After a long time considering my options I have decided to change this blog. Originally I have been attempting to preview and review each and every Magic game. The problem with this is that it just plain sucks. I doubt many people really want to read it, and honestly if you want a preview or review just head on over to any sports website that covers the NBA. I would like to make this blog different.
In the coming weeks and months I will now attempt to cover topics that come up in the world of the Orlando Magic. If I feel that a player needs to pick his game up I will tell you. If I feel that another player is playing exceptionally well, I will also tell you. I will then blog about various other things going on in the Magic organization and simply tell you how I feel about it. The last thing I will do is bring up things in the history of the Magic and again give my opinion about them. If you like my opinion, tell me. If you don't like it tell me as well. If you wish I would just stop writing, you should also tell me. In the end, honesty is a virtue that I enjoy... lay it on me.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, February 2, 2009
Magic vs Mavs
Tonight is the second matchup between the Magic and the Mavericks. Earlier in the year the Magic prevailed 102-100 after staging a furious comeback in the 4th quarter to squeak out the win. The Mavericks will certainly be looking to not let that same situation happen again.
The Mavs come in led by the three way scoring tandem of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and Jason Terry. They are certainly a team that can throw up a lot of points, and they will challenge the Magic Defense. On the other side of the ball, the Mavs are a team that struggles with defensive consistency. A trait that the Magic will surely look to exploit.
At the end of this matchup of playoff teams I feel the Magic should come away victorious, as they have to much firepower for even the high scoring Mavs to keep up with.
The Mavs come in led by the three way scoring tandem of Dirk Nowitzki, Josh Howard, and Jason Terry. They are certainly a team that can throw up a lot of points, and they will challenge the Magic Defense. On the other side of the ball, the Mavs are a team that struggles with defensive consistency. A trait that the Magic will surely look to exploit.
At the end of this matchup of playoff teams I feel the Magic should come away victorious, as they have to much firepower for even the high scoring Mavs to keep up with.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Kudos to the Magic
First off my aplogies for sacking on the blogging lately...no Pacers post game review or Cavs pregame review. Ive had some technological issues. Anyways I'll get to the point.
The Magic have officially gotten back on track after two tough losses to the Celtics and Heat. Two wins in a row is always great but I have to like it even more when they are both blowouts, and one comes against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The brightest spot for me over the two wins was the performance of Mickael Pietrus. After missing 12 games with a fractured right wrist Pietrus came off the bench against the Pacers and exploded for season high's of 27 points and 10 rebounds. He then followed up that performance by playing a solid game againts the Cav's where he helped in out mass team effort to slow down Lebron James.
Now moving forward up next we have the Toronto Raptors led by perennial All-Star Chris Bosh. The Raptors and the Magic have a little history as this is a rematch of the first round playoff serious last year in which the Magic won in 5 games. In those games Dwight Howard was a beast, and I think that can be expected today as well. Toronto has had no answer for him, and I expect that to continue today.
The Magic have officially gotten back on track after two tough losses to the Celtics and Heat. Two wins in a row is always great but I have to like it even more when they are both blowouts, and one comes against Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The brightest spot for me over the two wins was the performance of Mickael Pietrus. After missing 12 games with a fractured right wrist Pietrus came off the bench against the Pacers and exploded for season high's of 27 points and 10 rebounds. He then followed up that performance by playing a solid game againts the Cav's where he helped in out mass team effort to slow down Lebron James.
Now moving forward up next we have the Toronto Raptors led by perennial All-Star Chris Bosh. The Raptors and the Magic have a little history as this is a rematch of the first round playoff serious last year in which the Magic won in 5 games. In those games Dwight Howard was a beast, and I think that can be expected today as well. Toronto has had no answer for him, and I expect that to continue today.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Needing Improvement
Ok so this is like a two in one blog.
Like Thursday's game against Boston, Saturday's game against a Shawn Marion less Heat was a disappointment. Unlike Boston's game however, it was certainly not foreseeable. Not to take anything away from Miami, but they are certainly not a team on par with the Celtics.
