Warming Up to Vince Carter

My Magic-crazy fiance just put a lot into perspective for me regarding the Vince Carter for Alston, Lee, and Battie trade.

I have been mourning the loss of Lee, a player that I thought would be a promising long-time player for the Magic.

He might have been, but listen to what the big man of my house just told me: "If Vince Carter would have been in Courtney Lee's position during Game Two of the Lakers-Magic series, he would have made that alley-oop. He would have dunked the %^*% out of it."

And you know what? He's exactly right.

There's no denying that Lee will improve next year, but as I've been saying since the end of the Magic's season, experience is crucial for the Orlando playoff run next year.

A lot of what went wrong in the late-game blown leads that the Magic endured had to do with lack of experience under pressure and lack of stamina in a stressful Finals situation. I kept saying that if we found experienced players for a good price, it was necessary to acquire them.

So I guess that's what's happening here with Vince Carter, and why I'm warming up to the whole situation. However, one question still lingers in my mind.

Does this mean we're letting go of Hedo Turkoglu? Depending on what we pay Carter (and I'm sure he's not cutting us some kind of deal), could we even afford him?

I'm a proponent of keeping Turkoglu, but maybe there is some kind of dream team in the works I can't see yet. I'm a little bit nervous about cracking apart the core that worked pretty darn well last year, but doing pretty darn well isn't good enough.

We want a championship in Orlando, and it looks like the Magic front office wants it just as bad as the fans do. We are making some drastic moves, but I'm starting to believe it's for the best.

No Draft Pick, What Is Next?

The Orlando Magic don't have a single pick in this year's NBA Draft.

At least they can't mess it up, right? But what does this mean for the team going forward? Here I break down some areas of interest as we essentially skip the draft this Thursday and wait for Turkoglu to receive offers.

2008—2009 Record: 59-23; Won Eastern Conference Finals

Offensive: 111.0 (9th)

Defensive: 103.6 (1st)

Under Contract:

• G: Rafer Alston
• C-F: Tony Battie
• C: Dwight Howard
• G: Courtney Lee
• F: Rashard Lewis
• G: Jameer Nelson
• G-F: Mickael Pietrus
• G: J.J. Redick

Free Agents:

• C: Adonal Foyle (Unrestricted)
• F-C: Marcin Gortat (Restricted)
• G: Tyronn Lue (Unrestricted)
• G-F: Jeremy Richardson (Restricted)

Options:

• G: Anthony Johnson (Player Option)
• F: Hedo Turkoglu (Early Termination)

It all looks good on paper: only 23 losses, 9th in offense in the league (a rank in which I believe should improve a lot next season, with the right moves), and thanks to Kevin Garnett's absence in Boston in the last two months, a No. 1 defense in the entire NBA.

As for the players under contract, in my opinion, C-F Tony Battie should be let go. With only 4.8 points per game and 3.6 rebounds per game, I should hope no one in Orlando wants to pay him $6.3 million next year. Trade him? Straight-up cut him? I don't make those decisions, but I hope the Magic front office makes one of them. Marcin Gortat put up similar numbers, and he made $5 million less. Sometimes I wonder who is making personnel decisions in Orlando.

The rest of the players currently under contract are likely to be kept. The core of the team is strong, and if the price is right for Hedo Turkoglu, that core will be complete for 2009—2010.

As far as free agents go, I vote to let go all of them except Gortat. Free up some cap space and pay Gortat more. He deserves it.

We already spoke about Hedo Turkoglu, who is a player option (and a keeper), and my feeling is that Anthony Johnson will stay. A seasoned veteran, Johnson harbors experience that the Magic will covet next year for another Finals run.

What Needs Work

We all know the Magic lack instinct, the likes of which killed them in the playoffs. It's hard to acquire late-game toughness and strong leadership, especially if the Magic only have cap space for a small salary for that experienced player. The best thing the Magic can do on this front, at this time, is keep their highly skilled core and develop them with fervor.

A Possible End Result

The Magic could entice Hedo Turkoglu to stay if they cut the fat. Jameer Nelson will be back, and will hone his skills again in the offseason.

Orlando could use Rafer Alston's expiring contract to acquire a much-needed big man to help Dwight Howard on the boards and allow Rashard Lewis to play more minutes at the small forward position (so he can also earn his inflated salary).

