Step-up time in the Magic Kingdom

Easily the most impressive performance last night on the docket in the NBA was put forth by the Magic:

Magic 118, Bobcats 80
Full Play-By-Play
Box Score
Recap

If you look at that 1st Quarter demolition Orlando laid on Charlotte [an improved squad, in their own right], it’s apparent that the Magic mean business this year.

The most impressive individual lines from the perspective of this corner?

The three highlighted in bold and italicized below.

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Field Goals			Rebounds
	pos	min	fgm-a	3pm-a	ftm-a	off	def	tot	ast	pf	st	to	bs	pts
M.Pietrus	G	24:50	5-8	1-3	2-2	0	4	4	2	4	1	4	2	13
J.Nelson	G	20:38	2-5	0-1	6-6	0	5	5	1	4	0	1	0	10
H.Turkoglu	F	24:10	2-5	1-3	4-4	1	1	2	1	6	0	1	0	9
R.Lewis	F	22:05	5-8	0-2	7-8	2	1	3	4	4	1	2	1	17
D.Howard	C	25:05	6-9	0-0	8-10	3	5	8	1	2	0	5	5	20
B.Cook		18:20	1-10	1-3	6-6	1	3	4	0	2	1	1	0	9
T.Battie		18:18	3-3	0-0	2-2	1	6	7	0	0	1	0	0	8
C.Lee		17:54	4-8	0-1	1-2	0	4	4	1	2	1	1	0	9
A.Johnson		17:14	0-0	0-0	0-0	0	0	0	7	4	0	2	0	0
A.Foyle		15:20	2-4	0-0	3-4	3	3	6	1	3	1	1	2	7
J.Redick		13:58	3-4	1-2	5-5	0	2	2	0	1	0	1	0	12
J.Richardson		12:00	0-4	0-0	2-2	1	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	2
M.Wilks		10:08	0-2	0-0	2-2	0	2	2	0	1	1	0	0	2
K.Bogans			–	–	–
M.Gortat			–	–	–
D.Jones			–	–	–
Total		240	33-70	4-15	48-53	12	37	49	18	33	7	19	10	118
			47.1%	26.7%	90.6%	Team Rebs: 5				Total TO: 19

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If Orlando can get consistent production from their three main new additions to the line-up, like this …

* Pietrus, with a solid all-around game;
* Johnson-A, with 0 shot attempts, 7 assists and 2 turnovers; and,
* Battie, with a solid all-around game;

they are going to join the Celtics and the Pistons, as a legitimate 3rd team, in the fight for the No. 1 Seed (overall) in the Eastern Conference Playoffs this season.

[Note 1: With Keith Bogans and a healthy JJ Redick … i.e. two improving 3PT-shooters … coming off the bench for the Magic, there will be few, if any, gaping holes remaining in Orlando’s line-up.]

More Raptors’ kool-aid mix

Okay … this one truly is Simply Irrestible.

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Jermaine in Toronto: Beyond the Obvious
This highlighted a long-standing problem for Toronto; the Raptors’ abject lack of interior defense, as well as the fact that we continued to play Chris Bosh out of position at the center spot despite the fact that he’s not physically equipped to handle a behemoth like Dwight with any reasonable hope for success.

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Chris Bosh [6-11, 210] is somehow not equipped to handle a behemoth like Dwight Howard [6-10, 240]?

Please.

Bill Russell was 6-9, 215.
Wilt Chamberlain was 7-1, 250. 

Seems like Russ did just fine, back in the day. 🙂

It’s amazing that this ^^^ type of nonsense is still being circulated on the net by most some Raptors’ fans who really should know better, by this point … given the performance just given by Chris Bosh, this summer, representing Team USA, at the Beijing Olympics, and what’s been crystal clear to some NBA observers for a long, long time …

* Chris Bosh’s strength as a player and a person
* Redeem Team accomplishes mission
* De-constructing the mystery that is Chris Bosh

Those Raptors’ faithful who STILL DON’T GET IT … are simply deluding themselves, if they think Chris Bosh’s best option in the NBA is to play, night-in and night-out, as a Power Forward.

Q&A: Did Bosh convince you in Beijing?

In the experience of this observer … one dimensional and ultra-conventional, stuck-inside-the-box, old school thinking is the standard method of operation for the majority of this team’s fans, who are exceptionally active in the blogosphere … but are not necessarily the most acute, in the NBA today.

In sharp contrast to what you might think, and what the Raptors’ organization might WANT their fans to believe, Chris Bosh’s optimal position in the NBA is CENTER … the position he just played for the Redeem Team.

This is the position which best suits his character, his unique skill set, and at which he can take best advantage of the mis-match possibilities he presents – offensively, defensively and rebounding-wise – for his team, in the NBA [as well as, in the FIBA Game] … not the Power Forward spot.