One thing that became apparent to me against Miami, was a lack of scoring of the bench. Its no secret that our starting lineup if one of the best in the league, and can throw up tons of points, but it seems that once you get past that our weapons are sparse. Sure you get an occasional great came from our of our subs, but these games are too few and far between. While I don't wish to see a roster overhaul, I do think that if we were able to score another offensive player to come off the bench, that would be just fine.
The second thing that has also become very apparent is that we miss Mickael Pietrus. He has been the energy spark that we have needed many times this year. He also is our best defender, and I can't help but wonder how much better the outcomes of the Boston and Miami game would have been with him guarding the likes of Paul Pierce and Dwayne Wade. To then go along with my previous though, Pietrus has also proven that he can score the ball with some success. The good news here, is that Pietrus is now practicing with the team and we should have him back from injury soon.
Now to get past the hard thoughts of two losses in a row. Tonight we face an Indiana Pacers team that is improving little by little. They are led by the All-Star worthy Danny Granger. A man who can score in bunches, has a knack for nailing game winning shots, and can score in bunches. He will be helped out by the Fiery T.J ford, the gym rat Mike Dunleavy, a score of young guns trying to prove themselves, and one of my favorite basketball players, Troy Murphy. Murphy is the kind of guy who looks like he Just Stepped out of the boxing ring. A dude who even though he's only got a 12 inch vert, will still grab ten rebounds a game because he just wants them that bad. He gives hope to all of us slow white guys out there that even though we can's jump, we still can play basketball.
As I wrongly said against Miami, I do expect a win tonight. We have too much going for us to loose. Were angry for loosing two straight, were at home, and we are without a doubt the better team. Go Magic!
Like Thursday's game against Boston, Saturday's game against a Shawn Marion less Heat was a disappointment. Unlike Boston's game however, it was certainly not foreseeable. Not to take anything away from Miami, but they are certainly not a team on par with the Celtics.
One thing that became apparent to me against Miami, was a lack of scoring of the bench. Its no secret that our starting lineup if one of the best in the league, and can throw up tons of points, but it seems that once you get past that our weapons are sparse. Sure you get an occasional great came from our of our subs, but these games are too few and far between. While I don't wish to see a roster overhaul, I do think that if we were able to score another offensive player to come off the bench, that would be just fine.
The second thing that has also become very apparent is that we miss Mickael Pietrus. He has been the energy spark that we have needed many times this year. He also is our best defender, and I can't help but wonder how much better the outcomes of the Boston and Miami game would have been with him guarding the likes of Paul Pierce and Dwayne Wade. To then go along with my previous though, Pietrus has also proven that he can score the ball with some success. The good news here, is that Pietrus is now practicing with the team and we should have him back from injury soon.
Now to get past the hard thoughts of two losses in a row. Tonight we face an Indiana Pacers team that is improving little by little. They are led by the All-Star worthy Danny Granger. A man who can score in bunches, has a knack for nailing game winning shots, and can score in bunches. He will be helped out by the Fiery T.J ford, the gym rat Mike Dunleavy, a score of young guns trying to prove themselves, and one of my favorite basketball players, Troy Murphy. Murphy is the kind of guy who looks like he Just Stepped out of the boxing ring. A dude who even though he's only got a 12 inch vert, will still grab ten rebounds a game because he just wants them that bad. He gives hope to all of us slow white guys out there that even though we can's jump, we still can play basketball.
As I wrongly said against Miami, I do expect a win tonight. We have too much going for us to loose. Were angry for loosing two straight, were at home, and we are without a doubt the better team. Go Magic!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Orlando at Miami Pregame
Tonight the Magic will look to get back on track as they face the Miami Heat in Miami. Both teams come in having lost their last games which both happened to come against Boston. The Magic should still be considered one of the elite teams in the league, and can certainly illustrate that point with a strong win. On the other side the Heat are a decent team that is still trying to get back to its championship form of 2006.
The advantage tonight surely goes to the Magic who have won 10 straight over the Heat. Miami has no answer for Dwight Howard down low, and that should prove to be the difference maker. Both teams have solid guard play, and can score from the perimeter, but that's where the similarities end.
Miami will try to rely on a strong game by Dwayne Wade, who has proven he can single handedly take over a game. Miami should also try and make this a fast pace game which could neutralize the advantage that the Magic have in the post.
In the end it should be a good game but I don't see Miami being able to stick with a high powered Magic team for 4 quarters.