Tony Battie probably will stay, although I'm against it.

Hope you enjoyed my analysis, look forward to your comments!

Tyronn Lue—Who Are You Again?

Tyronn Lue—yeah, he's that guy sitting on the Magic sidelines, as usual.

The bench is the first location that comes to mind when thinking of Lue this year with the Magic, but when he arrived back in February from the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Keith Bogans and cash considerations, Otis Smith sure hyped him up.

“Tyronn is a veteran point guard who fits in well with our style of play,” said Smith. “He shoots well from three-point range and adds needed depth at that position."

Yes, he is a veteran—he's played in 554 NBA games, but he only played 44 this year with a measly average of 4.2 PPG. Yes, he's experienced—he's played for eight teams in his eleven-year career. Then the red flags go up. Eight teams in eleven years? And a little newsflash for you, Otis—Lue's career three-point percentage sits at a bleak 39.1 percent.

Other sub-par stats that Lue has put up: 11.8 minutes per game, a 43.8 field goal percentage. His salary this year: $2,250,000 million.

We've been talking about Rashard not being worth his salary. I agree with that, too, but is anyone realizing that this guy was way overpaid this year?

In comparison, Marcin Gortat made only a little over $711,000 this year. What kind of numbers did he put up? 63 games, a 57 percent field goal percentage, and a 43.5 three-point percentage. Not amazing by any means, but I think you're getting my drift.

In short, we need to cut the guy loose. We have no more room for dead weight, and I'm sick of seeing a player who makes that much doing absolutely nothing.

Others that we definitely need to say goodbye to: Tony Battie and Adonal Foyle.

If Otis Smith can make some good decisions and get these aforementioned guys out of our hair, we will have an additional $8.8 million to work with. That gives us money to keep Marcin Gortat and Hedo Turkoglu, which I believe are two strong pieces of the Magic's 2009/2010 puzzle.

Cutting the fat is essential to making the Finals again next year and finally capturing the title. This summer should be very busy for the Magic's front office staff.

Good luck to Tyronn Lue, but he doesn't belong here in Orlando.

The Top Six Issues Facing the Magic This Offseason

It's been on every Orlando Magic fan's mind since the 2009 NBA Finals went in the Lakers' favor. What can the organization do this offseason to make sure that what happened against Kobe and L.A. doesn't happen again?

It's clear from Otis Smith in the front office to Dwight Howard down on the court—bringing an NBA Championship to O-Town is the goal; we're not interested in merely making it to the playoffs. So, how can the Magic make it over the hill in 2010?

I know six is a weird number for a countdown, but hey, I believe there are seven things the Magic need to work on. They're not in any order of significance, they're all important for Orlando's growth. As the hype of the NBA Finals ends and the offseason plays out, I'm sure we'll know a lot more about what needs to be done to get the Magic a championship win.

Let me know what you think, and if you think there are any other issues that need to be raised, I would be interested to hear them.

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No. 6- Re-sign Hedo

Almost immediately after the Lakers won the 2009 NBA Championship, Hedo Turkoglu let the sports world know that he wanted to stay with the Magic only if the price is right.
On Tuesday, June 16, Hedo Turkoglu confirmed that he would opt out of his contract to become a free agent in two weeks, and hopes "everything will work out for both sides and I can stay here (Orlando) because I became Turkoglu here."

He's opting out of the last year of his six-year, $36 million deal.

Turkoglu said multiple times that this decision was made in order to secure himself and his family.

The problem with Turkoglu demanding more money is that the Magic don't exactly have a lot of cap space left for 2009-2010. In fact, if the Magic want to keep the much-needed Hedo, they might have to exceed their soft cap this year and deliver a luxury tax to the NBA.
Really, if the team hadn't offered Rashard Lewis such a lucrative contract, the Magic's money situation might not be so dire right now. The more I take a look at Lewis' $18,876,000 million salary for 2008, the more I understand Hedo's position. If you're not up to speed, Lewis is making more money in the next four seasons than Dwight Howard.

Who will be on the chopping block first in order to secure Hedo Turkoglu? Probably Tony Battie. Next year, Battie is set to make $6,292,000 million.

