Orlando
Philip Maymin
Basketball News Services
Of all the offseason moves engineered this summer on the Orlando Magic, none is perhaps as important as the helping hand given out by Lady Luck. Grant Hill's ankle, long the bane of Orlando's existence, may now be the key factor that puts Orlando over the top. On the Magic roster are 50% of all NBA players across all time who have averaged 15 points, five rebounds, and five assists in each of their first five seasons. Could the Magic really be contenders?
The four players who have in the 50+ years of the NBA accomplished that 15-5-5 in 5 feat are Oscar Robertson, Magic Johnson, Steve Francis, and Grant Hill. That's quite a lot of versatility to have on your team.
Shot-blocking, thanks to Kelvin Cato and Dwight Howard, is now an Orlando strength. They have legitimate and natural players at every position, as well as quality backups. They have Jameer Nelson, who is leading the league in assists-to-turnover ratio with 11 assists to only one turnover.
Do they have enough to be title contenders? They seem a lock to make the playoffs but how far will they go?
A lot will be revealed tonight as they face the Dallas Mavericks, who are also on the cusp of contention. Should they beat the Mavs, they may well be contenders, or at least second-rounders. Should they lose and lose badly, then perhaps this will be a first-round year.
NEXT GAME
The Magic (2-1) host the Dallas Mavericks (4-0) TONIGHT at 7:00pm Eastern. The game between the two revamped teams
will be broadcast on the Sunshine Network and NBA League Pass.
TEAM NOTES
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinel notes: Pop quiz: Other than rookies Dwight Howard and Jameer Nelson, how many players on the Magic's active roster have appeared in the playoffs? All of them. ... The Magic haven't had a player named to an all-NBA defensive team since the 1994-95 season, when Horace Grant earned second-team honors. ... Howard tied Tracy McGrady with the most blocks in an opening-night game with four. ... Orlando is 2-1 this month after going 0-for-November last year.
INJURY UPDATE
Andrew DeClercq(knee) andBrandon Hunter(Achilles') are both currently spending some quality time on the IL.
Mike Branom of The Associated Press writes inThe Herald Tribune: Following four seasons trapped in a vicious cycle of ankle surgeries and failed comebacks, Hill believes this is the year he returns to the NBA for good.Through three games, he's had no problems sprinting downcourt, elevating for jumpers and knifing to the hoop. "It's great to be out there on the court worrying about trying to keep my man from scoring, and not thinking about my ankle and how it's going to feel tomorrow," Hill said Monday.
Eddie Sefko ofThe Dallas Morning Newswrites: This will be the second time in five games that Harris has battled a versatile, high-scoring point guard. Francis may be better than Baron Davis, who scorched Harris and Jason Terry for 25 points last week. This will be a difficult defensive job for Harris, but expect the coaching staff to give him help. Josh Howard and Marquis Daniels may find themselves playing a lot against Francis, who is one of only four players in NBA history (Magic Johnson, Oscar Robertson and Grant Hill) to average 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in each of his first five seasons.
John Denton ofFlorida Todaywrites: The Magic's detonation of last season's roster and ultimate makeover has been well documented with all five starters being new and 12 of the 15 roster players playing their first few games in Orlando black and blue.
Tim Povtak ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: After a day of rest Sunday, the Magic returned to practice Monday at TD Waterhouse Centre, determined to redeem themselves after a poor performance Saturday in Charlotte. Led by center Kelvin Cato and power forward Dwight Howard, the Magic are third in the league in blocked shots -- which is a huge improvement from last season -- trailing only Utah and Portland.But they are tied for 29th in assists.
Brian Schmitz ofThe Orlando Sentinelwrites: Home is where the heartbreak is.At least it was last season for the Orlando Magic. The Magic posted the league's worst home record at 11-30. It was also an all-time franchise low. The club often played a snippet from the football movie, Rudy, on its Jumbotron. The frothing coach, during a pregame pep talk, says to his team, "Nobody comes into our house and pushes us around . . . nobody." Problem is, everybody came into TD Waterhouse Centre and pushed the Magic around.