Orlando Magic B-Ball
Magic F Hill wins PBWA's Magic Johnson Award
Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill endured another injury-plagued season but kept his frustration to himself.
Hill on Tuesday was named the winner of the Magic Johnson Award, presented annually by the Professional Basketball Writers Association.
The award honors an NBA player who combines excellence on the court with outstanding cooperation with the media and, by extension, the fans. It was established five years ago and is named after former Los Angeles Lakers great Earvin "Magic" Johnson, a Hall of Fame player and one of the NBA's most popular and effective ambassadors.
"It is truly an honor to receive this award and be spoken of in the same breath with Magic Johnson, who is truly one of the great ambassadors for our game," Hill said. "I have great appreciation for the role the media play in helping us reach and touch fans."
The 6-8 Hill was limited to 21 games this season by a sports hernia, averaging 15.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He remained accessible to the media while he was sidelined ad recently took a turn in TNT's studio during the cable network's playoff telecasts.
A seven-time All-Star, Hill has averaged 20.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 11 seasons with Detroit and Orlando. He played just 47 of a possible 328 games in his first four seasons with the Magic due to an ankle injury that required a series of operations.
"The PBWA is proud to select Grant Hill for the Magic Johnson Award for 2006," PBWA president Steve Aschburner said. "Grant's performance this season again was hampered by injury but, as always, he remained one of the league's true gentlemen.
"His accomplishments on the court over a Hall of Fame-worthy career speak for themselves, while his willingness to work with the media - through his many surgeries and comebacks - has enriched the fans' understanding of the game and the league. He is a terrific choice for this honor."
Other nominees were Phoenix forward Shawn Marion, Houston center Yao Ming, Los Angeles Lakers forward Lamar Odom, Dallas guard Jason Terry and San Antonio guard Brent Barry. Previous winners are Ray Allen, Elton Brand, Jalen Rose, Jermaine O'Neal and Antawn Jamison.
Hill key for Magic
Grant Hill presented gift watches to all of the players, coaches and front-office staff members of the Orlando Magic at the team's end-of-season meeting Thursday.
And like clockwork, the question of whether time has passed the injury-plagued forward by resurfaced going into another summer.
Hill has now missed 357 games, the equivalent of more than four full seasons, since coming to the Magic in 2000. He played in none of their last 21 games, meaning he was no factor in their 16-6 finish -- which, impressive as it was, left the Magic with no better than the record they had one year ago (36-46).
Assistant general manager Otis Smith said Hill, who turns 34 in October and is entering the final year of his $93 million contract, needs to spend three months strengthening his core abdominal muscles in a rehabilitation program before he can play again. It has yet to be determined when the program will begin or who will supervise him, although Alex McKechnie -- who worked with Tracy McGrady during a Magic playoff appearance several years ago -- is a strong possibility.
The Magic seem committed to keeping Hill, in part because their only other small forwards are Hedo Turkoglu, Trevor Ariza -- who will become a restricted free agent July 1 -- and soon-to-be 38-year-old Stacey Augmon.
"When he's on the floor, he's still one of the best players there," Smith said. "It's like having a Cadillac in the garage, but I'm going to drive the Yugo instead."
Hill, who left the RDV Sportsplex before reporters could speak to him, had surgery for a sports hernia in late October. He started in nine straight games after returning in mid-December before coming down with a strained groin, and he played in no more than four consecutive games the rest of the season.
"He's had so many ups and downs the last five years," Smith said. "So I expect him to go up, go down, back up and come full circle."
"Knowing Grant and the type of work he puts into everything, I think he'll be ready to go," coach Brian Hill said. "Hopefully he'll be ready to go by the start of training camp. And I certainly look forward to having him with us next year. I think he could be a key, key component to us being an improved team next year."
The six-time all-star remained visible on the Magic's bench the past six weeks, even if it was only in street clothes, and was frequently cited by Smith for his leadership behind the scenes.
