Orlando Magic Blog

Group Blog talking about the NBA 2009 Eastern Conference Champions. Due to the amazing success of the 2009 playoff run comments are now frequently deleted to kill offensive comments, incoherence, or asininity. Comments can no longer be anonymous and require either a Blogger or OpenID account.

Sunday, December 30, 2007

Solid effort from starting five helps Magic top CHA

All five Magic starters scored in double figures, as they slowly pulled away from CHA (10-18) in the final qtr for a 104-95 victory, the third in a row for the Magic (21-11, 7-6 home).

The Magic were led by HTurkoglu, who continues his outstanding play, with 28 pts (9 of 20 FGs), 7 rebs; DHoward 15 pts (5 of 10 FGs), 21 rebs, 4 blocks; CArroyo, starting in place of the injured JNelson (back strain) at PG, 16 pts (6 of 14 FGs), 6 asts, and just 2 TOs in 40 mins; RLewis 18 pts (8 of 16 FGs); and KBogans 12 pts (4 of 9 FGs). MEvans led the reserves with 7 pts.

Jason Richardson scored a season-high 34 pts (11 of 21 FGs) for the Bobcats, and Gerald Wallace added 23 pts.

The statistical breakdown:

FGs... ORL 36 of 80 (45%) CHA 35 of 74 (47.3%) ORL 79 CHA 78
3 PT FGs... ORL 8 of 21 (38.1%) CHA 7 of 18 (38.9%)
FTs... ORL 25 of 35 (71.4%) CHA 17 of 21 (81.0%)
REBs... ORL 42 CHA 36
AST/TO... CHA 25/17 ORL 13/12
BENCH... CHA 18 ORL 15

The Magic have now extended their lead to 4 games in the SE over ATL, and next play a New Year's Eve matinee MON in CHI against the new-look Bulls.

posted by Mike from Illinois @ 1:31 AM  

15 Comments:

  • At 2:01 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Nice effort from our guys, especially the starters, after a very tough game the night before.

    I would say that Arroyo acquitted himself well starting in place of Nelson, plus the Magic were able to hold CHA under 100 pts defensively. The 16 pts from Arroyo were a bonus, but a good 6/2 AST/TO ratio and only 2 TOs in 40 mins really stand out. Arroyo had slightly better stats than the opposing PG, Ray Felton (13 pts and a 6/4 AST/TO ratio), which goes to show that Arroyo isn't quite the horrible defender that Big Figure and Matt make Arroyo out to be (with all due respect, guys). Felton is a decent PG, too, so it's not like Arroyo was trying to defend some slouch.

    CHA did have a better AST/TO ratio, but the Magic had 5 fewer TOs; fewer TOs help prevent easy baskets by the opposing team, which in turn helps the defense... the final score against the Bobcats is proof of that.

    I know that CHA isn't exactly an elite team, but at least the Magic are beating the teams they should be beating, with their three game winning streak all against sub-.500 teams. I'm sure the Magic are starting to regain the confidence they had earlier this season, and they can continue to build from this.

     

  • At 4:03 AM, Blogger Matt said…

    Mike, how could you draw a conclusion on Carlos's defensive prowess from a one-night stats versus an average PG? I thought we were in agreement that out of the 3 PGs on our roster, Carlos is the worst defensively. As for the other point being brought up about some of the better PGs in the league not being top defenders, let me be clear that Nash is in a league of his own, and even if he presents no defense, his offense compensates for that and more, although I have never seen Nash being abused by any opposing PG. The situation with the Magic is unique whereas the lowest of the lows in the league have been feasting on our defense, lately. Therefore, I felt it makes sense to look for more defense in the perimeter players including the PGs. We could probably run our offense through Hedo or Rashard and still be able to score while not allowing the opposing guards to penetrate in our paint with impunity. You keep saying that Carlos runs the offense smoothly and his AST/TO ratio is impeccable, and I am not contesting that. All I am saying is that in the state that we are in now, defense is needed more than offense. Teams like MIA and CHA should never play these kinds of close games with us, and it all starts at defensive lapses on our end.

