Ball or Nuthin' » Hedo Turkoglu

New Team, Same Christmas Day Result For LeBron

T Lamont — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 17:26:48 +0000

The new Christmas tradition in many households involves the stewardship of a little NBA action as the calories from that extraordinary dinner settle in your stomach. Each year, we’re treated games that couple teams with the hottest rivalry, or the most intriguing storylines. But with this date firmly positioned in the middle of the NBA campaign, there’s a sense that these matchups mean very little to the teams and players involved.

For a few distinct reasons, that assumption couldn’t be any farther from the truth.

For closer examination, let’s review the two marquee Christmas Day tilts between the Heat-Lakers and the Magic-Celtics:

Magic – Celtics:

We knew that the Christmas Day showdown between the Magic and the Celtics was going to be a fierce battle, but what we didn’t know was that it wasn’t going to be a good predictor of the potential playoff matchup between these two Eastern Conference goliaths.

The Magic just underwent a facelift of gigantic proportions – adding more offense in J-Rich, Agent Zero and Hedo Turkoglu (no snazzy nickname for him), while subtracting defense in the persons of Pietrus and Gortat. We’re really not sure at this point what they lost by trading away Vince Carter other than the occasionally highlight dunk.

The Celtics are battling injuries. With Rondo, West, and Perkins all forecasted to be major contributing factors in Boston title hunt, they were all sidelined for the game. Each of them has a different timetable for returning to the court, but all figure to be available for the postseason.

Boston came into the contest riding high on a 14-game winning streak. Orlando’s new roster had just whalloped the team with the best record in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs, by 22 in Orlando. So both teams came into the game feeling quite good about themselves.

The Celtics – the one who were healthy – played predictably through three quarters. Well, as predictable as can be possible with Nate Robinson playing point guard for over 42 minutes. Their defense resembled a sealed vacuum – limiting the explosive Magic to 57 points, while holding a six point edge.

In the fourth, Orlando played to perfection – as they put up 29 points. Combining the third and fourth quarters, the Magic outscored the visitors 50-32…propelling themselves to victory. The final quarter was a work of art, executed exactly the way that general manager Otis Smith envisioned it. Boston was treated to a barrage of big-time shot making, courtesy of the endless number of offensively-gifted players on Orlando’s roster. Redick, Nelson, Bass, and even newly-acquired guard Richardson made timely contributions that voided 45 minutes of hard work from the Celtics.

Magic forward Brandon Bass will continue to do all that he can to plug the void created by Gortat's departure.

On very key thing to note – the Magic exploded late in the contest without a significant amount of support from Turkoglu. Turk made his presence felt in quarters one through three, and had the best plus/minus of any player on the court (+30). He definitely demonstrated that he is capable of doing what he did two years ago for Orlando. A great sign for the Magic, one that at the very least justifies the absurd value that they placed on re-acquiring Hedo’s skills.

Unfortunately for Orlando, this victory means very little as far as Boston is concerned. They’ve proven that they are a team that will pace itself during the regular season to ensure that they are capable of playing their best when it counts.

Heat – Lakers:

Early – and I mean very early – balloting for everyone’s predictions on the two most likely NBA Finals participants were these two teams (Boston had some early holdouts, but the proponents of their bandwagon gained steam after Boston’s opening night win over Miami). And, of course, we could expect nothing less of David Stern than to ensure that these two teams were matched up at a date and time when everyone is going to be near a television.

Leading up to the game, some of the game’s participants were mic’ed with their views about playing on Christmas Day. Unsurprisingly, the resulting quotes went along the lines of “we’re not happy about being taken away from our families for your personal entertainment, but we get paid millions…so we’ll do it.”

Of course, the Heat appeared as they will in video games on this day, ripping the Lakers in L.A. by 16 points. The game was never really in question. It’s easy to say that the game meant more to the Heat than the Lakers, but that would be an unproven hyptohesis based upon our perception of Los Angeles’ firmly established legacy as a championship contender. However, taking a glance at the records of both teams at this point could lead us to a more startling reality.

Los Angeles was expected to be on cruise control all season, and therefore, would be able to cake walk through the season to the best mark in the Western Conference. They were a team with all of the pieces – including a boosted-up bench crew – whose cast had the experience of winning the title for the last 1-2 years. The familiarity that they have with each other and their offensive and defensive schemes is solid.

Bryant has struggled in head-to-head battles against LeBron-led teams.

