SB Nation User Blog: erivera7

Dwight Howard Named NBA Eastern Conference Player of the Week

erivera7 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:20:45 -0000

The Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, Dec. 14, through Sunday, Dec. 20. It marks the second time this season and the ninth time in his career that Howard has earned the league's top weekly honor.

Howard recorded four double-doubles on the week, averaging 17.0 points and league highs of 17.8 rebounds and 4.5 blocks, as the Magic went 3-1. On Dec. 14, Howard tallied 21 points, 23 rebounds and four blocked shots, as Orlando defeated Indiana 106-98 at Amway Arena. He recorded a season-high eight blocks Dec. 16 in a 118-99 home win over Toronto.

Here is a recap of the week for Howard:

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

Dec. 14 vs. Indiana: Posted 21 points, 23 rebounds and four blocks in a 106-98 win over the Pacers.

Dec. 16 vs. Toronto: Scored 18 points to go along with 14 rebounds and eight blocks in a 119-99 win over the Raptors.

Dec. 17 @ Miami: Tallied 17 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in a 104-86 loss to the Heat.

Dec. 19 vs. Portland: Recorded 12 points, 20 rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a 92-83 win over the Trail Blazers.

Create A Caption #43 Winner

erivera7 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 20:12:45 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Browse more photos »

Well, 72 hours have passed and we have a winner in Orlando Pinstriped Post's forty-third "create a caption" competition. Given the circumstances surrounding Marcin Gortat's situation with the Orlando Magic, choosing the winning submission was easy.

Please Otis, trade me!

OPP member blumad is the winner in the competition, garnering 80% of the votes.

We'll do this again soon! For those that participated, thanks. If you didn't win the contest this time around, you'll have another crack at garnering precious glory later this week, on Friday. Stay tuned.

A Look at Which Orlando Magic Player is the Most Effective in Crunch Time

erivera7 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 09:10:17 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

Is Vince Carter the most effective Orlando Magic player in crunch time?

Browse more photos »

This past Friday, inspired by a post written by Henry Abbott of TrueHoop, I asked the community to vote on who it thought was the Orlando Magic's most effective player with the game on the line. The premise behind the question was to see whether or not the statistics agree or disagree with what the popular opinion was. In this case, the people's choice was Vince Carter.

Is Carter the most effective player for the Magic with the game on the line?

Rather than giving the answer right away and ruining all the fun, I wanted to explain and show which numbers I looked at when it came to figuring out which Magic player performs the best in crunch time. Since 82games.com is still in the process of compiling and revealing sortable "clutch" (defined as the 4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points) stats for the 2009-2010 season on its site, I decided to take a look at the data from last year. Here's what the statistics show (per 48 minutes):

	Player A	Player B
FGA	15.0	24.5
FG%	51.1%	50.0%
3PA	7.7	8.6
3P%	43.5%	50.0%
FTA	11.0	6.4
FT%	84.0%	85.0%

Very close, but Player B is slightly better. The difference is the three-point shooting.

I also compiled information from the 2008-2009 season, courtesy of Synergy Sports Technology, to see how these two particular players performed in situations that can coincide with end-game scenarios. Here's what the statistics show:

Player A

	%Time	Points Per Possession	Rank	Rating
Short Shot Clock < 4 Seconds	5%	0.77	43%	Average
Out of Bounds (Side)	10%	0.88	54%	Good
Out of Bounds (End)	4%	0.84	48%	Average
After Time Outs	15%	0.92	65%	Very Good

Player B

	%Time	Points Per Possession	Rank	Rating
Short Shot Clock < 4 Seconds	6%	0.76	42%	Average
Out of Bounds (Side)	12%	0.88	55%	Good
Out of Bounds (End)	3%	0.98	69%	Very Good
After Time Outs	19%	1.02	85%	Excellent

In this specific instance, there's a clear divide between the two players and that's most notably in the 'After Time Outs' category. One is more efficient than the other.

So, who is Player A and Player B?

Click after the jump to see the results.

	Rashard Lewis	Vince Carter
FGA	15.0	24.5
FG%	51.1%	50.0%
3PA	7.7	7.2
3P%	43.5%	50.0%

Rashard Lewis

	%Time	Points Per Possession	Rank	Rating
Short Shot Clock < 4 Seconds	5%	0.77	43%	Average
Out of Bounds (Side)	10%	0.88	54%	Good
Out of Bounds (End)	4%	0.84	48%	Average
After Time Outs	15%	0.92	65%	Very Good

Vince Carter

	%Time	Points Per Possession	Rank	Rating
Short Shot Clock < 4 Seconds	6%	0.76	42%	Average
Out of Bounds (Side)	12%	0.88	55%	Good
Out of Bounds (End)	3%	0.98	69%	Very Good
After Time Outs	19%	1.02	85%	Excellent

Vince Carter is, unsurprisingly, the Orlando Magic's best crunch time performer in the regular season but Rashard Lewis is a close second in the pecking order. I italicized and noted 'regular season' because if the postseason is added to the discussion, there are not many players in the NBA that are more clutch than Lewis. Look no further than last year's playoffs as proof at the type of damage the cold-blooded Lewis can inflict on opponents when the basketball is in his hands. Granted, unlike Lewis, Carter hasn't had many opportunities these past few years to be clutch in those types of situations during the postseason. Vince's New Jersey Nets failed to make the playoffs in each of the last two seasons.