"For us, Grant, playing or not playing, has a role on this team," Smith said.
"A lot of guys who are stars, when they get hurt and they're out for the season, they disappear and they're not around," forward Pat Garrity said. "And he was always around. He was always at practice. He was always offering encouragement to guys."
Despite losses this week to Chicago and Indiana, the way in which the Magic finished their season was an encouraging sign. They came within a game of tying the longest winning streak in franchise history, and the trades they made with Detroit and New York in February helped rejuvenate a team that had been going nowhere fast.
"Finally we have character guys that care about winning, care about doing the little things," Smith said.
But further attention needs to be paid to some details before next season. The Magic had the sixth-highest total of turnovers of any team in the league, and Dwight Howard made only 59.5 percent of his free throws in an otherwise stellar second season for him.
"Nobody likes to go home early," guard Jameer Nelson said. "I know I don't. I would love to be in the playoffs right now playing any team anywhere."
The Magic continues as Orlando drops Philly to stay alive
Dwight Howard poured in a season-high 28 points and pulled down a career-high 26 rebounds, as the red-hot Orlando Magic held on to their slim playoff hopes while seriously hurting Philadelphia's chances with a 102-97 victory over the Sixers at TD Waterhouse Centre.
Jameer Nelson, who attended Philadelphia's St. Joseph's University, tallied 21 points and dished out eight assists while Hedo Turkoglu contributed 23 points in the Magic's eighth straight victory. Orlando also won its 12th in a row at home and now sits 2 1/2 games behind idle Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Magic host the Bulls next Monday night.
"We'd love to make the playoffs," said Orlando head coach Brian Hill."But I've said all along that the key thing is that we finish up this season on a positive note so that these guys, whenever the last game is, and they walk out of here that they feel good about themselves and they feel good about what we can accomplish next year because that's going to be the impetus for them to work hard during the offseason."
Allen Iverson scored a game-high 36 points in the losing effort while Chris Webber posted a double-double with 20 points and 11 boards. Steven Hunter recorded 12 points and six rebounds in Philadelphia's second straight loss. The late-season slide significantly hurts the Sixers' playoff hopes, as the club now finds itself 1 1/2 games behind the Bulls with Chicago holding all tiebreakers.
"We have to win thse last two," said Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala. "All year long it has been like a roller coaster ride. It has been one of those seasons."
Iverson's driving layup with 10:41 to play in the game gave the Sixers an 84-83 advantage, their first lead since the 11:02 mark of the first stanza.
Later in the period, Iguodala's tough fadeaway jumper from the left elbow and Samuel Dalembert's free throw gave Philadelphia a 95-92 lead with 3:58 left.
Howard then drained two free throws and the big man converted a short hook to give the Magic a one-point edge. Next, Nelson connected on a pull-up jumper from the right wing to expand the edge to 98-95 with 2:24 on the clock.
Iguodala responded with a tough scoop shot in the lane, but Nelson scored amongst the trees in the paint to again increase the lead to three.
Webber missed an easy bucket in the paint with about 40 ticks remaining, and the Sixers couldn't corral the rebound off of Tony Battie's missed jumper. Turkoglu drained a pair from the charity stripe to make the score 102-97, and Iverson missed a three on the other end to end any hope of a comeback.
The Magic jumped to an early double-digit lead due in large part to a heavy helping of Howard. The forward scored 10 straight Magic points, with his slam giving Orlando a 20-14 lead with 5:05 left to play.
Iverson answered by scoring seven straight points for the Sixers, but the Magic expanded their lead to 37-27 at the end of the first period. Nelson and Darko Milicic combined for Orlando's final 10 points, with the former first- round selection of the Pistons draining a jumper to close out the scoring with two ticks remaining.
The Sixers battled back in the second stanza behind Iverson and an active supporting cast. Philadelphia outscored Orlando 29-21 in the period, as Kyle Korver just beat the buzzer with a jumper that cut the deficit to 58-56.
