Denton: Magic-Celtics Notes
By John Denton
December 25, 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 – Friday’s Christmas Day game was 90 minutes from tipoff and Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was already in a bad mood. The source of his anger? Having to play a basketball game on Christmas Day.
Van Gundy understands all too well that NBA players and coaches are highly compensated because of the league’s enormous television contracts with ABC, TNT and ESPN. But he isn’t too keen on the idea of the NBA scheduling five games on Christmas Day in order to fill programming for ESPN and ABC.
``I would rather not play on Christmas, but again, like I said, the league has been good to all of us in terms of what we get out of all these TV contracts and everything,’’ Van Gundy said. ``So it would be a little disingenuous to complain too much. But if I had my way, we’d take a five-day break at Christmas. I mean it. I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else. But that’s the way it is. There’s nothing more important than the NBA on Christmas Day.’’
Van Gundy is also upset that Magic were tabbed to play on Thanksgiving Day (In Atlanta), Christmas Day (at home against Boston) and New Year’s Day (in Minnesota). Van Gundy will give the Magic Saturday and Sunday off to spend time with their families.
Van Gundy said he spent just a few minutes with his wife and four children Friday morning before leaving for Amway Arena, where he arrived at approximately 10:30 a.m., four hours prior to tipoff. Van Gundy said he had no plans of going home to catch the Lakers-Cavs nightcap.
``I won’t watch one second of the other four games today,’’ he said. ``I have no interest. This is a day to spend time with your family. That’s not a great advertisement, Stan Van Gundy advertising the NBA, but I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game.’’
NO RIVALRY: Boston star power forward Kevin Garnett missed last spring’s epic seven-game playoff series between the Magic and Celtics, and his availability for Friday was briefly in questions.
But Garnett said he wasn’t about to miss the rematch against a Magic team that eliminated the reigning champion Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
Despite the playoff history between the two teams, Garnett said he doesn’t consider the Boston-Orlando series to be a rivalry yet. However, that could change this year if the two teams face off again in the playoffs.
``Not at all,’’ Garnett said when asked if he considered the Magic a rival. ``(Orlando is) just another good team in the East who has gotten better. They want the same things we want. When you got two teams that are trying to reach the top, there’s going to be some clashing. It’s going to be some physical play. And that’s no different than when we play Cleveland; and when we play Atlanta, it’s the same way.’’
ETC: Orlando entered Friday having won five of the last six games and Van Gundy said the biggest reason for the success has been the defensive play of center Dwight Howard. In the six games before Friday Howard blocked 27 shots and averaged 16.9 rebounds a game. Said Van Gundy: ``We’ve had a lot of people play well, but the biggest reason we’re winning is our defense. And the biggest reason for that has been because Dwight has been absolutely dominant and made it tough for teams to score inside.’’ … Having missed significant time each of the past two seasons with injuries, Jameer Nelson knows a thing or two about comebacks. He said this latest comeback – after missing 16 games following arthroscopic knee surgery – doesn’t even compare to the one he attempted last spring after missing 3 ½ months following shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. Said Nelson: ``The knee was easier to come back from because I wasn’t off as long and as a scoring guard having just 30 percent of a shoulder was really tough for me.’’ Nelson’s next goal is to try and get back to the all-star level that he was at last February before hurting his shoulder. ``I just want to play the best that I can to help my team,’’ he said. ``I do want to get back to that level that I was at last year individually, but it’s something that I have to work toward.’’ … The Magic don’t play again until Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Orlando pulled off its biggest comeback victory of the season against the Bucks on Nov. 28, rallying back from 17 points down for a 100-98 victory.
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 DentonDecember 25, 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 – Friday’s Christmas Day game was 90 minutes from tipoff and Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was already in a bad mood. The source of his anger? Having to play a basketball game on Christmas Day.
Van Gundy understands all too well that NBA players and coaches are highly compensated because of the league’s enormous television contracts with ABC, TNT and ESPN. But he isn’t too keen on the idea of the NBA scheduling five games on Christmas Day in order to fill programming for ESPN and ABC.
``I would rather not play on Christmas, but again, like I said, the league has been good to all of us in terms of what we get out of all these TV contracts and everything,’’ Van Gundy said. ``So it would be a little disingenuous to complain too much. But if I had my way, we’d take a five-day break at Christmas. I mean it. I think we get a little carried away with ourselves with sports thinking we’re more important than everything else. But that’s the way it is. There’s nothing more important than the NBA on Christmas Day.’’
Van Gundy is also upset that Magic were tabbed to play on Thanksgiving Day (In Atlanta), Christmas Day (at home against Boston) and New Year’s Day (in Minnesota). Van Gundy will give the Magic Saturday and Sunday off to spend time with their families.
Van Gundy said he spent just a few minutes with his wife and four children Friday morning before leaving for Amway Arena, where he arrived at approximately 10:30 a.m., four hours prior to tipoff. Van Gundy said he had no plans of going home to catch the Lakers-Cavs nightcap.
``I won’t watch one second of the other four games today,’’ he said. ``I have no interest. This is a day to spend time with your family. That’s not a great advertisement, Stan Van Gundy advertising the NBA, but I actually feel sorry for people who have nothing to do on Christmas Day other than watch an NBA game.’’
NO RIVALRY: Boston star power forward Kevin Garnett missed last spring’s epic seven-game playoff series between the Magic and Celtics, and his availability for Friday was briefly in questions.
But Garnett said he wasn’t about to miss the rematch against a Magic team that eliminated the reigning champion Celtics in the second round of the playoffs.
Despite the playoff history between the two teams, Garnett said he doesn’t consider the Boston-Orlando series to be a rivalry yet. However, that could change this year if the two teams face off again in the playoffs.
``Not at all,’’ Garnett said when asked if he considered the Magic a rival. ``(Orlando is) just another good team in the East who has gotten better. They want the same things we want. When you got two teams that are trying to reach the top, there’s going to be some clashing. It’s going to be some physical play. And that’s no different than when we play Cleveland; and when we play Atlanta, it’s the same way.’’
ETC: Orlando entered Friday having won five of the last six games and Van Gundy said the biggest reason for the success has been the defensive play of center Dwight Howard. In the six games before Friday Howard blocked 27 shots and averaged 16.9 rebounds a game. Said Van Gundy: ``We’ve had a lot of people play well, but the biggest reason we’re winning is our defense. And the biggest reason for that has been because Dwight has been absolutely dominant and made it tough for teams to score inside.’’ … Having missed significant time each of the past two seasons with injuries, Jameer Nelson knows a thing or two about comebacks. He said this latest comeback – after missing 16 games following arthroscopic knee surgery – doesn’t even compare to the one he attempted last spring after missing 3 ½ months following shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. Said Nelson: ``The knee was easier to come back from because I wasn’t off as long and as a scoring guard having just 30 percent of a shoulder was really tough for me.’’ Nelson’s next goal is to try and get back to the all-star level that he was at last February before hurting his shoulder. ``I just want to play the best that I can to help my team,’’ he said. ``I do want to get back to that level that I was at last year individually, but it’s something that I have to work toward.’’ … The Magic don’t play again until Wednesday when they host the Milwaukee Bucks. Orlando pulled off its biggest comeback victory of the season against the Bucks on Nov. 28, rallying back from 17 points down for a 100-98 victory.
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.
