Third Quarter Collapse: FanPosts

Fran Vazquez

PSmith7 — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:29:13 -0000

Note: From the FanPosts - Ben

Hey guys, avid reader of the blog, finally joined up today.

To put it ignorantly, what is his deal? Can the Magic sign him for this year? Next year? Would they even want to? Was the hope when the Magic drafted him that he would develop for a year in Spain and then join the team? I remember being irate from the moment they drafted him.

This probably belongs in fan shots, are we sticklers for that rule here? I know at certain other Tampa Bay Rays related blogs, one of the admins will jump all over you.

Magic to play CSKA Moscow

Marie — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 22:56:59 -0000

As part of the Euroleague American Tour, CSKA Moscow will play the Orlando Magic on October 10. Along with CSKA Moscow, other teams in the Euroleague tour include FC Barcelona and Lietuvos Rytas (from Lithuania), according to ESPN.com. These teams will then go against the Magic, LA Lakers, Toronto Raptors, Golden State Warriors and possibly the LA Clippers.

I personally would love to see this. I try to catch Euroleague games when they show it on NBA TV and find the quick, uptempo style fun to watch. It's also a great opportunity to spot international talent and learn about the players overseas in case they make it to the NBA.

Magic will be first team to offer media guide on a flash drive

Marie — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 22:14:48 -0000

Not exactly breaking or urgent news, but it is a nice innovation. In an attempt to go paperless (for the most part), the Orlando Magic will have their 2008-2009 media guide on a 128MB flash drive.

From the Orlando Sentinel's Etan Horowitz:

The flash drive guides will be available to a select number of season ticket holders for free and they will also be sold for $10 to the general public.

But since most people who want to access the media guide information at a game won't be bringing a computer with them, printed copies of the media guide will also be available for $10.

The flash drive itself looks pretty nice, though standard; it's silver with a Magic logo.

Warriors match Clips offer for Azubuiki

Toddy — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:05:26 -0000

Turns out that the Warriors did in fact match Azubuiki's 3 year deal that the Clippers offered. What does this mean to the Magic? Well according the to the Contra Costa Times, Evans hadnt officially signed yet with the Warriors yet either.

The Riverside Press Enterprise reported [Evans] signed for three years, $6.4 million. But he has not signed the deal, the source said. The numbers were settled on before Evans backed out. Why? You’re right. He wants more money.

So, here’s the deal. If Evans wants too much, the Warriors will match Kelenna Azubuike, who plays the same position. If Evans takes the offer, they will sign him and let Azubuike go to the Clippers, who signed him to the offer sheet for three years and just over $9 million. The Warriors aren’t jumping too much higher, if at all. He certainly won’t be getting the deal Azubuike will. Evans turns 30 in November. Azubu ike turns 25 in December.

This all has to go down by Friday, the Warriors’ deadline for matching Azubuike.

So if the Warriors decide not to pick up Evans, what do you see the Magic doing?

One of the best insiders for the Dallas MAvericks, David Lord at dallasbasketball.com suggest that the Mavs should go after him.

The Mavs could trump Golden State's offer and make him a 25-percent larger offer, with a three-year, $8M deal starting at almost $2.5M, and use Eddie Jones' contract as the match in a sign-and-trade to gain the cap ability to add him.

Why would Orlando cooperate? Orlando – a legit contender in the East - might see Jones as a possible veteran contributor and inexpensive one-year replacement for Evans. (For what it’s worth, in DB.com’s conversations with Jones, he would love to find a way to be nearer his wife and children in Miami.) If that's not incentive enough, a payment of $2M cash along with Jones would clearly give the Magic a no-cost-to-them offer, and anything beyond that (a second-rounder, or more cash) guarantees the Magic something for their trouble even if they don't want Jones.

Given what the Mavs already has at that position, a plethora of SG spares, I dont really see why the Mavs make this move. But I wanted to get see what ya'll thought about this deal above as well.

