“We took a big step (last year),” says Orlando’s center of attention Dwight Howard, a 2007-08 All-NBA First Team selection along with Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James and Chris Paul. “But, we can’t get comfortable. We just have to stay focused and stay humble, but at the same time come back better. We need to stay hungry.”
Magic buzz words will continue to be energy, effort, toughness and resiliency. Head Coach Stan Van Gundy will look to build on the Magic’s defensive tenacity, while playing a system offensively that maximizes the talents of the players.
Offensively, Orlando’s inside-outside attack from a year ago saw the Magic rank sixth in the league in scoring (104.5 points per game).
Inside, Howard averaged 20.7 ppg., a league-best 14.2 rebounds per game to become the youngest player in NBA history (22 years, 130 days) to win the rebounding title, while shooting .599 percent from the floor. In Orlando’s first-round playoff series victory over Toronto, the NBA All-Star starter and Slam Dunk champion, tallied three 20-point/20-rebounds games, becoming the first player since Wilt Chamberlain in the 1972 Finals to accomplish the feat in a playoff series.
Outside, the NBA Most Improved Player Award winner Hedo Turkoglu (19.5 ppg.) and one-time All-Star Rashard Lewis (18.2 ppg.) led the way for the Magic from three-point land. Orlando connected on a franchise record 801 three-pointers during the season and hit at least five three-pointers in all 82 games, the longest streak in the history of the NBA.
Jameer Nelson, Orlando’s co-captain with Howard, added to the punch, averaging 10.9 ppg. and a team-best 5.6 apg. He upped his scoring average in the playoffs to 16.2 ppg., while tallying 4.7 apg. and 4.1 rpg.
The Magic core of Howard, Lewis, Nelson and Turkoglu will be joined by returners Keith Bogans, Adonal Foyle, Marcin Gortat and J.J. Redick. Also returning to the fold is power forward Tony Battie, who was sidelined last year with a torn rotator cuff. Newcomers include veteran point guard Anthony Johnson, first round draft pick Courtney Lee and free agent signee Mickael Pietrus.
Head Coach Stan Van Gundy, who improved the Magic by 12 wins to 52 last year, while also guiding the team to a franchise-record 27 road wins, will continue to lead with his basic philosophy.
“Number one, you’ve got to be strong defensively,” says Van Gundy, whose squad went 32-1 when holding opponents to 95 points or fewer last season. “(Offensively) we should always be on the attack and should be getting to our options quicker. It should be a style of play that is fun for the players and exciting for the fans to watch. But the most exciting thing to watch is when you are winning and I don’t think we want to forget that.
“I think a real significant thing is that guys really feel a lot of pain and are disappointed in losing (to Detroit in the Eastern Conference Semifinals),” added Van Gundy at the completion of last season. “That right there is a significant stride in that you are thinking like a winning basketball team that has winning goals that you not only hope to accomplish, but expect to accomplish.”
Adds General Manager Otis Smith on what are sure to be higher expectations for the coming season, “The goal is to win an NBA Championship. I like to talk about winning and I think you have to keep the goal high. I like to have it fresh in guys’ minds. I like for them to talk about it, and talk about winning and winning a title. There is nothing wrong with raising the bar. Organizations and companies that have success raise the bar. If you expect a ‘C’ that’s generally what you are going to get. You will get C-work. But if you expect an ‘A’, then we are going to die trying to get there.”
source: NBA dot com
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