On Sunday the Toronto Raptors hosted a former player and tonight will be no different. Both former Raptors help the team reach the play offs. Public enemy number one, Vince Carter and the Orlando Magic were in town over the weekend and showed Toronto how a team goes about finishing a game. At one point the Raptors led by double digits only to see Carter heat up in the second half and lead his team to the 106-94 win. It’s pretty evident why the Magic traded for Carter, making Hedu Turkoglu expendable. Carter had 18 points in the second half when his team was down. Turkoglu had 4 points (all on free throws), two missed lay ups, and three fouls in the fourth quarter when his team was trailing and needed a spark.
Tonight the Raps welcome TJ Ford and the Indiana Pacers to the ACC. Ford was in the middle of the guard controversy in Toronto when team president Brian Colangelo chose Jose Calderone to be his man. Ford was traded to the Pacers and the rest is history. There’s more six degrees of separation between the Raps and Pacers. Jarrett Jack and Rasho Nesterovic were in Indiana last season. Nesterovic was part of the Ford trade. Pacer’s centre Roy Hibbert was drafted by Toronto, but was included in the Ford deal as well. Jermaine O’Neal, who ended up in TO as part of the trade, has since been jettisoned to Miami. Indiana comes into this game losers of their last three, but they sit a half game ahead of Toronto in the East. For the Raptors, tonight is the first of a back-to-back games. Tomorrow night they welcome the Charlotte Bobcats. A W tonight and tomorrow would go a long way. Their next six opponents include Boston, Phoenix, Atlanta, Chicago and Washington (twice).
Jack started last season as Ford’s back up, but eventually took the starters spot from the former Rap.
“As part of the club’s 15th anniversary celebrations, the Raptors are hoping to honour, of all people, Vince Carter on Nov. 22 when Orlando returns.
”Everybody wants to know how we can do it, but Vince is part of the history here,” GM Bryan Colangelo told the Orlando Sentinel. “Most of the people that he had problems with here are gone.”
Fans who love to bash Vinsanity may differ.”
Personally, I think they should do something, but I’m not certain the fans will really allow it. But seriously, people, can we really not celebrate the best player (by far) in our franchise history? At some point, just let it go. The majority of my best basketball memories involve Vince, and he took the team farther than it’s ever gone.
There’s a lot going on right now – Hockey season’s in full swing, with basketball just around the corner. Meanwhile, we’re starting to get a clearer look at the NFL picture, while just two teams remain in Major League Baseball. Locally, things aren’t pretty, but there’s plenty to talk about.
Are the Toronto Maple Leafs awful, unlucky, or both? It’s a little confusing when you watch them play, but that third period on Saturday night summed up their season nicely. Even when the effort is there, and it was, there simply aren’t enough finishers up front. Sure, Ron Wilson, blame Luongo’s stellar play… Have you noticed that most goalies seem to be on their “A” game against Toronto? Reminds me of Raptors fans justifying the outside shooting of an opponent – “Come on, Shane Battier will never go 7/8 from three-point land again”… If something happens enough, it’s time to look in the mirror.
That being said, Phil Kessel will help. The cynic will say there’s nobody to get him the puck, but the guy can score. Toronto had plenty of chances to even the score on Saturday, but lack a sniper to get the job done. Speaking of Kessel, let’s talk about the No. 1 pick fiasco. The trade looks horrible right now, but is it? Yes, the Leafs may end up with the first pick in next year’s draft, but it’s still quite possible to move up. In any case, there’s absolutely no guarantee Burke lands a young player with as much potential as Kessel. And really, that’s all the draft is. That first round pick is an imaginary player – If Burke still had the pick and used it on this year’s Phil Kessel, what’s the difference? He’s young, great, and locked up. The GM was certainly banking on a better season from his team, but it’s still possible to view the trade with the glass half full.
Who wins first – The Leafs or the Raptors? I’ll say the Raps win on Friday in Memphis, so it’ll be tight.
