Magic Miracle

Before the NBA season began, I predicted the Magic winning the Eastern conference. I was adamant about NOT choosing the defending champion Boston Celtics, and I thought if any team could take down LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers, it would be Orlando. The two teams tip-off for the Eastern finals on Wednesday. The Cavs come into the game boasting the fact they are the first NBA team in history to win each of their first seven postseason games by double-digits. They steamrolled through the first and second rounds against inferior and injured teams in Detroit and Atlanta. The Cleveland Cavalier club is comprised of contact and connected contributors. Orlando has little chance of beating them, but I am still holding out hope for a Magic miracle.
The Orlando Magic enter Game 1 in Cleveland after a resounding Game 7 victory over the Boston Celtics Sunday night. The Magic’s demonstrative defeat Sunday was the first time in 33 tries a team has overcome a 3-2 deficit against Boston. They dethroned the most storied NBA franchise and somehow have managed to survive some setbacks this post-season. Orlando handed the Cavs their worst loss of the regular season in April and hold a 2-1 series lead. It’s the first time since 1996 Orlando has advanced this far into the postseason. The Cleveland loss on April 3rd signaled the last time the Cavaliers were really challenged as a team. The Magic defeated them 116-87 in Orlando. Although the Cavs were not a well-rested bunch at the time, they were coming off a 13 game winning streak. Orlando snapped the streak, shooting better than 50 percent from the field and going ahead of the Cavs by an insurmountable margin. Wednesday marks the first ever playoff meeting between the teams. Orlando has dominated in recent seasons, winning eight of the past eleven. If the Magic are to whittle out wins in this series, they are going to need to a strong defense. The Orlando defense has stepped up and are going to have to contain show-stopping MVP, James.
James led the team in most offensive categories for the Cavs, but Mo Williams adds a final piece to Cleveland’s championship puzzle. Mo is an unselfish player and an All-star point guard. His three point shots can carry the offense when James does not get the ball. Delonte West, battling back from injury, can also help on defense. The former St. Joseph’s player does not contribute points offensively for the Cavs, but handles the ball well enough on the floor. The Orlando defense will have a difficult time trapping Cleveland with James, Williams and West as a tenacious trio. Rafer Alston was acquired from Houston in February and displays quirky shooting and quickness for Orlando. His penetration up front creates havoc and he is tough to defend when he isn’t turning the ball over. The rookie, Courtney Lee, may have found his form for the Magic as a mediocre shooting guard. His athleticism and speed make things happen. Duke product, J.J. Redick, was a terrific college player but his one-dimensional style is a bad match against the defensively-minded Cavs. He probably won’t get many splendid three points off. During the regular season, Cleveland held opponents to a league high 32 percent 3 point shooting. I give the Cavs the backcourt advantage because of Alston’s recent struggles and Redick’s inconsistency.
Head Coach for the Cavs, Mike Brown, will probably center defenders around Redick and All-star, Dwight Howard. During the April loss, Cleveland’s main problem was defending the outside shot. Brown’s game plan will focus on limiting Orlando’s looks. Look for the Cavs to attack Howard early and often. Howard has blossomed as an offensive juggernaut under the tutelage pf assistant coach, Patrick Ewing. Dwight has fantastic footwork and is a tough player to guard. Howard is prone to shaky free throw shooting but he finished the year leading the league in rebounding and blocked shots. The Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight has dominated, averaging 16 rebounds and three blocks each game of the postseason so far. He led Orlando with 12 points, 16 rebounds and 5 blocks in the finale of the Boston series. Howard has to emerge as a leader if Orlando is going to have a chance. He was suspended in game one of the Philadelphia series for elbowing Samuel Dalembert. All eyes will be on Howard and James in this showdown series. The superstars have each elevated their games and carried their teams to new heights all year. James has been the game’s MVP this season by a wide margin. He also finished second in scoring with 28.4 points per game. LeBron lacks a consistent jump shot but his stunning style and unprecedented ability to carry his team make him a superlative star. LeBron’s presence practically outweighs any Orlando advantages. He renders it difficult to play on both sides of the ball with his spectral shooting and swatting slapdowns. James is a triple-double threat each and every time Cleveland hits the hardwood, especially at Quicken Loans Arena. The Cavs are an astonishing 43-2 at home.
Hedo Turkoglu, the Turkish shooter, has struggled this postseason. Orlando head coach, Stan Van Gundy, liked the intensity he saw from Turkoglu during the rout in Game 7 in Boston. Turkoglu put up 25 points and 12 assists in the game. Ten points were scored in the fourth quarter, setting a playoff career high. Van Gundy will call on Hedo late in the game if Orlando needs free throws because of Howard’s horrible history at the line. The big, versatile Turkoglu is no slouch but needs to play more explosively for Orlando in the next round. His 42 percent shooting won’t cut it against the best Eastern team. Seven foot Lituanian center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, is a deft passer with fine touch for the Cavs. His quiet contributions and consistency should make things more difficult for Howard on low blocks. He does lack quickness but his size and strength make up for the shortcoming.
The Cavs have a power forward in Anderson Varejao. His solid inside defense is his best attribute and he uses his energy to rebound shots down low. Howard presents a big problem for Cleveland, but with Varejao starting and Ben Wallace coming off the bench, the Cavs are equipped to handle him. Orlando counters with All-star, Rashard Lewis. Lewis has a solid offensive game, averaging 17 points during the regular season. Lewis’ specialty is the outside bucket and he has one of the game’s best strokes from the three point line. Lewis is also an excellent blocking defender and rebounded and averaged over 15 points against Cleveland during the regular season.
Both benches feature firepower but the Cavs may have more depth. Joe Smith, Wallace and Wally Szczerbiak are all capable of clutch plays. Brown signed Smith late in the season and he has been splendid ever since arriving alongside Lebron. The 14 year veteran forward is a quality reserve who plays well, flirting with finesse on the interior defensively. The big men of the bench for the Magic don’t stack up against Smith and Wallace. The Magic do not have the variety Cleveland enjoys in pine riders, Anthony Johnson, Mickael Pietrus and Tony Battie. Johnson is a veteran point guard and Pietrus can rebound well. But, the Magic face a stern test against backcourt reserves Daniel Gibson and Szczerbiak. Both can fill in when hot and Wallace boosts the defense whenever he takes to court.
The Cavs are a team poised to win now. It will be an incredible miracle if the Magic win the series. I do not expect a Cleveland sweep this round. I believe Orlando has the guns to shoot their way to at least one win. It’s a credit to coach Van Gundy his team has already advanced this far. I know he took the blame for Game 4 in Boston, and Howard criticized him for Game 5, but Van Gundy did win 59 games. Howard knocked his head coach for not getting many touches late in the game and remarked about Van Gundy’s substitution patterns. Still, Orlando proved, with their effort in the deciding game, they wanted the series more than Boston. It would be tremendous if the Orlando effort paid off again against the Cavaliers. Brown is probably the more competent coach and his team won’t be suffering from fatigue after two easy sweeps. Orlando wrapped up a seven-game war in Boston Sunday but if they limit their mistakes and come out strong in Game 1, they may plug into the championship.

Parting points: Does anybody really like Theory of a Deadman’s song, “Hate My Life”?