RSS
Home
Dare I say GOAT?
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
One of my favorite comic book characters of all time is Two-Face from the Batman series. The dichotomy of personalities, the chance at a positive outcome; no matter the scenario, there’s always a sliver of either hope or disaster. Unlike a Jekyll and Hyde scenario where one is transformed into a monster, Two-Face is in a constant battle with himself, often using a coin flip to determine his actions. Bi-polar doesn’t even begin to describe how this man operates. Often crazed in his intentions, Two-Face was passionate about everything he did, be it good or bad.
That’s how I feel about my history with the Orlando Magic. Whenever a part of me wants to be the optimist and claim the Magic to be the strongest team in the NBA, the pessimist in me reminds me of Orlando’s past failures, and highlights all the shortcomings. In situations where I am down on the team, often criticizing coaching commotions, player personalities, and front office floundery (like the alliteration there?), the hopeful romantic sees the gleam of light, the hope that the underrated Magic will rise up and take everyone by surprise. From the T-Mac days where I was trying to convince myself that one man can carry a team, to last season where I often was expecting the choke and humiliation to occur in the Eastern Playoffs…I can never hold just one emotion, one desire to feed off of.
That is, until this season. From the pre-season camps, to the opening tip-off, to the impressive road win in Toronto (more on that in a second), I have been in love with this team. I don’t just mean “this is a good team, let’s see where they go in the playoffs”. I mean “this team has a chance of winning 65 games and destroying people along the way”. I’ve never felt this before, this euphoria with KNOWING that your team is great. Last year, all we knew was that Orlando hosted a good team that would probably fall short to the likes of Boston and Cleveland. Then, after a painful loss in the Finals to the Lakers, all we knew was that this team had what it takes to contend again next season. Once all the off-season shenanigans occurred, that level of “we can contend” dipped slightly into a level of “how will this team mesh?”. As pointed out by my buddy “Brian with an I”, this year looked to start off a tad rocky.
But once the October tip-offs commenced, once the tinkering with the lineups were over, once October 28th rolled around, we began to witness a team never before seen in the City Beautiful. This was a
Even without these 2 All-Stars, the Magic still have one of the
most dangerous teams in the league.
GREAT team! Even with All-Star Rashard Lewis serving a 10-game suspension, this team came out of the gate, guns a-blazing. Scoring 70 points in the first half and shooting 55% from beyond the arc, we viewed the makings of what is to be an amazing team. However, after only 3 games officially in the books (and somewhat counting an undefeated pre-season…and I say somewhat because, after all, those games don’t matter), are we ready to crown the 2009-2010 Magic as the greatest in team history?
Before we examine that, let me get to a couple of asides that definitely are on the front burner: first off, how awkward was it to see Courtney Lee in a Nets uniform last Friday night? I don’t want to be melodramatic and say I shed a tear, but it was as if you pawned off your best friend with the token ugly girl in the group when you know you could’ve at least hooked him up with the “kinda cute if she’s wearing the right clothes” girl. It just didn’t seem right and left you with an icky feeling afterward. But, we suck it up and move on with our own lives. Granted, with Crazy Zillionaire Russian (from now on referenced as “The CZaR” for the rest of the season) about to own the team, maybe that ugly girl gets a makeover and becomes the new hot thing parading around the bar (cough, LeBron in Brooklyn, cough). Here’s to you, Courtney…I will definitely be standing up and cheering when you make your return to O-Town. As opposed to aside number 2…
Toronto…can we just admit that I took round 1? I know the season’s early, and there’s still a chance all of your posts and threatening e-mails coming to fruition about the Raptors overtaking the Magic and Hedo Turkoglu becoming the savior (yes those were actual subjects from die hard Toronto fans I received), but after Sunday’s game, can you at least admit that maybe I wasn’t lying about you overpaying Turk? I debated flying up to the T.O. (yes, that’s their nickname) to watch the game, but thought maybe I’d have the hatred die down before I step foot onto Pearson International. Granted, Hedo did have a decent game (19 pts on 8-13 shooting) and you obviously have a beast in Chris Bosh, but Orlando just kicked it up a notch with that win. Look, I’ll never take anything away from Turk for being a clutch performer, but, he’s just not worth what you guys are paying him. Consider that his last game, he shot 40% and had 4 turnovers in a game against the Grizzlies…THIS is the Hedo that Orlando groans about. THIS is the Turk who made us all nervous whenever he had the ball with the seconds ticking. I hope you enjoy the constant anxiety attack, Toronto…it will sometimes pay off and he will win you some games, but don’t come crying to me when you start to see him for what he is.
