Category: Orlando Magic Blog

Jason Williams of the Orlando Magic has been suspended without pay for one game for making contact with a game official following his ejection, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

The incident occurred with 58 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Magic’s 112-83 victory over the Washington Wizards at Amway Center on Thursday, Oct. 28.

Williams will serve his suspension tonight when the Magic face the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena.

The Orlando Magic have waived forward Stanley Robinson, President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith announced tonight after the Magic’s preseason game vs. Dallas.  Orlando’s roster now stands at 14 players.

Selected in the second round (59th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft by Orlando, Robinson (6’9”, 210, 7/14/88) played in five preseason games with the Magic, averaging 2.0 ppg. and 2.4 rpg. in 8.2 minpg.

Robinson played in 126 career games during his four years at the University of Connecticut, averaging 9.8 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 1.03 blkpg. in 26.3 minpg.  He helped the Huskies reach the NCAA Final Four in 2008-09.

Surprise, surprise, the Orlando Magic is off to a strong start in the preseason.

The Magic christened its new arena, Amway Center, with a 135-81 rout of the New Orleans Hornets Sunday, improving to 3-0 in preseason play.

The Magic has won 17 consecutive preseason games, with its last preseason loss coming on Oct. 6, 2008 (vs. Atlanta, 118-101).

Last preseason, the Magic went 8-0, marking the first time in the organization’s history that the team went undefeated in preseason action. Under Stan Van Gundy , the Magic is 23-2 (.920) in preseason outings.

Several other teams are off to fast starts, including the Boston Celtics (3-0), Memphis Grizzlies (3-0) and New Jersey Nets (3-1).

On the other end of the spectrum, the Indiana Pacers (0-3), Philadelphia 76ers (0-3), Los Angeles Lakers (0-2), and New Orleans Hornets (0-2) are each still searching for their first win.

The question of whether preseason success predicts a long run in June, however, likely is best left to the basketball oracles.

— From NBA News

The Orlando Magic have exercised their fourth-year team option on forward Ryan Anderson, President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Otis Smith announced today.  Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed.  Anderson is now under contract through the 2011-12 season.

Anderson (#33, 6’10”, 240, 5/6/88) played in 63 games last season for the Magic, averaging 7.7 ppg. and 3.2 rpg. in 14.5 minpg., while shooting .370 (78-211) from three-point range.  He started in six outings, averaging 15.0 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. in 25.6 minpg. during that span.  Anderson also appeared in nine playoff games, averaging 2.6 ppg. and 3.4 rpg. in 9.9 minpg.

Originally selected in the first round (21st overall) of the 2008 NBA Draft by New Jersey, Anderson was acquired by the Magic from the Nets, along with Vince Carter, in exchange for Rafer Alston, Tony Battie and Courtney Lee on June 25, 2009.  He has played in 129 career NBA regular season games with New Jersey and Orlando, averaging 7.6 ppg. and 4.0 rpg. in 17.2 minpg, while shooting .368 (147-400) from three-point range.

Orlando Magic guard Jason Williams will undergo arthroscopic surgery tomorrow on his left knee, General Manager Otis Smith announced.  Williams is expected to miss approximately four weeks of action.

Williams (#44, 6’1”, 190, 11/18/75) played in all 82 games last season for the Magic, averaging 6.0 ppg., 3.6 apg. and 1.5 rpg. in 20.8 minpg., while shooting .380 (84-221) from three-point range.  He started in 18 outings, averaging 8.6 ppg., 5.1 apg., 2.7 rpg. and 1.11 stlpg. in 29.6 minpg. during that span.  Williams ranked seventh in the NBA in assists-to-turnover ratio (3.43, 298/87).  He also appeared in all 14 playoff games, averaging 2.6 ppg. and 1.6 apg. in 13.7 minpg.

Originally selected in the first round (seventh overall) of the 1998 NBA Draft, Williams has played in 761 career NBA regular season games with Sacramento, Memphis, Miami and Orlando, averaging 10.8 ppg., 6.0 apg., 2.3 rpg. and 1.21 stlpg. in 30.1 minpg.  He has also played in 67 career playoff contests, averaging 8.3 ppg., 3.3 apg. and 1.9 rpg. in 25.9 minpg.  Williams was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1998-99, currently stands as Memphis’ all-time leader in assists (2,041) and helped Miami capture the 2005-06 NBA Championship.

Mark Schlueb of the Orlando Sentinel reports:

Since the $480 million arena’s conception, Magic and city officials have made technology an integral part of the project, from the 1,100 flat-panel video screens throughout the building to an advanced telecommunications network not much different from the one that controls America’s air traffic.

The state-of-the-art technology means more flash for fans, who will be bombarded with images and sound before they even walk in the door. And just as important for the team’s owner, it also means more advertising cash for the Magic.

“The Magic and the city have the ability now to generate dramatically more revenue than they ever have before,” said Karl Williams, a vice president for Harris Corp., the company responsible for much of the technology.

Perhaps the best example is the video screens, so many that they’ll be unavoidable. They will be hooked to a sophisticated IPTV — Internet Protocol Television — feed that will allow the Magic and the city to control what’s seen on the screens to an extraordinary degree.

If there were a need, technicians in a sophisticated behind-the-scenes control room could make every screen in the building display a different image. More than that, each screen can display multiple different feeds — a sort of picture-in-picture on steroids, with a mosaic of images, video, animation and text.