Poll

From the Magic perspective, would you do the deal proposed with the Dallas Mavericks, the way that David Lord suggests above?

A JJ Redick trade proposal

pookeyguru — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 20:18:03 -0000

Watch out Orlando Magic fans I propose to knock your socks off. Are you waiting for it? (Normally I would just post this in Fanshots and go away, but I would rather fans see this quickly. It is after all a JJ Redick trade proposal.) So with all the hedging, and working to avoid a minimum word count, here goes. Prepare to be blown away.

Mikki Moore for Brian Cook and JJ Redick

Actually, in all honesty, depending on how much the Magic are looking for an active big who screams alot, Moore could fit in. He didn't miss any games last season (or not very many), and is a pretty good outside shooter who can hit that shot with consistency. He does have lobster claws for hands so beware throwing him the ball unless he can catch with the upper half of his body. He doesn't have shot blocking skills or tremendous rebounding ability. Mostly, as I said, he screams alot and can hit the shot from 18 feet. On the other hand, JJ Redick is no real prize either. (Hello, 11th overall? I'm not a Magic fan and I want to slap Otis Smith on that one.)

So what do you think? Feel free to comment in this thread here if you want to peruse the "trade Ron" fest that currently litters StR. There's a poll here if you like those also. Anyway, enjoy your day.

Poll

Would you do Mikki Moore for Brian Cook/JJ Redick?

Orlando Summer League Impressions: Courtney Lee Named to First Team, Marcin Gortat Named to Second Team

erivera7 — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 00:39:53 -0000

John Denton of Florida Today posted his Orlando Summer League impressions yesterday on ESPN. Here's the article:

Courtney Lee (20.2 PPG) was named to the First Team in the Orlando Summer League, as selected by over 2 million viewers of streamed video coverage.

Marcin Gortat (12.8 PPG, 8.6 RPG & 2.4 BPG) was named to the Second Team in the Orlando Summer League. Gortat was especially a force on the defensive end, with games where he had 4 blocks against the Pacers and 3 blocks against the Bulls.

Pretty impressive. Hopefully the good play will carry over to the regular season and each of these guys can make a positive impact in the rotation.

JJ to Philly?

WhatAboutFran — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:31:16 -0000

One of the infinite transgressions that this team has levied against me, is a perpetual inability to develop their young talent. Lets add JJ to that ignominious list and move on. JJ has no future in Orlando. He knows it. The local media know it. The fans know it. And yet, Otis refuses to acknowledge it. Nonetheless, whenever it is that reality hits Otis like a freight train and he comes to his senses, looks at his business card and gets down to doing what hes paid to, lets hope he moves JJ for one of Philly's excess bigs.

The Sixers were one of the worst outside shooting teams in the league and desperately need to add a three point bomber to relieve the pressure on Brand. And we need more bodies inside, since theres no guarantee that Foyle will return for the vet's minimum and Rashard was playing out of position anyway. Philly's got Reggie Evans, Jason Smith and Speights backing up Brand, and thats too many players backing up that position (unless they think Speights can also backup Dalembert at center). If we can get Evans for JJ straight up (with other contracts thrown in for CBA purposes) that would represent fair market value. The Sixers may not want a shooter at 2 since they already have Louis Williams (a combo guard) and Igoudala, plus last year's starter, Willie Greeen. In that case, we should try to move Cook for Reggie Evans. Cook is nominally a big, but hes only there to bomb away from three, a task he failed at monumentally last year, but maybe a change of scenery will do him some good. If Otis can get Speights for JJ and Cook without giving up a first, that would be a major coup.

I don't know what value Bogans has, but he needs to be moved, if for no other reason than to give Lee a real shot at developing.

How Do You Score The East?

erivera7 — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 22:51:46 -0000

I felt this warranted its own discussion, considering how subjective the topic can become. I wrote in a comment a few days ago a rough outlier of how the East will look like next season, in response to the flurry of moves we've been seeing these last few days. To be clear, after Boston & Detroit, my list of teams was in no particular order. I just gave a quick assessment of what I thought each team will bring to the table next season, given a healthy roster and no freak accidents.

