Orlando Magic Blog – Page 48 – NBA Blog

Jameer Nelson talks about future of Dwight Howard with the Magic

Nelson, one of Howard’s best friends, says he has no idea what Howard will do next summer. But he isn’t concerned about the magazine interview.

“People ask me every day what he’s going to do,” Nelson said. “I don’t know what he’s going to do. I don’t know what I’m going to do tomorrow. One thing I know is the guy is preparing to be the best player he can be this season, and that’s all I can say. I don’t know what his decision is going to be.

“Whatever he’s going to do, he’s like my little big brother. He’ll definitely have support from me. But obviously, he’s definitely wanted here in Orlando.”

— Reported by Zach McCann of the Orlando Sentinel Blog. Full article is here.

Magic give customers on installment plans a break on payments

People who are paying in installments for their 2011-12 Orlando Magic season tickets and partial plans have been given a reprieve by the team.

This afternoon, the team sent e-mails to those customers to say their next payment won’t be due until a new collective bargaining agreement between the league and the players’ union has been reached.

Team officials would not comment. NBA Commissioner David Stern has told all league and team employees that they will be fined heavily if they talk about the league’s labor dispute.

— Reported by Alex Martins of the Orlando Sentinel Blog

J.J. Redick feels great as he recovers from abdomen injury

J.J. Redick is eager to find out if he has recovered completely from surgery in late May to repair two muscle tears in his lower abdomen.

The Orlando Magic guard says he feels great, and he’s gone full-speed with his workout regimen for a couple of months now. But even Redick acknowledges that he’s looking forward to seeing how he feels during and after a full-speed competitive situation.

“I haven’t tested myself in a competitive situation to say whether or not I’m 100 percent,” Redick said. “But I’m feeling great. I really am. I don’t know what percentage I’m at, but I’m really, really, really happy with where I’m at right now.”

It’s been a strange summer for Redick — and for all of his Magic teammates — because of the NBA lockout.

— Reported by Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel blog

NBA lockout hitting some cities hard

The loss of one game, let alone 10 or maybe all 82, will have a devastating impact on workers with jobs dependent on pro basketball’s six-month-plus season. A few teams have already trimmed their staffs and more layoffs could be forthcoming if the discussions drag on. Then there are those who don’t work directly for an NBA team but who still depend on the excitement the league brings to town.

Ushers, security personnel, parking lot attendants, concession workers, restaurant employees and others all stand to have their hours cut or join the country’s 14 million unemployed.

“Yeah, financially, I’m worried,” said waitress Jeannette Lauersdorf, a single mother of two, who on a quiet Wednesday afternoon is serving six guests at three tables inside Harry Buffalo. On a night the Cavs are playing, the place has a 30-minute wait for a table. “We’ve got bills to pay.”

Nerves, already frayed in a depressed economy, are unraveling.

As it was during the NFL’s labor dispute, certain cities around the league will bear more of a burden than others until the NBA gets bouncing again. Markets like Orlando, Memphis, Salt Lake City and Portland, with no other income being generated by a major professional sports franchise, could be facing a long winter.

At this point, there’s no telling how long the lockout will last, but NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver projected losses if the season’s opening two weeks are canceled in “the millions of dollars.”

— Reported by Tom Withers of the Associated Press

Magic would likely use amnesty clause to part ways with Gilbert Arenas

If there’s an amnesty clause written into the NBA’s next CBA, the Magic will most likely use it to pay off Gilbert Arenas and part ways with the enigmatic, fading point guard.

It’s an easy call to use this mulligan, given the three years and $62 million left on Arenas’ contract.

With the amnesty clause, a team that foolishly overpaid for a player can pay off said player and release him, with the money this time coming off the salary cap.

This is a boon for top-spending clubs such as the Magic, whose current payroll is about $75 million, second only to the L.A. Lakers’ $91 million.

The last time amnesty was used, in 2005, the so-called “Allan Houston rule” allowed teams to lop off a salary, but they could only subtract it from the punitive luxury tax.

— Reported by Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel

Earl Clark returns from China, will be an unrestricted NBA free agent

Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Former Orlando Magic forward Earl Clark will be released from his contract with a Chinese Basketball Association team and will be free to sign with an NBA team as an unrestricted free agent whenever the lockout ends, Clark’s agent said.

