We all have been worried, concerned, stressed, captivated, whatever by this week. I honestly feel Dwight's days are numbered. To me the best option is now to trade with the Lakers. Lakers can use their Vujacic TPE to acquire Chris Duhon or Q Richardson and John Hollinger suggests that the Lakers could use their brand new Odom TPE to absorb Jameer Nelson. Not sure I would trade the "Heart and Soul" of the team on top of it's best player in one trade. Most Magic fans, not me, would seem to love to trade Jameer Nelson. At least Orlando would get a bunch of TPE to use to try and get another PG, unless Larry Hughes resurrects his career(HA!).

Now, as far Jason Richardson, I think it is a pretty good cap friendly contract. If the Magic are indeed moving Turk, which seems likely, John Hollinger suggests that Orlando should move Jason Richardson to the 3. Says he is a little oversized at the 3 and that there would be slim to none affect on his game moving to the 3. Thus JJ would be starting at the 2. I believe he has earned it. He moves the ball, not as far as assists but in team ball movement, great. He competes defensively. Yes I understand Wade is going to kill him, but tell me who Wade doesn't kill. Should the Magic get Bynum they would still have an excellent anchor, though obviously not Howard, and Redick should still be able to funnel them to a great defensive player.

Should the Magic get three first round picks, players I would not mind seeing draft and who could slip to Orlando would be Austin Rivers/ Terrance Ross out of Washington at the 2, Meyers Leonard at center and Kendall Marshall at the point. My guess is that the Magic would have three picks somewhere in the 18-30 range. Austin Rivers is local kid who would basically become Orlando's Kevin Martin. Terrance Ross is a little bit bigger and from what I read a better defender. Still the "local kid" thing worked for Chicago and Cleveland, LeBron gave them 7 great years that they will probably never see again, so why not work for Orlando. Meyers is long, athletic, and great defender. And Kendall Marshall has the best court vision in college basketball. A "pure" point which is something Orlando fans have been clamoring for.

Tough time to be a Magic fan, but if Otis can make the good trades(highly unlikely but you never know) Magic should be fine post Dwight Howard.

I know, I know, I know. I get it. Yes I know. I understand. Brandon Roy is done though right? Well probably. However, he did have a really good game against Dallas in the playoffs which reminded us what he could still be. But I do not agree with bringing him as the starting 2 guard for the Magic. Either Jason Richardson should be brought back or JJ should be handed the reins. However Brandon Roy would take a minimum contract, since he is still getting all his money from Portland.

Yes he has no cartilage, but that doesn't mean you can not use him for 15-20 minutes coming off the bench. He would come in hungry(in terms of trying to prove himself) and if he does perform to at least 75% of what he was that is still a very solid player. Especially coming off the bench. You look at his stats after the surgery and it looks really bad. Before the surgery they were solid.

I would definitely take a look at him if it was for a minimum contract. Thoughts Orlando?

   With Dwight's disheartening comments about "being able to do more in a bigger market" and some very odd comments about his current coach, talked about him in past tense to me, it seems Dwight has two feet out the door. However he apparently does not want to be hated. Nothing will stop that from some fans, me I love the seven years he has given us and the memories will never be gone. Plus, because of him we have the true Basketball Mecca, the Amway Arena(MSG is old forget about it). So I am going to present a few options that make sense for those teams and for the Magic. In any trade scenario the Magic are going to get screwed. They are losing, in my eyes, the Most Valuable Player in the league and its' most dominating presence in the league. So without further adieu lets get to it.

1. Let him walk.

   Keeps season ticket holders happy and gives Orlando its' best shot at winning a championship. You could lose him for nothing, but he is so good he can a title by himself at this point. High risk, medium reward to me. He simply can not guard Miami's Heatles by himself. And unless Justin Harper is Danny Granger, Ryan Anderson becomes a 17 ppg and 8 rbs player Orlando will not do anything in the playoffs. But by some miracle Orlando does win, maybe he stays.

Trade Scenarios

I am just going to list teams that either want him or might be willing to have him for a rent a season.

Philadelphia-Trades Andre Iguodala, Lou Williams, and Marreese Speights and a first round pick for Dwight Howard and Chris Duhon

Why Philly does this?