Speaking of the Toronto Raptors, their first month could be pretty miserable. Games against Cleveland, Orlando, Detroit, New Orleans, San Antonio, Chicago, Dallas, Phoenix, Denver and Utah would be tough for anybody, and especially a team that still hasn’t gelled whatsoever. I’m not saying it’s time to panic – Quite the contrary, actually… But reasonable fans should expect to get killed in at least a few of the early contests. Toronto showed very few signs of improvement throughout the preseason, and going 5-10 out of the gate shouldn’t surprise anyone. The playoffs are still attainable, but the start will be rough. If the team improves, there will be plenty of time to right the ship.
Despite Frank Zicarelli’s objection, it’s the right call to start DeMar DeRozan. I really think Frank has it completely wrong on this one – He talks about hiding rookies, but the second unit is no place for this. The Raptors backups are having enough trouble scoring and it makes no sense to give DeRozan that responsibility. Instead, let the kid do what he’s been doing – filling the lane, cutting to the hoop, and getting to the line. The starting unit is filled with scoring, meaning DeRozan will get his without having plays run for him. It’s the perfect spot to get him minutes, and it’s not like anybody else has earned them. Antoine Wright? Please, you don’t earn minutes by sitting on the bench, especially when you’ve accomplished next to nothing in this league.
More important than the starting lineup is the finishing lineup. Right now, I’d say the Raps end games with a lineup of Jose Calderon, Jarrett Jack, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Obviously, it’s somewhat dependant on the situation.
Vince Carter is going to have a huge year for the Orlando Magic. Huge.
What happened to the Miami Dolphins yesterday? As well as New Orleans played in the second half, it was perplexing to watch Miami abandon their game plan. This team is built on running, but insisted on throwing with a huge lead. It made absolutely no sense, and ended in disaster. On the other side of the ball, the Saints continued to prove they are among football’s elite.
On the other hand, the New York Giants had every opportunity to beat Arizona, but insisted on handing the game to the Cardinals. Last week, it was the defense. This week, it was the offense. Tom Coughlin has to get them ready for a tough Eagles squad before the wheels completely fall off.
I hate the Dallas Cowboys, but Tony Romo is a very good quarterback. It’s ridiculous what people say about him, despite the way he carries that offense. Nobody is a “winner” until they win. Peyton couldn’t win in the playoffs, until he did. Same goes for Eli. One of these years, a whole lot of people will be eating crow with regards to Romo.
Troy Polamalu completely changes the Steelers defense. They were average in his absence, and beastly in his return.
How depressing is this world series matchup for Cleveland Indians fans? The starting pitchers for Game 1 – CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee – both played for the Indians last season. At least they still have LeBron James… for now.
As for Philadelphia vs New York, it’s too close to call. Two powerful lineups, two good pitching staffs. The series goes six or seven.
My “wows” for the week go to Anze Kopitar, Vernon Davis, Alex Rodriguez and Ryan Howard.
Bryan Colangelo has done the impossible for the Toronto Raptors.
The GM, who many fans had begun to question, pulled an unbelievable move late Wednesday. From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
“The Dallas Mavericks have reached agreement to acquire Shawn Marion in a sign-and-trade deal with the Toronto Raptors, league sources said Wednesday.
The Mavericks and Raptors recruited the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies to help facilitate the deal. The Raptors will get Hedo Turkoglu in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic rather than signing him outright. They also will receive forwards Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks.
Marion will receive a five-year, $40 million contract from the Mavericks.
Stackhouse will go to the Grizzlies, who will waive him. Only $2 million of Stackhouse’s $7 million contract for next season is guaranteed. The Grizzlies will receive cash, likely $3 million, to participate in the trade.”
Toronto, which gets to keep its midlevel salary-cap exception, sends a trade exception to Orlando. The Mavericks also will receive forward Kris Humphries from the Raptors.”
