Update: As expected, the Magic waived Penny Hardaway from his contract this morning. The Magic also resigned forward Bo Outlaw.
The Magic keep the score close, but lose their 8th game in a row. The New Jersey Nets beat the Orlando Magic 96-93. Carlos Arroyo played big minutes and closed out the game for the Magic. Arroyo just missed a late three point shot that would have sent the game into overtime. I was happy tosee Arroyo get 25+ minutes of playing time. Dwight Howard picked up two early fouls and did not play much in the first half. In the second half, Howard was not very effective on the boards.
Bo Outlaw was waived today by the Orlando Magic. Outlaw, a fan favorite for his hustle play, has spent most of the season on the injured list.
Update: To clarify, Outlaw was waived in order to make room for Penny Hardaway. A team cannot trade for more players than they have available spots on their roster. Since the Magic only opened one spot by trading Steve Francis and took back two players in the trade, they had to make a roster spot available. The thought is that once all the players have cleared physicals, Hardaway will be waived and possibly Outlaw or Terrence Morris could be resigned.
Steve Francis is no longer the "Franchise" in Orlando. Francis was sent to the New York Knicks for the expiring contract of Penny Hardaway and forward Trevor Ariza. Personally, I think this is a bad move for Orlando - even though they will more than likely waive Hardaway faster than you can spell "cap relief".
Orlando lost its first game after the All-Star break and their seventh straight. The Cavaliers beat the Magic 105-92. There was concern that Steve Francis might miss practice or even the game. Francis has missed time in past seasons due to the All-Star break and his birthday. Instead, most of the team missed the game - or missed participating. The only one attending All-Star festivities is the only one who showed up to play. Dwight Howard posted another double-double with 23 points and 14 rebounds.
Orlando. I know what you are thinking. Orlando? Every major paper in the country has Steve Francis going somewhere before the trade deadline. But for the Magic to move Francis, they would want to either clear cap room or get someone in return that can contribute now. The free-agent talent pool for the summer of 2006 is nothing special, so I can't really see a cap-clearing measure to be of high importance to the Magic. That is unless, they are worried about the luxury tax this summer. However, our stellar ownership has assured us they would go pay the tax to improve this team. Additionally, the Magic would most likely look to bring in a shooting guard to increase scoring, especially in late game situations. I just don't see any team giving up a decent shooting guard anytime before the deadline.
With the addition of Carlos Arroyo, rumors are swirling about Steve Francis. Where will he end up? New York wants to unload Penny Hardaway's contract for Francis. I don't see this deal happening for the same reason we didn't keep Kelvin Cato on the books. There really aren't any outstanding players available this summer. The summer of 2007 looks to have a better crop of free agents. For this reason alone, I can see the Magic hanging on to Francis until the summer of 2007 when his contract might look attractive to potential sign-and-trade candidates.
The other day, Otis Smith mentioned in an interview that they expect Jameer Nelson to be out another 3 weeks with his foot injury. This might prevent the Magic from making another deal before the deadline unless they gamble with Carlos Arroyo starting at the point.
Dwight Howard tallied 4 points, 6 rebounds and 1 blocked shot as the Sophmores beat the Rookies on Friday night, 106-96. Howard was practically absent from any of the offensive plays as the guards stole the show. It's hard for a big man to make a big impact on these All-Star games, but Howard had his chances. In my opinion, he turned the ball over too often and couldn't handle the passes - which is what we have seen from him this year. Howard is a great player with a great future ahead of him. But we need to see two things from him the rest of the year. One, he has to improve upon catching passes. Two, he has to start dunking with two hands. It has been a good year for Howard so far, I'm ready to see him finish out the season strong.
The Magic drop their sixth game in a row as they lose a back-to-back against the Miami Heat, 110-100. The Magic were close until the third quarter when they began to lay an egg. Down by 29 in the fourth quarter, the Magic made a run, trimming the lead to 6 before Gary Payton nailed two big 3-point shots to keep the Heat ahead.
Kelvin Cato and a first round draft pick were sent to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for forward Darko Milicic and guard Carlos Arroyo. The trade happened in the middle of the Miami Heat game - I actually got the text message shortly before halftime. This was a great trade for the Magic. While Cato's contract would have come off the books at the end of the year, they actually make the team better with this trade.
Where do I start? The Magic lose another game, this time to the Miami Heat in the first of a back-to-back, 107-93. Personally, I am tired. Really tired. I will always pull for the Magic, but I have to admit that the games aren't the first thing on my mind while I am watching. In the last two weeks, I have found myself flipping through the channels on away games. As for the home games I have attended, I have been really out of it. It starts with how they come out to start the game. I just don't feel like they are doing enough to even be in contention late in the game.
While the Magic are making a decent run at the #1 pick for next year, I believe I discovered a solid second-rounder. According to ESPN.com, "Northwestern College's Deb Remmerde's streak of 133 straight free throws -- the longest in organized basketball history -- is over." The college girl had a streak of 22 games without a missed free throw.
