Game 19: Hornets vs. Magic

by Rohan on Jan 27, 2012 6:19 PM CST in Game Threads

2011-12 NBA Regular Season

3-15	vs	12-6
January 27th, 2012
New Orleans Arena
7:00 PM CST
TV: CST, NBALP
Probable starters:
Jarrett Jack	>	Jameer Nelson
Marco Belinelli	=	Jason Richardson
Trevor Ariza	<	Hedo Turkoglu
Jason Smith	<	Ryan Anderson
Emeka Okafor	>	Dwight Howard

Your Pregame Moment of Zen

On Orlando

With All-Star Weekend in Orlando fast approaching, Dwight Howard is still a Magician, which can certainly be viewed as a surprise. Even more puzzling is the fact that very little in the way of trade rumors or concocted packages has been floated. In December, it appeared that a deal built around either the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or the Nets' currently injured Brook Lopez would be the best offer Orlando could expect to receive, but whether those trade offers are still on the table is unknown.

Howard himself has continued to play well. Both his defensive and total rebound rates are at career high levels, and while his overall efficiency has fallen, that's both a function of his (even more than normal) atrocious free throw percentages and the general decline of offense in the NBA this season (5 points fewer per 100 possessions than a year ago).

His teammate, Ryan Anderson, is playing himself into All-Star consideration. Anderson's 127 offensive efficiency mark on 22% usage is reasonably absurd, and it's built primarily on his ability to extend the floor and hit shots from range (42% from three). It's an open question as to whether his efficiency would suffer without Howard on the floor, and it's a question we could well have answered for us in just a few months. Obviously, Howard has the option to leave Orlando as a free agent in the offseason, but Anderson could also be with a different team next season as he was not offered a contract extension by the increasingly incompetent Orlando GM, Otis Smith.

Around Anderson and Howard, we have the usual Orlando suspects. Jameer Nelson has struggled to recreate the randomly excellent play of his 2008-2009 season for multiple years now, and through the season's first month, he's been in especially poor form, posting an atrocious 43% effective field goal percentage. The Hornets' Jarrett Jack, arguably a top ten offensive point guard on the year, should have the upper hand. Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu, rounding out the starting backcourt, are not players to get excited about either.

The entire season has had an undeniably macabre feel to it for the Magic. Yes, it's possible Howard stays with them long-term, but this is a deeply flawed team that, even given the randomness induced by the lockout, likely won't accomplish too much in the 2012 postseason. Add to all this the fact that the Magic have committed way too much money to mediocre players over the long term ($20.5M to Richardson through 2015, $23.8M to Turkoglu through 2014, $8.6M to a suddenly awful Nelson through 2013, and a totally inexplicable $17.5M to Glen Davis through 2015) and the outlook is bleak. Only a gem of a deal for Dwight Howard can save this team now, and whether such a transaction is at all obtainable is questionable.

Other Notes

- The Hornets announced that they have waived Trey Johnson, one of my favorite guys to watch cheering his teammates from the bench. This brings the roster size down to 14. The Hornets have also announced that Chris Kaman is not with the team tonight (and is fully healthy). There could be a trade in the works, but keep in mind that the maximum allowable roster size this year is sixteen and not the normal fifteen.

Kaman can be included in multi-player deals before February 14th, as long as such trades are layered single-player deals, along the lines of the Peja Stojakovic/Jerryd Bayless deal of November 2010.

- I wrote a little bit about this season's crop of rookies for SBNation today; you can check it out here.

- And last but not least, head over to the always excellent Orlando Pinstriped Post for Magic coverage. Evan Dunlap is one of the best.

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Updates

Ryan Anderson out tonight, Glen Davis starts in his place

by Rohan on Jan 27, 2012 6:29 PM CST reply actions

Anyone catch the game last night?

Orlando was beyond terrible in the second half. I would think either they blow out the Hornets in some rage or come out flat in what should be a very full (and hopefully loud) Hive.

