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Orlando Magic
2007-08 Record: 52-30
Cool 2007 Stat: Dwight Howard is the youngest player ever (22) to average 20 points, 14 rebounds and 2 blocks per game. He also put on a dunk contest performance that prompted my favorite quote of the year, from Kenny Smith, who was just screaming, “He’s not a real person! He’s not a real person!”
Anticipated Starting Five
PG- Jameer Nelson
SG- Mickael Pietrus
SF- Rashard Lewis
PF- Hedo Turkoglu
C- Dwight Howard
Key Reserves: Courtney Lee, Keith Bogans, Tony Battie, Anthony Johnson
Biggest Strength – Shooting from the Field
- 1st (tied) in 3pt field goal percentage
- 1st in effective field goal percentage
- 1st in true shooting percentage
- 1st in offensive efficiency
- 5th in field goal percentage
- 1st in 3pt field goals made per game
- 2nd in 3pt field goals attempted per game
I think that says it all. This team has very good shooters on the perimeter and one extremely high field goal percentage scorer in the post. That isn’t going to change this season either. The difference will need to be in how many touches Howard gets in the post. Everyone knows you live by the three and die by the three. So to add more consistent scoring on offense, they need to drop that ball in to Howard at a higher rate (and he needs to make it count).
Biggest Weakness – Depth
Do you have any confidence in Adonal Foyle as your back up center? For whatever reason (weak defense maybe?) they didn’t play J.J. Reddick much last season (8 minutes per game); this year they are forced to. That is unless Courtney Lee turns out to be a real player right away, as a rookie for a team competing for a conference title. Anthony Johnson is going to be 33 at the start of the season and probably won’t hurt you, but he won’t give you all that much either in terms of production. Last season Orlando had point guard depth; now they have very little having let Dooling and Arroyo go. I think Orlando made a mistake trading Trevor Ariza. In the end they have no one off the bench that really scares you or provides much punch as a reserve. Maybe Bogans can play that role now they he knows he is strictly a bench player.
Key Player in ’08 – Dwight Howard
If Orlando wants to get over the hump and become a real force in the Eastern conference, it won’t be because of their good three point shooting. Rather it must be on the broad shoulders of their young center, Dwight Howard. Last season was easily the best in his four-year career. In his first four seasons his numbers are very similar to Moses Malone’s and not quite as good as Shaq’s. Now it’s time for him to take the next step and become the dominant offensive force he can be. He needs to demand the ball more (and his team and coach need to make sure he gets it – 11.9 attempts per game is too low) and be more aggressive and quick with his moves in the post. I can only hope he learned from his inconsistent and overall poor performance in the Olympics. He didn’t handle the lack of space to manuever in the post well with zones allowed in the International game. It will be more open for Howard in the NBA, but those double teams are still going to come and he needs to learn to score nevertheless just like Shaq did all his career. Maybe I am being hard on him, but 20ppg isn’t good enough for a player of his caliber and potential.
Their Thaddeus (exciting player 22 or under) – Dwight Howard, 22
Not many players in this category are also, by far, the best on their team, but young Dwight Howard is the exception to many rules. He has 500 more rebounds than anyone else before the age of 23. He has the 3rd most blocks. He has the 6th most points, behind LeBron, Melo, Kobe, Shaq and T-Mac. Last year was his coming out party, but he’s got to continue to improve if he wants to reach his potential, which I believe is to become a multiple champion like Shaq.
Pete’s 2008 Outlook: 1st place, Southeast division / 4th place, Eastern conference / 9th place, NBA
I like this team a lot, and pre-olympics I had them, like Dannie does, as the 2nd seed in the East. But after watching Dwight Howard look passive and slightly immature in the Olympics, I’m thinking that he’s not ready to make another leap this year, which is what needs to happen for the Magic to improve. The other players on this team are what they are. You know what you are getting from Lewis, Nelson, Hedo, etc… If the teams improves, it will have to be through Howard. That’s a lot to ask of a 22-year old, who is already setting records.