Bruce Arthur of the National Post has more details:
“Toronto has regained eligibility for the league’s two exceptions to the salary cap. That opens up slots of US$5.854-million and US$1.99-million, which could be used to significantly bolster the team’s battered depth. This is a remarkable coup for Toronto, which was looking to re-sign shooting guard Anthony Parker and swingman Carlos Delfino, and also looking at Denver’s Linas Kleiza, but was up against the cap after agreeing to a five-year, US$53-million deal with Turkoglu, who will now apparently join the team in a sign-and-trade with Orlando, which will receive a trade exception in return.
Now, the Raptors have conjured up extra money to spend.”
This trade is amazing if you’re a Raptors fan. To sum up the reasons:
The Raps now have almost $8 million to spend between their two exceptions. This is huge – Fans were already dealing with the fact that Toronto was pretty much done signing players, having maxed out with Turkoglu and with no exceptions. Now we’ll see how BC spends it.
The Raps lose Humphrey’s salary and take on two expiring contracts in George and Wright. Hump’s deal lasted two more years and this clears immediate space for next summer, or can act as potential trade bait later.
Wright can start at shooting guard if DeRozan isn’t ready…and that’s a distinct possibility.
This trade was great even without the exceptions – To have that makes it simply unbelievable. As Aurthur writes,
“Now, the Raptors can go shopping in a buyer’s market, even if Parker is off the table. What started as a slow off-season for Toronto has turned into a bold series of moves that have the potential to transform the Raptors from 33-win also-ran to playoff contender. Somewhere, Bryan Colangelo should take a bow.”
NHL exhibition schedule comes out tomorrow. Always exciting ( ). This time with so many new faces, it may actually be. So many players, so few jobs, could be interesting. Also perhaps the Buds have a couple of surprises for the loyal fans….
I am not sure if anyone saw this, I know I didn’t but it’s a great quick clip of the Monster’s trip to Toronto. If others had shown it I apologize, I didn’t see it. It’s awesome- check out the wicked shirt Cliff is wearing!
It’s kind of fascinating to see how the folks in Dallas are reacting to the Monster’s selection of Toronto over Dallas. Couple of intersting articles on that subject today, any Stars fans reading this feel free to chime in on what’s real and what’s, well you know….:
First, the NY Times:
“In today’s Dallas Morning News there is an article headlined “Swedish Goalie’s Snub Stings Dallas Stars.” In it, The Morning News’s Mike Heika tells of anger and disappointment among Dallas hockey fans, and blame pointed at the new G.M. Joe Nieuwendyk. “The shine was off the apple for many Stars fans,” Heika writes, “who littered message boards with doubts about where Nieuwendyk is steering this ship.” Such a reaction is nothing short of astonishing. Even if they were not aware of the admiring comments Gustavsson had made about Toronto and the Leafs in the weeks leading up to his decision, how much chance did Stars fans think there really was for a Swedish player of Gustavsson’s caliber to choose Dallas over Toronto?”
First and foremost let me say one thing, and I don’t mean to be condescending at all, if Dallas fans are pissed that the Monster didn’t sign there, I think that is awesome. No, really, I think it’s hard enough in non-traditional markets to get people excited about players who are there, if folks are pissed about those who aren’t than that is terriffic. I am not going to shit on Dallas as a market, that’s not what this is about. I think it’s great that people there care about a relatively unknown prospect(outside of Toronto anyways). I also think that it’s great that fans are upset with Nieuwendyk for not landing him, for the same reason. Maybe it’s too harsh, but hell I can tell you a lot of hockey markets where the fans don’t care what the hell the GM does or doesn’t do! Personally, I don’t think you make that quick a judgment on the guy but….
“Just as important, there is the question of the elephant in the Dallas Stars’ room: their owner, Tom Hicks, is on the verge of financial meltdown. He took out hundreds of millions in loans that he has been unable to repay to buy half of Liverpool F.C., and now he must take league handouts to meet payroll for his baseball team, the Texas Rangers. Two weeks ago Hicks shut down his sports marketing company, and although he says he intends to keep operating the Stars and their rink, what aspiring player would voluntarily choose to enter so uncertain an economic situation?”