While the Raptors’ basketball braintrust, and the majority of their fans, might now be enamoured with the option of playing Jermaine O’Neal at Center for their team, in place of Chris Bosh, it seems they will need to learn the hard way that … all is not as simple as it looks, at first-glance, and … there are some things in this world which, might be delectable to the eye but, are in need of avoidance, at all costs, as a violation of straight-forward ‘Foundation Principles’ of the game …

e.g. Quickness, relative to an Opponent, at the position played, is the most important athletic quality for a basketball player. – John Wooden

Although increased POWER may be alluring, it does not pave the road to success in hoops.

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How can it be permissible
[S]he compromise my principle, yeah yeah
That kind of love is mythical
[S]hes anything but typical

[S]hes a craze youd endorse, [s]hes a powerful force
Youre obliged to conform when theres no other course
[S]he used to look good to me, but now I find her

Simply irresistible
Simply irresistible

[Her] His loving is so powerful, huh
Its simply unavoidable
The trend is irreversible
The [woman] man is invincible

[S]hes a natural law, and she leaves me in awe
[S]he deserves the applause, I surrender because
[S]he used to look good to me, but now I find [her] him

Simply irresistible
Simply irresistible

Simply irresistible [s]hes so fine, theres no tellin where the money went
Simply irresistible [s]hes all mine, theres no other way to go

[S]hes unavoidable, Im backed against the wall
[S]he gives me feelings like I never felt before
Im breaking promises, [s]hes breaking every law
[S]he used to look good to me, but now I find [her] him

Simply irresistible
[S]hes so fine, theres no tellin where the money went
Simply irresistible [s]hes all mine, theres no other way to
Go

[Her] His methods are inscrutable
The proof is irrefutable, ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh-ooh
[S]hes so completely kissable, huh
Our lives are indivisible

[S]hes a craze youd endorse, [s]hes a powerful force
Youre obliged to conform when theres no other course
[S]he used to look good to me, but now I find [her] him

Simply irresistible
Simply irresistible

[S]hes so fine, theres no tellin where the money went
Simply irresistible [s]hes all mine, theres no other way to go
[S]hes so fine, theres no tellin where the money went
Simply irresistible [s]hes all mine, theres no other way to go

Simply irresistible – [Robert Palmer] Bryan Colangelo

After the Gold: First-class comments from Team USA

Straight from the horses’ mouths …

Post-game comments from members of Team USA

Click the link ^ … and read each one.

What it means to be a TEAM.

Hoops 101

This corner hates to say, “You were told what was going to happen”, in advance, but …

* USA vs Spain for Olympic Gold
* Upside and Motor: Team USA Blogger Roundtable

The USA will NEED to send its VERY best players in order to win Gold Medals in Olympic Games’ men’s basketball.

If not … the rest of the the world is quickly becoming good ‘enough’ to capture Gold or Silver should the USA slip up.

Top flight basketball … like soccer/football … is now truly an international game … with good players and coaches scattered everywhere around the globe.

Kudos to …

* Ricky Rubio, Rudy Fernandez, Mark Gasol, Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Carlos Jimenez, Felipe Reyes, Jorge Garbajosa, Berni Rodrigues, Raul Lopez, Alex Mumbru, Jose Calderon (injured), their coaches & support staff

* Kobe Bryant, Leron James, Dwyane Wade, Deron Williams, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Michael Redd, their coaches and support staff …

Box Score & Game Summary

for giving such a good account of yourselves.

That, right there … ^^^ … my friends … was first-class basketball.

Degrees of American patriotism

According to JE Skeets, Ball Don’t Lie, a reader [referred to as ‘the Patriot’] has called into question the patriotism of Team USA members, Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh,

The 10-man rotation, starring the Great Brick Wall of China

on account of their physical stance during the pre-game playing of the US national anthem.

” … Am I missing something here? Is this not the Olympics where you are representing your country against all other countries? Even in a regular NBA game you should put your hand over your heart during the national anthem so it boggles me even more so they did not do it during the Olympics. Maybe Chris Bosh has spent too much time in Toronto and forgot how that works. Dwight claims to be Superman, but other than apple pie and baseball, nothing is more American than Superman — no excuses for him. I lost all respect for these two stars. My vote is to force these two to sign with a European team like the rest of the clowns that have left the good ol’ USA in search of the almighty dollar.”

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Are you missing something there, ‘the Patriot’?

Well … for the record … please let it be known in the blogosphere that individuals with this specific attitude toward others make this corner disgusted.

Commendations to all Olympians, everywhere … irrespective of the country they’re from … for displaying the best of our human traits … in pursuit of excellence, and through collaboration with one another.

