Should we expect an Orlando Magic rollover and mutiny?

[nickagneta]

Some interesting comments coming out of Magicland:

"We were kind of just playing stall-ball and you can't do that," shooting guard J.J. Redick said. "Stan talked about us just wanting to run the clock out instead of going and taking it."

In the somber aftermath, all-star center Dwight Howard questioned why he got just 10 shot attempts.

"If you have a dominant offensive player, let him dominate," he said. "Coaches have to recognize what's working on the floor and stick to it."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-sportsmagic-celtics-main-13051309may13,0,3180023.story

Howard didn't get a shot in the last six minutes. "I have to do it defensively where I have to be more aggressive and offensively I have to get the ball. I don't think you are going to win a lot of games when your post player only gets 10 shots, he said.

"The coaches have to recognize what's working on the floor. Stick to it. Even if it's half your starters on the floor. Not just the guys you have put the most trust in. You have to have trust in everybody," Howard said.

"We moved the ball, we ran, got easy shots, and our coach has to recognize when he was a certain group out there and they are getting the job done and we have to leave those guys on the floor. We are going to make mistakes, but I think you have to go with what works."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/orl-magic-side-howard-vangundy13,0,2985161.story

"They all watch boxing. You're in the 12th round against the champ. You can't be thinking, 'I'm going to put it in the hands of the judges.' You can't do that. You got to knock them out."

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy after Orlando failed to put Boston away in the fourth quarter

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy says his team, "played really well for 44 minutes." He says his team gave up an eight-point lead with four minutes left because they just quit playing. He says, "we just quit playing the game that got us here, we looked like we were trying to run the clock out."

"We haven't had success playing that way, but that's how we decided to play, not the way we wanted to play it."

http://www.necn.com/Boston/Sports/2009/05/12/Van-Gundy-We-just-quit/1242185525.html



Strange, huh? Van Gundy claims that for some reason the players played like they were trying to run out the clock but JJ Redick says that Van Gundy talked about trying to run out the clock in the huddle.

Van Gundy said the players played tired but Howard said that Van Gundy didn't go with what was working and didn't get him enough touches.

I see a locker room in rebellion and a coach that just lost his team. You lose your team and it's over, 99% of the time you don't get them back. Let the finger pointing and blame game start in Orlando and say good bye to Stan the Van Man Gundy because he has to go.

I fully expect the Magic to roll over and play dead on Thursday night as soon as something starts to go bad. Van Gundy threw his players under the bus for his incompetence and when you do that and the players come back with public statements to the contrary and questioning you strategy and decisions, it usually spells the beginning to the end.

[cordobes]

I don't think so. Teams get over this kind of stuff pretty quickly. Winning cures everything.

[JSD]

Great quotes nick tp.

Unfortunately, I don't see this being much of an issue over there and I expect a very tough game 6 in Orlando for the Celtics. The players and coaches were emotional after a loss, things will settle down for them today and they'll be on the same page come Thursday night.

[CoachBo]

It could happen.

But ... what I expect to happen is Orlando doing a better job working the favorable matchups they have in the sixth game. I really don't expect the fourth win in this series to come any easier than the other three have.

[Slugger]

This isnt the 10th game of the regular season.

Their whole year of preparation and hard work is on the line.  I hardly think they're going to lay down and die.

I'm sure the Magic think they can beat the Celts 2 games in a row, and despite what they think of Van Gundy, they will play their hardest.

[BballTim]

  The Celts often run into the same problem when they have a lead late in the game and they milk the clok on their possessions. It bit us a few times against Chicago.

  The good thing is that if the Magic lose game 6 they won't really gain a lot of positives from this experience (the way the Hawks got a boost out of taking us to 7 games the year before).

[Donoghus]

Common sense might suggest "Yes" but I say otherwise.

If Orlando comes out on an 8-0 run to start Game Six, then momentum from last night is nothing. Plus, they're playing at home.  However, it will really be up to Orlando's acumen and mental toughness. 

I'd also just like to point out that after the C's cameback and stunned the Nets after Game 3 in '02, newspapers and radio hosts were saying that the Nets were dead and the series was over.  We all know how that series ended so we should heed that warning.

[BudweiserCeltic]

I think people are misunderstandig JJ's quotes. It's not that Stan told them "hey, let's run out the clock". The contrary, I think he's saying that Stan brought it to their attention that the players were doing it instead of "going and taking it" as they should.

It's similar to when WE have big leads and Rondo starts walking the ball up and you see Doc screaming his lung outs for the team to run, but the team simply is in "run out the clock" mode.

I don't think you can put that on the coach.

I think this loss goes on the players instead of the coach. They simply executed very poorly down the stretch.

[Thruthelookingglass]

Great quotes nick tp.

Unfortunately, I don't see this being much of an issue over there and I expect a very tough game 6 in Orlando for the Celtics. The players and coaches were emotional after a loss, things will settle down for them today and they'll be on the same page come Thursday night.

Most of these guys are hypercompetitive.  I expect they'll come out with fire in their bellies.  They've let victory slip through their fingers in the last 2 games.  I expect there will be some Magic players ready, willing and able to step up.  The question for Orlando is if they will play as a team or if their players will try to win the game on individual efforts.  If their players each try to "put the team on their back," we'll have a much easier time frustrating them.

[MMacOH]

Orlando and their coach are both very weak mentally.  This is why they give up huge leads.  They are a great team talent wise but just don't have it mentally. 

I fully expect Boston to win game 6

[crownsy]

Orlando and their coach are both very weak mentally.  This is why they give up huge leads.  They are a great team talent wise but just don't have it mentally. 

I fully expect Boston to win game 6

I hope so, then we can get to what should be a great blood and guts series.

The celtics fan in me beleives we can win, but the rational basketball fan thinks we will push the cavs to 6, possably seven on pure guts, but at some point injuries and the massive amount of minutes racked up because of the injuries, combined with how focused the cavs are, add up to nail us.

Should be a hell of a series though, one things for certain, this celtics team will not quit, no matter how long the odds in the ECF.

[Fafnir]

I don't think so. Teams get over this kind of stuff pretty quickly. Winning cures everything.

If they win Game 6 and 7 to advance it will be forgotten. If they end up losing this series I think its the big story going into the off season.

Combine with this drama that Hedo and Gortat are going to be FAs this is a big off season for the Magic, whenever it comes.

[Who]

I expect the Magic to come out with ferocity and passion and blowout the Celtics in Game Six. That's the response I expect from Orlando.

[acieEarl]

In the somber aftermath, all-star center Dwight Howard questioned why he got just 10 shot attempts.

"If you have a dominant offensive player, let him dominate," he said. "Coaches have to recognize what's working on the floor and stick to it."

Did Howard really call himself a "dominant offensive player"? Perks one-on-one defense pretty much shuts him down offensively.

This quote is like if Rondo said "if you have a sharp shooter such as myself you need to stick with it"

[Snakehead]

In the somber aftermath, all-star center Dwight Howard questioned why he got just 10 shot attempts.

"If you have a dominant offensive player, let him dominate," he said. "Coaches have to recognize what's working on the floor and stick to it."

Did Howard really call himself a "dominant offensive player"? Perks one-on-one defense pretty much shuts him down offensively.

This quote is like if Rondo said "if you have a sharp shooter such as myself you need to stick with it"

It's just completely delusional.  I hope next game they give him all the touches in the world and he keeps throwing up those terrible running hook shots.  Celtics in 6.