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Magic trade for Arenas, Turkoglu and J-Rich

Via Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarwoski:

The Orlando Magic are set to complete a pair of blockbuster trades that will send them Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and Jason Richardson(notes) from the Phoenix Suns, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

As a prelude to the trade for Arenas, the Magic have agreed in principle to send guards Vince Carter(notes) and Michael Pietrus, backup center Marcin Gortat(notes), a first-round pick and $3 million to the Phoenix Suns for Turkoglu and Richardson, sources said.

The Magic also are nearing completion on a deal to send forward Rashard Lewis(notes) to the Wizards for Arenas, sources said. No other players or picks will be in that trade.

Not sure what to make of this trade, aside from the fact the Magic still won't beat the Celtics in a 7 game series.

Hedo was an integral part of the Magic in 2009. But will he fit right back in?

I'm glad the Magic dumped Gortat. He had a few decent games vs the Celtics in the playoffs.

As for Rashard Lewis, I agree with WEEI's Paul Flannery:

I think the Celtics will be glad to see Lewis out of Orlando. KG has always said he's one of his toughest covers

What do you think?

I dub thee, Sir Turkododo

“They gotta know that he’s a damn flopper,” [Rasheed] Wallace said. “That’s all Turkododo do. Flopping shouldn’t get you no where. He acts like I shot him.”

WEEI - Sheed: NBA going soft

Jeff at Celtics Blog has started the movement, and I'm seconding:  Hedo shall heretofore be known as "Turkododo". 

That is all.

Photo by Ron Turenne/NBAE via Getty Images

Turkoglu bags Portland

Remember when we said Hedo Turkoglu signed with Portland?  Yeah... not so much.

Free agent Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and plans to sign with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

I still think Anthony Parker can help the Celtics... so this is good news.  And I don't think Hedo is good enough to put Toronto into any sort of realistic championship contention... so this would be doubly good news.  Hedo's good... but not THAT good. 

Hedo to Portland, Zen Master to Return

Making news around the league...

The Lakers get Phil Jackson for another season. The greatest luckiest coach of all time has decided to suck up the chronic leg and hip pain and pursue back-to-back titles. All that pain will pale in comparison to the ulcers likely to be created by coaching Ron Artest. 

Hedo Turkoglu has signed a $60 million contract with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to ESPN.

I don't care what most of the national media says, this is a huge loss for the Magic. Hedo ran the offense for the Magic. He lead the way in crunch time of every playoff game, something Vince Carter will not be able to replicate. I guarantee Orlando will not make it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Hoopsworld is reporting Jason Kidd will return to Dallas and sign a 3 year, $24 million contract. This is a horrible contract for the Mavericks. Kidd's skills are eroding faster than Obama's favorability rating.

Nothing screams patriotism more than a smokin' hot Israeli supermodel. Enjoy the holiday weekend and this video of Bar Rafaeli:

Round 2... Fight!

0 @ 0
Monday, May 4, 2009
8:00 pm ET
TD BankNorth Garden (Boston, MA)

Just two days after perhaps the most exciting first round series of all-time, the men in green are back at it again. Boston will host the Orlando Magic tonight at the Garden for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Still without Garnett, still without Powe, but still fighting and still confident.

You thought the Bulls were tough? Orlando is better, and numbers prove it. Stan Van Gundy's group finished third in the East this season with an impressive 59-23 record, which was good for the fourth-best in the league. In addition to that, only the Lakers posted a better record away from home (29-12), as Orlando's 27-14 road record tied for second-best with Cleveland and our beloved Celtics.

Orlando plays a different style than what we saw against Chicago. The Bulls were young, aggressive, athletic, and tough off the dribble. Orlando doesn't have as many options off the dribble, but they are one of the most dangerous perimeter shooting teams we have in the game. Guys like Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu are deadly when they are hot, and role players such as Rafer Alston and J.J. Redick can't be left alone from beyond the arc, either. Alston has also done a much better job of utilizing those perimeter options by opening things up with his penetration.

