Denton: Magic-Bobcats Postgame Analysis
By John Denton
November 16, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Rashard Lewis didn’t sleep much the night before, arrived at Amway Arena some 2 ½ hours before tip-off and spent much of the first quarter peeking up at the Eastern Conference champion banner he helped hang.
So considering how downright giddy Lewis was to finally be back on the court with his Orlando Magic teammates, it’s easy to see why his performance fell a little flat Monday night.
Lewis struggled with his conditioning and his trademark 3-point shot, but his return from a NBA suspension represented somewhat of a turning point for a Magic team that has been riddled by bad luck and even worse health so far this season.
Lewis scored 10 points in 34 minutes on Monday, joining six other Magic players who hit double figures as Orlando did just enough to outlast Charlotte 97-91 before a sellout crowd at Amway Arena.
Lewis had missed the first 10 games because of a NBA-mandated suspension for ingesting a banned substance last spring while taking an over-the-counter supplement. Lewis hadn’t played in a game since Oct. 13 because the Magic held him out of the final three preseason games in order to prepare the rotation for the start of the regular season.
Monday represented the first time during the regular season that the Magic have had their projected starting lineup together on the floor. The only problem was that Lewis got tired quickly and struggled to get his legs under him on most of his jump shots. But he saw the moment as a stepping stone in the right direction for a Magic team just wanting to be whole once again.
``My legs did obviously get a little tired and they were heavy and there was no lift on my jump shop,’’ Lewis said. ``But I’m happy with the minutes that I got and I’m just trying to get my rhythm back.
``We’ve got a lot of new guys on this team and we’ll gel eventually,’’ Lewis continued. ``The most important thing right now is getting wins and we’re 8-3. As long as we’re getting the `W’ we should start playing well soon.’’
Monday’s game was hardly a classic what with the way the Magic struggled against defensively at the start and played in spurts offensively. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was baffled by how the Magic seemed to glide through the first half, but then picked up the effort and intensity in the second half. An admittedly impatient man who wonders when the Magic will put together an extended stretch of solid basketball, Van Gundy wonders if Monday’s win might help turn things around for the Magic.
Huffed Van Gundy: ``It was a good win to get … but I guess I’m just waiting to see us play well.’’
Here’s a look back at the game, breaking it down with the good, the bad and the ugly:
THE GOOD
---- Vince Carter tried just two shots in the second half, but the one that he made was a highlight-worthy basket. Carter hit a step-back 3-pointer over Stephen Jackson with no time left on the shot clock with 53 seconds to play to take Orlando’s lead from three points to six.
Van Gundy was somewhat critical of Carter in the postgame for not going to the basket more, but Carter said his limited opportunities came because the Magic were going to Howard and Lewis on the low block.
But his big basket, the one he set up with a cross-over dribble and a behind-the-back move, was a moment he certainly didn’t shy away from.
``I’ve never been afraid to take the big shot or take a shot of any kind,’’ said Carter, who finished with 15 points and four rebounds. ``I just took my time and there weren’t many places to go. I got my feet set, I got it up and just tried to take a normal shot.’’
---- Dwight Howard struggled through another foul-plagued game, but he came up especially big late in the game to salvage the night. Howard had a pick-and-roll dunk and a follow-up tip-in to give the Magic some breathing room down the stretch.
But Howard’s biggest play of the night came with 2:31 to play and Charlotte within five of the lead. Boris Diaw beat his defender and spun into the lane and was poised for a short jumper, before Howard appeared out of nowhere and swatted the shot attempt out of bounds.
``It’s not really about talent with us because we’ve always had a lot of talent here,’’ Howard said. ``Defense is what is going to take this team over the top. We’ve still got to pick up our defense, but it might take some time with all of the new guys that we have.’’
---- Charlotte’s Flip Murray, whose had a knack for playing well in Orlando through the years, got going in the second period and kept the Bobcats close throughout. He tied a career high with 31 points, but he seemed to tire down the stretch. He missed three free throws in the fourth quarter and had a 3-pointer that would have tied the game rim out.
