If there's one thing people can say about the Orlando Magic, it's that they know how to put a game out of reach quickly. More often than not, they seem to use one simple strategy: get the ball to Dwight Howard and watch him throw down a dunk with authority. A similar approach occurs on defense. Watch Howard block shots or use his long and muscly arms to get a rebound.
Yet, such an approach does not usually fare so well in the playoffs. In the postseason, the best teams exhibit team play. The lack of team play on the Orlando Magic is the exact reason why the Atlanta Hawks hold a 3-1 lead in this series.
Before we get into just how the Magic are struggling, let's analyze the starting lineup of their opponents, the Atlanta Hawks:
PG: Kirk Hinrich
SG: Joe Johnson
SF: Josh Smith
PF: Al Horford
C: Jason Collins
Let's start with Hinrich. He is an average point-guard who has made a name for himself in the NBA as an elite three-point shooter. Acquired from the Washington Wizards at the deadline this year, he has only averaged 8.6 points per game for Atlanta, yet has been effective on offense, shooting 42 percent from three-point range. In the postseason, he is averaging 11 points and shooting 43 percent from beyond the arc.
At shooting guard, Atlanta has a great offensive threat in Johnson. He averaged 18.2 points per game during the regular season and in the playoffs thus far, is averaging 20 points to go with a strong three-point field goal percentage of 40.
Josh Smith plays small forward and he just might be the most talented of the five. More often than not, he has been a star on both offense and defense. He averaged 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and an astonishing 1.6 blocks per game. That's pretty incredible considering how Smith is only 6'9" and 240 pounds.
Helping Smith out on defense is Al Horford, who is slowly becoming one of the NBA's top big-men. The 6'10", 245-pound former Florida Gator averaged 15.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game this season and is just an incredible physical presence in the post. Jason Collins has been the starting center in the playoffs, and his numbers are underwhelming.
Yet, while the Atlanta Hawks do indeed have a very deep starting five, their best weapon is a player who comes off the bench. Reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year, Jamal Crawford, only averaged 14.2 points per game in 2010 (down from 18 per game last season), but he has been the Hawks' leading scorer in the playoffs. He is averaging 24 points per game in the playoffs and his accuracy has been great; 47 percent from the field and an incredible 56 percent from three-point range.
That all being said, the Atlanta Hawks have amazing depth at all positions. Each player shows up and does their part after tip-off and the way the ball is shared, this is more than just a group of 12 men. This is a team.
That being said, let's take a look at the Orlando Magic's starting lineup. In the playoffs, it has looked like this:
PG: Jameer Nelson
SG: Jason Richardson
SF: Hedo Turkoglu
PF: Brandon Bass
C: Dwight Howard
Let's start with the man who gets Howard the ball, Jameer Nelson. He is a decent point guard who averaged 13.1 points and six assists per game in 2010, and his three-point percentage was a very respectable 40 percent. He has averaged 14.8 points per game in the playoffs, but his assists have been dropped to 4.8 and his three-point field goal percentage is a terrible 24 percent.
Richardson has been a good shooter for Orlando since being acquired from Phoenix in exchange for Vince Carter, as he averaged 15.6 points per game with a field goal percentage of about 45 percent. In the playoffs, however, Richardson has been a non-factor. He is only averaging 8.7 points per game with a horrendous field goal percentage of 30. The loss of his potentially electrifying shooting in Game 4 was a big blow, as he was suspended due to an altercation with Hawks center Zaza Pachulia in Game 3.
Now let's move on to Orlando's forwards. Hedo Turkoglu had an average season in his return to Orlando, posting averages of 10.8 points and 4.4 rebounds, posting a field goal percentage of 44 and making 41 percent of his three pointers. His playoff performance has been atrocious. He is only making 23 percent of his shots and 13 percent of his three-pointers, for an average of 7.8 points.
Bass had a decent year with averages of 11.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game, but he has only been able to average 7.3 points in the postseason. Yet, his shooting accuracy has been good at 46 percent.
Now, let's turn to the man of the hour, Dwight Howard. The man they call "Superman" had a great regular season, averaging 22.9 points and 14.1 rebounds per game. In the postseason, he has done even better with averages of 32.3 points and 17.5 rebounds. His highlight performance was a 46 point, 19 rebound effort in Game 1...and the Magic still lost!
Based on those stats alone, it's clear that the Orlando Magic are not what a team should be. Dwight Howard clearly shoulders a majority of the load and given the talent he has surrounding him, it is baffling how head coach Stan Van Gundy continues to implement this offense that is hampering his team.
On top of that, Howard also plays most of the defense. If past NBA Finals winners have taught us anything, balance on the roster is key. Where would Kobe be without Shaq, Pau Gasol and everyone else? The same can be said about the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs. Each team had the perfect balance of shooters and defenders, no player really outshining the other.
Such is not the case in Orlando. It has been The Dwight Howard Show for the past four seasons, perhaps more. In all honesty, no evidence suggests that anything will change in the near future.
Given how they lost the season series to the Atlanta Hawks 3-1 and are down by the same deficit in the postseason matchup, perhaps it is a sign that the Orlando Magic aren't quite as dangerous as they seem. In fact, they have become the one thing that no team wants to be regardless of if they make the playoffs or not.
That, readers, is a one-trick pony.
Bridget Moynahan Britney Spears Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy
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