The Weekend Rebound #2 By: Kdizzle

This week has been very interesting for the Magic, from a loss to the Grizzlies, then a win against the Celtics. The crowning jewel of this week is definitely the win against Eastern Conference rivals the Celtics. The Magic intrigue me because, by the third quarter I had given up on them. Of course, I continued to watch and wow what a comeback. I’m not gonna lie, this is one of the most frustrating things of being a Magic fan. They coast through the first 3 quarters, looking like they barely have a pulse, and then BAM! 4^th quarter hits and all of a sudden they’re somehow back in the game. Why not just try equally throughout all 4 quarters? Why is it necessary to put it all in one quarter? How frustrating! But, on a lighter note, I just want to give a big SHOUTOUT to my boys J-will (for bringing us back with back to back 3’s) and JJ (for making that 3 that tied up the game). Love you guys, even if Doolz doesn’t! Oh and BIG shock that VC underwhelmed, yet again….NOT. Umm, I’m sorry Van Gunzel, but you are an absolute moron. I cannot believe that SVG made that last play of the game (Ya know, the one whereRashard Lewis won it all for us) for VC. WTF were you thinking? VC has not proven near reliable enough to trust a shot like that to him. I understand that he has been able to make game-changing shots, IN THE PAST! We are not in the past! We are in the present. Vinsanity has now been replaced by Wince Carter. Let’s try not to make stupid plays like that anymore, ‘K SVG? I promise I won’t be as hard on VC if you promise not to put so much on his (injured)shoulders.

Now, for the good stuff, trade rumors! These are my favorite! Of course, rumors of VC getting traded, because why would they not want to get rid of that albatross? But, apparently no one is overly interested in him. Shocked? Neither am I. But, one interesting player that has garnered some interest is Rashard Lewis. Why this is surprising to me is because his season thus far has been less than stellar. I say go for it! Even though he has a couple more good years in him, I think they are limited. I would like to see him get traded (along with his HUGE contract) to another team for a player that could be a good back up to Ryan Anderson. It’s not really him as a player that worries me, it’s more that I would rather see someone with either an expiring contract or someone a lot cheaper. By trading Lewis for a smaller contract, that frees up some money for the off season. Plus, if they could get rid of Carter, the possibilities seem endless. Other players that are always at the top of trade rumors are Marcin Gortat and Brandon Bass. I would like to see these players stay in Orlando, though. I really like the “Twin Towers” play that SVG rolled out against the Celtics. And I think that Brandon Bass has a lot of potent playing power (Like that alliteration?) that the Magic have yet to unleash. I just can’t wait to see what the Magic pull out before the trade deadline hits. I’m counting down the days!

And on a final note, I would like to say a little something to Kevin Garnett. Garnett said “Tough loss. We had them right where we wanted them and let it slip away,” after the game on Thursday. I’m sorry KG since when are you god? I didn’t realize that you and your band of old geezers controlled what other teams do. You got hustled fair and square; don’t pretend like you let us have it. You didn’t let anything slip away, we outplayed you, so please get off your high horse.

This is a little treat, that just the memory of, brings a smile to my face.

Umm….Who the eff do you think you are AJ? Please get back on the bench and stop making things worse for yourself. But, I do appreciate the laughs, so thanks.

Do You Believe In Magic & Sad Streak Broken

                The Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics went head to head Thursday, January 28,2010. The series was split 1-1, and Orlando was trying to bounce back from a loss to Memphis. Both teams met Christmas Day, and both had an ugly game then. Since that game, Boston and Orlando went through rough patches in terms of victories.

                 Orlando was in trouble when entering the locker room at the half down by 11. In the 3^rd, Ray Allen hit a 3 at the 9:59 mark, creating a 16 point lead, Boston’s largest of the night. The Magic were deflated but if anything was learned from their playoff experience last season, it was that RESILIENCE pays off. Orlando came back strong, with a rare pairing of Howard and Gortat leading the charge. This gave Orlando a defensive boost, and helped Rashard Lewis start catching fire offensively. Boston built a 3-point lead at 94-91 late in 4^th after a Rondo basket. Not to worry because I HOPE ALL REMEMBERED that Orlando is the #1 three-point shooting team in the league, and it showed when JJ Redick nailed a long 3. Props to JJ Redick for bring Orlando back in the game.The game was still tied with some seconds left in the game, so Van Gundy’s calls a play for VC15, which Boston’s rough defense snubbed, until Redick passed to Lewis, who drove by Garnett and had an easy lay-up to give the Magic the winning shot.