The guy you've really got to worry about is the big fella in the middle, Dwight Howard. "Superman" changes the game in a lot of ways. Not only is he the league-leading rebounder and shot blocker, as well as the Defensive Player of the Year, but he is unquestionably the game's most impressive physical freak of a specimen up front. He's wide, he's strong, he can jump out of the gym, and he is extremely powerful. The Celtics need to make sure that their interior group avoids foul trouble as much as possible (especially Kendrick Perkins) and makes Dwight Howard more of a creator than a garbage man. When Howard isn't being bodied up, he gets free and collects offensive rebounds, dunks the ball more than anybody in the league, and virtually covers up his limited low-post arsenal. As long as the officials allow the big boys to bang, Perk just might surprise the general public with his work on Howard.

Boston took care of business against Orlando with Kevin Garnett in the lineup, but dropped the last two meetings without him. They've got a lot of questions to answer: Do the Celtics have enough gas left in the tank? Who will defend Rashard Lewis? Can the Cs be physical with Howard and avoid foul trouble at the same time? Will Rajon Rondo be intimidated by Howard's interior presence? Will the real Paul Pierce stand up?

However, so does Orlando. Will Hedo Turkoglu's sprained left ankle continue hold him back? Can Dwight Howard dominate the glass to the point where Orlando can control the tempo of the series? Can Orlando defend Paul Pierce and/or Ray Allen? Can they steal homecourt from Boston? And most of all, will Orlando live or die by the three?

It's difficult to expect a series quite as epic as the last one, but it should be interesting nonetheless.



Regular Season Record: 59-23
Eastern Conference Seed: 3
Conference Quarterfinals Result: ORL 4, PHI 2

Projected Starters
PG SG SF PF C

Postseason Leaders
PPG: Dwight Howard (24.0)
RPG: Dwight Howard (15.8)
APG: Rafer Alston (4.8)
SPG: Courtney Lee (1.6)
BPG: Dwight Howard (2.8)



Regular Season Record: 62-20
Eastern Conference Seed: 2
Conference Quarterfinals Result: BOS 4, CHI 3

Projected Starters
PG SG SF PF C

Postseason Leaders
PPG: Ray Allen (23.4)
RPG: Kendrick Perkins (11.6)
APG: Rajon Rondo (11.6)
SPG: Rajon Rondo (2.7)
BPG: Kendrick Perkins (3.0)


Injury Report
Jameer Nelson (torn right labrum - out)
Courtney Lee (recovering from sinus surgery - out)
Kevin Garnett (right knee - out)
Leon Powe (torn ACL - out)


Keys to Victory

• Close Off Penetration
• Get Back On Defense After Missed Shots
• Control the Defensive Glass
• Take Care of the Ball
• Ball Movement
• Avoid Foul Trouble

NBA All Ugly Team

It's awards season in the NBA... and I'm putting a team together of a bunch a guys who ain't got no alibi...

They ugly.

But this isn't just a bunch of pictures of ugly NBA players.  There are some uglier guys out there... but these guy have pretty games.  This is a good team.  A playoff team (at least in the East).  But let's just say it's a good thing they've got NBA contracts... because they wont' be getting any modeling contracts any time soon.

How do I determine if a guy is ugly?  I use the wife-o-meter.  Whenever she watches a game, sees a close up of an opposing player, and says "ugh"... then he was nominated.

PG:  Delonte West

(photo via slam online)

I love Delonte.  He's one funny, unique dude (no seriously... he's insanely funny) and he's one of my favorite players. But man is he not easy on the eyes. 

On the court, he's got a sweet stroke, a fearless attitude, and confidence to take it at anyone.  I'll overlook the injuries, which constantly rob him of games season after season.  I'm focusing on his talent, which makes him a sold starter at either guard spot.