I am not entirely sure that Jonas could have cared less about that. I mean his agent may have, but does a 24 year old actually take that into consideration?
“Gustavsson is a different case altogether. He is already an iconic figure in Sweden, the “Monster” whose flawless netminding led Färjestad to first place in the Elitserien and the playoff championship. He is a big star, looking for a place to be a bigger star. And a hockey player seeking that kind of spotlight goes to a city like Toronto.”
I would love to believe that, but history certainly doesn’t show that. Hell, ask the press in this town where people want to sign and it isn’t Toronto.
“That’s why Gustavsson nixed San Jose fairly early in the bidding process; it didn’t feel to him like that much of a hockey locale (Ontarian Brian Campbell felt the same way after he was dealt there from Buffalo and got out after only four months). And Gustavsson found Colorado in complete organizational disarray, having just fired the entire management and coaching staffs. That left the Stars and Maple Leafs, and when Gustavsson’s Dallas suitors trotted him out to a Texas Rangers baseball game and had him throw the first pitch, that probably sealed it. Ten to one he went back to his hotel room for a Web search of airfares, Stockholm-to-Pearson Airport.”
Now clearly I am an idiot. I didn’t see the forest but for the trees. I asked where the Leafs were going to take Jonas and whom they were going to have meet with him when in fact Burke had the right plan, stick to hockey. The kid wants to play hockey the other shit isn’t going to matter.
“Back in Sweden, everyone was clamoring for Gustavsson to join the Leafs. In the Stockholm daily Aftonbladet on June 28, columnist Mats Wennerholm wrote an article whose promo blurb went like this: “The choice is simple, Jonas: in Toronto, you can become immortal. I would not hesitate a second. It’s the perfect club.”
I don’t doubt the opinions where there, again I don’t think they played any factor at all in his decision. The times goes on more about the financial problems of Hicks and how that is going to make like tough on Joe N. That may be true, but, and call me naive I just don’t see that as a deciding factor in Jonas’s decision.
Now Dallas’s own color commentater Daryl Reaugh had this to offer on his blog:
“But lets get back to the unsubstantiated feedback I’ve dug up in regards to the Stars courtship of Mr. Gustavsson. (TMZ has nothing on me) Word has it that he wanted to come to Dallas. His girlfriend and the Stars Fabian Brunnstrom’s squeeze are best friend’s. The organization, as we all know, is top notch. The goals are championship ones. The city is vibrant. The climate is terrific (except maybe in late July and August). And the opportunity going forward would have been his for the taking. However, now days the player doesn’t always make the final decision. Agents and “representatives” carry a lot of weight. Many of them have their clients best interests at heart, but also their own. Perhaps his reps saw hockey-mad Toronto as a better location for all involved – including themselves? Perhaps.”
Now, this is entirely plausible. Again, I am not buying it. Jonas took a long time. I know, I wrote too many posts about his decision. The tour, the meetings, the times, the waiting. I think he did this on his own and I think he had his own reasons. Agents may give advice and may make suggestions. However a good agent wouldn’t push a kid like this. That’s how you end up with no clients. Push a kid in his first deal and you won’t do his second. The player is the boss, the agent works for the player and not vise versa. Could I be wrong? Of course.
As I am writing this i see the Raptors have pulled off a trade, from the good folks at Yahoo Sports:
“The Mavericks and Raptors recruited the Orlando Magic and Memphis Grizzlies to help facilitate the deal. The Raptors will get Hedo Turkoglu in a sign-and-trade deal with the Magic rather than signing him outright. They also will receive forwards Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks.
Marion will receive a five-year, $40 million contract from the Mavericks.
Stackhouse will go to the Grizzlies, who will waive him. Only $2 million of Stackhouse’s $7 million contract for next season is guaranteed.