So without further ado, I think we can all agree that ...

1.) Boston

2.) Detroit*

After that, the fun begins. Below are a list of teams and a quick assessment of what that team brings to the table in the Eastern Conference. With that said, how do you score it? I'll go in chronological order to avoid confusion ...

Chicago - Add Derrick Rose. Potentially will lose Ben Gordon via trade ... nothing else, though, really changes.

Cleveland - They have LeBron and a full season with Delonte West at the PG helm. Other than that, nothing dramatic has changed for the team.

Miami - Add Michael Beasley & Mario Chalmers. The Heat also add a healthy Dwyane Wade. Whether or not they keep Marion for the full year remains to be seen, but nevertheless, this is a potential playoff team again.

Orlando - We went 52-30 last year and won the Southeast Division. We're going to lose Mo Evans, Keyon Dooling, Carlos Arroyo but we gain Mickael Pietrus, Courtney Lee and possibly Jason Williams (?). For the most part, our roster remains status quo overall.

Philadelphia - Acquired Elton Brand. Adding a perennial 20-10 guy onto an exciting Sixers roster will do wonders for that team. If Louis Williams and Thaddeus Young can continue to progress, this can be a very dangerous team to deal with. Adding Mareese Speights via the Draft, who's proj. PER was 15 (lottery talent according to Hollinger) is impressive as well.

Toronto - Acquired Jermaine O'Neal. Plug him in alongside Chris Bosh and you have a nasty front-court, if it stays healthy. Add in a full season with Jose Calderon at the PG helm and you have a potentially explosive team offensively.

Washington - Retain the Big Three (Arenas/Butler/Jamison). However, the team remains relatively the same. It should be important to note that when the Wizards are fully healthy, this is a potential 50 win team. Bad luck and misfortune hasn't allowed people around the NBA to really see that from Washington. Maybe this year will be different?

Alright, there you go ... how would you score the East (#1-#8)?

*If you think we're better than Detroit, smack yourself in the face. Until we beat that team in the playoffs, I'm giving the six-time Eastern Conference Finalists the benefit of the doubt.

Magic On Verge Of Signing Pietrus

erivera7 — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:58:33 -0000

From the FanPosts. My thoughts to follow. - BQR

Word is the Magic are going to sign Pietrus to the full MLE ... starting at 5.2 Mill. next season.

From the Florida Today ...

'The signing of Pietrus ends the Magic’s chase of free-agent shooting guard Corey Maggette and could end their chances of retaining combo guard Keyon Dooling.

Pietrus is especially appealing to the Magic because of his ability to defend. He is a strong defender with a long wingspan, traits that appealed to Smith. Smith, who used to work with the Golden State Warriors, is quite familiar with Pietrus’ toughness and defensive grit.

Smith said the Magic needed to upgrade their shooting guard position in order to make a dramatic improvement next season. He is expected to be the opening day starter at shooting guard.'

Draft Notes...

WhatAboutFran — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:15:53 -0000

Chad Ford has Speights going to us at 21 in his latest mock draft (released today). Halleluja! I don't know if this is because Speights is falling, or because other players are rising to overtake him, but I would be hella-excited if we take any one of the big men in the 20-30 range over Lee or any of the other swingmen available that low.

Besides Speights, Ibaka looks like a stud down the road and looks like he'll available at 21. He looks like Dwight, and plays like Dwight, but has range out to 18--so he could play with Dwight at the 4.

I hope Otis doesnt pick Lee or any other wing (unless its Rush), just because we have a need. Or even worse, pick a guard becaue Keyon might be bolting for free agency. Although his recent words about the issue do not sound promising. Backup points arent hard to find in FA. Heck, we might even resign Carlos at 2-3 mil a year in the worst case scenario. For whatever reason though, this draft has a lot of promising bigs--Speights, Hickson, Ibaka and even Ajinca and Jawai available at 20 and beyond.