Orlando held an 83-80 edge after three stanzas.
Game Notes
Orlando won three of four games in the season series between the clubs...Philadelphia fell to 15-25 on the road...Orlando improved to 26-14 at home...The Magic held a 46-33 edge on the glass...Korver had 10 points in the loss...Milicic had eight points off the bench in the victory.
Magic's Playoff Picture in Focus
At what point does this stirring run that the Orlando Magic are in the midst of become classified as simply a stretch-run streak, or is it the start of something much grander?
Considering the way the Magic cast aside the fatigue of playing on consecutive nights and calmly swatted away the Atlanta Hawks on Monday the way a parent might a pestering child, Orlando has clearly reached a level of confidence now thought to be out of reach.
The Magic kept their improbable and impressive rally back into playoff contention alive Monday, crafting a 16-2 closing kick in the fourth quarter to dispatch the lowly Hawks 105-88 before 15,841 fans at TD Waterhouse Centre.
With the outcome all but decided late in the fourth quarter, a segment of fans began a chant that soon spread around the arena like wildfire. "We Want Playoffs! We Want Playoffs!" the group demanded of a team that once considered that notion a pipe dream.
But mentioning the Magic (33-44) and playoffs in the same sentence is no longer a stretch. With their fifth consecutive victory, their ninth win in 10 tries and 13th in the last 17, the Magic kept the Heat on Philadelphia and Chicago. The Magic pulled within 21/2 games of the ninth-seeded Bulls and remained three games back of the Sixers, who defeated Washington Monday.
"I'm not going to lie to you, we're thinking about possibly getting to the playoffs," admitted Magic shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson, who had 14 points, six rebounds and limited Atlanta star Joe Johnson to 12 points with his smothering defense. "Right now, we're not trying to put too much pressure on ourselves by thinking about the playoffs. We just have to keep winning."
The Magic have certainly done plenty of winning at home of late. Orlando won at home for a 10th consecutive time, its longest home streak since 2000. Remarkably, the Magic haven't lost at TD Waterhouse Centre since Feb. 26 to Houston. To put things in perspective, Orlando was 20-35 at the time of their last home loss.
Orlando also kept alive another jaw-dropping streak. It shot 53 percent from the floor _ the fifth game in a row it has bettered 50 percent from the floor and 17th time in the past 26 games. The Magic are third in the league in shooting and first in the NBA since the all-star break.
So is this merely a hot streak or are the Magic simply this good?
"I'd like to think that we're building an identity now," Magic coach Brian Hill said.
The Magic are off today -- no practice is another of Hill's perks for winning -- before embarking on their final back-to-back set of games of the season. Orlando gets lowly Toronto at home on Wednesday before traveling to powerful San Antonio on Thursday.
Orlando still has games remaining against Philadelphia, Chicago and Indiana -- the bottom three seeds in the East -- but with just five games remaining, every game is almost a must win.
"It would have meant nothing to beat Dallas, Detroit and Miami if we would have gone out here and lost to Atlanta," said Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who had 17 points and six assists. "You've got to beat the teams that you're supposed to beat."
The night was also significant for the strides that Dwight Howard showed. He finished the game with 20 points, 16 rebounds and six assists. The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Atlanta native finished the season averaging 18 points and 15 rebounds against his hometown team.
Howard ended the third quarter with a thunderous follow-up dunk of a Keyon Dooling miss, sending the Magic into the fourth quarter with a 78-65 lead. But it was Howard's passing -- rather than his dunking -- that allowed the Magic to pick apart the Hawks defense.
After battering the Hawks in the previous three games, Atlanta coach Mike Woodson made the decision to double team Howard every time he got the ball in the post. And the second-year forward, who has had trouble with turnovers all season, made the Hawks pay with a career-high six assists through three quarters.
A first half that started off poorly ended well for the Magic. Orlando fell behind by as many as nine early on before snapping to and leading 52-47 at the break.