The advantage tonight surely goes to the Magic who have won 10 straight over the Heat. Miami has no answer for Dwight Howard down low, and that should prove to be the difference maker. Both teams have solid guard play, and can score from the perimeter, but that's where the similarities end.
Miami will try to rely on a strong game by Dwayne Wade, who has proven he can single handedly take over a game. Miami should also try and make this a fast pace game which could neutralize the advantage that the Magic have in the post.
In the end it should be a good game but I don't see Miami being able to stick with a high powered Magic team for 4 quarters.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Disappointment
A day after the Magic vs Celtics I can clearly say that I was very disenchanted with the effort that the Magic put forth. With that said though I also have to say that believe the Celtics played a good game and a certainly deserving of the win.
With a score of 90-80, it was just what the Celtics wanted. A low scoring defensive match where it would come down to who could make the most tough shots, and who could secure the most rebounds. The Celtics did both of these. They played their game as well as they could. For 3 straight quarters the Magic were held to under 20 points, shooting less than 40% and often looking like a confused group.
While the Celtics certainly played their game as well as they could, the same could not be said about the Magic. While the Magic did put in a good defensive effort, without a doubt the offense was a far cry from what they are capable of. The execution on offense and shooting prowess that they have showed all season was certainly missing. They left me wishing we still had a player like Hardaway or McGrady still on the team. A guy we could go to when nothing else seemed to work. My hope is that guys like Nelson, Turk, and Lewis can be that kind of player, and just didn't show up like they could have.
In the end, as Stan Van Gundy says, its only one game. I just hope the Magic don't make it a trend.
With a score of 90-80, it was just what the Celtics wanted. A low scoring defensive match where it would come down to who could make the most tough shots, and who could secure the most rebounds. The Celtics did both of these. They played their game as well as they could. For 3 straight quarters the Magic were held to under 20 points, shooting less than 40% and often looking like a confused group.
While the Celtics certainly played their game as well as they could, the same could not be said about the Magic. While the Magic did put in a good defensive effort, without a doubt the offense was a far cry from what they are capable of. The execution on offense and shooting prowess that they have showed all season was certainly missing. They left me wishing we still had a player like Hardaway or McGrady still on the team. A guy we could go to when nothing else seemed to work. My hope is that guys like Nelson, Turk, and Lewis can be that kind of player, and just didn't show up like they could have.
In the end, as Stan Van Gundy says, its only one game. I just hope the Magic don't make it a trend.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
Tonight 1-22-09 Magic vs. Celtics
So tonight I’m headed to see the Magic take on the Boston Celtics. You could say that I’m excited but that would be an understatement. This is one heck of a marquee matchup. The Celtics are the defending champion, and the Magic currently have the best record in the league. Both teams are fighting for the top seed in the Eastern conference as well as the NBA. Along with that comes home court advantage. Tonight should be a great game as both teams come in with win streaks intact. The Magic have won 7 straight, and the Celtics have won 6 straight.
The Magic are a team that prides themselves on good defense and a relentless attack on offense that typically leaves the other team picking their poison. They either get dominated down low by Dwight Howard, or killed by a barrage of 3 point shots from the best 3 point shooting corps in the league.
Boston comes in as a team that can score the ball pretty well, but prides themselves mostly as having a dominant defense. Led by perennial All Star Kevin Garnet manning the paint, the Celtics will be the best defense Orlando has seen by far. Without a doubt the Celtics will hope that Garnet has enough man power to slow Dwight Howard by himself, and then rely on the rest of their crew to hound Orlando’s 3 point marksmen.
Tonight should prove an Epic battle the likes of Vampire’s vs. Lycans. Power against power, skill against skill, great team vs. great team. Something has to break. I just hope it’s not the Magic.
The Magic are a team that prides themselves on good defense and a relentless attack on offense that typically leaves the other team picking their poison. They either get dominated down low by Dwight Howard, or killed by a barrage of 3 point shots from the best 3 point shooting corps in the league.
Boston comes in as a team that can score the ball pretty well, but prides themselves mostly as having a dominant defense. Led by perennial All Star Kevin Garnet manning the paint, the Celtics will be the best defense Orlando has seen by far. Without a doubt the Celtics will hope that Garnet has enough man power to slow Dwight Howard by himself, and then rely on the rest of their crew to hound Orlando’s 3 point marksmen.