In the next couple weeks, we will know a lot more about the Turkoglu situation. When asked if he might take less to re-sign with the Magic, Turkoglu smiled and said, "Depends on how much less it is. Look, I have good stuff going on here. I'm not stupid."

No. 5- Re-sign Marcin Gortat

I really think it's in the Magic's best interest for Marcin Gortat to stay put. He is, after all, the "Polish Hammer". All joking aside, though, there aren't a lot of "big men" out there available for the $711,517 salary that Gortat played for this past year.

The game is all about brawn these days; finesse is out as the premier way to win an NBA game. Gortat's skill continues to increase, and he's sure to be a solid investment for the Magic this offseason.

No. 4- Develop Courtney Lee

Unfortunately, right now, Courtney Lee is most famous for his legendary miss in this year's NBA Finals.

If you live under a rock, Lee is the rookie that botched Hedo Turkoglu's nearly perfect pass with only 0.6 seconds to go in Game Two.

The first thing came into my mind after Lee's missed alley-oop layup is his lack of experience, especially in a Finals situation.

How would you feel if you were fresh out of college, guarding Kobe Bryant?
I guess I can't blame the guy for choking—it is, after all, the coaching staff's job to decide who is ready to make it happen in game play. However, Courtney Lee is an investment, and should improve a lot in the offseason if he works hard and the coaching staff spends some quality time with him.

No. 3- Step it Up, Rashard Lewis

In the 2008-09 season, Magic SF Rashard Lewis made a team-high $17,238,000 million. Next season, he's slated to make over $18,000,000 million.

I think it's safe to say that Rashard Lewis hasn't played up to his superstar salary.
He's being paid to be the man, and Magic fans graciously have not reminded him of that with any malice. We continue to be polite, but we also keep waiting.

If Rashard plays like the $18,000,000 million superstar he is supposed to be in the 2009-10 season, the Magic will be very strong.

No. 2- Keep Developing Dwight

Diligently developing Dwight—it can only help.

Probably the most physically gifted player in the NBA, and only 23 years old, Dwight Howard has a lot of time left in the league. His frustration got him into a little bit of trouble this year in game play (see Dwight elbowing Samuel Dalembert in Game 5 of the Magic-76ers series), but I honestly wasn't surprised about it. I'm two years younger than Superman, and can only imagine just how mentally and physically taxing it is to be a young player in the NBA.

As Howard continues to grow more experienced as an NBA powerhouse, the overall quality of Magic game play will obviously improve. Patrick "Chewing" will continue to mentor Dwight, and good things can only come from that.

No. 1- Get Jameer Nelson Back to All-Star Status

In very early February 2009, Jameer Nelson suffered a torn labrum, devastating Magic fans who wondered what kind of impact the injury would have on the rest of the season.
Nelson sat on the sidelines at the 2009 NBA All-Star Game due to his injury, despite being chosen. Look, we know Nelson is an All-Star, and it was a lot to ask him to return during the 2009 Playoffs and be at that star-caliber status.

However, there's no limit on Nelson's potential for the 2009-2010 season. If the Magic continue to heal and re-develop Jameer after his long hiatus from regular play, the Magic should be that much better.

Magic Look to Tie Series in Game Four vs. Lakers

The Orlando Magic shot 63 percent Tuesday night in Game Three, setting an NBA Finals record, and defeating the Los Angeles Lakers, 108-104.

Despite the record, the Magic were only able to win by four points, making it obvious that the Lakers can and will hang with the blue and white throughout every game. There's no margin for error, and no time to let up.

If the Magic can play hard (preferably even harder, and smarter) tonight, they have a chance to even the series up 2-2. It won't be an easy task, especially back in Los Angeles, but Orlando can find solace in the fact that it is possible, and it has been done before (most recently by another Florida team, the Miami Heat).

Unfortunately for the Lakers, despite their commanding presence in all three games so far, they cannot play up to par without their star, Kobe Bryant. In Game Three, Bryant seemed to be fatigued by the rigors of the playoffs, shooting just fourteen points in the final three quarters.

No. 8 has denied that he is fatigued, saying instead that he is more concerned with Orlando's shooting.