Happy Walters, who represents Clark, said the 6-foot-10 forward has returned to the United States because Clark’s girlfriend is seven weeks away from giving birth to a baby boy and is having some complications.

“He wanted to be there and was not comfortable being in China with problems happening,” Walters told the Orlando Sentinel via e-mail. “He is bummed, but family comes first.

“The team in China has been very supportive and understanding and they will release him from his contract,” Walters added.

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Orlando likely faces December deadline as 2012 NBA All-Star host

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports (via blog):

If past NBA lockout history is any guidepost to the present, the city of Orlando should know around mid-December whether the 2012 all-star game will be played at Amway Center — or cancelled.

In the last lockout, the league cancelled the Feb. 14 1999 all-star game scheduled in Philadelphia on Dec. 9, 1998.

This year’s game is set a little later — Feb. 26 at the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.

So it could be that if this lockout continues, eating up regular-season games, the league likely will cancel Orlando’s game around Dec. 15.

The NBA salvaged a 50-game season in 1998-99, with games beginning in early February.

NBA postpones training camps, cancels October 9-15 preseason games

The NBA announced today that player training camps for the 2011-12 season have been postponed indefinitely because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association. Training camps were scheduled to open on October 3.

In addition, the league canceled all preseason games scheduled from October 9 through October 15.

“We have regretfully reached the point on the calendar where we are not able to open training camps on time and need to cancel the first week of preseason games,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver. “We will make further decisions as warranted.”

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No Marcin Gortat for Poland in EuroBasket 2011 due to insurance problem

FIBA reports:

Poland have just announced that their only NBA player, Marcin Gortat of the Phoenix Suns, will not feature this summer because of the failure to acquire an insurance policy he requires to take part.

Most of the burden of obtaining insurance for NBA players fell on the basketball federations when the NBA lockout began and league operations were shut down.

In a statement on the Polish Basketball Federation’s website, Polish Basketball Federation president Grzegorz Bachanski said: “Marcin really wanted to play but the situation that occurred this year, I of course mean the lockout, meant that this is not possible.

“Of course it is sad for us, but I am trying to think more broadly in the next few years.

“And Marcin Gortat in the future we will be needed.”

Gortat was the face of EuroBasket 2009 when the tournament was staged in Poland.

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Fans react to Houston being named 2013 NBA All-Star weekend host city

By Jeff Lenchiner

It was a surprise today learning that the Houston Rockets, after hosting NBA All-Star weekend in 2006, get to do it again in 2013. Many teams would love to host the big event, and there’s no particular reason for Houston to land the honor quite so soon.

So, using Twitter, I reached out to the over 55,800 people currently following InsideHoops and asked them to to chime in with guesses as to why Houston is again playing All-Star host while so many other cities continue to wait. Here are some of my favorite responses (some of which I may agree with, others not so much):

MarkEomurian: Houston wants to draw attention to the smog problem?

Pharoah2012: Cuz…”We Da Best Host City”! :)

Joco967: Brian scalabrine once dreamt about Houston. The rest is self-explanatory.

SupaSIGMA4: Cuz the Chi is too dangerous and they’ve been everywhere else significant.

Crawf33: They’ve gotta have SOMETHING to pep them up after Yao called it a day.

MySkizzle: With Yao gone and the lockout looming, Stern will probably do something around Yao that night to keep Chinese market.

djgray1: Because it’s always hot here. No worries about bad weather.

HoopsU: It’s warm.

dboy03: Losing Yao Ming. NBA feels sorry for them.

MemphisSportFan: The NBA will do anything to keep the all-star game out of Memphis. So they put it in Houston again.

ImmaSavedSinner: Cause all the hoes here in the H.

glazeduck: capitalizing on Asian market before the Yao effect wears off.

MeteAktas76: A consolation for Yao Ming’s early retirement maybe?

——

Many others also mentioned the Yao Ming factor. I’d say there’s something to that Perhaps Yao will be brought over and there will be a massive tribute to him, as a way to keep fans in China tuned in.

Also, a big part of NBA All-Star weekend is the hotel situation. There needs to be plenty of rooms available, right nearby. And there are also various hotel partnerships that may come into play, somehow.

Houston is also warmer in the winter than most places. It has an airport, with functional planes and everything! That’s probably the bulk of it.

So, here’s to a great weekend in Houston in 2013! But first, in February of 2012 we’ll head to sunny, warm Orlando.