About Otis

WhatAboutFran — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:35:07 -0000

I really don't get all the adulation bestowed on him. He passed on Granger and Brewer for Vasquez and Redick. And he compounded the Granger mistake by foolishly giving Rashard 116 mil. Everyone knows that the nature of NBA contracts places a premium on drafting above all else--you can occasionally pick up a disgruntled franchise player, and a few key rotation players through FA, but, by and large, your core comes from the draft. So imagine if we were starting Dwight, Granger, Hedo, Brewer and Jameer--with a lot more cap space as well.

Jameer was a nice pick up late in the 04 draft, but Dwight was, from all accounts of his workout, a no-brainer. So really, Otis' biggest (read: only) draft accomplishment is being part of the group that traded for Jameer in 04.

Seriously, was I the only one screaming obscenities at the TV when Stern announced the Vasquez and Redick picks?

I'm not categorically denouncing Otis here. He's not the worst gm in the league, but he's not in the same conversation as Buford/Popovich, West (in his Laker days) or Morey in Houston. Even newcomers like Sam Presti in Seattle managed to turn a Rashard Lewis trade exception into 3 first rounders. And the most reviled GM of the last few years not named Isaiah--that would be Mitch Kupchak--redeemed himself with his smart drafting, getting guys like Bynum, Turiaf and Farmar. Though he missed on the Butler for Kwame trade, he turned Kwame into Gasol, which more than makes up for it.

Perhaps we should start looking at Otis more critically, instead of lavishing him with the sort of blind praise the rest of the Central Florida media does. After all, when you mortgage the franchise's financial flexibility for the next half-decade for a guy who turns out to be the third--and on some nights fourth--best player on your team, you should not be getting a free pass.

Possible Picks We Could Trade Up For

WhatAboutFran — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 18:34:41 -0000

Portland: Are looking for a veteran point and have too many young players to benefit much from the 13th pick. Rudy Fernandez is, supposedly, the next Ginobili. If he's even half as good, Fernandez, the 13th (for Westbrook) and their top 2nd round pick for Jameer would be awesome. We would probably have to add something to appease Portland, like a pick. Not to mention taking a likely crappy contract in return to make the salaries match.

Indiana: Need help everywhere except the 3 (they have that Granger guy we passed on). We may be able to swipe their pick and Dunleavy for Hedo--Dunleavy plays like Turk anyway, and is 2 years younger. With his breakout season last year, he may well continue improving. It appears that Love is going much higher in the lottery, so he's probably out of the question at Indiana's position. But someone is likely going to fall between Gordon and Westbrook, and either would be great. Even Arthur wouldnt be a reach at their position.

Phoenix: Hope against hope against hope that they fall in love with Redick and take him straight up for the 15th (Rush). Can we get Redick on the next flight to Phoenix for private workouts at the Suns facility. Or we could just setup a backyard hoop in their office parking lot and have him shoot 25 footers in front of Kerr's office.

New York: in Seven Seconds or Less, D'Antoni talks about his love for Hedo. If only Isaiah were still in charge, we could probably get 3 first rounders and Lee for Turk. Alas, with Donnie Walsh, we're likely not to get that much, but theres no doubt D'Antoni loves him, and even with the Dolan's deep pockets, I'm sure Walsh is looking to acquire cheaper players who are more in line with the run and gun philosophy (so Curry and Randolph are out). Two firsts and Randolph for Turk and a sign and trade w/ Arroyo would work for both teams. The Knick's draft position opens the door to pretty much everyone outside the big two in the draft. And if you think Randolph isnt worth 13 mil for his black hole game, you're right. But he's still young, can hit 18 footers if Dwight gets doubled, is the most offensively talented big in the eastern conference not named Garnett or Rasheed Wallace, and he would be awesome anchoring the second unit. Walsh probably balks at paying 2 firsts and Randolph for Turk, but with D'Antoni on board, Randolph's value is severely depressed for NY and conversely, Turk's value skyrockets in their new offense.

