Pietrus Makes Triumphant Return
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Jan 28, 2009
ORLANDO -- It's safe to say that this season hasn't gone exactly the way Mickael Pietrus pictured it when he made the jump from Golden State to Orlando this offseason.
The Magic's 2008-09 campaign has been a rough one for the swingman out of France. He's been hampered by several injuries, the most recent being a fractured wrist that caused him to miss the past 12 games.
So why would anyone expect his return to go according to plan?
Heading into Tuesday night's game against the Pacers, Pietrus was targeting Sunday's afternoon affair with the Raptors to be the date he once again took the floor.
Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy expected him to come back in a small bench role for that contest and even explained to the media how Orlando would just have to deal with the rough stretches of integrating Pietrus back into the lineup because of how much he means to the organization's long-term plans.
But all of that went out the window with one simple pregame conversation.
"Funny thing is he wasn't going to play," Van Gundy said at his postgame press conference. "He was going to sit until Sunday. I don't know why. He practiced yesterday. I said 'why not tonight.' (He said) 'Oh you want me to play.' (I said) 'Yeah I want you to play.'"
And it turned out Van Gundy's request was just the shot in the arm the Magic needed to turn their two-game losing skid around.
Pietrus erupted for a game-high 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds and brought a high level of intensity back to Orlando's lineup. When he wasn't diving across the court to save loose balls, draining 3-pointers or flying through the air to block opponents' shots, the versatile swingman was doing his best to keep the rest of the squad fired up.
And if you noticed the lack of rust on his touch, Pietrus revealed the two things that made sure he would be true to form: Strength and Conditioning Coach Joe Rogowski and his love for the Magic.
"I love the Magic," Pietrus said after the game. "My heart is for the Magic. So you can't be worried about how many games you miss. Once you get there, you make sure you take care of business."
While his return may have come as a surprise to his coach and just about everybody who covers the team, it didn't shock teammate and All-Star center Dwight Howard.
"He is always running, shooting and working on his game," Howard said. "So I am not shocked. I am just happy to see him back on the floor."
His comeback couldn't have come at a better time. After Orlando was burned by superstars Paul Pierce and Dwyane Wade in back-to-back match-ups, Pietrus came off the pine against Indiana to be part of a defensive rotation that held Danny Granger to 10 points, more than 16 points less than his season average.
"That's a huge reason why we brought him here; to guard the guys like that and put more size on those people," Van Gundy said on Monday when he was merely contemplating how useful the Magic's biggest offseason acquisition could be against the Pacers.
Fortunately for Orlando's head coach his fantasy scenario became a reality.
When you glance at Pietrus' locker you'll see a piece of paper that displays his role. It reads: "Defensive stopper. Energy player. Run, attack, rebound. Be aggressive. Don't defer."
On Tuesday, Pietrus fulfilled all of those duties and more.
