vs.
46-26		47-23
Amway Arena
7:00 PM
FSN Florida
Probable starters:
Jameer Nelson	PG	Tony Parker
Maurice Evans	SG	Michael Finley
Hedo Turkoglu	SF	Bruce Bowen
Rashard Lewis	PF	Fabricio Oberto
Dwight Howard	C	Tim Duncan
21 Nov 2007: Spurs 128, Magic 110

The last time we played the Spurs, they pretty much killed us. How great were they? Well, we shot 56% from the field, hit 10 threes, and turned the ball over only 11 times... and we still lost by 18. The Spurs had just 3 turnovers, the Tim Duncan/Manu Ginobili/Tony Parker trio combined for 79 points on 30-of-56 shooting, and the team kept us off the offensive glass.

The biggest key for a victory tonight is containing Ginobili and Parker, which is easier said than done. Unless our point guards ate a metric ton of Wheaties this morning, they're not going to stop those two from getting into the lane, meaning Dwight Howard will need to protect the rim. He's about due, as he hasn't reached the three-block mark in a single game since March 15th vs. Indiana.

Interesting sideplot to watch: how Spurs backup center Kurt Thomas fares in black-and-silver. I was pissed when the Magic weren't able to acquire him from the SuperSonics at the trade deadline, but Seattle GM Sam Presti, who cut his teeth in the Spurs' organization, seemed determined to send Thomas to his pals in San Antonio. Recall the Spurs shipped Brent Barry and Francisco Elson to Seattle for Thomas. The SuperSonics cut Barry, who then waited the mandatory thirty-day period to re-sign with the Spurs. You'll have a hard time convincing me -- or any reasonable NBA observer -- that the Barry waiving wasn't pre-meditated. Whatever. Barry's return will not drastically alter the crazy Western Conference landscape. He's not that good anymore, but that didn't stop him from going nuts on us last time out. Ugh.

Tipoff's at 7 on FSN Florida, which sucks, because I know a lot of us are eager to see how we play against the defending World Champions. But it's not all bad: tonight's game is the last one televised on FSN for the rest of the season, meaning most Orlando residents won't have any trouble seeing the remaining 10 games of 07/08.

Check out Pounding the Rock for more on the Spurs.

Go Magic.

The Magic's game against the Clippers tips off in 20 minutes or so, so I'm right up against the deadline here. Let's get to it:

• The Magic's new party line? They need to get tougher.
  • John Denton
  • Tim Povtak

  The Magic have needed an enforcer-type guy for years. We don't need a thug like Bruce Bowen, but we do need someone who isn't afraid to dish out a little extra punishment when opponents try to attack the basket. Unfortunately, we've been reluctant in the past to acquire guys with less-than-stellar reputations. Hopefully, Otis Smith is not being disingenuous when he says, "[W]e've got to have a nasty about us."

• Occurred as I was typing this post: J.J. Redick is back with the Magic, says John Denton. Redick left the team to be with his brother David, who underwent surgery on his spine on Monday.
• Hal Boedeker, the Orlando Sentinel's TV critic, tells us that Hedo Turkoglu will be featured on NBA Access this Saturday at 1 PM (ABC). It's great to see that Hedo is getting the national media attention he deserves.
• This story is a few days old, but Mike Bianchi had a chat with John Weisbrod, the former Magic GM not-so-affectionately referred to as "The Hockey Guy." It's a fascinating read, so check it out before the Sentinel archives it. Remember that Weisbrod drafted Dwight Howard, traded for Tony Battie, signed Hedo Turkoglu, and traded for the rights to Jameer Nelson during his tenure. Indeed, Weisbrod, not Otis Smith, is directly responsible for acquiring four of the Magic's five starters from last season. Of course, he also re-hired Brian Hill, traded Tracy McGrady for Steve Francis, and traded Cuttino Mobley for Doug Christie. But let's not forget the good things Weisbrod did for us.
• Also a few days old: the Houston Rockets waived swingman Gerald Green on Saturday. Some Magic fans covet Green and think the Magic should make room for him on their roster; check out the discussion at Denton's board. It's not happening, guys. First, since the Rockets waived him after the March 1st deadline, he'd be ineligible for our playoff roster. Cutting one of our guys, even Pat Garrity, leaves us with only fourteen eligible players on a twelve-man active roster. It doesn't make sense to cut a guy who can play for another guy who can't. If the Magic are indeed desperate for a freakishly athletic player -- and they'd have to be desperate to sign Green, considering that three teams have given up on him already -- they can invite him to training camp this summer.
• Many thanks to adamosthegreek at MagicMadness for posting this link to the NBA Dance Team Bracket. I guess the League needs something to put up against March Madness. The Magic's dancers are matched-up against the Cavaliers' right now. Head on over there to vote the Magic Dancers to victory.
• Wow. That was corny. I'll quit while I'm only a bit behind.