Toronto sends a trade exception to Orlando. The Mavericks also will receive forward Kris Humphries from the Raptors.”
DL will have coverage in the am.
So let me get this straight, Steve McNair’s girlfriend killed him (allegedly), his wife didn’t know about it and Lenny Dykstra’s gone bust. I mean really. REALLY!!! What the hell is this world coming to? You know what I say, collectively speaking no dumber animal on the planet than the professional athlete!
Jeff Blair has some good insight tonight on trading Roy:
“The cold reality is that Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay is the face of an injury-riddled team with a .500 record. He’s owed about $20-million through 2010 by a franchise with the sixth-lowest attendance in the major leagues this season. And so, general manager J.P. Ricciardi is listening to offers for baseball’s premier workhorse starting pitcher. In fact, he already started listening before saying so publicly. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim GM Tony Reagins sounded out Ricciardi about Halladay’s availability before the weekend, according to the Los Angeles Times. Ricciardi’s statements to the media came as no surprise to Halladay.”
This is no shocker. Releasing of BJ is no shocker either. JP inherited albatross contracts and he will leave the next GM with the same thing. To those who love JP, I promise this, if, when he trades Roy he includes either Vernon Wells or Alex Rios in the deal or both then he will have done a great job. If he can’t trade Roy and get a shitload he is a shitload!
“The dream is over. The club has an interim president and chief executive officer (Paul Beeston), ownership that no longer operates on the whim of one man (the late Ted Rogers) and a more corporate M.O. than before. The club faces a revenue crunch this year and going forward, will be saddled by the lengthy and expensive contracts given to under-performing outfielders Vernon Wells and Alex Rios. In addition, while the Jays cut loose relief pitcher B.J. Ryan yesterday, they owe him the remainder of $12-million in 2009 salary and another $10-million next year. Ricciardi must be thinking about moving third baseman Scott Rolen – whose trade value hasn’t been this high in years – as well as Halladay. Wells and Rios could only be dealt to a panicked and well-heeled buyer (hello there, Omar Minaya). Whether Ricciardi is the guy you’d want to make a big deal is moot – a Halladay transaction would owe as much to the input of assistant general managers Alex Anthopoulos and Tony LaCava. The guess here is manager Cito Gaston gets a say, and in that case third baseman Howie Kendrick would come to Toronto in any deal with the Angels.”
These are the dark days for this franchise folks. Blair is painting an ugly picture. Maybe that is why he has taken on other beats other than the Jays!
Insert tv sitcom joke here:
“Tyler Bozak, Christian Hanson and Viktor Stalberg thought they had seen the last of living in a college dormitory after they each decided to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs two months ago. But the three 23 year olds have agreed to live in a similar arrangement this summer. On June 1, the top three Toronto prospects moved into a west-end apartment near the Leafs’ practice facility in order to diligently prepare for their first pro season.The idea of the three spending the summer together in Toronto to train under the watchful eye of the NHL team was hatched by the Leafs’ brass. The three youngsters were more than willing to partake in the plan, but rather than living alone, they decided to band together and share living quarters. The average day for the three includes an early morning workout with new Leafs strength and conditioning coach Anthony Belza, and they undergo constant counselling on the proper nutrition. In fact, Bozak and Hanson – with the other prospects at the camp – watched a firsthand cooking display by a chef the other day at the Air Canada Centre. “Of course, we learned about the right foods to eat, but I also learned that it doesn’t take that long to prepare a meal that is good for you,” Bozak said. “I may not be able to chop an onion as quickly as the chef did, but I can get it down to a few minutes.” The three have the afternoons and evenings off to become accustomed to their new surroundings. Bozak and Stalberg are avid golfers, joined a club in nearby Milton and often the pair of five handicappers find themselves engaged in competitive matches against one another. (Stalberg admitted he hasn’t beaten Bozak on many occasions).”