    They will not find a better player trading Iggy for than Dwight Howard. But isn't Iguodala their best player? Yes but they have been trying to ship him out numerous times already. Why not try a run with Dwight, Brand, Thad Young, Jrue Holiday, and Evan Turner? It is a big market. Doubt Dwight would stay but Philly could make a shock Finals run and if Dwight does leave, they still have their core young talent and finally get cap relief.

Why would Orlando do this?

  Iguodala is LeBron James minus 10 ppg, 2 rbs, and 2 assts. Elite defender. Still young. And you can market him. Slide him in perfectly at the 2. What SVG could do with him would be any Magic fan excited. Lou Williams gives some punch of the bench and his contract is over in two years. Speights is a head case, but is a body who can defend and rebound.

Houston-Trades Kevin Martin, Johnny Flynn, Patrick Patterson, Jordan Hill, Hasheem Thabeet and two first round picks for Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon and Brandon Bass

Why Houston does this?

  They are a fairly big sized market and still would have Scola and Kyle Lowry to put next to Dwight. Dwight gets weather and not state income tax. Plus the aforementioned Kyle Lowry is a budding star. Kevin McHale can also continue Dwight's development in the post, Kevin McHale is regarded as one of the best post players ever(maybe behind Hakeem only to some) They also get Brandon Bass to replace Patterson.

Why does Orlando do this?

  Very few players fit SVG's offensive gameplan better than Kevin Martin would. Shoots high % from the field and 3 and gets to the line. The most efficient player in the NBA according to some and many have argued the best scorer in terms of efficiency. Doesn't do anything else, but perhaps SVG is the coach he needs to unlock his full potential. Patrick Patterson is on a 3 year contract for a little bit less than $2 mil a year. Flynn had a decent rookie season but has struggled since then. Again SVG is better than any coach he has had and could help him back to the path that had him being a solid NBA player. Hill and Thabeet are bigs who are on cheap contracts and expire within the year.

Portland- Trades LaMarcus Aldridge, Brandon Roy, Marcus Camby, and Luke Babbit for Dwight Howard, Gilbert Arenas, and Brandon Bass

This trade could only be possible if there is an amnesty clause. Even at this Portland is risking a lot. Portland is not a huge market. Although the fans are passionate, some thing Dwight would appreciate(sarcasm for taking shots at Orlando fans) and he would play with Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton, Nicholas Batum, Wesley Matthews. Portland would also have to keep Oden as well. In the end I would see this as too much for Portland to do. LaMarcus Aldridge has quietly become a stud and to me is the 2nd best PF in the league right now behind Dirk. Yes better than Griffen. For now.

And LaMarcus is the reason you do this if you are Orlando. You could actually plug him into the center position. Shoots and is improving on defense and rebounding every year. Legit top 10 MVP candidate and represents the best player Orlando could hope for in a trade. Camby is an expiring contract, and you could amnesty Roy if he doesn't check out. Babbit is a filler plain and simple.

LA Clippers- Trade Eric Bledsoe, Chris Kaman and Blake Griffin for Dwight Howard, Chris Duhon, and Brandon Bass

  Why do Clips do this? One this would upstage the Lakers big, and I mean BIG, time. LA is the best market in the NBA. Dwight could build his legacy, would there be anything better than leading the freaking Clippers to a title, and he would have a great wing player in Eric Gordon to play with. Dwight would be in every commercial that Blake Griffin was getting last year.

  Why would Orlando do this? Blake. Griffin. Nothing else need be said.....ok seriously this might be the Mail Man HD. Yes he needs to learn defense, but SVG would fix that pretty quickly. Eric Bledsoe is a young PG and Kaman would be a stopgap to the next center Orlando gets. While I personally like Aldridge over Griffin, the "star power" that Griffin brings is undeniable. Magic would keep its title as a "must watch" team and Griffin keeps Orlando in the spotlight. This trade almost seems logical from every angle. Dwight gets LA, without being in Kobe's, and specifically Shaq's, shadow. Would he play for Donald Sterling though?? Tough, tough, tough question.

   Orlando would do this trade in heartbeat as Blake Griffin is better than anyone in any upcoming draft. Get a young PG and an expiring contract in Kaman. If there is an amnesty clause, or two, Orlando now has Blake Griffin, no state tax, cap space and the best arena in the game. Plus Disney, this means more to players than you think.

