duncan228
01-13-2009, 01:13 AM
Magical times appear near for young Orlando team (http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/spurs/Magical_times_appear_near_for_young_Orlando_team.h tml)
Mike Monroe
Ask Magic coach Stan Van Gundy what makes Jameer Nelson a candidate for the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season, and his response makes you think you are listening to Gregg Popovich describing Tony Parker's emergence as one of the NBA's best point guards.
“(His) thing is, and always has been, the energy he plays with and how much he attacks, how aggressive he is,” Van Gundy says, meaning Nelson, not Parker. “When he plays at a high energy level and is attacking, he is a very effective player. When he plays at a slower pace and plays more passively, he's not as good.”
Only recently has Popovich eased up on his constant reminders to Parker that he is no good to the Spurs as a setup man. Van Gundy's reminders to Nelson are still relatively frequent.
Nelson's game isn't predicated on penetration, but Van Gundy's need for his point guard to initiate offense is no less vital to the Magic's success than Parker's assertiveness is to the Spurs.
The similarities between Van Gundy and Popovich don't end there, either. Dedication to defensive principles that make their teams among the NBA's stingiest also links them.
Both know how lucky they are to have dominant post men who create offensive opportunity for perimeter-minded teammates, too.
Lottery luck rarely lowers a coach's perceived basketball IQ.
The Cavaliers and Celtics nearly have been ceded spots in the Eastern Conference Finals by some. But after beating the Spurs at their own game on Monday night, the Magic kept hold of the No. 2 spot in the conference standings, and a lot of smart NBA thinkers believe Van Gundy, not Mike Brown, Doc Rivers or Phil Jackson, is the early favorite to be NBA Coach of the Year.
No NBA team this season has a better road record than the Magic, 14-5 away from Central Florida. And just as Popovich always has believed his players can use the adversity of the road to coalesce the team-first principles so vital to the Spurs' decade-long pre-eminence, Van Gundy understands the confidence a relatively young team can glean from success away from its comfort zone.
How young are the Magic?
If the Spurs are the elite NBA team that is older than dirt, Orlando is a potential NBA Finalist still wet behind the ears. No Magic starter is 30-anything, not until March 19, Hedo Turkoglu's birthday.
Rashard Lewis may be a 10-year veteran, but he came straight out of high school. He won't turn 30 until this summer.
Dwight Howard, the most athletic big man in the league, turned 23 a little more than a month ago, and his teammates are quick to tell you he remains a teenager at heart, from his penchant for dressing like comic-book heroes to a fondness for paintball warfare. He is dedicated to keeping them laughing, and his own broad smile is reminiscent of Magic Johnson's.
Howard and Nelson came into the league the same summer, 2004, and quickly forged a bond. They would make Central Floridians care about the team again — the Magic went to the NBA Finals in 1995 in just their sixth season — by having too much success too soon.
“We've been talking about this since our rookie year,” Howard said, “about leading the team and wanting to bring some magic back to Orlando.
“There was nobody at the games, no buzz about the Magic anywhere. We just wanted to give fans, in Orlando and across the world, wherever they see us play, something to look forward to.”
With just a little more maturity to Howard's post game, Magic fans can look forward to more Finals games in Central Florida.
Mike Monroe
Ask Magic coach Stan Van Gundy what makes Jameer Nelson a candidate for the Eastern Conference All-Star team this season, and his response makes you think you are listening to Gregg Popovich describing Tony Parker's emergence as one of the NBA's best point guards.
“(His) thing is, and always has been, the energy he plays with and how much he attacks, how aggressive he is,” Van Gundy says, meaning Nelson, not Parker. “When he plays at a high energy level and is attacking, he is a very effective player. When he plays at a slower pace and plays more passively, he's not as good.”
Only recently has Popovich eased up on his constant reminders to Parker that he is no good to the Spurs as a setup man. Van Gundy's reminders to Nelson are still relatively frequent.
Nelson's game isn't predicated on penetration, but Van Gundy's need for his point guard to initiate offense is no less vital to the Magic's success than Parker's assertiveness is to the Spurs.
The similarities between Van Gundy and Popovich don't end there, either. Dedication to defensive principles that make their teams among the NBA's stingiest also links them.
Both know how lucky they are to have dominant post men who create offensive opportunity for perimeter-minded teammates, too.
Lottery luck rarely lowers a coach's perceived basketball IQ.
The Cavaliers and Celtics nearly have been ceded spots in the Eastern Conference Finals by some. But after beating the Spurs at their own game on Monday night, the Magic kept hold of the No. 2 spot in the conference standings, and a lot of smart NBA thinkers believe Van Gundy, not Mike Brown, Doc Rivers or Phil Jackson, is the early favorite to be NBA Coach of the Year.
No NBA team this season has a better road record than the Magic, 14-5 away from Central Florida. And just as Popovich always has believed his players can use the adversity of the road to coalesce the team-first principles so vital to the Spurs' decade-long pre-eminence, Van Gundy understands the confidence a relatively young team can glean from success away from its comfort zone.
How young are the Magic?
If the Spurs are the elite NBA team that is older than dirt, Orlando is a potential NBA Finalist still wet behind the ears. No Magic starter is 30-anything, not until March 19, Hedo Turkoglu's birthday.
Rashard Lewis may be a 10-year veteran, but he came straight out of high school. He won't turn 30 until this summer.
Dwight Howard, the most athletic big man in the league, turned 23 a little more than a month ago, and his teammates are quick to tell you he remains a teenager at heart, from his penchant for dressing like comic-book heroes to a fondness for paintball warfare. He is dedicated to keeping them laughing, and his own broad smile is reminiscent of Magic Johnson's.
Howard and Nelson came into the league the same summer, 2004, and quickly forged a bond. They would make Central Floridians care about the team again — the Magic went to the NBA Finals in 1995 in just their sixth season — by having too much success too soon.
“We've been talking about this since our rookie year,” Howard said, “about leading the team and wanting to bring some magic back to Orlando.
“There was nobody at the games, no buzz about the Magic anywhere. We just wanted to give fans, in Orlando and across the world, wherever they see us play, something to look forward to.”
With just a little more maturity to Howard's post game, Magic fans can look forward to more Finals games in Central Florida.