Conversely, the Miami Heat faced some sobering moments early in the season including a three-game losing streak (with losses to the Grizzlies and the Pacers). But now the media has recognized an overlooked fact regarding the synergy of the new “Big Three” – that it takes some time to develop the chemistry required to compete at the highest level of professional basketball. The Heat seem to have endured the tough times, recently stringing together a 12-game winning streak – and have been victorious in 14 of their last 15 games altogether.

From what we’ve heard and seen through the media, would we really believe that the Heat are 23-9, while the Lakers are 21-9? Probably not. Thus, the boys who took their talents down to South Beach are doing much better than they’ve been given credit for. On Saturday, they thoroughly outplayed the champs. And it wasn’t due to a nonchalant effort from the Lakers, rather from the Heat orchestrating their offense to generate a bevy of mismatches on which they capitalized. It was also from playing stiflingly smart defense, and not allowing the home team to get many easy looks from the field (L.A. shot 40.5% from the floor). Miami held their own on the glass (+1 rebound advantage), negating a strength that the Lakers typically use to gain separation from their opponents.

A more magnified analysis reveals that Miami’s Big Three (James, Wade and Bosh)thoroughly outplayed Los Angeles’ Big Three (Bryant, Odom and Gasol) – both collectively and individually.

There’s just absolutely no way that Kobe (and his teammates) would give a half-hearted effort on a big-stage gane like this one. After getting smashed by LeBron and the Cavs last Christmas, another loss was certainly not going to be acceptable to his ego. Bryant is just too darn competitive to let James continually get the best of him…that is, unless there was nothing else that he could do to prevent the outcome.

The game’s result proves that, at their present state, the Heat are already a force for the Lakers to reckon with. That’s not good news for the Miami Heat haters.

Magic Make Pressure-Packed Trades for Turkoglu, Arenas

T Lamont — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 04:19:26 +0000

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One week before Christmas, the Orlando Magic were feeling the pressure.

Two seasons ago, the Magic made a surprise appearance in the NBA Finals. That year, Orlando dispensed of two teams who fans gave a better chance of advancing to the Finals – the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics (albeit without Kevin Garnett, who was injured at the time). The team from South Florida did it with relative ease, earning a championship date with the Lakers. Although they were unable to cash in on the ultimate prize, a line had been drawn in the sand. The expectations were high, and fans and analysts began to tag the Magic as a franchise to reckon with for the forseeable future.

But what happened next? The business of the National Basketball Association took priority over the continued development of the franchise.

Much of the team’s dismantling came at the hands of Hedo Turkoglu. He was the driving force behind Orlando’s postseason surge in 2009 and, predictably, was in the final year of his contract. What Turkoglu did was no different from what players do frequently – outperform their normal standard level of play, and make a splash in the free-agent market. And the Turkish import did just that, landing an overpriced, 5-year, $53-million deal with the Toronto Raptors.

The Magic, realizing that they now had a playmaker void on their roster, traded for the athletically talented, poorly driven Vince Carter. While he and Dwight Howard might have been a match made in video game heaven, the promise that general manager Otis Smith hoped for never materialized. Orlando perhaps experienced its worse nightmare – that their decision to let Turkoglu walk had turned around and bit them on the backside.

Yesterday, they banked on yet another hope – that the franchise could rekindle the magic that existed when Turkoglu was on its roster. Orlando made two notable trades, and let’s take a look at the potential impact of each one:

Magic get Turkoglu, J-Rich and Earl Clark for Vinsanity, Pietrus and Gortat

Jason Richardson, doing what he does best these days...

Otis Smith gets his man (Turkoglu), but the cost was way too steep. Let’s just assume that Turkoglu was still playing at the level that he did when he left Orlando. In that case, this deal would be understandable. However, even if Orlando got the old Turk back, what the Magic coughed up for him may have still been considered a bit too much.

At this point, we’d be safe to ignore the unproven Earl Clark in this transaction. In addition to Turkoglu, the Suns gave up Jason Richardson for the combination of Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat. Carter and Richardson are high-flying, 3-point shooting scorers who have very similar styles…and in the same offense, should produce very similar results. Right now, that looks like a fairly even swap. But the deal gets sticky from here.

Turkoglu for his former teammates Pietrus and Gortat? That’s basically trading one skill set for another. In the long run the Magic have to ask themselves “do we have anyone on our roster who will attempt to play tough defense against a player like LeBron James?” They did until yesterday. Or perhaps they need to ask themselves “do we have another capable big who knows our system to back up Howard?” Once again, they traded that person away. Pietrus, in particular, is an effective two-way player. His long-range ability also adds a great fit as yet another floor spacer, which is one of the biggest assets on a team built around a bruising center. But since Stan Van Gundy had limited playoff success last year without Turkoglu, he may be willing to part ways with the team’s existing offense to adopt a different scheme. Seeing that Hedo was money on pick-and-rolls, the team may revert to more movement.