New Jersey-Trades Deron Williams and Brook Lopez for Dwight Howard

   Isn't New Jersey trying to get Dwight Howard to play with Deron?? Yes, but as I mentioned in another post, with this trade you would pretty much guarantee Dwight and you would still have the cap space to lure a certain Mr. Chris Paul to Brooklyn. By almost every account Paul is better than Williams. Williams also is not a sure thing to sign in Brooklyn. From all reports he prefers a quiet life with his family, good weather, and golf. Orlando does all three. Would we love to sign him here? Obviously, but that is contingent on TWO amnesty clauses in the new CBA.

  Orlando would do this because you get an elite Point guard and a scoring center. Plus you could create cap space with amnesty clause to bring in a wing player to go with Williams. Brooklyn would have to have stones to do this type of trade though.

These are my thoughts on the current situation for Orlando. I know it is wordy and if anyone reads in on sitting I appreciate it a lot. Didn't do any of the other names(Lakers or Dallas)

Was listening to the Podcast, and heard Bud say he was not sure of the ACC Bowl Tie ins. I have also noticed some people say statements about the bowl process and how selection works. Therefore, with everyone panicking about what Bowl FSU will go now that they have three losses, two coming in the ACC already, I decided to explain what Bowls the ACC has and how they choose teams for Bowls. Before going into how teams are selected we should touch up on the ACC Bowl Tie-Ins and order in selecting teams:

Orange Bowl-Miami,FL

Chic-Fil-A Bowl-Atlanta,GA (Formerly the Peach Bowls to those who remember those days)

Champs Sports Bowl -Orlando,FL (Tangerine Bowl)

Sun Bowl-El Paso, Texas

Belk Bowl-Charlotte, North Carolina (Formerly Meinke Car Care Bowl)

Music City Bowl- Nashville, Tennessee

Independence Bowl- Shreveport, LA

Military Bowl- Washington D.C.

*Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl- San Fransisco, CA

First the * of the Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl. This is contingent on the KFHB not having it's two primary partners available for the bowl and the ACC having 9 bowl eligible teams, then the KFHB would take the 9th ACC team. 8 of the 9 years this Bowl has been around the ACC has sent a team. More often than not some ACC team will be going to San Fransisco.

How the selection works

The Bowls as listed above are in order of when they have a selection. For example, the Chic-Fil-A Bowl has the second choice in terms of what ACC team is selected. However the ACCCG Runner up can fall no lower than the Sun Bowl.

The ACC Champion, unless ranked #1 or #2 in the BCS(in which case they play for the BCS National Title) will always go to the Orange Bowl. No confusion here amongst fans and everyone understands this. After this bowl things seem to get confusing for some.

Some believe that the Chic-Fil-A Bowl has to select the loser of the ACCCG. This is false. The Bowl thought process is decided based upon: ability to sell tickets, sell hotel rooms, create compelling matchups, and generate local/national media buzz. For example, let  us say Clemson and GT play in the title game this year and Clemson wins. The Chic-Fil-A Bowl may not be inclined to take GT since they already play in Atlanta and have difficulty already selling tickets. If, for example, FSU wins out and finishes within one game(conference record and yes title game counts towards conference record) of GT they would make a much better decision for that Bowl since FSU travels better and is a larger TV Ratings boost.

What does this mean for FSU?

Barring Clemson having a meltdown season, the best case scenario for FSU is the Chic-Fil-A Bowl. That would include Clemson winning the title game. In the event Clemson and GT play in ACCCG and GT wins I would see the Chic-Fil-A Bowl taking Clemson since they would more likely than not be a higher ranked team and they travel just as well as FSU. My prediction is that FSU eventually ends up in Orlando with a matchup against Notre Dame in the Champs Sports Bowl.

So with the Bulls on the verge of being eliminated from the playoffs, let us look at that whole MVP little thingy.

        Derrick Rose won by a lot. Dwight was second, and LeBron was left of 9 ballots. Ric Bucher has gone on record saying Derrick Rose is the best player in the league right now? Really? Really?? Are you watching the games. I said it at the beginning of the season. The middle of the season. And a week ago. Was never impressed with the Bulls. At all. Ever. Never will be either. I was never really impressed with Rose either. He is fast. He is amazing when it comes to finishing at the rim. What else does he do?? ...crickets.....more crickets......even more crickets.... He does nothing else.