I honestly miss Jerryd Bayless. He would be a better point guard for this team (especially looking into the future) than Jarrett Jack. Obviously trading for one of Chris Paul’s best friends didn’t have the desired result…

by usnfish on Jan 27, 2012 6:44 PM CST reply actions

I Was Hoping

Orlando would continue blowing Boston out and then suffer a letdown in the second night of a back to back here in New Orleans. Them blowing that 27 point lead (wow) last night may serve to really frustrate them and the Hornets could possibly be in the wrong place at the wrong time this evening. At the same time, the Hornets certainly have nothing to be afraid of outside of Dwight Howard; especially with the news that Ryan Anderson is out. The Magic are a very mediocre squad carried, almost solely, by the play of Howard. When he’s on, the entire team seems to be hitting shots, spacing the floor, etc., etc. When he doesn’t seem like he cares out there, the team suffers as a result. One thing I must say watching Howard play this season, at least Chris Paul played his tail off until it was time for him to go. You never saw him sulking or going through the motions out on the court. Dwight seems to simply be waiting for the big day where he’s told that he’s traded. And although Orlando’s locked up to bad contracts for awhile, it’s not like he hasn’t had success there. Orlando is one of those teams that’s screwed now because they’ve tried to get “the right pieces” in there instead of the best players. That’s what happens when these big name players sabotage these franchises. Either way, off the soap box, hopefully the Hornets respond well and play a good game this evening. Orlando is one of those teams that could be cold all night tonight, or they could rebound from last night’s poor second half and blow the roof of the arena. I guess we’ll see in a couple of minutes.

Go Hornets!

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jan 27, 2012 6:56 PM CST reply actions

Also Rohan

I kind of get what you’re saying in relation to the ability to trade Chris Kaman, but how exactly did the Bayless and Peja deal work out? I’m still confused by that one.

And I’m really sad to see Trey Johnson leave. If anything, I really liked his enthusiasm on the bench (someone here said they kept showing Johnson as if he was this team’s injured Dwyane Wade and I found that humorous).

"You play to win the game."

by MrWayneKeller on Jan 27, 2012 6:57 PM CST reply actions

Carl Landry

Is going to abuse whoever Orlando puts in the game at PF. Dump it into that man every time down the floor. Landry is by far my favorite player on this version of the Hornets. His effort and commitment are unmatched.

by usnfish on Jan 27, 2012 7:27 PM CST reply actions

AYON!

38 seconds to make an impact.

by usnfish on Jan 27, 2012 7:36 PM CST reply actions

Finally in a position to contribute to a game thread...

…and no one appears to be here.

Just following the boxscore at the moment.

#2 Sean Marks fan on the blogs

by Icebird on Jan 27, 2012 7:43 PM CST reply actions

Great start from Landry

Nobody on the Magic can really guard him

by Rohan on Jan 27, 2012 7:48 PM CST reply actions

Bah

Would’ve liked to see Ayon stay in longer

by Rohan on Jan 27, 2012 7:48 PM CST reply actions

In almost completely unrelated news...

…because this game thread needs some activity:

Went to see the NZ Breakers play Sydney last night. 8000 people at Vector Arena which is a record crowd for a basketball match in New Zealand. Home team won by 29, so the crowd went home happy. Looking really solid to compete for a repeat title in the Australian NBL.

#2 Sean Marks fan on the blogs

by Icebird on Jan 27, 2012 7:55 PM CST reply actions

Orlando

Doesn’t match up well to a Monty Williams team. The Hornets play good defense and rotate to shooters.

by usnfish on Jan 27, 2012 8:05 PM CST reply actions

Really solid first half

by Rohan on Jan 27, 2012 8:10 PM CST reply actions

I think Monty needs to talk the team...

…if they keep this up, they might go dangerously close to winning another game. :)

#2 Sean Marks fan on the blogs

by Icebird on Jan 27, 2012 8:11 PM CST reply actions

This team

Does not (and has not) looked like a team on a long losing streak. It never looks like a team in the bottom five in the NBA standings. That is a credit to the coaching and the professionalism of the players to come to the arena every night and put their best effort on the court.

by usnfish on Jan 27, 2012 8:15 PM CST via mobile reply actions

Just got home from work...

Was not expecting this, haha.

by Brian Ball on Jan 27, 2012 8:33 PM CST reply actions

i know that we love to complain about Jack

but hes been pretty solid for us, i know its not the point guard we all want because he shoots too much but hes been playing well taking the offensive load since gordon is out, we were spoiled by CP but im pretty sure theres more than one team that would love to be getting production out of their pg spot like what we’re getting from jack

by Taquito on Jan 27, 2012 8:55 PM CST reply actions