NY actually presents a lot of intriguing trade possibilities because of the number of expiring contracts they possess, the Dolan's inclination to spend money and their future first rounders. If Rashard starts lukewarm next year and looks he's breaking down, we may be able to move him to NY for Marbury's expiring deal.

Need at Power Forward

tssbro — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:51:23 -0000

I am a long time BlazerEdger and I have decided to check out some of these other NBA blogs and maybe get a broader base of what is realistic for trade talks. I noticed Magic fans seem to be talking about the need for a power forward in a few of the posts on your site.

How realistic (and I know the sign and trade aspect of the deal would make it a bit tougher in reality) is the idea of a trade with the Blazers for Dooling? Channing Frye might fit your needs at PF and the Blazers would include Steve Blake or Jarrett Jack to match salaries depending on what Dooling is going to sign for and/or which one the Magic are interested in to replace what Dooling brings to the court. The Blazers could even throw in one of those second round picks the Magic are allegedly interested in to make the deal work if they needed to.

What are your thoughts on Dooling and the Blazer players? Is this a trade that could benefit both teams or am overvaluing or undervaluing what Dooling contibutes to the Magic's success?

Poll

Frye, Blake or Jack, and Second Round pick (either 33 or 36) for Dooling...

Magic Draft Board V2

Eyriq the Red — Fri, 16 May 2008 22:31:22 -0000

Former Lottery Picks/Developing Players:

J.J. Redick SG; F. Vasquez F/C; M. Gortat C

Redick either needs to be given a chance to play or be traded. He fits in with what the Magic want to do offensively, just not defensively.Fran is struggling over in Spain and wants to come over. He has a power game that we need and the athleticism to really pay off, he needs to just come over already. Gortat has shown flashes and looks to be on the rise, most likely continuing in Foyle's role next year.

Magic Needs:

The Magic look to lose possibly seven players this off season, including 4 players from the back court. So really they need a lot of everything, and with the 22cd pick you are usually lucky to find a rotation player, so lets not be picky. That being said, the two positions I see the greatest need is at the 2 and the 4. Also, due to the style of play and what was lacking from those positions this year, I think a slasher at the 2 would be great, as well as a banger at the 4. So from that perspective, lets begin.

Draft Board 1-30

*These opinions are from both what I've read and seen. Enjoy!