       In my original MVP Post I had Dwight/LeBron tied and gave the edge to Dwight since LeBron has two superstars to play with while Dwight did not. I redid it and still barely had Rose join the top 5. Rose dunks really amazing. Outside that, what else? Lebron, Dwight, and Paul are all the best players at their position because they play both sides of the court. Offense and Defense. Rose is not even in the top 2 for PG discussion. Once again, the media fell into hype. Because of them I hate Derrick Rose. He did not earn nor deserve the MVP. Because he is humble? Garbage. Dwight Howard had the 3rd best defense, while the team employed Gilbert Arenas, JJ Redick, and Ryan Anderson on the court at the same time. LeBron James is in the top 5 wings in terms of defense and is far and away the best SF in the NBA. Chris Paul would make this Bulls team better with his ability to get everyone involved. So would Deron Williams. But no, Derrick Rose is the anti LeBron, the home town kid who won't leave.

      I find it funny that all of the sudden the Bulls do not have the talent to win a title? All season we have been led to believe they do. Boozer was a beast. Deng the most "underrated" player in the NBA. Noah was this and that. The Bulls bench was "unbelievable" and that their bench would crush the Heat. Yet here we stand with the Bulls probably losing in 6(I will give them Game 5 in Chicago). Yes they have been hard fought games. Either team could have won. Yet the MVP, the best closer all of the sudden, the best player in the NBA according to some, has now come up short in three straight 4th quarters. Wasn't it LeChoke five weeks ago?? This is why you do not put personal bias ahead of judgement. Hate LeBron for being egotistic. Hate him for setting the bluprint for all future stars to try and form their own teams. But do not tell lies about his game. This is not a Miami defend piece. This is a media is dumber than you think piece, and fans may be smarter than you think piece. The Bulls have a terrible offense. Derrick Rose is terrible offensively if you really think about it. Before I thought Rose had better game management than Westbrook, not really. They both stink. I don't trust either with a game winning shot. Basically watch the games. Derrick Rose failed the stats test. Now he is finally failing the eyeball test. Chicago homers go back to sleep. LeBron haters go back to your crib. Derrick Rose worshippers put your Derrick Rose Scriptures away. Finally, big boy basketball has returned.

Players Orlando should really target in the draft:

Malcolm Lee-6'-5" G from UCLA

Why should Orlando want him?

Can play the point or two, is an excellent defender, and has great speed.

Can Orlando get him?

They might have to trade back into the late first round to get him, but he may also be available when they do draft in the second round. Every team outside of Orlando and LA seems to have a young, fast, athletic PG. Fortunately, LA does not have a first round pick. Could he slip to Orlando deep in the second round? One can only hope so

Cory Joseph

6'3" Guard from Texas

Another tweener, but every PG seems to be now and days anyways. Lee is a better prospect, but Joseph would seem more likely to fall to them. FG% is bad but his 3PT% is over 40%. Very young. Also good size at the point.

Keith Benson

6'11" Center from Oakland

Great athlete  who runs the floor great. Nice range. Kind of thin to play center, could he be a PF? Defense is lacking, although he was double double machine and had 3+ blks. Should be there when Orlando picks. Orlando could put some pounds on him.

Jimmy Butler

6'-7" Forward from Marquette

Efficient scorer and a solid rebounder for a wing(6.3 rbs last years) and can play lock down defense. However does not have quickness, which is probably why he is not a first round pick on most boards. The only reason someone who averages 16 6 2 is not a first round pick is because of speed or athleticism.

Jaime Skeen

6'-9" Forward VCU

Great basketball IQ, great shooter(% are off the charts), and a great motor. Not a great athlete. But a solid rebounder, and has had knee problems in the past. But as many have shown, if you play hard and can shoot there is a place for you in this league. Also is just a big powerful player.

Most of this analysis is based off Chad Ford's grading and analysis of these players. All of these players seem likely for the second round. Thoughts?

Everyone keeps looking for the "Home Run" trade. For Chris Paul. I hate to cite the ESPN guy I really do not like, Ric Bucher, but he had an interesting little nugget.

What moves do you think San Antonio could/should make this offseason to get better? Can they get anyone to take Richard Jefferson off their hands? Thanks.

I don't see them moving Jefferson. I do see them dealing Tony Parker. If they can make a reasonable deal

Why doesn't Orlando go after Tony Parker? He is on the books for 4 more years. Parker is 30. And Orlando again gives up young assets for another aging player(Gilbert Arenas is actually younger if you can believe that). But it gets the All Star PG talent. Would you trade for Tony Parker? Nelson and say Bass for him?

