Denton: Magic Prepare For Celtics
By John Denton
December 24, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – The Boston Celtics will be without all-star guard Paul Pierce and top reserve Marquis Daniels in Friday’s nationally televised game in Orlando, necessitating a rotation where Tony Allen and/or Eddie House will either start or play significant minutes.
Of course, the Celtics will get absolutely no sympathy from the Magic, a team that has had to learn a thing or two about playing shorthanded.
When last the two teams met on Nov. 20 in Boston, the Magic were without starting point guard Jameer Nelson and standout forward Rashard Lewis was playing in just his third game following a 10-game suspension.
And when the two franchises squared off last spring in the second round of the playoffs -- an epic seven-game series won by the Magic -- the Celtics were without defensive stopper Kevin Garnett, while Nelson was out at the time with a shoulder injury.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has said in the past the Nelson’s injury often gets overlooked, and in the eyes of many national analysts it’s as if there should be an asterisk attached to the series because of Garnett’s absence. Pierce, out for this game following arthroscopic knee surgery, even suggested last month that Boston would have beaten the Magic last spring had it had reserve forward Leon Powe healthy at the time.
``It’s very rare that both teams have been at full strength when we have played once another,’’ Van Gundy said. ``But we’ve both been able to win when we were short-handed. Paul Pierce is a great player, but I guarantee you that Boston will find a way to be very good. They’ve got so many weapons.’’
Tipoff is at 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally by ABC.
Boston (22-5) and Orlando (22-7) have been very good much of this season despite plenty of injuries and fine-tuning back into shape. The Celtics have won 13 of 14, losing only three games by one point against Philadelphia. The Magic have won five of their six games to pull within a game of the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
In so many ways, the two teams seem headed on a collision course again come playoff time. While both sides have downplayed the importance of the regular-season games, clearly the nation is interested. All four meetings between the Magic and Celtics this season will be televised nationally.
``It’s still so early in the year that they’re not where they want to be and we’re clearly not where we want to be,’’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ``Both teams are just in a process to get to where we can fight each other later on.’’
The Magic have a dramatically different look than they did last spring when they went to Boston and beat the Celtics in a Game 7 that turned out to be a one-sided rout. Hedo Turkoglu, the hero that night, now plays in Toronto. He has been replaced, in essence, by Vince Carter, who had one of his best games of the season in November in Boston.
When the Celtics closed down the access to Dwight Howard, Carter carried the offense. He torched the Celtics for 26 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Magic repeatedly went to Carter down the stretch, and he beat Boston by either getting to the rim or making the pass to set up a basket.
Carter, who has been mired in a horrid shooting slump for two weeks, knows that the Boston defense will be out to shut him down on Friday.
``It will be a great game because they are a defensive-minded team, too,’’ Carter said. ``Boston is playing at a high level and they’re one of the teams to beat. They are a measuring stick for us and we have to beat them to get better.
``Even without Pierce they still have that same presence. They are still a really good team.’’
And the Magic have been really good of late because Howard has been a terror on the glass and on the defensive end. He’s blocked 27 shots in the last six games and he’s averaged 16.9 rebounds over the last seven.
Those numbers have helped Howard to climb to first in the NBA in blocked shots (2.48) and rebounds (13.1). Last season, he became just the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season en route to winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
``The only thing that is important is that if I’m rebounding and blocking shots we’re going to be winning games,’’ Howard said following his 20-rebound, four-block effort Wednesday against Houston. ``I have to do what it takes for our team to win, and I have to do it at a high level.
``If I block shots and rebound everybody else on the team is going to do a better job of defending,’’ Howard continued. ``It’s just a matter of trust. I just tell the guys, `Hey, I got your back. Continue to play good defense and I’m going to be behind you to erase the mistakes.’ That’s just what it takes because we have to be able to trust one another. They have to know that I am going to do my part to help this team get over the hump on the defensive end of the floor.’’
Howard’s defense on the inside could be key with the Celtics going other places for offense following the loss of Pierce, who needed a surgery to clean out loose bodies in his knee. Van Gundy predicts that Boston will look more inside for points.
``The first place they will go is to the post more to Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace and I’m sure they will run a lot more stuff for Ray Allen,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``And you’ve still got to stop the penetration of Rondo. And you’ve got to find a way to score against them because they have been a great defensive team for three years.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonDecember 24, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – The Boston Celtics will be without all-star guard Paul Pierce and top reserve Marquis Daniels in Friday’s nationally televised game in Orlando, necessitating a rotation where Tony Allen and/or Eddie House will either start or play significant minutes.