"They're in this position because they shoot the ball well," said Bryant. "It's not something that is just a fluke or one game where they got hot. They can get hot and stay hot. When that happens, you're dealing with a monster."

Indeed they have become, at the very least, a little warmer. In Game One, the Magic made only 29.9 percent of their shots.

Dwight Howard told reporters that the Magic have not let the first two games get in the way of their confidence and determination.

"We've worked extremely hard to get to where we're at, so we weren't just happy with making it to the finals and handing the Lakers an easy championship. We believe that if we play our game and play our style of basketball, this will be our year to win it. But we have to go out there and take it."

Trying to take the championship from the Lakers is like trying to take cookies from an overweight food-addicted baby—they will never go down without a menacing fight. To everyone in Orlando's corner, tonight is a must win at home at Amway Arena. The Magic also have a good opportunity to take Game Five as well at home.

However, Game Six goes back to L.A., where Dwight and the crew have had quite a hard time this series. Putting two W's up in the next couple of days is imperative.

Game Four is tonight, Thursday, June 11th, at 9:00 PM on ABC.

Mickael Pietrus Ditching Kobe's Shoes

Guard Mickael Pietrus needs to change shoes.

During games this season, Pietrus wore a pair of basketball sneakers endorsed by Kobe Bryant. Now that the Magic are trying to defeat the Black Mamba, Pietrus will not advertise him any longer.

"I'm going to play with Michael Jordan shoes," Pietrus told reporters.

Will these new shoes help No. 20 minimize Kobe's touches? Pietrus himself is not sure.

"Maybe I can say 'Hey, stop, Kobe! Yo! Stop! Maybe that's the only way I can stop him," Pietrus said.

The Magic Starts Thursday

It's amazing. So amazing.

I still can't believe my eyes when I see the NBA Finals commercial featuring the Magic vs. Lakers. I'm excited, I'm confident, and I'm ready.

The team has had their ups and downs this year—losing Jameer Nelson, tense moments between Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy, and four last-second playoff losses. However, the Magic have shown their tenacity and durability as a team as they're now taking on Kobe and L.A. in the big show.

"We've been through everything you could possibly go through in the playoffs in one season," Van Gundy said.

Even so, the blue and white are still not satisfied.

"You can look at everybody in the locker room's eyes as well as the coach and tell that we are happy about getting to the Finals, but we are not tremendously happy enough yet," forward Rashard Lewis said.

And rightfully so. The Magic have only made it to the NBA Finals one other time, in 1995. Orlando was swept by Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets.

Soon after, Shaquille O'Neal bolted for L.A., and the Magic franchise took a major blow.

I haven't seen Orlando like this since 1995, and I tell you, it's great.

"I felt like we were a laughingstock around the league. Everybody played the Magic, they thought about Disney World. So I just wanted to change that," Dwight Howard said.

And he did.

The Magic are no longer a laughing matter, even though it seemed that the media and NBA have tried to keep it that way. Is it really that bad to see the underdog win? Is it really not that exciting?

Nevertheless, it doesn't matter what the fans or the league wants anymore. Dwight and the gang are ready to take on the Lakers on Thursday night, and so is the city of Orlando.

Here's to Orlando getting put on the map again. Here's to a championship win. Blue and white Ignite! Go Magic!

Orlando Magic Diehards Smash a Cavalier

On Wednesday afternoon, in celebration of the Magic's win over LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers, 116-114, Orlando's Real Radio 104.1's The Buckethead Show procured a Chevy Cavalier, and smashed it with a sledgehammer.

After decorating the red Cavalier with spray paint, members of the show, as well as other Magic diehards, took their turns on the car like it was a pinata.

Speaking of pinata, the same radio show created a Big Baby Davis pinata during the Magic-Celtics series, and took a nice few whacks to it after the Boston star hit his famous game winning three against the Magic in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

There's no doubt that the city of Orlando is electrified and ready to watch their team take on the Cavaliers in a do-or-die matchup for LeBron and his crew.

Here's a link to the Cavalier smash slideshow.

Enjoy! Let's Go Magic! Blue and White Ignite!

Dwight Howard's Technical Foul Rescinded

After further review, the NBA league office decided to rescind the technical foul given to Dwight Howard during last night's victory over LeBron James and the Cavaliers.