       I promise this will be my last speculation for trading Dwight. I have posted this trade somewhere else, but I added some new wrinkles to this trade. But before I go into those details, know that I really REALLY do not want Dwight to leave. However with him saying the Media is kicking him out of Orlando, that to me just screams red flag. Yes I know he tried to clean it up and explain afterwards, but I really do not think the Sentinel wants him gone? Who would want to cover a terrible Orlando Magic team? Exactly.So with that said let us get to the trade.

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=3cadzke

So let's look at Philly first. Why do they do this?

Basically this is a semi salary dump. They get out of the Iguodala contract one year earlier and finally signal the beginning of the Holiday and Young era. Whether that is the way to go is debatable. I could also see them trading Iguodala for Bynum as well, but this one makes a little bit more sense. If I am Philly I draft Benson out of Oakland University to solve my center issue. Turner becomes the starting 2 and Gerald Wallace provides veteran leadership alongside Brand. Can they win a title? Probably not, but the save money earlier.

Why does New Orleans do this?

Well they will be approx. 10 million under the cap next season, so they could go after a Jason Richardson who would fir perfect next to Chis Paul. But you have to ask yourself if you are New Orleans, do you really think Chris Paul is going to stay? I find it hard, just like I do with Dwight staying in Orlando. So with this you dump Okafor's contract and you get multiple expiring contracts. Orlando and Portland can also offer future first round picks. Batum and Matthews are young solid players. Andre Miller may be the most underrated PG of all time, and Camby is a nice expiring contract. He could also retire in which case you clear that money earlier. Also Brandon Bass will provide them with a PF until David West is healthy. Also with them clearing all that space they would have Ariza, Matthews and Bass. Whatever players they draft(San Antonio management so you know they will draft well) in some weird way they could actually be able to convince Deron Williams to come. But whatever they would have killer cap space and three young entering their prime years who are also cheap.

Why does Portland do this?

You get Chris Paul and Dwight Howard. Plain and simple. I asked Evan about this trade and he stated that he does not see Dwight leaving for a small market. A part of that I believe, but the chance to play with Chris Paul, who has already stated that he would play in Portland, and Brandon Roy, who seems to be semi recovering, you just do not pass it up. That team would be on TV and commercials everywhere. Especially if Dwight leaves Addidas and joins nearby Nike. They also get the man they wanted two years ago in Hedo Turkoglu......just kidding they have to pay some price for taking Dwight.

Why does Orlando do this?

Well, if it does not look like Dwight is going to stay, you have to do something. And honestly I don't want Bynum's knees or the Lamar Khardasian show. Lamar is good and I would take a long look at a Gasol/Odom trade, but I think with this trade you get younger. Aldridge is signed for the next 4 years, and does not seem to fancy himself in the LeBron and Dwight class. Is he Dwight Howard? No. Offensively he is very gifted, but he could still work on his defense and rebounding. That is where Okafor comes into play. is he great? No. But he can still defend and rebound at elite levels. And the fact of that matter is he is a better player than Turk. I think with Aldridge and Okafor you do what Dwight does but with two players. Then you get Andre Iguodala. I have watched him play for awhile now. And I am going to be honest with you, I think he can be a super stud. I don't think he has ever had the combo of coach, talent around him, or scheme to make him great. Is he a great shooter? No but he can shoot. And I really believe he with Aldridge would be fantastic.Iguodala can defend, pass, create, run, run a team I mean he can do everything LeBron can do on a much smaller scale. But I think he could 20 6 6 with our team. SVG could get it out of him. I also say screw it and sign Jason Richardson to a 3 year 24 million dollar contract to start at the 2. And bring back Clark. Again I know the new CBA is coming and could change everything, but this with current rules so go with it.

This would also see the end of the 4-out-1-in offense. Although you could still run it. But this would be my idea of how the depth chart would look:

PG: Nelson/Arenas

SG: Richardson/Redick

SF: Iguodala/Clark/2nd round draft pick or minimum vet guy

PF: Aldridge/Anderson/Clark

C: Okafor/Orton/Vasquez by some miracle??

If you are going to say don't trade Dwight or new CBA or fire Otis Smith before trading Dwight please don't post. I would like to keep the comments strictly on this mega trade. Assume of course that all teams agree to do a trade. With these four rosters. Do you like it for Orlando, who loses the most? Again I would appreciate it just on this trade.

