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Orlando forward Matt Barnes has been fined $20,000 for throwing a basketball into the stands, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced today.
The incident occurred following the conclusion of Orlando’s 99-98 loss to the Miami Heat on Wednesday, November 25 at Amway Arena in Orlando.
The Orlando Magic are off to a pretty good start, with a 9-3 record despite playing the season’s first 10 games without Rashard Lewis and also enduring injuries to Vince Carter and Ryan Anderson.
The team faces an even bigger challenge now that starting point guard Jameer Nelson is injured once again and out for weeks.
Aside from great coaching, Dwight Howard wants a bit less negativity coming from Stan Van Gundy.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:
Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard told the Sentinel on Thursday that he asked Stan Van Gundy in a private meeting to quell what he perceived as the coach’s recurring negativity.
The fiery, demanding Van Gundy confirmed that he met with Howard, who was speaking on behalf of the team.
“I think, as a team, there was a lot of negativity and it’s not like Stan’s a negative guy,” Howard said before the Magic left for Boston to face the Celtics on Friday night. “But it’s like there’s always some clashes and focusing so much on our mistakes. Instead of bringing each other down, we have to pull each other up.
“That’s the only thing I wanted from coach.”
Van Gundy told the Sentinel that his negativity was “draining the enthusiasm” from his team. He vowed to change his tactics — from practices to press conferences to the bench on game nights — after listening to Howard’s concerns.
A ton of pressure now rests on the aging shoulders of backup point guard Jason Williams, who with Nelson out will start and play a very key role on the team. And old Anthony Johnson must regain some youth and contribute as well.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
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Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson will undergo arthroscopic surgery Wednesday morning to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee.
Nelson was injured in the fourth quarter of Monday night’s game vs. Charlotte and underwent an MRI Tuesday morning.
It is estimated that Nelson will be out four-to-six weeks following the procedure.
Nelson had started all 11 games for the Magic, averaging 13.7 ppg. and a team-high 5.5 apg.
The Magic (8-3) return to action Wednesday night by hosting Oklahoma City at Amway Arena (tip-off 7 p.m.)
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
Orlando Magic star Dwight Howard is a bad free throw shooter, so it’s a good gamble for defenders about to give up a potential easy inside shot to be sure to foul him and force him to sink the charity stripe shots.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:
The Hack-a-Howard is in a lot of opponent’s game-plans just as the Hack-a-Shaq was when O’Neal was a young Magic center.
The Magic have no more answers today for Howard than they did in the early-to-mid ’90s with Shaq.
The club complained to the league back then about the intentional, body-jarring fouling and little changed. Ditto in the Dwight era.
On Friday, General Manager Otis Smith threw up his hands and said, “What’s the league going to do?” Coach Stan Van Gundy has talked like a defense attorney this season on behalf of Howard, hoping the NBA might get the message through the media.
The answer?
“We — and Dwight — have to adjust to the situation the way it is,” Van Gundy said.
Howard for his career shoots 56.9% from the field, and only a little better, 60.2% from the free throw line.
Tuesday night in Detroit, the Pistons hosted the Orlando Magic and behind 20+ point games from three players managed to come away with a home victory. Magic star Dwight Howard played just under 17 minutes, yet fouled out with six fouls and finished with just 8 points, 5 rebounds, no assists (3 turnovers) and 3 blocks.
Today, on his own website (DwightHoward.com), Dwight wrote:
Yo, what up, world??? Not sure how many of you guys saw the game last night in Detroit, but let me tell you that was one to forget. We lost for the first time all season, the first time since the Finals, I guess. But it was how we lost that frustrated me the most.
I was on the floor for 16 minutes and fouled out!!! Let me say that again: 17 minutes and six fouls!!! How can that be, ya’ll? It was crazy. They called me for a charge on a flop, a push off when the defender was on me and two fouls on blocked shots.
Man, 16 minutes is a lifetime low for me I think. I haven’t played that little in a game since I was 10 years old in pee-wee ball. It was crazy from the start of the game all the way to when I fouled out with about 4 minutes to play.
What really bothers me is they are letting guys hammer me at one end of the floor, yet I’m being called for everything. All of those hits take a toll on my body after a while.
The Magic were 3-0 to start the season. The loss was their first in 2009-10. Wednesday night they head to Phoenix to battle the 4-0 Suns.
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel reports:
After watching this Ryan Anderson kid through his first three starts as a stand-in, you have to ask (if only in jest):
So how are the Orlando Magic going to find Rashard Lewis playing time when he comes back?
Even Anderson laughed at the question.