But before this write-up concludes, let's breakdown why Carter and Lewis are the two best options for the Magic when the game is on the line.

For Carter, as head coach Stan Van Gundy has told me before, it's his ability to create a quality shot no matter what the defense throws at him. Also, the entire playbook is available with Vince - the Magic can run an isolation for him, a pick & roll, a post-up, etc. There's no play-type or shot unavailable in Carter's arsenal and as such, these are some of the reasons why he has been the go-to guy for Orlando in close games, for instance on November 25th against the Miami Heat, when he hit a three-pointer to break a 95-all tie with 14 seconds remaining. Orlando went on to lose the game due to successive put-backs by Udonis Haslem and Michael Beasley, which sandwiched two rare misses at the foul line from Jason Williams, who could have iced the game for the Magic.

For Lewis, the options are limited. He can't consistently create his own shot, so he needs to rely on his teammates sometimes to help him get an open look (like a Dwight Howard screen, for example). But if the Magic want a guy to spot-up - especially behind the three-point line - they can't go wrong with Lewis.

When it comes to crunch time performers, Orlando has a few of them on the roster. Whether it's Carter or Lewis, the Magic have options. The OPP community was right to select Carter as Orlando's best crunch-time option.

This block by Dwight Howard on Andre Miller deserves another look.

erivera7 — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 00:59:14 -0000

This block by Dwight Howard on Andre Miller deserves another look.

The Orlando Magic's Offense Has Been Efficient But There is Room for Improvement

erivera7 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 21:24:33 -0000

More photos » by Fernando Medina - NBAE via Getty Images

Browse more photos »

If there's a difference between the Orlando Magic of last year and this year, it's the offense. Granted, last year's offense when the Magic had a healthy Jameer Nelson during the regular season ranked 5th in Offensive Rating. But it took a ridiculous shooting display from Nelson over a period of time for Orlando to be as potent as it was on the offensive side of the ball. It didn't seem like Jameer could sustain that type of performance for the entire year but one will never know - he may have, he may have not. As such, when Nelson did get hurt this past season, the Magic's offense couldn't keep pace because the personnel wasn't equipped to make up for the loss of production.

This year, the Magic rank 5th in Offensive Rating once again but there's room for improvement and a reason for that is the improved supporting cast on the team (as well as the impending return of Nelson from injury, etc). When one considers the inefficient shooters general manager Otis Smith jettisoned during the off-season (Rafer Alston, Tony Battie, Hedo Turkoglu) and who he brought in to replace them (Brandon Bass, Vince Carter, Jason Williams, among others), it's no surprise Orlando is a much more potent offensive team. What's scary for the Magic is that the team, offensively, isn't playing at its maximum. One major reason for that has been the sub-standard play from Carter on offense, who has been in a shooting slump lately. Carter hasn't been efficient and although it hasn't affected Orlando much, in terms of team-wide production, it has held the team back from fully realizing its offensive potential. Still, it's a long year and usually the numbers even out when everything is said and done.

Here's a list of the Orlando Magic players who have been efficient on offense:

	TS%	eFG%	Offensive Rating
J. J. Redick	61.6%	57.6%	123
Jason Williams	56.8%	54.9%	121
Ryan Anderson	58.3%	55.0%	115
Dwight Howard	64.5%	63.2%	115
Brandon Bass	56.6%	54.4%	114
Rashard Lewis	57.6%	53.6%	114
Anthony Johnson	53.6%	50.0%	110
Jameer Nelson	54.4%	50.8%	109
league average	53.9%	49.6%	106.6

Impressive.

If Carter (and to a lesser extent, Nelson) returns to form on the offensive side of the ball sooner rather than later, then the Magic could live up to Pro Basketball Prospectus 09-10's projection, which is that the team will finish the regular season with the most efficient offense in the NBA.

Create A Caption #43: Round 2

erivera7 — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 09:42:53 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Browse more photos »

Round 1 is completed.

Round 2 begins now.

After two days of submissions, these are the captions that made the cut. The submissions will be listed by number of "recs/votes" in descending order, starting with the leader.

Please vote in the poll for the caption you like the most.

Thanks.

Please Otis, trade me!

by blumad, 7 recs

Thank God I'm not being hit in the groin with a ball this time!

by The Dark, 6 recs

Rules:

I'm sure everyone here is familiar with a "create a caption" competition, but in case someone here doesn't know what this type of contest is .. basically a picture is provided and you, the reader, attempt to come up with a quick sentence describing what's occurring in the photo. The line can be funny, stupid, witty, etc.

I'll be a judge but I like to have another collective voice determining the winner, that way there's a bit of a consensus among the community. What I prefer for everyone here to do is this .. if you like the caption a fellow member has come up with, "recommend" it. That will be 'your vote', in essence. If you don't know how to "recommend" a comment, go to the comment you like, click on 'actions', then click on 'rec'. You can "recommend" multiple captions/comments, if you want.

