This little project got sidetracked by other work, but I will finish, although the last batch might not come until after the season tips.
1. Orlando Magic
Conference Rank: 1
Forum Date: Monday, January 25th
- Vince Carter: Better than Hedo Turkoglu over the course of a season. But what about when it matters most?
Notes: Last season, the Magic won 59 games, were the best defensive team in basketball, and made it to the NBA Finals. This year, if they can stay reasonably healthy and avoid complacency, they could be even better. The biggest difference for the Magic is adding Vince Carter while letting Hedo Turkoglu go. This seems risky given the memory of Turkoglu’s playoff heroics, but Carter is the superior all-around basketball player — a better defender, a better one-on-one scorer, and a better three-point shooter last season. Coming along with Carter is Ryan Anderson, a second-year forward who is an underrated pickup for the Magic, I think. A versatile 6’10”, 240-pound forward, Anderson was a decent rebounder (14.1 rebound rate to Rashard Lewis’ 8.9) and a solid three-point shooter (37%) as a rookie. He can give the Magic a little bit more conventional toughness at power forward while maintaining their ability to spread the floor around Dwight Howard. Anderson and Brandon Bass (another new acquisition) give the Magic some interesting looks at that position when Lewis is on the bench or back at his original small-forward position. The Magic will also have Jameer Nelson back at the point. I’ve never been a huge Nelson fan, but there’s no denying his breakout regular season last year.
Pivotal Player: How much better can Dwight Howard get? The reigning defensive player of the year and a legit MVP contender, Howard is the magic’s lynchpin at both ends of the floor. His ability to shut down the paint defensively allows the Magic to guard opposing shooters closely and his ability to dominate in the paint offensively frees up the Magic’s own shooters. And he’s 23. For the Magic to break through and win a title, Howard might need to take a final step forward offensively — moving his sub-60% free-throw shooting closer to 70% and becoming a more polished post player.
Griz/Memphis Connection: After sitting out last season rather than join Zach Randolph with the Clippers, Jason Williams flirted with the Knicks (Randolph’s prior team) and with a return to the Grizzlies (Randolph’s new team) before signing on to stay home and play for the Magic. Here he’ll compete with Anthony Johnson for backup minutes behind Jameer Nelson and, if things go well for Orlando, probably won’t be used much.