Magic get Gilbert Arenas and send away Rashard Lewis

The universe – or at least those in the Washington D.C. metro area – were wondering when the other shoes was going to drop for the Wizards. Washington finally got rid of the high-priced shoe, and they managed to get a fairly good return (as far as talent level goes). So from Washington’s perspective this deal was a must because it allows them to get help at the small forward position (and based on the matchups, possibly power forward), while enabling sharpshooter Nick Young to get more guaranteed burn.

It’s a little more baffling from Orlando’s perspective. Van Gundy will need to quickly decipher how, when and where he will play Agent Zero. Orlando has more traditional positional players filling the point guard (Jameer Nelson) and shooting guard (Jason Richardson?, J.J. Redick)spots, therefore, it remains to be seen as to whether Arenas will be providing firepower off the bench. But one thing about Gilbert – he will be much more assertive in key moments than VInce Carter could ever dream of. And that may be the single attribute that was imperative to the Magic.

Can Arenas' game-changing abilities make Orlando forget about Rashard Lewis' big shots?

Overall Assessment: Orlando may have hurt itself. Over the past year and a half, there’s no evidence that Hedo Turkoglu even remembers how well he played when he was a member of the Magic. Can he really pick up where he left of at the drop of a hat?

The separate deals seems to be solely focused on one aspect of the game – offense. Neither Arenas, Richardson nor Turkoglu pride themselves on defense, yet they got rid of two tough guys who did – Pietrus and Gortat. The new offensively minded players come into town to complement a roster that is already heavily offensive. Including Matt Barnes over the summer, Orlando has now parted way with three key defensive-minded role players.

Is it any wonder why Van Gundy can’t return this team to greatness? Can a team really expect to dethrone the Celtics without rugged defenders? How would Orlando plan to thwart the superior athleticism displayed by the Heat’s trio of James, Wade and Bosh?

With these deals Orlando may have wielded their wands, but it’ll take some real magic for this new unit to achieve the desired goal of an NBA Championship.

No Turkoglu, No Problem For Orlando

T Lamont — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:08:15 +0000

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Last year, the Orlando Magic spoiled what was destined to be a network television dream – Kobe Bryant versus LeBron James in the NBA Finals.

Could they be at it again?

Last night, the Magic disposed of the Charlotte Bobcats in the opening round of the playoffs…completing a 4-game sweep of a team whose franchise was making its postseason debut. And while many pundits might not be impressed consider this:

The Bobcats shot better from the field, shot better from the free throw line, and averaged more assists per game than the Magic in this series. Charlotte came to compete in this series, but the intangibles of Orlando put them over the top.

Dwight “Superman” Howard averaged only 26 minutes per contest against Charlotte. The recently-crowned Defensive Player of the Year put up a mere 9.75 ppg and 9.25 rpg (although he did supersize his blocks, swatting five per game). The Bobcats did a great job of attacking the middle to keep Howard in foul trouble.

As the playoffs continue, the Magic may look at this first round series as the moment that their confidence was solidified. Orlando proved that it can win games with the big fellow out of the lineup. Jameer Nelson looked like he was at St. Joseph’s again. Rashard Lewis contributed his usual consistent play, canning 12 three-pointers in the series. Matt Barnes was in his element, providing feisty defense and timely offense. And Mickael Pietrus – who took all but two of his shots from behind the three-point arc – shot at a 50% clip.

Mickael Pietrus, already known as a top-flight defender, has developed into a three-point specialist.

These role players certainly did an outstanding job of contributing to a total team effort in advancing into the second round. But perhaps the biggest question mark entering the postseason was projected to be Vince Carter’s play. After Hedo Turkoglu put together such a stellar postseason run with the Magic last year, he was a hot commodity – and sure enough he got overpaid by the Toronto Raptors (who were obviously hoping for the best, but got bamboozled). But looking back at last year’s run – Turkoglu was the indespensible playmaker on a team with versatility, length, and balance.

In steps Vince Carter. No one was skeptical about his talent, but everyone was wondering how he was going to fit into the mold of the Magic. And many (including myself) thought that Orlando had allowed itself to take a small step backwards – a silent indication that revealed our trues feelings about his anticipated performance come playoff time. Quite frankly, major questions were raised as to whether he could get it done like Hedo did a year ago.