Derrick Rose PG: No knock on Nelson, but thinking of Rose paired with Howard is too good to pass up.
Michael Beasley F: Is an inside/outside threat offensively with three point range that can defend two positions, rebound well, and really get up and down the court. Would be tremendous next to D12.
O.J. Mayo SG: Has great handles and is a prolific scorer. He would give the Magic the slasher they crave. Also plays great D. Has super star written all over him.
Brook Lopez C: Is an inside/outside threat with range out to 18 feet. Plays good D though not a dominant rebounder. That's ok, we have Dwight.
Eric Gordan SG: This guy can shoot, drive, and dish, though still needs to refine his skills a bit. Can create his own shot and create for others. Also plays good defense. Will be a star.
Anthony Randolph F: Is in inside/outside threat with range out to 15 feet. Very explosive, can rebound and block shots. Very quick and athletic.
Kevin Love C/F: This guy has crazy skills that would fit in perfect on this team. Great passer, great hands, great inside/outside game, high IQ. Lack of athleticism and mobility are the only concerns.
Darrell Arthur F: He is long and smooth and can block shots and rebound well. Also can defend both forward spots. Has an inside/outside game.
Kosta Koufos C: Has a good inside/outside game, long and good shot blocker and rebounder. Probably the best prospect for the 5 outside of Brook Lopez.
Marreese Speights C/F: The first and best banger on this board. Good back to the basket game. Is a terror on the glass and on defense.
DeAndre Jordan C: Explosive in the Dwight mold, rebounds and blocks shots with the best of them. His offense to this point is the dunk.
Nicolas Batum SG: Great defender, shooter, and finisher. Has a smooth game all around. Will be a star.
Russell Westbrook G: I really like him. He is quick and explosive, finishes well at the basket and has a good shot. Also defends well.
Jerryd Bayless G: Looks to be a lethal scorer with play making skills. Very quick and athletic, can get where ever he wants to on the court.
Danilo Gallinari SF: Looks to be a lot like Hedo Turkeglu, so nothing wrong with that. Can shoot and dribble with a point forward mindset. Should be a good player.
Chase Budinger SG: He is a big, explosive swingman that can shoot lights out and he rebounds the position well. His height, shooting, and rebounding make me think he would fit in great here, though he is not the slasher/creator type.
Chris Douglas-Roberts SG: He has really started to grow on me. His ability to handle the ball and get to the basket would be god send for this team at the 2 guard spot. Has a good shot but is more adept at creating off the dribble or finishing at the hoop.
D.J. Augustine PG: Really reminds me of another Nelson. Can be a great starter for a team in this league, as he shoots well and looks to get his teammates involved.
Donte Green F: Has a very, very sweet offensive game. Can rebound and really jump. While he can play both the 3 and 4, is probably better suited at the 3.
Bill Walker SG: He has handles and freakish athleticism, even after coming back from two torn ACL's. Shoots the ball extremely well. His upside is enough to warrant overlooking his injury history at this spot.
Brandon Rush SG: He is long and athletic and shoots the ball well. He can defend well and will fit in with the team as he does not look to take the game over.
Robin Lopez C/F: The next banger off the board, Robin is an excellent defender and rebounder. Struggles on offensive though.
J.J. Hickson PF: Good inside/outside game, plays good D and rebounds and blocks shots. Very athletic.
Richard Hendrix PF: Yet another banger. Good on the glass, plays D, and can rebound. Developing some range.
Joey Dorsey PF: A Ben Wallace clone? He is already there offensively...
Joe Alexander SF: Another point forward? He has all the skills to be one. Very athletic with a good touch around the rim and with the long ball. Terrific player.
Alexis Ajinca PF: Another soft yet skilled Euro big man? Has like a 7 foot 8 wingspan, which is sick. Can rebound, block shots, and shoot really well. He looked good when I saw him play.
Mario Chalmers PG: A even better back up to Nelson than Augustine? He can hit the three, defend, and run a team. Looked great in that final game, did he not?
Wayne Ellington SG: Can shoot lights out and get to the rim and finish. I think he is a gifted player and will be a sleeper in this draft.
JaVale McGee C/F: Plays facing the basket. Has long arms and good athleticism, and can rebound and block shots well.

Great Job

SeanDubbs — Wed, 14 May 2008 19:26:29 -0000

Hey Ben Q. Great job with the site this season. A lot of us over at DRaysbay were praising your efforts and you even received one "underrated" endorsement.

Hopefully the Magic's success will draw more readers to the site during the offseason and into the regular season next year.

Keep up the good work!

I need 20 more words and don't really have anything else left to say.I need 20 more words and don't really have anything else left to say.

SBN News and Notes for May 13th

Ben Q Rock — Tue, 13 May 2008 22:28:15 -0000

Site- and network-related announcements:

The tech wizards who created SBN 2.0 just installed a new search feature on all the sites. You can find the search field in the right sidebar. Here's a sample query. As you can see, the improved program searches posts as well as comments. You can expand your search to include every SBN basketball blog or the entire SBN brand of sites. Also check out the spiffy "Power Search" tool, which lets you get super-specific with your requests. So, in case you're curious, here's every post I wrote between January 1st and February 1st which contains the word "Redick"
I'm pleased to welcome the two newest members to SB Nation's basketball network of sites: SLC Dunk (a Utah Jazz blog; formerly Basketball John and At the Hive (a New Orleans Hornets blog; formerly hosted by Wordpress.)