	vs.
4-1		4-1
Amway Arena
7:00 PM
Probable starters:
Tony Parker	PG	Jameer Nelson
Michael Finley	SG	Keith Bogans
Bruce Bowen	SF	Hedo Turkoglu
Fabricio Oberto	PF	Pat Garrity
Tim Duncan	C	Dwight Howard

25 words or fewer: The Magic make their final tune-up before the regular season starts by facing the Spurs, the defending champions.

Know your enemy: The Spurs are holding their preseason opponents to 91.4 points per game, seventh-best in the league.

Useless information: By defeating Miami on Wednesday night, the Spurs guaranteed the Heat their first winless preseason in the team's 20-year history.

Bullet points:

• Tonight is the final preseason game for the Magic, which means the starters are not likely to see much playing time. As a result, we'll be treated to matchups like Marcin Gortat vs. Ian Mahinmi, James Augustine vs. Matt Bonner, and Kevin Kruger vs. (gulp) Manu Ginobili. Fun times.
• Favorite Spurs-related quote: I can't imagine how anyone could root for the Spurs. It would be like cheering for cancer.
• Rashard Lewis and J.J. Redick will sit out tonight for Orlando...
• ... but Keyon Dooling and Trevor Ariza will play. Dooling has not played yet this preseason, so it will be interesting to see how he fits into Stan Van Gundy's rotation. Can he win the backup point guard job from Carlos Arroyo? I think he will, mostly because he plays better defense.
• The game will not be televised, but you can listen to it for free online on NBA Audio League Pass. That's a site you'll want to bookmark, especially if you don't get Fox Sports Net, which is televising 35 Magic games this year despite the fact that most Orlando residents can't get it.
• Both teams take -- and make, for that matter -- a ton of three-pointers. If the Magic are able to win more, they should win the game... unless Manu Ginobili gets to the foul line 15 times, in which case it won't matter.
• I'm not advocating thuggery, but if Bruce Bowen took an elbow to the face, I wouldn't be sad.

I'm going to be away from the computer for most of the day, so I encourage you to check out John Denton at Florida Today and Brian Schmitz at the Orlando Sentinel for your Magic news. Discussions abound at Magic Madness. And if you're looking to kill a few hours, try this criminally addictive online tennis game. I promise you that you will not get any work done at all.

Wednesday concluded another day of practice for the Magic at the RDV Sportsplex. The team's website has updated with its daily post-practice summary, and there's some interesting news buried at the very bottom:

Bogans Balling
According to Van Gundy, Keith Bogans has been absolutely lights out. Bogans has been the best shooter from the perimeter at camp thus far shooting a ridiculous 57 percent from beyond the arch [sic]. The double teams drawn by Dwight and Rashard has provided many open looks for Bogans mainly from the corners. Similar to that of Bruce Bowen with the San Antonio Spurs. Much like Bowen, Bogans is a solid perimeter defender which benefits him as he fights for the starting shooting guard position.

Well, if the plan is to surround Dwight Howard with shooters, you can do worse than giving him Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, Hedo Turkoglu, and Keith Bogans to work with. If that ends up being the starting lineup -- and there's been no indication either way at this point -- I'm concerned for our second unit, which would be deficient in offensive firepower. The more I think about it, the more I realize that perhaps Hedo Turkoglu should reprise his sixth-man role, which would enable us to start a defensive presence at one of the forward spots -- perhaps Adonal Foyle or even Trevor Ariza. It's all well and good to start the game with your best shooters on the floor, but that lineup can't be out there for 48 minutes. Someone has to take a seat, and the team will be better for it.

And I know I've pointed it out before, but it bears repeating: Keith Bogans is a super-streaky shooter. In reference to last season:

He got off to a hot start, making 47.7% of his three-pointers from November to January. He then forgot how to shoot, as he made only 30.6% of his shots from downtown the rest of the season.

Still, it's encouraging to hear that he seems to have found his stroke again, even if it hasn't come in games that actually matter in the standings.