Dannie’s 2008 Outlook: 1st place, Southeast division / 2nd place, Eastern conference / 6th place, NBA
Pete and both agree on this team’s prospects going into the season. It’s all about Dwight Howard. He will be the difference between passing Detroit to solidify 2nd place in the East and competing for first. Or finsihing 3rd again and potentially 4th place if our Sixers make a very strong push. In the end I think Orlando will turn the corner which is why I have them sitting in 2nd place in my rankings. Howard will have learned and gotten better from his Olympic experience. Pietrus will add some good defense and is an upgrade at shooter guard. Nelson was solid last season, and I expect him to be again this year. My biggest concern is whether Hedo Turkoglu will play like an All-Star again or was it a one-year blip for him. If he doesn’t that puts even more pressure on Howard as well as Rashard Lewis.
Philly Connection: Jameer Nelson
My favorite college basketball player of all time, and the leader of one of the best stories in Philadelphia sports history, the 2003-04 St. Joes Hawks. He was the National Freshman of the Year in 2000-01 and the Naismith Player of the Year in 2003-04. That year, St. Joes went 27-0 in the regular season and finished the year with only 2 losses. One to an elite 8 team (Xavier) and one on a buzzer beater against a final four team (Ok. St.). Despite all his hardware, Nelson dropped in the NBA draft due to concerns about his size. Eventually, the Nuggets picked him at #20 and traded him to the Magic. Needless to say, many draftees picked ahead of him have faltered, and Nelson probably should have gone somewhere in the late lottery. In his 4-year career, Nelson holds averages of 11.7 points, 4.4 assists, 3.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 46% from the field.
Jameer & Turkoglu have the right stuff. The rest, I’m not so sure. Lewis can light it up on a given night. Dwight’s physically imposing but has the Hollywood lean, doesn’t love the game enough. And any team that gives Adonal Foyle meaningful minutes is suspect. Prediction: 4th in East, 2nd round exit.
Cool ’59-’60 stat: At age 23, Wilt averaged 37.6 pts & 27 rbs (blks not recorded in those days). Age 25: 50.4 and 25.7! Superman Dwight has a ways to go yet. Production- and physique-wise, he’s somewhere on the spectrum between Gus Johnson and Wilt (though a lot closer to the latter; Gus was only 6’6″).
correction re #2: 2nd parenthetical should read “a lot closer to the former” — he be Supersized Gus, Wilt xtra-lite.
This is an up and coming team that I have tried to see when they come to town the last few years. The core of the their team is young and is going to go through some growing pains as many of our young players have gone through. I dont think we should compare what players do in the Olympics as to what they do in the NBA. Tim D could not lead us to gold but can win 3 NBA titles. Camelo looks great in the games but the nuggets stink with him. The younger teams are what scare me. Detroit and Celtics are aging fast and the desire to get another ring when those players all ready have one does make an impact. Howard will be a force and I am once again looking forward to the match up btw our two teams.
That season of 50 and 25 from Wilt has always astounded me. It just seems unreal.
Morty, If he had a bad game against Russ & Celts, say 35, he’d “compensate” on Johnny “Red” Kerr & Nats or Walter Dukes & Pistons with 65. Another freak stat: averaged 48.5 minutes pg that year.
Nice assessment Dannie and Pete!!
It’s amazing what a couple of years make for the Orlando Magic since the Tracy McGrady trade (6/29/2004)
Everyone the Magic acquired from the trade are gone and since then have missed the playoffs twice, but showed signs of improvement and have now appeared in 2 straight postseasons. Nice recovery, I must say!!!
The Magic, I think, were capable of going further last year in the playoffs had it not been for a bad call in Game 2 of the Magic-Pistons series as well as Keyon Dooling’s foolish technical foul and personal foul in Game 4, otherwise the Magic would have played in 7 and the outcome would have been decided then!