Tonight should prove an Epic battle the likes of Vampire’s vs. Lycans. Power against power, skill against skill, great team vs. great team. Something has to break. I just hope it’s not the Magic.
Whats this all about?
I am in a class that requires me to write blogs about something. I can write about anything which got me to thinking. What the heck do I want to write about? What can I write about? Well after looking at a few possibilities I have come up with what I feel is the perfect solution to my problem of sorts. I am going to blog about sports, more specifically about the Orlando Magic. If that doesn’t excite you, or you have no reason to read my blog, then don’t. On the flip side, if you like basketball at all I think you will like my blog. Whether or not you are a Magic fan I think you may get something out of it. Maybe you will get lucky and I will compliment your favorite team. Or maybe I will completely talk trash about your favorite team. Whether you like what I write or don’t like what I write. I don’t really care. I’m writing to strike up conversations, and if everyone agrees in a conversation it can get a little boring.
So now you might ask. Just what about the Orlando Magic am I going to write about? Well my goal is to blog about each and every game that the Magic play. What did I like about the game, what did I dislike about the game. I will also give out my player of the game award for each team. The blog does not stop here though. I may blog about what the Magic did well, and also what they could have done better. I will also do this for the other team as to make my blog not completely one sided. I consider myself to be pretty darn knowledgeable when it comes to basketball. Yes I know a lot about the Magic, but I also know a fair bit about the other teams in the NBA. So basically I will break the game down for both teams and give my opinion.
Another thing I plan on blogging about is random past magic memories and statistics. If you’re anything like me you love looking into the past and remembering great moments in sports history. Believe it or not I even like looking back at some of the terrible Magic teams that have been assembled. I like to refer to these as the Tragic teams. Whether it’s looking at the good, the bad, or the just plain ugly, I will do my best to take a look back at all things Magic.
To continue the subjects I wish to blog upon another thing will be how I think the Magic can improve what they are doing. This will include everything from on the court to what happens off the court. I will look at our roster and say whether or not we should try and change it. I will dream about current college players could help us, and how lucky we would be if we could draft them. I will also take a look at management and coaching and say what I like that they do, and what I think they could improve upon.
To sum it up I guess you could look at this as my everything Magic blog. If something happens that involves the Magic I will attempt to cover it. Whether it’s what Dwight Howard eats for breakfast? who cuts J.J Redick’s hair? what Adonal Foyle does in the community,? or how much I wish Jameer Nelson would just dunk the ball, I will do my best to talk about it.
So now you might ask. Just what about the Orlando Magic am I going to write about? Well my goal is to blog about each and every game that the Magic play. What did I like about the game, what did I dislike about the game. I will also give out my player of the game award for each team. The blog does not stop here though. I may blog about what the Magic did well, and also what they could have done better. I will also do this for the other team as to make my blog not completely one sided. I consider myself to be pretty darn knowledgeable when it comes to basketball. Yes I know a lot about the Magic, but I also know a fair bit about the other teams in the NBA. So basically I will break the game down for both teams and give my opinion.
Another thing I plan on blogging about is random past magic memories and statistics. If you’re anything like me you love looking into the past and remembering great moments in sports history. Believe it or not I even like looking back at some of the terrible Magic teams that have been assembled. I like to refer to these as the Tragic teams. Whether it’s looking at the good, the bad, or the just plain ugly, I will do my best to take a look back at all things Magic.
To continue the subjects I wish to blog upon another thing will be how I think the Magic can improve what they are doing. This will include everything from on the court to what happens off the court. I will look at our roster and say whether or not we should try and change it. I will dream about current college players could help us, and how lucky we would be if we could draft them. I will also take a look at management and coaching and say what I like that they do, and what I think they could improve upon.
To sum it up I guess you could look at this as my everything Magic blog. If something happens that involves the Magic I will attempt to cover it. Whether it’s what Dwight Howard eats for breakfast? who cuts J.J Redick’s hair? what Adonal Foyle does in the community,? or how much I wish Jameer Nelson would just dunk the ball, I will do my best to talk about it.
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