Well, the jury’s still out on that. Carter had nice, but not overwhelming, production in Round One – putting up 15.5 ppg and only committing 1.5 turnovers per game. Most impressively, he did not dominate the ball. Instead, he openly played within the flow of the offense and made plays when Orlando desperately needed him to do so. And that’s the balance that will bring the magic back to Vince Carter’s game.

And, with the other playoff-tested pieces already in position, Carter might take the Magic back to a familiar place – the NBA Finals.

Bulls, Raptors Headed in Different Directions

T Lamont — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 02:47:23 +0000

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Is anyone surprised that the Chicago Bulls have overtaken the Toronto Raptors for the #8 spot in the Eastern Conference?

Over the last 10 games played, the Bulls have had a much favorable schedule, and a little cooperation from their opponents (like LeBron James sitting out in their showdown against the Cavs). But most of all, they are motivated to make the playoffs.

But aren’t all teams motivated to make the playoffs?

I’d say perhaps, but it definitely would be more beneficial to Chicago than Toronto. And here’s why:

The Bulls have key building blocks in place. Derrick Rose – fresh off of his debut in the All-Star

The Bulls playoff hopes were boosted by Bosh's late season injury.

Game – should be expected to be the premier point guard in the East for years to come. Joakim Noah has become a nightly double-double machine…he’s a big man who’s not afraid to play like a big man (a rarity in today’s NBA). Luol Deng is both a good defender and scorer. He somewhat inconsistent offensively, but if he’s routinely oriented in the offense he can easily produce 16 – 18 points per game. Kirk Hinrich is a great substitute lead guard, and Flip Murray is the very definition of a bench scorer. Although King James and the Cavs should trounce them, making the playoffs is beneficial for a young team aiming for yearly inclusion in the postseason.

The Raptors are a team that is truly in rebuilding mode. No Bosh pretty much meant no chance for this group (to reach the playoffs). And what better time to get use to playing without Bosh? Over the summer, he could very well be off to a team with a chance at prolonged success. For Toronto, the missed playoff birth will mean a shot at a better draft pick. Outside of that, Hedo Turkoglu has been one of the highest-priced busts that I can remember. Pending their selection in the draft, with Bosh gone the Raptors won’t have anyone who can consistently score the rock – and that’s a real problem.

The Raptors should be thanking Chris Bosh for getting injured.

He certainly took one for the team.

Poor Officiating Costs Magic Game 2

T Lamont — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:37:36 +0000

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The Los Angeles Lakers prevailed in Game 2 of the NBA Finals 101-96 , due in large part to some suspect officiating all game on Dwight Howard post-ups. The Lakers now have a comfortable 2-0 lead in the series.

The Magic played well enough to test the Lakers and push them to overtime, however, there were two key elements that held Orlando back from achieving a split in L.A.:

Free Throw Shooting – Orlando shot 20-27 for the game from the charity stripe. You might say that’s not bad. But they are a really good FT shooting team – and the ones they missed were crucial. 5 of their 7 free throw misses came in the 4th quarter, which kept the Lakers within striking range – - and they ultimately took over in OT.

Reach-in No-Calls – I can’t remember watching so many no-calls on reach-in plays in any game – pre-season, regular season or post-season. Every single time that Dwight Howard made a drive into the paint (with Gasol or Bynum defending), at least one of the Lakers would be around to provide defensive help in the form of reaching in to slap the ball away.

Here’s the way NBA officiating works: If the offensive player is a star, the obvious calls (reach-ins) and non-obvious calls (attempted charges) go their way. From this, one would have to assume that Dwight Howard has not yet been tagged as a star. Time and time again he was slapped on the arms, wrists, and hands and the zebras held onto their whistles.

Based on this observation, Howard’s game never got off of the ground. The Magic were valiant in their effort – and Rashard Lewis (31 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (22 points) found their touch tonight. But the lost possessions (Howard ended up with 7 turnovers – Orlando had 20 total TOs) resulting from the inactive men in stripes were too much to overcome in the end game.

The only standout part of the Lakers game was Lamar Odom. ”Sweets” stepped up his intensity level big time with 19 points (8-9 FG), 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks. If L.A. can get this production from “The Goods” every night, everything would come much easier for them.

Look for the Lakers to lose their intensity in Game 3 in Orlando. If there’s one thing that the Lakers have proven throughout this playoff run, it’s that they cannot maintain consistent levels of focus and energy.