     This is a big debate lately. The common, "Well stats don't lie" or "Open your eyes stat geeks" phrases have been used by both sides. And since we are all Magic fans,  we watch the Magic every game, I think I am going to use a team not named Orlando as an example of why it is wrong to do either side. We all have emotion invested in the Magic so it may blind us one way or the other. So I am going to look at two teams, the Boston Celtics and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

     First let us tackle the Boston Celtics, specifically the Kendrick Perkins trade. "Statheads" will say, well he does not even average a double double. Not even 10+ rebounds. "Use your eyes nerds" people say that Celtics chemistry was messed up, Rajon Rondo lost his best friend, and Perkins gives them "toughness", "ruggedness", "junk yard dog mentality" is now gone. Basically the "intangibles" that, their favorite phrase: "Stats just don't tell what the player does." I was listening to the Scott Van Pelt show earlier today, and co-host Ryen Russillo has been steadfast in his belief that Kendrick Perkins does not help the Celtics in this series at all. Many times he has said that Perkins would not make a big difference. He has stated that  Nate Robinson being good friends with Glen "Big Baby" Davis play better offensively.

      However Jalen Rose, a much better analyst than given credit for, rebutted Russillo in a very convincing manner. Perkins may not make a difference offensively, but he would make a big difference in their current series with Miami(which seems it will be over in 4 or 5 very quick, uncompetative games). His precense would not allow Wade and LeBron to run wild at the rim, something both do not do when playing against our very own Dwight Howard. Knowing that if you go and attack the rim and there will be somebody who meets you and will plant you on your backside does make a player hesitate to attack the rim. The Heat are destroying the Celtics at the FT line. Maybe Perkins would just add 6 more fouls, but the fact that he would take a hard foul for the team and plant either James or Wade on the ground would make a huge difference. Also another big difference he said was that Miami can play Bosh at the 5 and LeBron at 4, causing more mismatches and allowing the Heat to play the way they want to.

      Looking at the OKC Thunder, I have read noted "stathead" John Hollinger say that he believes that if you were to swap Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook the Bulls would be the same.  Their stats are very, very comparable. You could argue that Westbrook has better numbers. However, if you watch his 4th quarter game management it is terrible. While Derrick Rose may take tough shots it does seem like he makes the right decision. Westbrook has shot way too much, turns the ball over way too much, and when he does pass it is the wrong pass. What makes his game management even more baffling is the fact that Kevin Durant, two time defending leading scorer of the NBA, never receives the ball from him. Kevin Durant had a season that did not meet "expectations" to some. Why is that? Westbrook took the ball out of his hands. Here is a link to a fantastic article by Truehoops Zach Harper

http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2011/04/27/the-assassination-of-kevin-durant-by-the-budding-star-russell-westbrook/

      The point of this fanpost?? Don't be so quick to use stats as your only basis for how a player performs. Don't be so quick to trust your eyes either, as they can deceive you. Boxscore will tell you that Russell Westbrook is the same player as Derrick Rose,  the MVP. Your eyes will tell you that Derrick Rose deserves the MVP and title as best Point Guard in the league. Boxscore will say that Kendrck Perkins is a mediocre player. Your eyes will say that Perkins is the reason the Celtics will lose in the second round this year. The truth of the matter? None of those four statments are true.  

I know I said I was going to take a hiatus but some things I noticed.

SVG, is a hell of a coach and to there are only two better coaches than him, if I have to name them then you do not watch basketball, but there is one thing he does struggle with and he did mention it tonight. He noticed that J Rich was laboring, and he did not go to JJ quicker. His in game roster management sometimes can be quiestonable at times. Still, for him to take all the blame(when he obviously deserves at most 1% of it) is very stand up about him. A part of me wants SVG to leave, just because this roster is not suited for him. And it is going to be hard to change the players. SVG in Houston would be a match made in Heaven. It's not that I want SVG to leave just more that I want him to succeed.