Anderson, 21, has been doing more than just keeping Lewis’ power-forward spot warm, but he realizes his days as a starter are numbered. He’ll be heading to the bench when Lewis returns from a league-mandated suspension in seven more games.
Anderson has been very Lewis-like in playing the role, averaging 17.3 points per game, second only to Dwight Howard’s 21.7 ppg. He, too, is 6 feet 10, and can shoot 3-pointers, nailing 11-of-20 for 55 percent.
And he’ll be looking to provide offense again if shooting guard Vince Carter (sprained left ankle) and small forward Mickael Pietrus (flu-like symptoms) are unavailable tonight against the Detroit Pistons.
Lewis will obviously start when he comes back. But it’s still a great “problem” that Anderson has fit in so well it’ll be difficult for coach Stan Van Gundy to move him back to the bench.
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Orlando Magic center Adonal Foyle has undergone arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, General Manager Otis Smith announced today. His return to action will depend on how he responds to treatment.
Foyle has not played in any of Orlando’s preseason outings. He appeared in 10 games last season with both the Magic and Memphis, averaging 1.7 ppg. and 2.6 rpg. in 6.2 minpg. Foyle was traded to Memphis as part of the three-team deal that sent Rafer Alston to Orlando on Feb. 19, later waived by Memphis on Mar. 1, then re-signed by Orlando on Mar. 23.
Originally selected by Golden State in the first round (eighth overall) of the 1997 NBA Draft, Foyle (6’10”, 270, 3/9/75) has appeared in 733 regular season games during his 12-year NBA career with Golden State, Orlando and Memphis, averaging 4.1 ppg., 4.7 rpg. and 1.63 blkpg. in 17.8 minpg. Foyle is Golden State’s all-time franchise leader in blocked shots with 1,140.
According to the Orlando Sentinel, “Foyle, 34, likely wouldn’t see much playing time with the Magic even when healthy. Dwight Howard and Marcin Gortat are ahead of him on the depth chart at center, and Brandon Bass can play the position also if necessary.”
In a new multi-year agreement, Amway and the Orlando Magic have entered a partnership in which Amway will be the presenting sponsor of the Orlando Magic’s training camp as well as the season sponsor of the team’s practice jerseys. The Orlando Magic and Amway represent one of the first partnerships of this kind in the NBA, as this is the first season in which teams were granted clearance to have a sponsorship presence on their practice jerseys.
Amway was founded in 1959 by Magic owner Rich DeVos and his best friend, Jay Van Andel. Celebrating its 50th anniversary, Amway is one of the world’s leading direct selling companies and now operates in more than 80 countries and territories around the world.
Earlier this year it was announced that the Orlando Magic and Amway would continue to build their partnership through the naming rights agreement of the new Amway Center. Amway Center will open in the fall of 2010 and compete to host major national events, concerts and family shows, while serving as the home to the Orlando Magic.
“The Orlando Magic is excited to further extend our partnership with Amway,” said Orlando Magic Chief Operating Officer Alex Martins. “There is certainly great pride in this unique partnership and Amway’s international business aligns perfectly with the worldwide popularity of the Magic, the NBA and its athletes. We are proud to have the Amway name on our practice jerseys as we work toward our goal of winning a championship.”
“This unique opportunity builds pride in the Amway business around the world,” said Amway Chief Marketing Officer Candace Matthews. “We’re looking forward to extending our partnership with the Orlando Magic. Both Amway and the Magic have fans around the world, and in both organizations, we are committed to the hard work it takes to succeed.”
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Orlando Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
Van Gundy was fined for comments he made that appeared on Thursday, October 15.
The Orlando Magic have also been fined $35,000 for Van Gundy’s actions.
Good NBA seats are expensive. Fans shelling out big money to sit near the court should expect a good view of the action.
But what about when players get off the bench and remain standing for a while? On the one hand, it’s nice to see guys cheer their teammates. On the other, these giants prevent fans from seeing what they paid to see.
The Cavs are one team with players who remained standing a lot, and now the league office has reportedly taken action.
Brian Windhorst of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports:
The NBA has issued a memo to its teams directing players on the bench to remain seated during games. Game officials will be keeping a closer eye and will issue faster warnings and possible technical fouls if not followed. Players are permitted to cheer, but standing during regular-game action and blocking the fans’ views apparently isn’t going to be allowed.
That goes for Tuesday night’s first preseason game at The Q, where the Cavs will host the Charlotte Bobcats in the first of eight practice games before the season opener.
The Cavs weren’t exactly thrilled that their custom has been legislated.
“It is hard to take that out of the game,” LeBron James said. “Part of the game is emotions, your teammates are all you have. That was part of the reason we played great basketball, because we cheered each other.”
I support the league protecting the paying fan’s view.
