Training Camp Underway...News And Notes

The Orlando Magic's last possession of the 2006-2007 season -- Game 4 of the playoffs against the Detroit Pistons -- ended, fittingly, in a turnover.No wonder that on the first day of training camp last Saturday, new Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy angrily halted practice after another pass ended up in the wrong hands."What were we in turnovers last season? Anybody know? 25th? 28th?" Van Gundy said, staring through several of his players. "No one-handed passes! Come on take care of the ball!"The Magic actually ranked 29th in turnovers last season, committing 1,392 -- second-most in the NBA behind the New York Knicks.Orlando averaged almost 17 per game. Their careless ways undermined their play, costing them valuable possessions, making the opposition's job easier.The Magic had 27 turnovers in a February game against the Chicago Bulls, 11 by center Dwight Howard, who finished with an NBA-high 317.Like his predecessor, Brian Hill, Van Gundy is determined to limit the miscues."If we want to win, we better," he said. "It's very difficult to overcome turning the ball over a lot. You'd have to make a lot of shots offensively, and your defense would have to be incredible to overcome it. They're giveaways, and they lead to points. It hurts you in a myriad of ways."Hill's impatience with the turnover outbreak reached a boiling point after one game when he growled, "This has got to stop!" It didn't.The Magic won't improve unless Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson (184 turnovers) reduce their mistakes.Howard, who gets the most touches, committed 100 more turnovers from Year 2 to Year 3. Opponents often knocked the ball out of his hands as he made a move. Other times, teammates struggled to feed him in the post."We just have to play smarter," Nelson said. "It's just playing the right way and developing good habits."Last season, there were spates of unforced errors. Instead of making the simple play, the Magic sometimes tried to go for the highlight-reel assist.Van Gundy has told his players he is backing off on playing such a structured style. But the leash will grow shorter if turnovers mount. "It's up to them," Van Gundy said.It didn't take long for players to discover that Van Gundy has little patience for carelessness.Guard Keith Bogans is worried each time a ball gets lost in practice. Van Gundy punishes players for various crimes against basketball fundamentals by making the offender (or offenders) run sprints."I had to run five sprints for not getting back on defense. Sprints will make you remember," Bogans said.