Cue the laugh roll! That gem also from the Globe and Mail.
Recognize that face? Neither did I. How about the name Adnan Virk? Neither do I .
Anyways, MLSE has hired Adnan Virk as “new co-host the pregame shows for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors and Toronto FC home games on Leafs TV, Raptors NBA TV and GOLTV. In addition to reporting duties on the three television networks, Virk will also become a blogger on the teams’ websites.”
This from the release for those who don’t know his work:
“His passion for sports and knowledge of sports combined with his energy and sense of humour will be a great asset for our broadcast team and our audiences.”
Virk began his broadcast career in 1998 behind the scenes at TSN as an associate producer. His first move in front of the camera came in 2002 on OMNI Television as host of Bollywood Boulevard and Omniculture.
Most notably, Virk is known for his on-air work on The Score network, where he began working in 2003 as an anchor, reporter and show host.
He has hosted numerous sports shows on The Score including NBA Court Surfing and Courtside, as well as NFL Instant Replay and NFL Blitz. Virk has also co-anchored the The Score Update and The Score in the Morning.
Most recently, Virk covered the 2009 NCAA Final Four, the Final Series at Yankee Stadium, the 2008 Masters Championship and the 2008 NBA Quarterfinal Playoff Series between the Toronto Raptors and the Orlando Magic. ”
Moles tell TSM that his departure from TSN was rather abrupt and he left the Score after many of his shows were canceled (not necessarily as a reflection of his work).
In any event, the bar has not beenset very hard at MLSE on the broadcast side, I look forward to seeing a new face and hearing what he has to add.
In case you missed it, LeBron James left the building quickly last night, without congratulating the Orlando Magic, and without speaking to reporters. He’s being called out by plenty of people, including Doug Smith of the Toronto Star:
“I know defeat stings and failing to meeting expectations has to hurt more than anything you can imagine to a great athlete like LeBron James but the way he handled himself at the end of the game, well, it sucks.
Blowing off the media is one thing – although it’s out of character for him, and he sure seemed to be around every other time anyone ever wanted to talk to him, after wins or losses or at halftime or pre-game.
But to not walk down the court, or even stay on the court to congratulate the Magic? That’s just wrong.
A quick handshake, maybe a quick hug, maybe a word of congratulations to Dwight Howard, a former Olympic teammate. Something.
But nothing? Nothing’s bush league and James is better than that.
I’m sure he’ll get a pass, his teammates were giving him one post-game if you believe the stuff in this story, but we shouldn’t in my opinion.
Yes, you can love his skills and we all do. But no, you cannot excuse the way he handled himself in defeat.
Maybe you do learn more about people in defeat than in victory. ”
I agree that it would be nice to see LeBron face the music. He is front and centre after wins, and he loves to be the centre of attention at any other time. Still, it’s almost refreshing to see an athlete care this much, as opposed to the love-fest we often see on NBA courts these days. I did catch LeBron giving Dwight Howard a subtle low-five late in the game, and I’m sure we will hear from James in the coming days.
The question remains, though – Was LeBron disrespectful? Unsportsmanlike? Neither?
Adding Rafer Alston at the trade deadline was huge for the Magic.
The Orlando Magic is having a fantastic season, building on last yearís success and riding an improved defense towards what could be a 60-win campaign. However, itís reasonable to wonder if Orlando is hitting a wall, after losing six of 14 games in February, a record that might have been .500 for the month had it not been for a great comeback against the Sixers Saturday night.
The Magic is firmly entrenched in first place in the Southeast Division, and isnít really being challenged for third overall in the Eastern Conference, but with Cleveland not slowing down, Orlando is slipping a bit further away from the Cavs and is not gaining on Boston, either. Is this a legitimate contender? The talent is definitely there, but is this team tough enough to go deep in the playoffs? Thatís the big question facing the Magic as the season winds down.