                The Orlando Magic had a great game aside from VC15.  Vince struggled and only had 6 points, and was a forgettable supposed “STAR” in the game. Dwight Howard had 19 points, but 11 came in the 4^th, in which he presented an array of maneuvers that didn’t come with him slamming it home. Howard displayed his growth as a player with the beautiful soft touch finishes around the rim with both hands. Gortat displayed why the Magic kept him, even with the expense. Gortat had 3 blocks with 8 rebounds and 6 points in 27 minutes of game play. Lewis had 23 points in the game, and was the offense for the Magic in the second half. Nelson kept the Magic in the game during the first quarter having a stretch of 10 points. Orlando is the first to defeat Boston when they have the Big 3 (Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen) playing with a double digit lead in the 4th, they were 86-0, but they can thank Orlando for the 86-1.

Still one person I saw that Orlando truly misses in tight games like this is HERO Turkolgu because you could see that Vince is not replacing HERO in tight game situations. I also need to see the old GRUMPY STAN THE MAN come back, because we need to have that serious cutthroat persona. It was a great win, but still Orlando has things they need to work on.                                                                                                       

One another note, the Phoenix Suns finally broke their sad record of having 18 straight losses anytime they were on TNT. The Suns wont 112-106.The Mavericks didn’t lose this game, the Suns won the game. Steve Nash showed why is worthy of that All-Star starter status. Nash had 19 points and 11 assist. The game was good, but the backstage news about the Suns trying to trade Stoudemire to the Spurs is a stupid move. The Suns are playing great basketball, and they are in the hunt for a playoff spot. Apparently, the Suns organization sees that Stoudemire won’t resign with them, so they want to get something out of him. I hope that the Spurs figure out a way to receive Stoudemire because he would be a great younger talent to have for the aged Spurs.

Here It Is & Remember DEFENSE DEFENSE (Orlando Has The Best Defensive Presence DH12)!

HERO Turkoglu & Overtime Shutdown!

             The Toronto Raptor’s pulled away with a one-point victory from the defending NBA Champions, the Los Angeles Lakers. It all came down to HERO Turkoglu, and two critical free-throws. Los Angeles did not trail for the first three quarter, and it seemed that although the Raptors were within striking distance, they wouldn’t have enough to get past the Lakers. The tide changed at the 7:33 mark in the fourth quarter, when Raptors center, Andrea Bargnani who had 22 points, hit a 3-pointer to put Toronto at 93-90. The game was tight for the rest of the quarter, and Pau Gasol fouled Turkoglu with 1.2 seconds left on the clock after Bryant just hit a jumper to give L.A. a one point lead.

Turkoglu hit both free-throws which set up for an atmosphere of anticipation and nervous excitement.  All eyes were placed upon the best closer in the game, Kobe Bryant. Could the Black Mamba make his fourth buzzer beater victory of the season? Kobe received the pass and launched a turn around three point jump shot, while the crowd held their breath, and then released it with vicious cheer as the ball hit the rim and rolled out.

The Lakers received their second loss in a three-game spurt. Kobe Bryant racked up 27 points, 9 assists, and brought down 16 rebounds for a near triple-double. He had a great game aside from shooting 11-24, which still seems to be a lingering problem for KB24 since receiving the broken finger. Pau Gasol had 22 points and Bynum had 21 points.

Toronto’s players had an outstanding game. Chris Bosh posted 18 points from 9 of 17 shooting, and pulled down 13 rebounds to receive his 32^nd double-double of the season, to tie it up with the Orlando Magic’s, Dwight Howard for the most double-doubles of the season. Point guard Jarret Jack had 18 points and shooting guard Marco Belinelli had 15 points. This gives Toronto their 9^th victory in ten games at their home court. Toronto is on a positive run, and the Lakers look like the soft Lakers of 2008.

The Orlando Magic defeated the Charlotte Bobcats in an overtime shutdown. Orlando had a 16 point lead in the fourth that they let slip through their hands. It went to overtime, where for 5 minutes of game play Orlando looked like a team that had been in the NBA finals, due to their extremely tight defense, Dwight’s incredible two blocks of lay-up shots, and the art of a beautiful passing game.