After the technical foul, Amway Arena went beserk, yelling a resounding bull%*@* at the game officials. Apparently it was—and more specifically, it was a celebration, not a taunt.

The T was called after he celebrated a made basket. Cleveland's Anderson Varejao grabbed Howard around the shoulders on a hard foul and Superman pumped his fists in Varejao's direction after putting the ball in the hoop.

"I was just playing with emotion," Dwight said Tuesday night after the win. "I wasn't taunting Varejao or anything. My thing was, it was a tough play, he grabbed me around the neck and I made the shot, so hopefully they will look at it".

Kobe Bryant also got a technical foul wiped away in the Western Conference Finals, and three T's earned by Denver Nuggets' player Kenyon Martin were dropped as well.

The Magic are concerned that Dwight has earned a reputation with the officials and is not given the benefit of the doubt.

"When you get calls like that, you do feel that the guy is a marked man a little bit," Coach Van Gundy said.

Orlando Magic Fans Need to Learn the Ropes

Look, I understand that Orlando is a city sans a sports culture.

Besides the Magic, the only major sporting events I have ever been able to enjoy are Orlando Predators AFL games (which I never really enjoyed anyway), former AHL team the Orlando Solar Bears, UCF Knights sporting events, and the former MLB minor league team, the Orlando Rays.

Three of the teams disappeared after none of the teams were able to anchor themselves safely in central Florida, and the UCF Knights are still building their C-USA football team.

As a consequence, Orlando residents, most notably the ones that have been here all their lives, do not know how to be sports fans.

I'm not saying that to be mean. I'm sure there are a few who have been transplanted from other cities, like my hometown of Buffalo, but those fans don't usually invest themselves in Orlando teams when they already have a storied team from their hometown.

Orlando natives have been discouraged from becoming good sports fans as their teams have skipped town and the Magic are just now electrifying the city again after over 10 years of mishaps.

As I watched game three of the Magic-Cavs series last night, I was impressed in the beginning of the game at the sound of the fans and their thunder sticks on television. However, as the game went on, Magic faithfuls either got tired, or really nervous.

I tried to make excuses for these fans, but my fiance pointed out just how loud the Cavaliers fans were in games one and two in Cleveland. The Cavs have never won an NBA championship either, just like the Magic. So what makes our fans and Cleveland fans different?

Bingo! Cavaliers fans have other teams to practice with in their hometown—the Browns, the Indians,

We here in Orlando only have the blue and white and our college team. We're just not good sports fans here. Luckily, I have been taught the ropes of a good fan from my father and fellow Buffalonians. We cheer hard. We cheer loud. We get obnoxious, perhaps drunk and obnoxious. We cry and get stomach aches. We lay in bed the day after a loss.

That's the way it is.

I'd like to take this time to speak to Orlando sports fans and specifically Magic fans directly: I know you are a bit confused, but you have to keep the intensity going throughout the game. Don't get nervous and sit there biting your nails—our team needs your support. Even if that means not having a voice the next day, or having a hangover, or having a little bit of blue paint left on your face the next day when you're at work.

It's a shameless declaration you make as a sports fan, that no matter how weird, crazy, or intense your antics are, it's OK. Sports are a phenomenon that can't be treated like other everyday occurrences.

Give it your all, and you'll help Dwight Howard and his squad give it all. Give us a chance to be a legitimate sports town. Let's put up a little more decoration around the city of Orlando, and act like we're in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Stan Van Gundy: Master of a Turnaround

Last night, while watching the Magic take on the Cavaliers, I was not only impressed by the way that Dwight Howard and his squad were able to turn the game around, but I was most impressed by Stan Van Gundy's excellent coaching.

Thanks to modern technology, NBA fans are able to hear head coaches speaking with their teams during games, and the motivation and strategy that came out of Van Gundy's mouth was superb.

The Magic head coach reminded his players that they couldn't catch up to the Cavaliers' monstrous lead earned in the first half in a mere five minutes' time. It was going to take a little while, possession by possession. That's all they had to do, Van Gundy told his team, proving Shaq wrong.