THE BAD
---- Magic forward Matt Barnes has lamented his lack of success shooting the ball of late, and Monday was another forgettable shooting night for him. He missed six of seven tries and all three of his 3-pointers while turning the ball over three times.
Van Gundy still used Barnes plenty down the stretch, substituting him in for his defense on Jackson down the stretch.
---- Jackson, acquired earlier in the day in a trade with Golden State, gets points for flying from Milwaukee to Orlando and playing in Monday’s game. He will provide some much-needed scoring punch for the NBA’s worst offensive team.
But he did force plenty of shots and he turned the ball over four times. He made just four of 14 shots and missed half of his eight free throws.
One can only wonder how long Charlotte mainstay Gerald Wallace will be OK with getting just five shots as he did Monday night. Wallace is at his best when he’s attacking the rim, but he was mostly a nonfactor Monday night.
THE UGLY
---- Despite facing a Charlotte team that entered the game last in the league in scoring and shooting, the Magic were torched defensively in the early stages of the game.
The Bobcats shot a shocking 59 percent in the first half. They hit an almost unthinkable 15 of 22 (68 percent) of their shots in the second quarter, getting one point-blank look after another. Charlotte had 28 points in the paint in the first half alone.
---- Lewis described his shot as being ``flat,’’ a product of not playing in an actual game in more than three weeks. He missed his first eight shots, four of which were from beyond the 3-point stripe.
But Lewis wisely got some looks going to the basket and got untracked. He worked hard for post position and played well in a set where the Magic used their three power forwards (Lewis at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward and Brandon Bass at center). Lewis was none too proud of his four of 15 shooting night, including six misses from 3-point range, but he knows better days are ahead for him.
``It’s just about me catching up with my rhythm, taking my time and not rushing my shot,’’ Lewis said. ``Early in the game I felt like I was rushing the 3-ball and didn’t have any legs into it. But it felt good to be back out there and I’ll be better on Wednesday night.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonNovember 16, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Rashard Lewis didn’t sleep much the night before, arrived at Amway Arena some 2 ½ hours before tip-off and spent much of the first quarter peeking up at the Eastern Conference champion banner he helped hang.
So considering how downright giddy Lewis was to finally be back on the court with his Orlando Magic teammates, it’s easy to see why his performance fell a little flat Monday night.
Lewis struggled with his conditioning and his trademark 3-point shot, but his return from a NBA suspension represented somewhat of a turning point for a Magic team that has been riddled by bad luck and even worse health so far this season.
Lewis scored 10 points in 34 minutes on Monday, joining six other Magic players who hit double figures as Orlando did just enough to outlast Charlotte 97-91 before a sellout crowd at Amway Arena.
Lewis had missed the first 10 games because of a NBA-mandated suspension for ingesting a banned substance last spring while taking an over-the-counter supplement. Lewis hadn’t played in a game since Oct. 13 because the Magic held him out of the final three preseason games in order to prepare the rotation for the start of the regular season.
Monday represented the first time during the regular season that the Magic have had their projected starting lineup together on the floor. The only problem was that Lewis got tired quickly and struggled to get his legs under him on most of his jump shots. But he saw the moment as a stepping stone in the right direction for a Magic team just wanting to be whole once again.
``My legs did obviously get a little tired and they were heavy and there was no lift on my jump shop,’’ Lewis said. ``But I’m happy with the minutes that I got and I’m just trying to get my rhythm back.
``We’ve got a lot of new guys on this team and we’ll gel eventually,’’ Lewis continued. ``The most important thing right now is getting wins and we’re 8-3. As long as we’re getting the `W’ we should start playing well soon.’’
Monday’s game was hardly a classic what with the way the Magic struggled against defensively at the start and played in spurts offensively. Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was baffled by how the Magic seemed to glide through the first half, but then picked up the effort and intensity in the second half. An admittedly impatient man who wonders when the Magic will put together an extended stretch of solid basketball, Van Gundy wonders if Monday’s win might help turn things around for the Magic.