"We're not playing desperate," Howard said. "Like I've been preaching all season, hard work will eventually turn out and show up for our team."
Magic honor sharpshooter Dennis Scott
Gregarious as ever, Dennis Scott was joking. Or at least it seemed that way.
"If they would have done this thing at halftime, I would have taken out a ball and made 10 or 11 shots in a row for the crowd," Scott said before breaking into the hearty laugh that Orlando Magic fans grew accustomed to during his seven seasons with the Magic.
Scott was honored Sunday night as part of the Magic's "Commitment to the Past" program. Scott, who played in Orlando from 1990 to 1997, was presented with a plaque and had a banner of his likeness hung from the concourse of the TD Waterhouse Centre.
Scott, 37, still holds the franchise records for three-pointers made in a career (981), season (267), game (11). He is fourth in Magic history for games played (446) and fifth in points scored (6,603).
"It's awesome, and the thing that comes to mind is that they appreciate the service that I gave them for seven years here," said Scott, the Atlanta Hawks' radio analyst, who was honored between the first and second quarters Sunday.
"There was a lot of big games we played in. There was the record (for three-pointers in a game) against the team I'm now working for. I remember going from 18 to 41 wins the first year that Shaq (O'Neal) got here. I could reach into the past and find so many soft spots."
Former standout forward Nick Anderson was honored earlier this month. Former point guard Scott Skiles, now head coach of the Chicago Bulls, will be honored April 17.
Short stuff
Magic center Tony Battie, who signed a four-year contract extension earlier in the week worth approximately $25 million, sprained his right ankle 26 seconds into Sunday's game. He left the game briefly and went back to the locker room to have the ankle retaped, but returned by the start of the second quarter.
The Magic entered Sunday's game having shot 50% or better in 11 of their past 18 games. Orlando has risen to fourth in the NBA in field-goal percentage (46.8 percent).. .. Their 16-game road losing streak a thing of the past after Friday's win in Philadelphia, the Magic play their next two games on the road in Chicago (Tuesday) and Minnesota (Wednesday).
2006 NBA Pre-Draft Camp to be Held in Orlando
The 2006 NBA Pre-Draft Camp will be held for the first time in suburban Orlando, Fla. at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex from June 6-10. The NBA Pre-Draft Camp invites top NBA Draft prospects annually to work out and be evaluated by league coaches, general managers, scouts and front office executives.
Pre-Draft Camp drills, games, and strength and conditioning will be conducted at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, one of the premier sports destinations for athletes and spectators that plays host to 170 sporting events each year, including the Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp and Atlanta Braves spring training. The 220-acre complex includes a field house with room for six full-size basketball courts, a 3,000 square-foot, state-of-the-art weight training facility, locker rooms, athletic training facilities, classrooms, office space and a media workroom.
Florida Hospital Celebration Health, a cutting-edge health and wellness center and full-service hospital employing the latest technological advancements in the healthcare industry, will provide the medical capabilities for the camp including performing the physicals for each draft prospect. Disney’s Boardwalk Hotel will serve as the hotel for all pre-Draft camp attendees
"We are excited about hosting the 2006 NBA Pre-Draft Camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex which already has a rich NBA history that includes the Orlando Magic's training camp (1997 & 2003) and the inaugural WNBA Pre-Draft Camp (1997),'' said Reggie Williams, Vice President of Disney Sports Attractions. "This new association with the NBA further underscores the reputation and appeal of Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex among leading sports leagues as the premier sports venue in the United States.''
ESPNU, ESPN’s 24-hour college sports network, will provide the most live coverage ever of an NBA Pre-Draft Camp televising six hours over two days, June 7 and 8, 4-7 p.m. ET each day. ESPNU’s coverage will include game action and interviews with players, scouts and NBA general managers. NBA TV, the league’s 24-hour television network, will also provide in-depth coverage of the pre-Draft camp.
“Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex offers first-rate facilities and state-of-the-art amenities that will serve to enhance our pre-Draft camp,” said Stu Jackson, NBA Senior Vice President, Basketball Operations. “With Disney’s sports complex hosting the camp and ESPNU providing live coverage, it further demonstrates the strong partnership between the NBA and The Walt Disney Company.”
In past years, NBA Pre-Draft Camp had been held at the Moody Bible Institute's Solheim Center in downtown Chicago. The NBA Draft takes place at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Wednesday, June 28 and is televised on ESPN beginning at 7 p.m. ET.
Dwight Howard Named to Team USA
Orlando Magic Forward Dwight Howard was among the 23 players named to the historic 2006-28 USA Men's Senior National Team, USA Basketball announced today. The selections were announced by USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program Managing Director Jerry Colangelo.
“This is the first standing USA Men’s Senior National Team and the 23 players selected will give us everything we need to form a great USA team,” said Colangelo, who was appointed Managing Director of the USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team program on April 27, 2005. “We feel we have versatility, shooters, size, quickness, role players, and defensive stoppers. In making the player selections we took into consideration the style of play anticipated to be used by the coaching staff.
“The first major competition we are selecting a team for is the 2006 FIBA World Championship. This is an important competition and we are taking this competition as seriously as we take the Olympics.”
Named to the 2006-08 USA Senior National Team were: Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets); Gilbert Arenas (Washington Wizards); Shane Battier (Memphis Grizzlies); Chauncey Billups (Detroit Pistons); Chris Bosh (Toronto Raptors); Bruce Bowen (San Antonio Spurs); Elton Brand (Los Angeles Clippers); Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers); Dwight Howard (Orlando Magic); LeBron James (Cleveland Cavaliers); Antawn Jamison (Washington Wizards); Joe Johnson (Atlanta Hawks); Shawn Marion (Phoenix Suns); Brad Miller (Sacramento Kings); Adam Morrison (Gonzaga University); Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers); Chris Paul (New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets); Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics); J.J. Redick (Duke University); Michael Redd (Milwaukee Bucks); Luke Ridnour (Seattle SuperSonics); Amaré Stoudemire (Phoenix Suns); and Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat).
“I was very pleased with the entire selection process. The manner in which it was conducted included all parts of United States’ basketball, from the professional level to the colleges and high schools. Everyone was considered. It is obvious that we’re not trying to put a collection of all-stars together. The goal is to put together as good of a basketball team as we possibly can. I believe we’ve done that with this group of players,” said USA and Duke University head coach Mike Krzyzewski.
USA Basketball experience is plentiful among the 23 players with 18 having suited up for USA Basketball previously. Six players, Anthony, James, Marion, Odom, Stoudemire and Wade, were members of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Team that captured a bronze medal in Athens, Greece.
Players owning USA Basketball playing experience include: Anthony (2004 Olympics, 2002 Junior World Championship Qualifier, 2001 Youth Development Festival); Battier (2001 Goodwill Games, 1997 Nike Hoop Summit); Billups (1995 U.S. Olympic Festival); Bosh (2002 Junior World Championship Qualifier); Brand (2003 Olympic Qualifier, 2002 World Championship, 1999 Olympic Qualifier; 1998 Goodwill Games, 1997 Nike Hoop Summit); James (2004 Olympics, 2001 Youth Development Festival); Jamison (1995 Nike Hoop Summit); Johnson (2000 U21 World Championship Qualifier, 1998 Nike Hoop Summit); Marion (2004 Olympics, 2002 World Championship, 2001 Goodwill Games); Miller (1998 World Championship, 1997 U21 World Championship, 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival); Morrison (2004 U21 World Championship Qualifier); Paul (2004 U21 World Championship Qualifier, 2002 Youth Development Festival); Odom (2004 Olympics); Pierce (2002 World Championship,1996 U21 World Championship Qualifier, 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival); Redd (1999 World University Games); Redick (2005 U21 World Championship, 2003 U19 World Championship, 2001 Youth Development Festival, 2000 Youth Development Festival); Stoudemire (2004 Olympics); and Wade (2004 Olympics).
USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team Notes:
• Of the 23 players named to the USA roster, 21 play in the NBA, and two, Morrison and Redick, are collegians.
• The 21 NBA players represent 18 NBA teams, with the Los Angeles Lakers (Bryant and Odom), Phoenix (Marion and Stoudemire), and Washington (Arenas and Jamison) the only clubs boasting of two players.
• Nine (Arenas, Billups, Bosh, Brand, Bryant, James, Marion, Pierce, Wade) of the selected hoopsters were named to 2006 NBA All-Star teams.
• A member of each NBA championship team since 2000 are part of the USA selectees. Billups (2004), Bryant (2000, 2001,and 2002) and Bowen (2003 and 2005), were each members of NBA championship teams.
• By the conclusion of the 2006 World Championships (Sept. 3), 19 of the 23 players will be 28-years-old or younger. Three will be 20 or 21 years old, five will be 22 or 23, four will be 24 or 25, four will be 26 or 27, four will be 28 or 29, and three will be 30 or older.
• When training camp opens, Bowen will be the oldest team member at 35 years old, while 20-year-old Dwight Howard will be the youngest player.
The 23 selectees are expect to report when the USA opens training in mid-July. The exact training dates and sites will be announced at a later date.
The USA Basketball Men’s Senior National Team will compete in the 2006 FIBA World Championship (Aug. 19-Sept. 3 in Saitama, Japan); if necessary the 2007 FIBA Americas Olympic Qualifying Tournament (dates and site TBD); and if the USA qualifies, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games (Aug. 8-24 in Beijing, China).
The USA Senior National Team coaching staff for 2006-2008 is set. Krzyzewski was named on Oct. 26, 2005, head coach of the USA Senior Team program for 2006-2008. Named assistant coaches were Syracuse University (N.Y.) and Hall of Fame mentor Jim Boeheim, Phoenix Suns head mentor Mike D'Antoni, and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Nate McMillan. Additionally, Rudy Tomjanovich, head coach of the gold medalist 2000 U.S. Olympic basketball team and head coach of the Houston Rockets NBA Championship teams in 1994 and 1995, was named Director of Scouting for the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team program for 2006-08.
Since first fielding a USA Basketball team of legendary NBA stars in 1992, USA Basketball senior national teams comprised of NBA players have claimed gold medals in eight of 10 major international basketball competitions, while compiling an impressive 74-6 overall record (.925 winning percentage) in those international competitions and a record of 23-1 (.958 winning percentage) in exhibition games.
2006 FIBA World Championship
Held every four years and considered international basketball’s diamond event, the U.S. has had mixed results in World Championship play.
Placing sixth and finishing with a 6-3 record in 2002, the 1998 USA World Championship Team originally was to be a team comprising NBA players. But when labor problems in the NBA prevented the use of their players, the USA team ended up comprising American players who were playing professionally overseas, in the CBA or in college. Despite formulating the team just weeks in advance of the Worlds, the U.S. rolled to a surprising 7-2 finish and the bronze medal.
The U.S. last claimed gold at the 1994 World Championship in Toronto, Canada. Behind the play of World Championship MVP Shaquille O’Neal, and Reggie Miller, Dominique Wilkins, Joe Dumars and others, the U.S. finished 8-0 to take the gold medal and did so in dominating fashion, winning its eight games by an average of 37.7 points a game. All told, the USA has won nine medals in World Championship play - three gold (1954, 1986 and 1994), three silver (1950, 1959 and 1982) and three bronze medals (1974, 1990 and 1998). Overall, USA teams have compiled a 97-26 win-loss record in the World Championships for a 78.9 winning percentage.
USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colo., USA Basketball is a non-profit organization and the national governing body for men's and women's basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the United States by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA teams that compete in FIBA sponsored international basketball competitions, as well as for some national competitions.
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