Orlando scored 11 straight unanswered points, and once overtime started it seemed like a different Magic team, they had INTENSE DEFENSE, and then on offense Nelson ripped apart the Bobcat defense by running around in the paint. Nelson scored 21 points, and Carter shot over 50% for the second time in a game, and he scored 21 points. Dwight had a total of 7 blocks, and two critical ones in overtime. Carter didn’t allow Wallace to score until midway through the third quarter.

Here It Is & Remember THE ORLANDO MAGIC seem to be getting back on track!

The Weekend Rebound #1 By: Kdizzle

Hello all, my name is Kdizzle and this is a little segment I like to call The Weekend Rebound. Since this is my first blog, I wanted you all to know a little bit about me and how I will be writing my blogs. I tend to be sarcastic in regular conversation, so that will probably be reflected in my writing. My writing will be a lot of my personal opinions along with my personal commentary on games and the players. Even though I have my own opinions, I always respect other people’s opinions and definitely welcome different views and ideas. So, please comment on what I say and tell me your opinions or ideas that you have. My commentary/opinions will mostly be about the Orlando Magic but I will also talk about other teams. My opinions may be somewhat biased toward some players, but I will try to keep it fair. Also, anything that is written here is never meant to be offensive in any way, so if it is, call me out on it. Trust me, I can handle it. I know Kdizzle seems like a silly name, but this is meant to be a light-hearted place for Magic fans to share opinions, in a funny way. Alright, enough about me, let’s get to the dirt!

Up until very recently, and I’m talking the last couple of games recently, I have been pretty upset/disappointed with the Magic. Not only were they losing, it seemed liked they weren’t even trying. How are fans supposed to get hyped when the players can’t even get hyped? I won’t dwell on the negatives for too long, because it seems the loss at the Lakers has sparked something amongst the players. I have noticed a significant increase in energy throughout the whole team, and it has been quite encouraging. I’m glad to see Dwight (Nickname DH12 or superman) actually being a dominant force in the paint. I’m glad to see Jameer (Nickname Jammie) becoming somewhat better than he has been as of late. Rashard is taking more shots, but also hitting more. And as always Matt Barnes is bringing the hustle and energy. On a side note, Barnes has got to be one of the most surprising players this season. During the “bleak period,” as I like to refer to the recent slump, Matt Barnes was the one person shining through all the anonymity. When all else seemed to fail, there was Barnes to deliver an awesome assist or a powerful dunk. Now back to the original thought. The one consistently disappointing spot among the starters is the rather lackluster Vince Carter (Nickname VC or vinsanity) Like I said to my friend while at the Pacers game (6 rows from the court btw, just to brag) they must be vinsane to put “vinsanity” in the game, let alone a starting position. I don’t want to lay all the blame on VC, because the Magic problems did not start and end with VC. But instead of driving to the basket or just plain passing, he keeps taking jump shots and three pointers. Really VC, really?!? This is the one of the most annoying things he does. Drive to the basket for goodness sake!! I watched the Charlotte game and I understand that he played quite well. Honestly though, I can’t say the slump is over. It was one game. Only time will tell, and he will have to play exceptionally over the next 5-10 games for me to breathe easy when I see him on the court. The biggest problem I have about VC’s slump was not his is poor play. I have a serious bone to pick with Stan Van Gundy (Nickname Van Gunzle or SVG). What the heck was he thinking when he KEPT starting Carter over and over. JJ may not always be super hot on the court, but he moves the ball particularly well. Plus, it couldn’t get much worse than VC. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Welcome to the nuthouse Van Gunzle, but please just put him on the bench!

VC’s poor play brings me to my next topic, probably the hottest thing in basketball conversations right now, and that is trade rumors. Now, I know these are only rumors, but c’mon they’re fun to talk about! Some people say that Orlando will keep the same line-up, but I think they will be active come trade deadline. The person I see highest up on the chopping block is VC. Along side him could be Marcin Gortat and/or Brandon Bass. Other than that, I don’t see the magic wanting to part with anyone else. I have seen one trade rumor that has become pretty persistent lately and I have seen it on multiple websites. I haven’t entirely worked out my feelings about this trade rumors, but here it goes. Multiple websites are reporting that VC may be traded to Houston for cousin Tracy McGrady (Nickname T-mac). The only reason I see this trade happening would be because t-mac’s contract expires at the end of this season, opposed to VC’s ending next year. Plus, that money that gets freed up could allow for the magic to sign a big name (*cough* Dwayne Wade *cough* PLEASE). But, by making this trade, the Magic would basically be counting themselves out of the finals, unless there was a miracle. I have also heard rumblings of Gortat being traded to Dallas, but that is a persistent rumor from summer. Honestly, who knows? It could be anyone being traded, but those are the big three likely to be traded. All I know is that hopefully anyone who comes to Orlando will fit in to the line-up. I think that is just about it for the first Weekend Rebound blog. The Magic have a huge week coming up, with games against Boston and Atlanta. Hopefully they’re up to the challenge!