Huffed Van Gundy: ``It was a good win to get … but I guess I’m just waiting to see us play well.’’
Here’s a look back at the game, breaking it down with the good, the bad and the ugly:
THE GOOD
---- Vince Carter tried just two shots in the second half, but the one that he made was a highlight-worthy basket. Carter hit a step-back 3-pointer over Stephen Jackson with no time left on the shot clock with 53 seconds to play to take Orlando’s lead from three points to six.
Van Gundy was somewhat critical of Carter in the postgame for not going to the basket more, but Carter said his limited opportunities came because the Magic were going to Howard and Lewis on the low block.
But his big basket, the one he set up with a cross-over dribble and a behind-the-back move, was a moment he certainly didn’t shy away from.
``I’ve never been afraid to take the big shot or take a shot of any kind,’’ said Carter, who finished with 15 points and four rebounds. ``I just took my time and there weren’t many places to go. I got my feet set, I got it up and just tried to take a normal shot.’’
---- Dwight Howard struggled through another foul-plagued game, but he came up especially big late in the game to salvage the night. Howard had a pick-and-roll dunk and a follow-up tip-in to give the Magic some breathing room down the stretch.
But Howard’s biggest play of the night came with 2:31 to play and Charlotte within five of the lead. Boris Diaw beat his defender and spun into the lane and was poised for a short jumper, before Howard appeared out of nowhere and swatted the shot attempt out of bounds.
``It’s not really about talent with us because we’ve always had a lot of talent here,’’ Howard said. ``Defense is what is going to take this team over the top. We’ve still got to pick up our defense, but it might take some time with all of the new guys that we have.’’
---- Charlotte’s Flip Murray, whose had a knack for playing well in Orlando through the years, got going in the second period and kept the Bobcats close throughout. He tied a career high with 31 points, but he seemed to tire down the stretch. He missed three free throws in the fourth quarter and had a 3-pointer that would have tied the game rim out.
THE BAD
---- Magic forward Matt Barnes has lamented his lack of success shooting the ball of late, and Monday was another forgettable shooting night for him. He missed six of seven tries and all three of his 3-pointers while turning the ball over three times.
Van Gundy still used Barnes plenty down the stretch, substituting him in for his defense on Jackson down the stretch.
---- Jackson, acquired earlier in the day in a trade with Golden State, gets points for flying from Milwaukee to Orlando and playing in Monday’s game. He will provide some much-needed scoring punch for the NBA’s worst offensive team.
But he did force plenty of shots and he turned the ball over four times. He made just four of 14 shots and missed half of his eight free throws.
One can only wonder how long Charlotte mainstay Gerald Wallace will be OK with getting just five shots as he did Monday night. Wallace is at his best when he’s attacking the rim, but he was mostly a nonfactor Monday night.
THE UGLY
---- Despite facing a Charlotte team that entered the game last in the league in scoring and shooting, the Magic were torched defensively in the early stages of the game.
The Bobcats shot a shocking 59 percent in the first half. They hit an almost unthinkable 15 of 22 (68 percent) of their shots in the second quarter, getting one point-blank look after another. Charlotte had 28 points in the paint in the first half alone.
---- Lewis described his shot as being ``flat,’’ a product of not playing in an actual game in more than three weeks. He missed his first eight shots, four of which were from beyond the 3-point stripe.
But Lewis wisely got some looks going to the basket and got untracked. He worked hard for post position and played well in a set where the Magic used their three power forwards (Lewis at small forward, Ryan Anderson at power forward and Brandon Bass at center). Lewis was none too proud of his four of 15 shooting night, including six misses from 3-point range, but he knows better days are ahead for him.
``It’s just about me catching up with my rhythm, taking my time and not rushing my shot,’’ Lewis said. ``Early in the game I felt like I was rushing the 3-ball and didn’t have any legs into it. But it felt good to be back out there and I’ll be better on Wednesday night.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