Van Gundy will no longer be referred to as the "master of panic". He has proved that he's actually quite the opposite—a coach with the ability to stay calm, and initiate the turnaround.
Stan Van pointed out the fact that the Magic have been tested and the Cavaliers haven't. A big ego is enough to get in the way, as we all attested to last night. "They don't know about this—we do!" the Magic head coach told his players in the huddle.

Moments later, the blue and white proved that was true.

With the Magic down by 15 at halftime, without sound leadership, things were going to get really bad, really fast. A fired up Van Gundy told his players they were being LeBron's "witnesses", a mock reference to a Nike ad in which LeBron's fans are portrayed as the worshipping "witnesses" of King James.

"Right there, that brought the fire out of us," Dwight Howard told reporters.
Clearly, the Orlando Magic are no joke. It's up to Van Gundy to continue to lit a fire under his players and utilize the plays that will give them an opportunity to beat the Cavaliers. It is truly possible that the Magic can win a championship this season, and Van Gundy has shown that they're not afraid of the Cavaliers.

Here's to a coach who I knew was elite all along. It actually surprises me that the media took Shaq's critique of Van Gundy seriously anyway. It's always about drama on ESPN, it seems. Regardless of the reason the "master of panic" nickname survived for so long, Van Gundy will continue to become a driving force in coaching in NBA basketball.

All Magic fans should be happy to have him as head coach in Orlando and give him the respect he truly deserves.

Orlando Magic: Getting Primed for the Cavaliers

Amway Arena is mostly bare, save a few division title banners and one for an Eastern Conference championship. In Magic highlights that light up the jumbotron, there are no images of the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy, no fancy rings on any fingers.

There isn't any overt celebration going on in Orlando, either. The Magic have won the Eastern Conference semifinals, yes, but for a team that has only reached the Eastern Conference championship one other time, in 1996, it's time to look forward to bigger and better things.

The name of the game is focus for Stan Van Gundy's team. LeBron James and the playoff-perfect Cleveland Cavaliers are no walk in the park, and there's no way to get to the NBA Finals without taking them down first.

Magic general manager Otis Smith is keeping the game face on in the front office as well. "We have to stop talking about making it to the conference level, and start talking about winning a championship," Smith said Monday. "And then we have to stop talking, and start doing."

There are a few things that concern fans of the blue and white. The Magic are full of young players who haven't dug deep into a playoffs as of yet. Furthermore, the first two rounds weren't exactly a walk in the park. While the future of the 2009 NBA Playoffs is unclear, a few things are certain: Orlando must play physical, keep cool enough to shoot a high percentage under immense pressure, and ensure that Dwight Howard plays like the team leader he should be.

Stan Van Gundy must also keep cool as well.

So far, the attitude in the Magic locker room seems to be just right. Hedo Turkoglu, who put up a fantastic 25 points in game seven, is confident. "We have a chance. We never lose confidence of what we can do - not myself, not anybody."

If Turkoglu can continue to be the clutch player he's proved he can be, there should be many high scoring games in store for Magic and Cavalier fans in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Magic have no reason to doubt themselves; they have won the last eight of 11 against the Cavaliers.

As I keep saying, staying calm under pressure and keeping the confidence at present level is the most essential thing Van Gundy's team can do to advance.

It's all about just playing the game of basketball. The Magic should have no problem executing if they keep their heads right. For now, here's to an awesome game one on Wednesday night.

Orlando Magic: Why Not Us? Why Not Now?

Orlando Magic blogger Scott Anez stirred up emotion this morning when he dug up a quote from Magic owner Rich DeVos from 1995.

"Why not us? Why not now?" he asked Orlando.

Nearly 25 years after DeVos uttered those words, here we are, Magic fans, prepping for game seven in Boston against the 2008 world champion Celtics.

I believe that DeVos's quote rings true today. We're not the new team on the block anymore. We came up short in 1995 against Houston, but that doesn't have to happen today.

As Anez has commented, it seems to be the Magic against the world. The way the Magic have been treated by the media is ludicrous. All season, it's been about the Cavs, the Celtics, and the Lakers. It's been about the "master of panic" and how Orlando can't do it without Jameer Nelson.

It's been about how Dwight Howard is "too nice", and how the Magic just can't get it done.