Which brings me to another aside (I swear I’ll get back to my original article), for all of the smack talk that I received months ago, and for all of the “you suck, Toronto is WAY better than that” messages sent my way, the Raptors sure did lump it up on Sunday, didn’t they? You allowed 3 Magicians to knock down 5-3 pointers (and shoot 53% overall from downtown). You fell down 22 points to a team that had JJ Redick, Ryan Anderson, and Matt Barnes as starters and gave up the most points the Duke graduate has ever scored in an NBA game….ever…and this performance was against a team that dressed only 9 players and DIDN’T have 3 of its best players there! Lewis was suspended, Vince Carter was injured, and defensive specialist Mickael Pietrus apparently came down with the flu the morning of the game…and you STILL fell short. I know it’s only 3 games, and by no means am I saying that the Raptors are out of it, but for all of the “Toronto will destroy Orlando” e-mails I got, nothing was backed up…Don’t get me wrong, I love the city of Toronto. It’s beautiful, the people are extremely welcoming, and I’ll never knock them for a low level of passion for their teams, however, I expected a lot more from the Raptors on Sunday afternoon.
Anyway, back to the original article:
I’ve tinkered before with comparisons of the 2 most successful Magic teams and didn’t think the bar for greatness could be cleared any higher. However, because there is so much to love about this Orlando squad, I don’t know where to begin! How about the fact that they’re averaging over 110 points per game? In a league that’s been watered down and defensively driven (dare I bring up the Pistons and
Spurs of the mid-2000s?), we’re starting to see a team bringing us back to the late 80s, early 90s; when final scores would hover around the 125-118 range. Or how about the fact that, despite not having their main offensively focused All-Star around (Lewis), they’ve still managed to outscore their opponents by 12 points, shooting 44% from 3-point land? Maybe we should focus on the team never missing a step when it comes to points when their shoot first starter (Carter) went down with an injury?
What primarily impresses me, and causes me to place this year’s team on such a high pedestal, is the play of the “also rans” on the team. Of course Dwight Howard will get his 20-10, and yes, we know just how explosive Jameer Nelson can be. And when Rashard and Carter do come back, they will be draining buckets with the greatest of ease. But it’s the depth of this team that scares every other coach in the league. First off, how much are you reminded of the 2001 Kings whenever you see Jason Williams on the floor? As an assist machine (5.2 apg off the bench!), J-Will isn’t asked to be the scorer much like Nelson is. He doesn’t need to be the great defender off the bench when Pietrus can fill that role. What Williams is asked to do (and does well) is simply manage the game. As an older (and noticeably more mature) player, Jason has allowed anyone joining him on the court to be comfortable, knowing those passes will make their mark. And while this was the primary job of Anthony Johnson last year (trust me, I’m sure I’ll get to the disrespect of AJ later on this season), Williams has seamlessly filled the role, becoming a superb backup point few teams have.
With another “also ran”, Matt Barnes, you have that go-to forward who’s acted as Johnny on the Spot, no matter what Stan Van asks him to do. Nabbing 6 steals, 9 rebounds, and 12 points in a tough start against the Raptors, Barnes has been everywhere on the floor. Whether it’s stepping us as the main defensive stopper, or often acting as the decoy to free up JJ and Jameer on the wings, “the tattooed one” has definitely found his fit. But let’s not forget the other forward, Brandon Bass. Just as Gortat filled in the role of hustle player and provided much needed relief at the center position, Bass has quietly become the 2nd bash brother off the bench, joining the Polish Nickname I Hate as a formidable frontcourt no other 2nd string squad wants to face.
However, the lynchpin of the entire operation lies in the biggest unknown player of the team, Ryan Anderson. After only 3 games, how much has this man stepped up? Thrown in as a starter over what many thought would be a Brandon Bass position, Anderson has shot over 50% with the 3-ball, averaging 17.3 points per game (and for those of you keeping track, that’s more than Vince Carter, Jameer Nelson, and JJ Redick). With Van Gundy losing his primary hybrid threat at the 4-spot, Ryan has taken over the position, giving the Magic that extra level of energy many saw in Courtney Lee last year while also providing the sweet stroke needed to score. You want a main reason why teams are frustratingly spreading the floor, allowing Superman easy buckets and freeing up space for Pietrus, Nelson, and Redick to shoot to their heart’s content? Look towards Anderson…I knew “The Firm” would hold their own.
Look, I’m not so blind to think that Orlando is flawless. There are a few things I am concerned about (such as Vince Carter’s knack for being a chucker, the erratic play of Matt Barnes, and if JJ Redick can really keep up his shooting throughout this entire contract year), but for the first time in my life, I’m no longer fighting myself. I’m sure I’m joining a lot of Magic fans by allowing this honeymoon period to overtake me, filling me with excitement and anticipation for the rest of the year. But, until these golden walls in my head come crumbling down, it looks as if my inner Two-Face may have just met his match.
Got a question? Disagree with the article? Want to be included in the reader mailbag?: E-Mail Kenny at MagicExaminer@yahoo.com
Related Articles:
Comments