SG:  Hedo  Turkoglu

We've seen Hedo bang big shots.  And while his numbers dropped a little this season, there's no doubt that he has the ability to be deadly in stretches on the court.

He's also got the ability to be deadly in the mirror.  To quote my wife, "it looks like his face is melting." 

SF:  Tayshaun Prince

Pardon the double-ugliness in the photo. 

Tayshaun has had a nice career as a do-it-all kind of 3.  He can score in spurts.  He can defend.  He can hit a big shot.  He's been remarkably consistent over the past 5 years, which means you can count on about 14, 5 and 3 from him most nights.  His ridiculously long arms make him a tough perimeter defender.  It also is part of why he's so ugly.  His arms, legs... and face... are both much longer than the average human's.  He also weighs about 98 pounds, which just adds to the overall effect.

PF: Al Jefferson

The star of this team on the court.  Now... everyone knows I love me some Big Al.  A legit 20-10 guy... and more on some nights.  He should be a perennial All Star and a building block of just about any team.

However, it looks like he fell flat on his face a lot as a child... so welcome to the team, Al.

C: Pau Gasol

 

I will admit that Gasol is a pretty good offensive player.  But good GOD is he an offensive sight.  That's one of the ugliest photos I've ever seen.  Does he have a second elbow on his left arm?  what is that thing?

He's soft, but talented.  And he's as ugly as it gets.  In short, he's exactly what this team is all about.

6th man: Zaza Pachulia

One of my favorite quotes out of my wife came when they showed a close up of Zaza.  She groaned... and said "What's his name... Mongoloid Stephens?"

For that reason alone, I had to have him on this team.

The Real Reason We Lost To Orlando

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Early in last night's game, Rajon Rondo was doing his usual thing:  slicing through the defense, reaching way out with his right hand to lay the ball in, and hitting the floor.  Somehow, Dwight Howard stepped on his left ankle, keeping Rondo in a crumpled heap for a few minutes before he gingerly got up.  To his credit, he stayed in the game.  To the Celtics detriment, he wasn't the same.

And THAT is the real reason the Celtics lost last night's game.

The Celtics came out slow, and Rondo was gearing up to be the guy that snapped the C's out of it.  When he went down, he turned into a half-court point guard.  He couldn't force the C's to run a step harder than they wanted.  He couldn't just say "to hell with it, I'll be a one man fast break."  The C's were forced to run through their offense almost every trip down, which allowed the Magic go stay with their guys, which forced the Celtics to take a ton of contested shots.

Rajon Rondo is that important.  It didn't help that KG took a slight step back last night.

“Tonight I didn’t look as good as the previous games,” he said. “You go into it knowing you’ve got to do certain things to impact the game. With those things said, from the standpoint of being a presence I still thought I did a good job of being active. But playing against Rashard Lewis, one of the premier players in this league, it’s just what it is. No disrespect to anyone I played previous, but this is the high caliber of players.”

The good news is that Doc is going to start increasing KG's minutes next week.

And late in last night's game, I sent this message out on our Twitter page.

Win or Lose, Orlando is showing why they're really not built for the playoffs right now.

Paul Flanner summed up exactly why over on WEEI.

after blowing a dozen-point lead while Garnett sat on the bench, the Magic treated their home crowd to the following plays down the stretch:

Two clanked 3-pointers by Rafer Alston.

Another 3-pointer by rookie Courtney Lee.

A rushed, two-feet behind the arc, 3-pointer by Hedo Turkoglu.

After Turkoglu took that shot I sent this tweet:

Turkoglu took the worst shot possible in that situation. What a dumb, dumb, dumb play. Again: Orlando isn't built to win.

Herald:  Celtics leave a Magical impression |  History for LeBron, Cavs |  Globe:  Rally falls short |  SI:  Home is where the playoff wins are |  Yahoo:  Playoff matchup against Dwight Howard won't be fun |  Camerato:  House and son on Cartoon Netwoork