So for a quick recap ..

- Write a quick sentence describing what's occurring in the photo.

- If you like a caption/comment that's been written, "recommend" it.

- After you "recommend" a caption/comment, write something (like +1, for example) to indicate you like the sentence an OPP member has written.

- The contest will last four days, so whichever caption/comment gets the most recommendations, wins. In case of a tie, I'll determine the winner.

- There will be two rounds in the competition. In the first round (Friday/Saturday), submissions are made and votes are tallied. At the end of the second day, the submissions that garnered four or more "recs/votes" will advance. In the final round (Sunday/Monday), votes are tallied for the eligible submissions.

- Winner will be announced Monday afternoon or evening.

- The contest is subject to change.

Let the contest begin!

Poll

Choose the author which made the best caption.

blumad

64 votes

The Dark

16 votes

80 votes | Poll has closed

Word of the Day: Focus

erivera7 — Sat, 19 Dec 2009 10:30:50 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

Browse more photos »

focus (n.) - the concentration of attention or energy on something

Poll: Which Orlando Magic Player is the Most Effective in Crunch Time

erivera7 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 23:51:55 -0000

More photos » by Wilfredo Lee - AP

Is Dwight Howard the player you want with the ball if the game is on the line?

Browse more photos »

Today, Henry Abbott of TrueHoop sparked a debate in the blogosphere concerning "crunch time performers" with Kobe Bryant at the center of the discussion (John Schuhmann of NBA.com provided some more information). Of course, the popular question has always been - who is the most effective player in the NBA with the game on the line?

Clutch being defined by 82games as "4th quarter or overtime, less than 5 minutes left, neither team ahead by more than 5 points."

But wait. I want to focus the question on the Orlando Magic.

Normally, I'd provide the statistics beforehand so that people are able to get the most accurate, detailed information before developing an opinion one way or the other. But this time, I want to withhold the data available to see what people think without the aid of numbers. Consider this poll a perception (what people perceive) vs. reality (what the stats show) test.

I'll let the poll run for a few days then next Monday in a follow-up post, I'll see whether or not the statistics agree or disagree with what the popular opinion is.

Let the experiment begin.

Poll

Who is the most effective player on the Orlando Magic roster with the game on the line?

Vince Carter

179 votes

Dwight Howard

13 votes

Rashard Lewis

100 votes

Jameer Nelson

43 votes

Other

14 votes

349 votes | Poll has closed

Schmitz: Jameer Nelson Could Be Back Next Wednesday

erivera7 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 21:37:26 -0000

More photos » by Phelan M. Ebenhack - AP

Browse more photos »

Via Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said Thursday that the earliest PG Jameer Nelson could play would be next Wednesday against the Houston Rockets and likely practice on Sunday.

Nelson hasn't played since undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Nov. 18.

Van Gundy said, "It just depends on how he looks. We'll have to see if he's up to speed," Van Gundy said. "He's got to go through a practice."

It's a testament to the Orlando Magic's depth that Jameer Nelson has rarely been mentioned during his absence, given that the team has gone 11-4 since he's been out. But it's clear, especially after last night's forgettable loss to the Miami Heat, that the Magic could use him back in the starting lineup.

All the credit in the world should be given to Jason Williams - ranked 6th in Pure Point Rating - and Anthony Johnson for holding down the fort while Nelson has been rehabbing his injury. Neither player is of Jameer's caliber but both came to play nearly every night for Orlando. Yes, there have been games where Williams just didn't have it for the evening but in almost each of those instances, Johnson gave the Magic much-needed production at point guard.

With Nelson set to return next week, Orlando will finally have a chance to play with a fully healthy roster for what many hope will be an extended period of time. Although Jameer hasn't been playing at the All-Star level he was performing at this past season, he is still the best point guard the Magic have. Likewise, head coach Stan Van Gundy knows that he has two reliable back-ups in Jason and Anthony. Unlike last year, Van Gundy will have the rare opportunity to play the matchups with his reserve point guards depending on the opponents. Or Stan has a chance to go with a different point guard when Williams or Johnson (or Nelson, too) isn't playing up to par. Options. It's something Van Gundy has in droves not only with his point guards but with every other position on the squad.

It'll be interesting to see if the Orlando Magic raises the level of its play a notch when Jameer gets back. It'll also be interesting to see if Nelson improves on his defense, which has been below-average this year.

Create A Caption #43: Round 1

erivera7 — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 10:24:46 -0000

More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Browse more photos »

Marcin Gortat is reacting to something.

What exactly?

Rules:

So for a quick recap ..

- Write a quick sentence describing what's occurring in the photo.

- If you like a caption/comment that's been written, "recommend" it.

- After you "recommend" a caption/comment, write something (like +1, for example) to indicate you like the sentence an OPP member has written.

- The contest will last four days, so whichever caption/comment gets the most recommendations, wins. In case of a tie, I'll determine the winner.

- Winner will be announced Monday afternoon or evening.

- The contest is subject to change.

Let the contest begin!