Go Magic!

This is why we want D-Wade!!!

Cavs Upset KB24’s 25,000 & Dull-Star Results!

January 21, 2010, The Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers stepped onto the glistening wooden platform lit by bright national lights and an audience fiercely anticipating a competitive game. The fans certainly got their times worth as the game was filled with excitement, WOW moments, and of course great fundamental basketball. Two Superstars, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, laced up their overpriced basketball shoes and went to work, and put on yet another great display that combined basketball IQ and athleticism. This game was fantastic and went down to the last seconds. When the clock hit 0.0, the results were 93-87 Cavs, who earned a 2-0 season sweep against the L.A. Lakers.

Here are the POSITIVE notes on the game:
1. Cleveland provided evidence that the blowout win over L.A. during Christmas Day was no fluke.
2. The Cavs won their first game without All-Star point guard Mo Williams, expected to be out approximately a month.
3. LeBron carried the Cavs with an unsurprising 37 pts and a fourth quarter 12 pt stretch to help Cleveland pull out the victory.
4. Kobe Bryant becomes the youngest player in history to produce 25,000 career points, and only 15 other players have accomplished that outstanding career marker.
5. Kobe Bryant quickly voiced his opinion emphatically and straight forward when asked if L.A. and Cleveland formed a rivalry. Kobe’s response was, “No, not at all.”

It was hard to accomplish, but here are the NEGATIVE notes on the game:
1. Mo Williams being absent from the Cavaliers did show because this game was very tight, not the blowout that occurred Christmas day, and Williams produced 16.9 points per game along with 43% shooting from behind the arc this season (the Cavs will miss those stats).
2. Kobe Bryant may have reached a huge marker in his career, but he did not match LeBron’s production in the second half. Kobe did have 31 points overall, but in the second half he shot 4 of 15, which is not what we usually see from the best closer today.
3. Kobe shot 11 of 25, which was similar to the 11 of 33 he shot on Christmas Day, but KB24 does have some nagging injuries that are currently annoying him.

Now here is the part were reflective analysis and contemplation occurs, THOUGHTS:
1. Cleveland skimmed this victory compared to the blowout they had, is Mo Williams the reason for that mammoth victory the Cavs had on L.A. about a month ago. Williams’ numbers have slightly fallen all across the boards, but L.A.’s only minimal nit-picking flaw is their point guard situation, with the aged Derek Fisher starting and a back-up that is not living up to the expectations placed upon him, Jordan Farmar.
2. It is really weird that Mo Williams received this injury that could potentially place him on the shelf for a month around the same time that Jameer Nelson received his injury last season. It is ironic because Nelson being injured opened the spot to place Williams as an All-Star last season. Dang this irony is so pure it can’t even be imagined.
3. Is Kobe saying that the Cavs have to prove themselves in the post season by meeting L.A. in the finals in order to be considered a rival or adversary? The Cavs could not do  it last season even though they were heavily favored??? (Great question to think about!)
4. I LOVE TO HATE LEBRON JAMES, but when LeBron was caught on camera rapping to Eminem’s song “Forever” after coming out of a time-out, it displayed his prideful yet very humorous and likable personality. It is really funny to watch!



This game was a spectacle to watch, and it just oozed with all the reasons basketball, specifically the NBA, allows me to do what I love to do, which is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the best sport in the world.


The All-Star results were revealed, and nobody was able to defeat Dwight Howard’s record of over 3 million votes from last season. LB23 had the most votes, while fellow competitor in the West KB24 came in second place, with a slim margin separating the two.