This is despite being the only franchise to select three players to the NBA All-Star Game, despite 59 wins, and despite having the Defensive Player of the Year.

The only attention the media wants to give the Magic is negative.

Think about it: what stories about the Magic have overflowed the newspapers and SportsCenter storylines? Dwight calling out Stan Van? Marcin Gortat calling out Stan Van? Rafer Alston slapping heads and Dwight throwing bows?

That's about it.

But here we are tonight, going against the Celtics in game seven. We are on the national stage, and we have the ability to shine. We have the ability to shut down.

We have the ability to take down the haters and take down the Celtics.

Why not us? Why not now?

Orlando Magic Prepping for Game Seven

As 2008 World Champions, the Boston Celtics know how to win playoff games. It's apparent when the Celtics and Magic play each other that that the Magic are the playoff pupils and the Celtics are the instructors. Paul Pierce insists that their playoff confidence translates directly into game seven confidence. After all, they've been there before.

"Some guys play their best under pressure and some guys don't. We're comfortable in game sevens and we're not a team that gets the jitters," Pierce told reporters.

If the Magic want to win game seven, they're going to have to play with confidence and calm, and the "master of panic" Stan Van Gundy is in charge of making that happen.

Besides attitude and experience, there is not much separating the Magic and Celtics. Both are skilled enough to win, and anything could happen. However, the Magic would serve better to ignore the stats.

What stats? Well, how about the statistic that says the Celtics are an amazing 25-5 in game sevens all-time and an even better 17-3 on home court?

How about the fact that Boston is an incredible and intimidating 32-0 in eventually winning series in which they went ahead 3-2?

Much of that history was made by Larry Bird, Bob Cousy, and other Celtics greats from the past, but there is no reason to think that the present Boston team can't do the same.

The Celtics won two game sevens last spring en route to the championship, and eliminated the Chicago Bulls this year in game seven as well.

With Jameer Nelson gone and the Magic hardly experienced in playoff game seven situations, there is no doubt that Sunday night will be difficult for Stan Van Gundy and the boys.

So far, Van Gundy has been keeping his cool and staying positive. "History and the odds don't mean anything," the Magic head coach said. "As far as their (the Celtics) record in game sevens, I don't think it means anything. (Boston losing a 3-2 lead) is going to happen sometime. So we'll go and be the first."

There is no reason to think the Magic shouldn't be confident going into Sunday's game. After all, Dwight Howard played a stand up game on Thursday night in game six, producing a 23-point, 22-rebound, three-block effort. He's also averaging 17.2 points and 17.3 rebounds against the Celtics. If Superman plays like Superman, the Magic can make things happen.

Howard matches Van Gundy's positive attitude.

"We've had some tough lessons in this series and the biggest one is that you have to play all 48 minutes if you want to beat Boston," said Howard. "Whoever goes out there and plays the hardest for 48 minutes will win. They have the experience, but for us it's all about effort and energy. I believe in my team and I believe that we're going up there to give it our all."

Orlando Magic: It's Back to Business

After two days of hearing the city of Orlando criticize the Magic and their ability to close out games, the team challenged the Boston Celtics and rallied for a win in the fourth quarter, the final score 83-75.

Wisely, the Magic are not in celebration mode—in the locker room after the game, the air was palpable with a sense of urgency.

"It's just back to business," guard-forward Mikael Pietrus told reporters. "Tonight we came out under pressure and played extremely well defensively. I think that’s the way we’ll have to play on Sunday.”

An all-business, no play attitude is crucial at this time for the Orlando Magic. Someone is going home Sunday night, and it's either them or the 2008 NBA World Champions. Guard Courtney Lee feels that if game seven is played like game six, a win is in the works. "We have to go in there and do the same things we did today,” he said. “We have to rely on our defense instead of our offense and try to get stops down the stretch.”

The Magic also need Dwight Howard to play in the Superman fashion he played Thursday night in game six. Howard ignited for 23 points, 22 rebounds and three blocks, giving Orlando a surefire physical presence.

How does Howard feel about game seven? "It's going be a dogfight," he said.

In Boston, the Magic need to keep their cool, hit their shots from beyond the arc, and provide solid, commanding defense. If so, there is a good chance they'll be headed to Cleveland.