[Yahoo! Sports] Woj absolutely destroys Magic

I agree with everything the author said.

They DID need a ungodly game from Howard.

They DID need Nelson to pull those two OT threes out of his butt.

They DID need Redick to contribute.

Still, if Carter and Lewis still continue to suck, Magic aren't winning anything.

This game WAS a fool's gold game.

 

Honestly I was really looking forward to the Magic's performance this season, in my mind they were supposed to be the Laker beaters. However I didn't count on Rashard Lewis regressing so quickly, and VC giving up even when he's not the 1st or 2nd option on the team. I wonder if Otis Smith is banging himself on the head with that Lewis deal, it really is the 2nd Juwon Howard contract.

 

I wouldn't call it regressing, so to speak. Garnett's defense has been very good this series, on Lewis.

I do agree about Carter, though. The Magic brought Carter in to act as a 1st option / 2nd option most nights, but he seems like he doesn't care anymore.

And yeah, how much was he given again? Like, 5 yr / 100 million, or something like that?

I bet LeBron will be mad if Lewis' contract beats his, lol.

 

i think the biggest choker of the series is not carter but houston native Lewis...

 

What perplexes me is how far down the bench Brandon Bass was until recently. I mean, didn't Smith and the Magic sign this guy to be a backup PF/C? With Lewis doing a miserable job on both ends, I'm just curious as to why SVG don't play Bass with Howard, Barnes, Redick, and Nelson. Hey, if Bass really sucks then he really sucks but Lewis and Carter are doing a great job torpedoing the Magic themselves.

 

Watching this series it's been clear that losing Turkoglu's playmaking has destroyed their offense in the playoffs. Rashard and Carter apparently can't create shots on their own, and they certainly can't create for others either.

The Magic should trade Carter for expirings and pick up Mike Miller for some playmaking duties from the forward position. Redick is doing a serviceable job when they have him playing the point, but it's important that someone other then Nelson be able to make plays sometimes.

 

I can tell you from watching him with the Mavs, Bass was a fairly solid player, I've been pretty surprised he's been pushed that far down the bench. I know sports radio up here in Dallas was very upset when he bolted.

 

They swept through the first two rounds. I think the Boston defense is what's destroyed their offense. Carter has played poorly, but I don't think the Magic are a worse team this year than they were a year ago.

 

true. however the nick andersen moment goes to carter.

 

After reading that hit piece I think it would be hilarious if the Magic won the series. I could only imagine the look on Woj's face as he realized he had to write something about the historic comeback.

 

This is the crap I hate. How are you going to bomb a team when you can't hoop worth a lick? Seriously. It's pathetic.

 

Great article...

 

SVG is a complete r****d for not playing Bass. It only took three horrible, horrible games from Lewis and some pretty bad ball from Gortat for you to decide to dust off the guy who is a proven finisher/rebounder and all-around tough guy off your bench?

 

If that's the case, then the same could be said about probably 85% on the board that's never play any type of organized basketball after the age of 16.

 

When I watched the Magic during the season, it seemed whenever Bass was effective, Howard was not in the game. Maybe they don't play well together. Or maybe he and SVG have a personality conflict. Either way, SVG should have parked Lewis' behind on the bench for an alternative. It's the ECF's, not game 3 of the regular season when salvaging Lewis' pride might be important.

 

I posed the Bass question but I understand a bit more now as to why SVG probably chose to stick with Lewis after reading Truehoop:

I can definitely see how loyalty to HIS players (the players that got him to the Finals last year) can supercede the logic to sit them down, despite the fact that they've been virtually nonexistent against the Celtics.

At any rate, if Van Gundy wanted to stick with Lewis, he should start Bass and slide Lewis to his natural SF position.

 

If loyalty and "comfort" are why he's sticking with Rashard Lewis, then SVG is an idiot. The playoffs are exactly when teams get pushed out of their comfort zones and do things differently when necessary. If SVG is too stubborn to break out of the box, he's not a championship coach. All great coaches make adjustments during the playoffs that you don't see during the regular season.

Putting Lewis on Paul Pierce wouldn't work because PP would eat him up. But it might get KG out of his ear and his confidence could recover. I think KG's mouth is damaging Lewis as much as anything else. KG chatters more than any player I've ever watched play. I wish I could read his lips.

 

Meh. The Magic just have to start the game(s) better to be in better striking distance late in games. The Celtics old legs shows up in the 4th quarter and are very vulnerable.

 

I agree that putting Lewis on Pierce won't work and we all know Barnes is the best defender Orlando can put on Pierce but there's no way SVG is going to not start BOTH Lewis and Carter. If he started Barnes in place of Carter, that could be a good plan. Either way, Lewis or Carter needs to ride the pine. SVG's hope that Carter goes into Beast Mode is going to fail him in the end.