Of course, the Celtics will get absolutely no sympathy from the Magic, a team that has had to learn a thing or two about playing shorthanded.
When last the two teams met on Nov. 20 in Boston, the Magic were without starting point guard Jameer Nelson and standout forward Rashard Lewis was playing in just his third game following a 10-game suspension.
And when the two franchises squared off last spring in the second round of the playoffs -- an epic seven-game series won by the Magic -- the Celtics were without defensive stopper Kevin Garnett, while Nelson was out at the time with a shoulder injury.
Magic coach Stan Van Gundy has said in the past the Nelson’s injury often gets overlooked, and in the eyes of many national analysts it’s as if there should be an asterisk attached to the series because of Garnett’s absence. Pierce, out for this game following arthroscopic knee surgery, even suggested last month that Boston would have beaten the Magic last spring had it had reserve forward Leon Powe healthy at the time.
``It’s very rare that both teams have been at full strength when we have played once another,’’ Van Gundy said. ``But we’ve both been able to win when we were short-handed. Paul Pierce is a great player, but I guarantee you that Boston will find a way to be very good. They’ve got so many weapons.’’
Tipoff is at 2:30 p.m. and the game will be televised nationally by ABC.
Boston (22-5) and Orlando (22-7) have been very good much of this season despite plenty of injuries and fine-tuning back into shape. The Celtics have won 13 of 14, losing only three games by one point against Philadelphia. The Magic have won five of their six games to pull within a game of the Celtics for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
In so many ways, the two teams seem headed on a collision course again come playoff time. While both sides have downplayed the importance of the regular-season games, clearly the nation is interested. All four meetings between the Magic and Celtics this season will be televised nationally.
``It’s still so early in the year that they’re not where they want to be and we’re clearly not where we want to be,’’ Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. ``Both teams are just in a process to get to where we can fight each other later on.’’
The Magic have a dramatically different look than they did last spring when they went to Boston and beat the Celtics in a Game 7 that turned out to be a one-sided rout. Hedo Turkoglu, the hero that night, now plays in Toronto. He has been replaced, in essence, by Vince Carter, who had one of his best games of the season in November in Boston.
When the Celtics closed down the access to Dwight Howard, Carter carried the offense. He torched the Celtics for 26 points, six rebounds and six assists. The Magic repeatedly went to Carter down the stretch, and he beat Boston by either getting to the rim or making the pass to set up a basket.
Carter, who has been mired in a horrid shooting slump for two weeks, knows that the Boston defense will be out to shut him down on Friday.
``It will be a great game because they are a defensive-minded team, too,’’ Carter said. ``Boston is playing at a high level and they’re one of the teams to beat. They are a measuring stick for us and we have to beat them to get better.
``Even without Pierce they still have that same presence. They are still a really good team.’’
And the Magic have been really good of late because Howard has been a terror on the glass and on the defensive end. He’s blocked 27 shots in the last six games and he’s averaged 16.9 rebounds over the last seven.
Those numbers have helped Howard to climb to first in the NBA in blocked shots (2.48) and rebounds (13.1). Last season, he became just the fifth player ever to lead the league in rebounding and blocked shots in the same season en route to winning the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
``The only thing that is important is that if I’m rebounding and blocking shots we’re going to be winning games,’’ Howard said following his 20-rebound, four-block effort Wednesday against Houston. ``I have to do what it takes for our team to win, and I have to do it at a high level.
``If I block shots and rebound everybody else on the team is going to do a better job of defending,’’ Howard continued. ``It’s just a matter of trust. I just tell the guys, `Hey, I got your back. Continue to play good defense and I’m going to be behind you to erase the mistakes.’ That’s just what it takes because we have to be able to trust one another. They have to know that I am going to do my part to help this team get over the hump on the defensive end of the floor.’’
Howard’s defense on the inside could be key with the Celtics going other places for offense following the loss of Pierce, who needed a surgery to clean out loose bodies in his knee. Van Gundy predicts that Boston will look more inside for points.
``The first place they will go is to the post more to Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace and I’m sure they will run a lot more stuff for Ray Allen,’’ Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. ``And you’ve still got to stop the penetration of Rondo. And you’ve got to find a way to score against them because they have been a great defensive team for three years.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