Tipoff's in just a half hour. Enjoy the game.

Dwight Howard Makes All-Defensive Second Team

Ben Q Rock — Mon, 12 May 2008 20:42:22 -0000

There's plenty of beastliness in the above Dwight Howard highlight reel, including several blocked shots.

A few days after earning All-NBA First Team honors, Magic center Dwight Howard learned today that the NBA's coaches named him to the All-Defensive Second team. He joins Chris Paul, Raja Bell, Shane Battier, and Tayshaun Prince on that team. Kobe Bryant, Bruce Bowen, Kevin Garnett, Tim Duncan, and Marcus Camby made the All-Defensive First Team.

Magic/Pistons Game Four: Notes from the Stands

Ben Q Rock — Sun, 11 May 2008 22:56:40 -0000

A few assorted notes from the game on Saturday:

Pregame
- Spotted outside the arena before the game: a Magic fan wearing a black Otis Smith replica jersey. I salute you, sir.
- Magic community ambassador Nick Anderson milled about the Magic's side of the court during the shootaround. On his way back into the locker room after presenting a plaque to a community member, Anderson took a three-pointer from the left corner. Swish.
- Among the standard Pistons jerseys (Hamilton, Billups, Wallace) in the arena, there were not a few throwbacks: Bill Lambier, Rick Mahorn, and Isiah Thomas, to name a few. One gentleman in my section had a vintage Pistons championship t-shirt from when they won back-to-back championships in the early 90s. The back read, "Back-2-Back! Hammer Time!"
- Tiger Woods sat courtside, as he has several times this season. This time, he stayed until the game ended.
Halftime
- A group of jump-roping geniuses called The Chicago Boys provided the entertainment. The stuff they did defies all description.
- Adonal Foyle took his share of three-pointers. He banked two in from halfcourt.
- Simon the Music Guy has had better nights. Seriously, there's no excuse for playing a contemporary cover of Modern English's "I Melt With You," especially not when the original is available.
- Chuck Daly, who coached both the Pistons and the Magic in his Hall-of-Fame career, was in the building. When the Magic's video operator showed him on the JumboTron, a few Pistons fans around me shouted his name.
Postgame
- On the north side of the arena, as fans walked to their cars, a live musician played "Old Time Rock-and-Roll" by Bob Seger. Seger is a Detroit native and even attended Game Two in Detroit. Not the best time to play that song, nope.
- Cases upon cases of a fizzy fruit beverage were available for free. From afar, the cans looked like the ones for Dr. Pepper, so I was a bit disappointed when I discovered they were not. I'll let you know how it tastes.

Magic spend the night in Cincy

Marie — Tue, 06 May 2008 16:48:54 -0000

From Sports Illustrated.com via the Associated Press:

The Orlando Magic's flight from Detroit to Orlando was diverted because of a mechanical problem.

Team spokesman Joel Glass says the plane landed in Cincinnati as a precaution late Monday.

No one was injured and the team was expected to arrive in Orlando today. Just add more complications to a series that is already looking bleak for the Magic.

Full article (it's very short) here .

Back again to 3-1

pieful35 — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 16:11:15 -0000

Just started thinking about the last time the Magic were up 3-1 in a series. In that NBA:

where Me-Mac decided it felt good to finally get to the second round happened

where the NBA had (IN MID SEASON) changed the first round from five to seven games out of fear that the lakers and kings (top draw at the time) would meet in the first round happened

where a little used bench player shut down t-mac and became an all-star happened

where 31L, 15L and 15L happened

where one team went on to win a championship and consectutive eastern finals happened

where the other team loses 19 in a row and hires john weisbrod happened

where I can't believe they drafted howard over okafor happened

and now:

where it feels good to be up 3-1, but there's still work to do