Greatest strength(s):
-Their Big 3 (and I mean BIG in length and size)
a) Dwight Howard (Superman)–
-I think he will be Shaq’s successor as the most dominant center in the NBA. (is close to being funny as Shaq as well!)
b) Hedo Turkoglu (the FA to be and All-Star snub)
-contract year this season and said something about opting out recently. Lots to play for, hopefully with Magic
-incredible last year, Mr. Fourth Quarter, Most Improved
-multiple game winners
-great inside-outside game
c)Rashard Lewis (a bit overpaid, but a good player)
-provides the same scoring style as Hedo, which creates extra havoc for opponents
-capable of establishing a full inside-outside game
-3rd Best Road Record last season (Can they repeat that?)
-Stan Van Gundy (Give the man some credit esp on defense!)
-Three point shooting (Can they repeat that with new roster?)
Biggest weakness(es):
-Depth (added are Pietrus (Warriors), A. Johnson (Kings), M. Wilks, and Foyle (resigned))
gone are: Maurice Evans (Hawks)
Keyon Dooling(Nets)
Carlos Arroyo (Tel-Aviv)
Pat Garrity (retired)
James Augustine (waived)
-Lack of athletic defenders (something Evans, Ariza, Dooling provided)
-Does this missing depth affect their three point shooting?
-Postseason composure
-Dwight Howard’s FT shooting and passing off double teams
-Lack of post-up moves (esp Howard and Lewis)
-Rashard has to be more assertive offensively
-Home record (very mediocre!!) Otherwise they could be a #2 in the East!!
This would mean more time for Brian Cook (which means trouble defensively), J.J Redick (hopefully), Tony Battie (who should be healthy this season), as well as the new additions.
The interesting thing about the Magic is their record against the other Eastern contenders last year:
v.s Celtics (2-1) including a game winner from Hedo
v.s Pistons (2-2) including a game winner from Lewis
v.s Cavaliers (3-1) including game ending jump ball from Hedo
Can they do it again and do even better? We’ll see.
If they can’t resign Turkoglu, they should consider going after Boozer in 2009. As mentioned before, Boozer has a home in Florida and has a sick child as well!!
Now with that said, the Magic will be 1st in the Southeast, 3rd in the East (mainly by virtue of winning the division and with their great road mentality).
There are four teams according to many sources as well as us that are trying to determine who will get the #3-#6 seed.
Orlando Magic
Philadelphia 76ers
Cleveland Cavaliers
Toronto Raptors
(On a side note, the Sixers will go 2-2 against the Magic. Both teams will win one at home and one on the road. Both teams will be pitted against each other on national television, including TNT, cool!! TNT introduced the match up as the Battle of the Former #1 Draft Picks (Brand 1999 v.s Howard 2004) Hedo Turkoglu will be the Sixers biggest problem, how do you stop a guy that versatile on offense? The Sixers did a great job last season containing Dwight, but could not really contain the shooters, especially Turkoglu. I think our backcourt could make a slight difference, even though both backcourts are not that great offensively. Also, depth will again be a potential difference. Can our bench and our bench shooting counteract with their shooting? We’ll see!!)
new orlando jerseys this year….some slight tweaks
http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/09/23/img_0201_1_3.jpg
Looks like a ‘Dancin with the Stars’ outfit. Hope #12 practiced his routine. Since it’s Orlando, it’s gotta be a “Chim Chim Cher-ee” or “Spoonful of Sugar” minuet.
Why not have black pinstripes for the blue uniforms? It seems as though they are somewhat hiding the stripes.
Howard would certainly practice his routines. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9LmHXXWiJs
But I see Shaq on “Dancing With The Stars” once he retires. Then Dwight. (for laughs of course!!)
Good clip, Rob. Shaq’s a natural born entertainer, ‘cept when Kobe’s in the room.