Jameer Nelson is my favorite player outside of Dwight. I love his toughness and heart. He has a high basketball I.Q. But at some point in time he needs to be aggressive. And I do not mean for a quarter. I mean for the whole game. I know he thinks team first and that is great, but is more Derrick Rose type PG than a Chris Paul type PG. And he shoots numbers better than Rose. Now do not confuse that with I think he is Rose. No, no, no. What I am saying is that Orlando needs to really look at how it distributes its shot count. Team balance only goes so far. If Jameer is a shoot first PG, then he needs to shot more. At some point in time, efficiency becomes slightly overrated. You need your best player to be efficient, Dwight is. But you need someone who is a volume shooter. Shaq and Kobe. Shaq very efficient. Kobe volume shooter. Shaq and Wade. Both were actually pretty efficient. Kobe and Gasol. You get the point. I am not comparing Jameer to Kobe and Wade. But Jameer needs to become a 19-20 ppg player and not a 13-14 ppg. With the way he shoots the 3 this can be achieved. It's up to him.

The pace-with this roster you can not play slow basketball. I know half court wins in the playoffs, but whenever Orlando pushed the tempo against Atlanta, they scored easily. Atlanta is too big and strong at the wings for Orlando to play them in the half court. Against Boston, what people do not realize is that Boston shut Dwight down, not the wing players. Boston is not as big on the wings as Miami and Atlanta. Neither does Chicago. Magic needed to run to take advantage of Dwight's speed against the slow, plodding centers of Atlanta.

MB4 (NJ)

Does the Dwight trade go down this summer or next deadline? And would you dismiss the Bulls b/c Rose likes his core as is + Dwight wants it to be his stage. On the court the Nets are the better option than the Lakers longterm but how big of a star does Dwight want to be?

Ric Bucher   (1:53 PM)

I would expect a Dwight trade this summer or before the next season starts, from what I'm hearing. Rose likes his core because it's the core he has. He's not opposed to the Bulls improving it.

Ryan (LA)

Should the Bulls go after Dwight Howard this summer if he pulls a Melo and the Bulls lose early? Noah and Boozer for Howard and Bass seems like a solid offer, right?

Ric Bucher   (1:59 PM)

Let's put it this way: Dwight should want to go to Chicago and play with Rose. That combo would be Kobe-Shaqesque. But from all I hear, Dwight is looking at LA or NJ. Nothing in between.

Expecting a Dwight trade this summer? Otis Smith has already said he would not trade him. Again unless Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum come in a package for him or LaMarcus Aldridge is offered(with Batum and/or Matthews) there is no way a trade will happen this summer or during the year.

Also here is another winner:

Does D Rose have a shot to be the best player in the NBA someday. I understand he will win the MVP this year, but no one is saying he is better than LeBron, Kobe, etc. My thinking is that he if far ahead of where LeBron and Kobe were in their 3rd years. Can you imagine what Rose might be with a few more years under his belt?

Then let me be the one to say it: he's the best player in the NBA. Right now.

Oh boy......

http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2011/3/21/2063871/who-really-is-the-mvp

If you have time and want to read what I wrote before here is the link. This one will be much shorter since I already did a pretty long post before. Let's jump right into it.

5. Derrick Rose- Human Highlight film this year. Still bad on defense despite what people say. (If Jameer Nelson is apparently not a good point guard, why was he able to torch Rose yesterday? Thank you end of discussion)

4. Kobe Bryant-While he is not the best player, nor is he the best closer, nor is the best 2 Guard in the world, he is still Kobe Bryant.  Devastating scorer and when he plays within the game his team is practically unstoppable.

3. Chris Paul- New entry but when you look at it , he shoots better from the Field, 3, FT, has more assists, more steals, and is the one person in the NBA who you can legitamely say his team would be worst than Cleveland without him. Still the best Point Guard in the world even on one knee. Just amazing.

And this may sound like a cop out, but I actually have co MVP's this year. I know this is a Magic website and we obviously hate LeBron but if I am going to be subjective I can not say that he and Dwight have separated from each other. They are the two best players in the league, in the world, are both devastating on offense and defense. Two highest PER's. Have their teams in top ten in both offense and defense. You literally can not defend either one. Both carry the weight of franchises(LeBron carries the league to be honest) and both have huge pressure to play their best night in and night out. When their teams lose according to some media it seems it is either LeBron's fault or Dwight is holding back. Yes LeBron has Wade and Bosh, but the Heat team after that is junk. Without LeBron that team is probably 7th best in the East, 6th at best. Magic would be GSW of the East Coast and would likely sneak it at the 8th spot. Well one of them would still be top 4 because one would still both win the division(I would still take them both to beat the Hawks, since the Hawks have no coach, no fans, and no heart outside of Horford.)