     

  • At 5:25 AM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    This game wasn't as close as the score indicated. Sure, they stayed within "striking distance" because they hit some 3's, but they never got beyond that.

    As for mentioning Miami in the same reference, the Heat have played many teams this year down to the final minutes, but in ZERO of those games did Wade shot 23 FT's and score 48 points. These are two solid victories for the Magic in my book.

    As for Arroyo, he did a nice job in the starting lineup. His defense wasn't spectacular, but it was solid. He played a smart game. Both of his TO's were normal, and nothing sloppy. One was a strip from weak side help, and the other was "palming" and total crap.

    By the way, Carlos Arroyo is 3rd in the NBA in assist/turnover ratio.

    Arroyo is playing efficient basketball, and that cannot be minimalized.

    Final Thoughts:
    -Hedo is playing amazing basketball. I know we have a little while to go before the all-star game, but I really hope the coaches recognize what he has done this year and select him.

    -It looks like Rashard’s neck is feeling a little better. In the past few games he’s been a lot less one dimensional and a lot more versatile. It's nice to see him taking shots all over the floor, rather than just behind the 3-point line.

    -Sad to say but I hope Jameer stays out for a while and gets completely healthy. I’m curious to see how the team does without him.

     

  • At 9:52 AM, Blogger WeRDevos said…

    Magic have done well beating three poor teams in a row. But each of those games call out for a SG/SF defensive stopper who can come in and shut down a hot opponent.

    Last night was Richardson 34 points, before it was Wade, and against NYK Crawford had a good game.

    Magic just don't have a guard with a defensive mindset right now. Nelson and Arroyo are not physically capable of shutting down a scorer without help. Bogans, Evans and Dooling are better, but still borderline mediocre.

    Either someone like Evans needs to step up and concentrate on defense, or find someone via trade.

     

  • At 10:08 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Well finally we have a consecutive winning streak at home with a good win at home against a mediocre charlotte team. Charlotte came out the gate with jason richardson shooting the ball great and role players like matt carroll making great decisions offensively, but the magic's depth inside completely broke the bobcats down. They had no answer for Howard inside even triple teaming him at times. Hedo is playing at an all star level!!!! there is no doubt about it, he has more than earned himself a spot on the allstar team. If not for his play we would not be at top of the division and thats for sure. The magic played a good game especially after the war on friday night SVG had the guys ready to play.

    Arroyo came out firing and running the offense like it should be run. Yes, gents he is weak defensively due to the fact that he is slow, but his offensive assets overlaps his defense. He has stepped it up as of late and man did we need it!!

     

  • At 11:29 AM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    Oh i get it,ONE NIGHT where an opposing point guard doesnt play that well carlos gets recognized as an average defender? Sorry mike not even close. It was only one game against a BAD team. You guys (except matt) watch carlos on the offensive end only,hitting his jumper,creatively using his picks,running the break and finding open people,but that same focus is not being used when watching him defensively. Magic paul if you think turnovers are our biggest problem then obviously you havent been listening to your own coach,in his post-game press conference coming off our last loss,SVG stated that our defense wasnt good enough point blank,he never mentioned anything else because you can compensate for different things statistically if you defend and we werent,the magic have won games THIS YEAR with 20 or more turnovers,no way do turnovers hurt you more than not playing defense,why do you think SVG called out his own guys a few times this year,FOR NOT DEFENDING! Plus Lst night against one of the worst teams in the league carlos almost wasnt able to finish the first half because he plays defense with his hands which leads to foul trouble (where i suspect against better guards carlos will find himself alot,on the bench in foul trouble because his footspeed is so slow)he was trying to stay with felton who just blew by him most of the first half,then later in the game carlos tried to make an adjustment by stepping back and giving him room so he didnt get by him so easily and felton raised up and hit a jumper right in front of carlos,because he was giving so much space (because of being scared he was gonna get blown by again) he wasnt even able to get a hand up,i mean watching carlos on the defensive end is almost laughable that he's so un-balanced when it comes to his game,i give carlos credit he gets it done offensively,but defensively he's one of the worst in the league primarily because he's wasnt blessed with ANY and i mean ANY footspeed,its almost as if his feet are stuck in mudd when he's trying to defend,then has great quickness with the ball when he's making plays offensively,just doesnt make any since,but it is what it is and i call it like i see it. Just like matt said,we shouldnt be just barely beating teams like this and it all starts with our perimeter defense and the only weak link has been at the point guard,starting with jameer and now on to carlos not giving us ANY penetration stop-ability,so i'm not gonna pat the magic on the back for barely beating BAD teams and i'll just finish by sayin,it was good to not lose. Good individual jobs by hedo and dwight,our two all-stars!