Adding Rafer Alston at the deadline was a stroke of genius, plugging a big hole left by the injured Jameer Nelson. Hedo Turkoglu is starting to play more like the man who was the NBAís Most Improved Player last season as opposed to the inconsistent, often poor-shooting performer heís been most of the season. Orlando lost Mickael Pietrus to another injury, but Courtney Lee has stepped in admirably and, with his recent performance, is providing the Magic with the most consistent play itís gotten out of the two-guard spot all season.
Best of all, Orlando comes home for a pair of games this week in the hopes that it can start to string some wins together after a middling few weeks. If it hopes to successfully chase down Cleveland or Boston, the Magic canít afford any more letdowns this season.
While the Magic offense isnít quite as good as it was last season, when it was the top-scoring team in the East, it’s not exactly chopped liver this year, remaining among the best in the association.
Rashard Lewis was a big part of that attack earlier this season. In fact, he was on a serious tear the last time we checked in on him, but his touches have been down the past couple of months, and February was a real bust, as his shooting went into the tank. Less shots + less makes = unhappy fantasy owners. On the plus side, Lewis snapped a slump and ended the month on a high Saturday, leading the way with 8-for-12 shooting from the floor and 2-for-2 from the line for 23 points. Orlando, one of the most prolific 3-point shooting teams in the NBA, was filling it up Saturday with 15 treys, and Lewis led the way, canning five of them (on eight tries) and pitching in with three assists as well. And with shootout inducing Phoenix coming to town Tuesday, Lewis has a chance to put together back-to-back solid efforts for his owners for the first time since January. Lewis still isnít getting any more touches than he did last season, and when he is getting the looks, the fact that his shot has been in decline for three years running is a concern. He remains an amazing source of 3-pointers ñ give him at least one in 52 straight games ñ but I could see him slipping into the fourth round in next yearís drafts.
Like I said, the Magic likes to employ the deep ball. In fact, Orlando tied a franchise mark last night when it heaved up 37 shots from beyond the arc Saturday. Holy long distance attack, Batman. Lee wasnít exactly red hot, but he led the parade with 12 attempts among his team-high 18 shots for the game. Thatís the most touches the rook has ever had in a game ñ a fantastic sign for his owners. By the way, you can count me among his newest owners, as I got fed up waiting for Rudy Fernandez to earn more PT in Portland, dumping the Spaniard for a different freshman. So far, Iím pretty stoked about the results.
Saturdayís win over Philly was huge. Coming off a disheartening home loss to a severely struggling Detroit team on Friday, there was definitely reason to begin questioning whether Orlando was a contender or pretender. But coming back from 11 points down in the fourth quarter in Philly against a Sixers team that plays pretty well at home will help shut up the critics. The Magic dominated the fourth quarter, outscoring Philadelphia 36-20, with Lee draining 13 points himself, the most heís ever scored in a single stanza. Orlando is now 21-9 on the road, third best in the NBA, and thatís got to scare the crap out of any potential playoff opponent because stealing wins on the road during the postseason is what makes a champion. So as long as the Magic maintain its no fear policy on the road, it will be handful for anyone.
If the season ended today, Orlando would meet the 76ers in the first round — a match up that the Magic would probably be chomping at the bit over. Orlando has now won four straight and eight of its past nine games over Philly. By taking all three games against the Sixers this year, Orlando has swept them for the first time since 1997-98. That Magic squad was a .500 team led by Penny Hardaway, by the way.
The thing about the Magic is it really lives and dies by the 3-ball. It had made just 10-of-30 through three quarters, well below its season average of 39 per cent. So youíd think Orlando would scale back on the perimeter game in the fourth quarter, right? Uh, maybe not. The Magic attempted another seven treys in the final quarter, hitting five of them to change the complexion of the game. Like any jump shooting team, Orlando is prone to slumps, but full marks for plowing through on Saturday.
). This time with so many new faces, it may actually be. So many players, so few jobs, could be interesting. Also perhaps the Buds have a couple of surprises for the loyal fans….