The West: Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Tim Duncan, Amar’e Stoudemire

The East: Allen Iverson, Dwayne Wade, LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Dwight Howard

PROBLEMS:
1. Steve Nash barely skimmed Tracy McGrady, that was crazy because McGrady only played 6 games, and but 3 minutes per game, while Nash has been playing better then he has in a couple of years. Nash had 20 assists in one game this season, and that was not done since 2006, which was set by Steve Nash. COME PEOPLE !!!
2. Amar’e Stoudemire as center is to his natural position, but the drought of Centers in the West and Yao Ming’s absence has caused for the West starters to be without a true center.
3. Allen Iverson as the starting point guard. I understand his popularity is still monumental, which is surprising given the movements his career has made over the last two seasons. Rajon Rondo is not on anybody’s list! He produces 53% shooting, 4 rebounds per game, 9.6 assists per game, 2.5 steals per game, and 14 points per game. He is the high energy starter that keeps the Celtics alive. COME ON PEOPLE!!!
4. This one really pisses me off, excuse my language, but it’s a serious problem. An aged Kevin Garnett over a lucrative soon to be free-agent that is also a double-double machine Chris Bosh. Just because he is on a Canadian team doesn’t mean he should be looked over! He is second in the league with double doubles, and he is averaging 24 points per game, and 11 rebounds per game, while shooting 53%! REALLY, COME ON PEOPLE, COME ON!!!!!!

All of these players are great at what they do, and I respect all of them, but you NBA fans out there have to start voting for players who work hard, have better stats, and  deserve that starting All-Star role! Still , I am really excited for the All-Star game on February 14th, not so much the Dunk Contest (what happened LeBron???)

Here It Is & Remember Blando Orlando will be fine (LOOK WHO IS ON THE TEAM!!!)

Late New Year & Blando Orlando!

It has been a little over two weeks since my last posting, and I apologize for the lengthy time of absence. Alright, the first topic has been taken care of.

I have renamed the Orlando Magic temporarily as Blando Orlando. The Magic are in their first real losing streak of the season, at three straight loses. It is not a pretty picture, but a great point to be made is that the Magic are known for their adversity. This is a great opportunity for the Magic, because it allows for them to internally analysis what the problems are, and I would rather see this in the regular season than in the post season.

There are some positive notes to be made over the Magic’s latest lose to the Toronto Raptors:
1. Magic outscored Raps 35 -22 in the 4th, which shows productivity offensively & team chemistry.
2. J.J. is playing like a true 1st round draftee; he made 12 of his 22 pts in the 4th.
3. Howard was playing well with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
4. Rashard hit back to back three’s in the 3rd to keep the Magic close.

There are CONSTRUCTIVE notes to be made as well:
1. Howard is committing too many fouls.
2. Howard has 8 technical’s, which is ½ way to 16, which causes for a suspension, which we don’t want to see in the post season, so he needs to keep his emotions in check.
3. Howard needs to stop have so many turnovers, he had 7 against the Raps.
4. Howard … I am joking, but seriously Howard is not only the center by label, but in reality the Magic revolves around Howard, but it’s not all Howard’s fault because the shooters are missing shots.

Now here is the part where everyone needs to calm down and think, so here are THOUGHTS:
1. Nelson is still not 100 % prepared for the speed of the NBA game, wait a little more.
2. Remember Orlando last season had this tight chemistry due to the players being together on the team for almost 4 years, so of course there will be rough spots.
3. A true championship team comes through those rough patches, and Orlando had more than their share of rough patches in this season, with Nelson getting injured again, Vince was injured for a short time and recently rolled his ankle, Anderson was out for some time, no more Grumpy Stan Van Gundy, Lewis missed the first 10 games of the season, refs are not being fair to Howard, oh yeah 5 new members on this team.
4. Howard is showing signs of that awesome force he was last season, his performance this season is top tier, but not near his production last season, so this recent surge is a positive note.
5. The Magic will still have problems in the future, but they are a hungry team that plays through adversity.

Blando Orlando is fine, and people need to just realize that Orlando will get a wakeup call. They realize they are not winning, so they will get it together in their next game. If not then it may come this January when Orlando face the Lakers. Hey the Cavs woke up when they faced the Lakers, and Orlando should as well, especially since we did not win a championship due to the Lakers. That game should start a massive fire under Blando Orlando’s behind, so they become the ORLANDO MAGIC!!!

Here It Is & Remember if you can’t dance, please DON’T!