     

  • At 11:34 AM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    We will lose with that type of performance against better teams.

     

  • At 5:32 PM, Blogger OVERWADED said…

    Carlos is an average defender, but not a bad one. Damn his slow foot speed!

    You really need to drop the catch phrase "slow foot speed"; we know already. The horse is dead.

    Funny, SVG supposedly addressed what our biggest problem is; defense right? Yet, he still chooses to go with Arroyo to start the game. Hmm, I guess he doesn't think as highly of Dooling as some people?

    I mean, I just don't understand. If defense is our obvious problem, and Dooling is allegedly playing this "great defense", why is it that SVG doesn't go with him? No really, I’m serious, why?

    By the way, you can win in today’s NBA with average defense, especially when you have a guy like Dwight Howard anchoring that defense.

    The fastest way to lose in the NBA is by playing careless and turning the ball over. ALL winning teams have solid assist/turnover ratios, period. If you want to argue that, then I'll know where you stand.

    Felton sure was putting a hurting on Arroyo last night, a whole 13 points. Did you watch the game?

    Nelson and Arroyo did not and are not suppose to defend Wade or Richardson, and the only reason they spent some time guarding Crawford was because he was playing out of position due to the fact that Marbury is out.

    All of those wing players mentioned; the responsibility primarily falls on the shoulders of our "good defenders" (Bogans, Dooling, Evans).

    The fact of the matter is, nobody in the backcourt, Dooling included is playing defense worth bragging about.

    You guys better get used to one of two things; Nelson or Arroyo in the starting rotation. As of now, it's Arroyo's spot to lose. Like I said before, I just can't see SVG going with Dooling. SVG has expressed more than once his liking towards Arroyo. He's "confident" in him, and he believes in him to make "good decisions". Until Arroyo blows it, or Dooling gives his game a makeover, that's not going to change.

    I do have a question for the people who prefer Dooling. If Dooling isn’t an option in the starting rotation, who do you prefer to see out there, Nelson or Arroyo?

    It’s interesting, going into the season, most fans were hoping this team would be at or a little above .500 at this point considering the tough road heavy schedule. The Magic are currently 10 games above .500, and the way some people are talking makes it sound like we have the record of the Miami Heat.

    Enjoy the wins. Enjoy watching Dwight Howard turn into a Superstar right before our own eyes. Hedo is playing at an all-star level. Dwight is playing at an MVP level. Enjoy what we have. We're a young team, it's a long season, and we still have one of the top records in the NBA. I'm happy. Go Magic!

     

  • At 7:18 PM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Basically, I agree with everything OVERWADED just said.

    Fact of the matter is, Arroyo has been a big part of the last two wins with his steady floor play and taking good care of the ball. Even with his defensive liabilities, which I acknowledge, he still outplayed CHA's Ray Felton, who came into the game averaging 14.6 ppg and 6.6 asts.

    As WeRDevos pointed out, it's been the opposing teams' SGs who have hurt us the last few games, which can hardly be blamed on Arroyo.

    It's nice to see the Magic beating the teams they should be beating, even though they haven't been blowouts. It's good to see the improved PG play and the wins. Let's hope they can continue to gain momentum and confidence.