Raptors @ Magic … post mortem

Orlando vs Toronto (Tue Apr 22) – Game Summary

When the Raptors play this well, on the road, in the playoffs …

* Shooting a higher Field Goal % than their Opponent (45.7 to 42.7)
* With a higher 3pt Field Goal % than their Opponent (37.9 to 29.0)
* With more Made 3pt Shots than their Opponent (11 to 9) 
* With a higher Free Throw % than their Opponent (90.0 to 82.6)
* With more Assists than their Opponent (21 to 19)

and finish only 1 point shy on the Scoreboard …

Tor 103, ORL 104

after being down by as many as 18 pts, at one stage, and with a clean look on their final possession to win the game outright …

it can seem as though Toronto put forth a tremedous effort, battled hard and was just unfortunate to lose a game that could have very easily gone either way.

Yes, indeed, that can sometimes be exactly how it seems.

But … seeming isn’t the same thing as BEING the case when trying to understand the reason(s) one team lost and one team won a specific game in the NBA playoffs.

With 3:00 remaining in the 4th Quarter of yesterday’s Game 2, with these line-ups for each team:

PG – Jose Calderon v Jameer Nelson
OG – Anthony Parker v Keith Bogans
SF – Jason Kapono v Rashard Lewis
PF – Carlos Delfino v Hedo Turkoglu
C – Chris Bosh v Dwight Howard

the following sequence of possessions occurred:

3:00 … Tor/Calderon Made 3Pt Shot (over Bogans) … ORL 98, Tor 97
2:41 … ORL/Nelson Driving Layup Attempt Blocked by Bosh
2:30 … Tor/Kapono Missed Leaning Jump Shot; Kapono Turnover (stepped out-of-bounds)
FULL TIME-OUT
2:13 … ORL/Howard Fouled by Delfino
2:03 … ORL/Turkoglu Missed Jump Shot; Offensive Rebound by Lewis (vs Delfino)
2:01 … ORL/Lewis Made Layup (vs Delfino) … ORL 100, Tor 97
1:47 … Tor/Calderon Made 3Pt Shot … ORL 100, Tor 100
1:26 … ORL/Lewis Missed 3Pt Shot; Defensive Reound by Parker
1:04 … Tor/Delfino Driving Layup Attempt, Fouled by Turkoglu; Delfino Missed 1st Free Throw Attempt, Made 2nd FT … Tor 101, ORL 100
20 SECOND TIME-OUT (ORL)
1:02 … ORL/Turkoglu Missed 3Pt Shot, Tap-out by Lewis/Delfino; Offensive Rebound by Nelson (vs Calderon)
0:51.6 … ORL/Lewis Missed 3Pt Shot; Defensive Rebound by Bosh
0:47.0 … Tor/Turnover by Bosh (bad pass); Steal by Bogans
0:35.1 … ORL/Howard Fouled by Bosh
0:30.3 … ORL/Turkoglu Made tough Driving Layup … ORL 102, Tor 101
20 SECOND TIME-OUT (Tor)
0:26.5 … Tor/Bosh Missed Driving Layup Attempt (Blocked Shot by Howard, no foul called)
0:18.7 … ORL/Turkoglu Fouled by Kapono; Turkoglu Made 2 Free Throws … ORL 104, Tor 101
0:09.6 … Tor/Delfino Made Driving Layup … ORL 104, Tor 103
20 Second Time-out (Orlando), Dooling replaced Bogans
0:09.3 … ORL/Offensive Foul by Dooling
FULL TIME-OUT (Tor)
0:03.0 … Tor/Bosh Missed 18′ Jump Shot
GAME OVER

meaning that Chris Bosh, Carlos Delfino, Jason Kapono and Jose Calderon each committed the types of serious miscues which can derail an inexperienced team playing on the road in the post-season … e.g. Giving up an Important Offensive Rebound, Missing a Critical Free Throw, Committing a Turnover & Missing a Crucial Jump Shot. 

Until Toronto’s best players are put into these specific types of End-of-Game situations more times during their NBA careers, it is likely that they will continue to come up on the short end of intensely played playoff games that are usually decided by individual player execution during the final three minutes of the game.

Looking ahead to Games 3 & 4, in Toronto, it will be interesting to see:

(A) How Orlando’s best players … in most cases, equally inexperienced as Toronto’s … are able to handle the intensity of playoff competition during this specific phase of the game, where Winners & Losers are frequently determined in the NBA’s post-season; and,

(B) If Toronto decides to give increased playing time to the specific Small-Ball Unit (i.e. Calderon, Parker, Kapono, Delfino & Bosh) that finished Game 2 … with its strength (3Pt Shooting) and weakness (Offensive Rebounds Allowed).

Where Amazing Happens …