Thoughts?

It seems not too long ago that one man band out of the Central division was the "number one" team in the East. Has a defensive minded coach. They rely on their "MVP" to do practically everything for them. Are the Chicago Bulls the New Cleveland Cavaliers of the last two years? I have been saying it for months now, and as I was listening to Colin Cowherd he said it today. But I don't have to have ratings on here. But lets compare the teams.

Their MVP:

Well if you ask anyone outside of Chicago and Ric Bucher, Derrick Rose does not equal LeBron James. It is not even close. LeBron is a better scorer, passer, rebounder, defender, shooter, bigger, stronger, faster, and a proven commodity in the playoffs. Remember he has won the East once already and been to the second every year if I am not mistaken. He may be a punk, but he is still a top 1 player in the league. And yes I meant 1. So their one man is not nearly as good the Cavs number one.

Their coach:

Very easy to say Thib's is better, but Mike Brown did make it to the Finals and had elite defenses. To me there is no difference yet. Let me see Thib's do something in the playoffs and we can revisit this. So far the Cavs are better in two categories.

The Rest of the guys:

It sure seems easy to say the Cavs had no talent then and the Bulls have superior talent than they do. Do they? Yes they do. Deng, Boozer and Noah are better than Mo Williams, Jamison, and Varejao. But I am going to be honest , it is not light years ahead of them. But I will give them they have a better team. But I do not think either is enough to win a title.

I will give the Bulls their due. They play hard every night. That is very good. They give their fans value for the ticket they pay for. But that is not good enough in the paint. I hear that the Magic are inconsistent and that the Bulls are consistent. Well if their offense is consistent, doesn't that mean they will struggle in the playoffs when Dwight Howard does not allow Rose to go the rim? Who on their team is a legit number scoring two option who can take over a game? The Magic have Jameer and Turk who can take over games. J Rich and JJ can get hot. Bulls do not possess anyone who can take over a game aside from Rose. Deng can not really create his own shot. Maybe I am wrong, but name me someone on the Bulls who can take over a fourth quarter if Rose struggles? I really am confident the Magic will beat the Bulls in the semi's in 5 or 6 games. Being inconsistent does not take the capability away from being able to take over a game. The Bulls have no players who can  pick up Rose when he will struggle to get a shot on Dwight.

It is time for the All NBA Team!!!!!!!! I am going to do it just how the real NBA does it, as in you do not have to have a pg, sg, sf, pf, c. Any guard, any forward.

G-Kobe Bryant-It is the Mamba. Do I really need to explain this one?

G-Dwyane Wade-He is now officially the best 2-Guard in the world. Unbelievable.

F-LeBron James-Number 2 in my MVP vote. Yes he in theory has more "help" but when you break it down, he actually doesn't. Yes Bosh and Wade are great, but frankly outside those two that team is terrible. I would go as far as to say without LeBron, they barely make the playoffs. Seriously. Look at the team..

F-Dirk Nowitzki-To me, and I have flip flopped on this, the most efficient shooter in the league. 50 40 90. They just do not happen.

C-Dwight Howard-My MVP. No one is close. Actually he is good he is on the NBA first team and second team and probably third team. Seriously.

2nd Team

G-Derrick Rose-Probable MVP. Still have a very good season. As inefficient as it maybe, still a great season.

G-Chris Paul-On one leg, still the best PG in the league. Seriously.

F-Kevin Durant- Scoring champ who is rebounding much better this season.

F-LaMarcus Aldridge-Unbelievable season. Really should win MIP and be in the top 5 for MVP. Where would Portland be with no legged Brandon Roy and no LA?

C-Pau Gasol-Plays enough Center to be named here. Legit MVP candidate as well.

The Hawks are just terrible. I mean they are terrible. There is nothing else to say. The Magic may be inconsistent or indifferent, but they have only lost by double digits since the trade only a handful of times, maybe twice(Lakers and Boston). But the Hawks showed again last night that they will be the best matchup for Orlando in the first round. I know this a Magic website, but I always like to talk general NBA talk as well. When you are in the situation that Atlanta is in, as in you have maxed out and you do not really have a franchise type player, what exactly do you do? Do you blow it up? The magic could find themselves in this situation in the future. When you have Dwight Howard, you can try and change pieces. But when you don't have that type of player I think you blow it up, Thoughts?