     

  • At 9:00 PM, Blogger Big Figure said…

    I stand firm on my opinion,carlos is a BAD defender. His "slow foot speed" is always going to get mentioned if people get by him and break down our defense,there were plenty of times where we gave up three's to charlotte and SVG was just beside himself,carlos and hedo were the primary culprits of most of the "blow by's". The only reason SVG goes with arroyo to start games is because of his lack of confidence in JJ's defense,using keyon to start at the point would take away from his best back-up two(he stated keith and keyon are doing a better job at the two which is why jj isnt playing,its in the sentinel),arroyo gets the nod by default because SVG would rather play keith and keyon at the two,not because arroyo's the best choice,if that were the case he would have un-seated jameer without injury having to happen. But your right about one thing,having dwight makes it easier for arroyo defensively and if dwight werent a part of this team arroyo wouldnt have a security blanket covering up his defensive problems,anytime someone gets by him dwight changes their shot,i bet carlos wished he had dwight at all of his first three stops in the league. Also talking assist/turnover ratio's all comes down to what you call solid? The magic are currently middle of the pack,not great,but not horrible,but still have over 20 wins and have games of over 20+ turns and still won. But all winning teams do one thing for sure,they defend,just check the defensive feild goal percentage,but argueing the level of importance is not for me because of something that i live by in sport,the old saying goes "defense wins championships" and thats what i beleive. Also let me be clear,i wrote a piece the other day stating "DONT EXPECT ANY LINE UP CHANGES" even though i was lobbying for keyon to be the starter,what i want and what i knew would happen are two completely different things because i knew jameer would start barring any injury,carlos would back-up at point with keyon at Back-up two,understand that when i talk carlos's game,no matter what i say i still know what SVG is going to do with the rotation. So you pose the question,nelson or arroyo? I'm always going to go with the player that has the ability to defend as well as run the team. Otis said it best in the paper today,when jameer's right he's our best point guard and out of these three i agree. Now that doesnt mean i think any of them are our long term answer,i think all three of them are flawed in different ways,jameer isnt as big as i would like him to be,keyon isnt the playmaker i would like him to be,and carlos,you know whats coming,everybody together "his slow foot speed". I wish i could combine all three,but im no longer acting like i have the answer cause i dont,would i give keyon a shot,sure,but doesnt mean im convinced he'd be the "savior of defense". We lack grit and toughness at certain positions,no point guard no matter how good his defense is could fix that. Hopefully this effectively takes me out of any point guard debate,im still gonna get on carlos if people are getting by him and he's playing defense with his hands which lead to fouls,you can count on that,its only fair,we give it to jameer the same way. On to chicago.

     

  • At 12:51 AM, Blogger Mike from Illinois said…

    Big Figure, I think we all would agree that when JNelson is playing to his full capabilities, he is the best of our three PGs; but who knows when Jameer might begin to play like that again?

    We've all clearly stated our opinions on the pt guard debate. The only thing to do now is watch the games and see how this new rotation does, with Carlos starting, Jameer the backup PG, and Keyon coming off the bench as the backup SG (assuming that's the lineup against the Bulls). I think it could work out well if we just give it a chance.

     

  • At 4:36 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Overwaded....very well said!!!!

     

  • At 7:41 AM, Blogger Kedevon said…

    This comment has been removed by the author.

     

  • At 7:43 AM, Blogger Kedevon said…

    This comment has been removed by the author.

     

  • At 7:49 AM, Blogger Kedevon said…

    hi!!
    I'm Kedebon from Philippines i like your team Orlando magic but the way do players did know encouragement.
    Please give opportunities to win this, please be responsible because your the best team among the rest, you have a great power forward and you have a great shooter Hedu Turkoglu. I respect your team but please encourage us to win this team do your best because
    it is 2009 give mark in your own
    history!!!......make all players will be came all star.. i all will pray in God well...God Bless you team...

     

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