The reigning Eastern Conference champion Orlando Magic open
up defense of their crown Wednesday when they play host to the Philadelphia
76ers in a playoff rematch at Amway Arena.
The Magic, who downed the Sixers in six games in last year's Eastern
Conference quarterfinals, made it all the way to the NBA Finals for just the
second time in franchise history. When all was said it done, however, it was
Kobe Bryant and the Lakers who were celebrating a championship in Orlando.
With no 2009 draft picks, the Magic attempted to get better by trading youth
for experience, shipping swingman Courtney Lee, guard Rafer Alston and center
Tony Battie to New Jersey in a blockbuster deal that landed All-Star Vince
Carter along with Ryan Anderson.
That deal is expected to help offset the loss of star point-forward Hedo
Turkoglu, who moved to Toronto as part of a four-team trade that brought
Orlando cash considerations.
Mix in free agents Matt Barnes, Brandon Bass and Jason Williams, and Orlando
has some fresh blood.
"We don't care about who scores, who has the best numbers," star center Dwight
Howard said. "At the end of the day we just want to win. I think we have a
great team and I think the chemistry will be fine."
The Sixers, meanwhile, also have a new look and figure to be one of the more
interesting teams to follow this season as basketball chief Ed Stefanski
continues to mold the team in his image.
Interim coach Tony DiLeo, who replaced Maurice Cheeks during the season last
year, was kicked back to the front office and replaced by Eddie Jordan, the
highly-regarded former Washington Wizards mentor, who brings his vaunted
Princeton Offense up I-95.
The team also let veteran point guard Andre Miller walk to Portland and handed
the keys to the untested Lou Williams, a high-octane offensive player that
thinks shot first. Meanwhile, former All-Star forward Elton Brand will try to
return from yet another injury and fit in with the Sixers' best player,
swingman Andre Iguodala.
Brand, a two-time All-Star, was coming off a ruptured Achilles tendon that
cost him most of the 2007-08 season. He didn't look healthy when he took the
floor with the Sixers last year and wasn't a good fit for the team's up-tempo
running game. A torn labrum in his right shoulder sidelined Brand again
and the Sixers righted the ship without him, making a playoff run under DiLeo.
"The main thing is, it wasn't Elton," Iguodala said. "We didn't really have a
concrete plan (last year). I think we had a Plan A, but no Plan B, C, so on
and so forth. Just pound it inside and see what happens from there. Once that
was shut down it was kind of hectic instead of playing our game and going with
the flow."
With Jordan and the Princeton offense now employed, the Sixers are hoping to
finally garner a return on a massive investment. Jordan explained to the media
how his philosophy is designed to work earlier this offseason.
Williams will dish to Iguodala when approaching midcourt on the dribble. It
will then be Iguodala's job to pass ahead to the forward (either Thaddeus
Young or Brand). The forward will continue to move the ball inside to the
center (Samuel Dalembert or Jason Smith). After each pass, a variety of
options exist. The guard making the original pass to the forward will cut to
the basket as the center is getting the ball. The center can drive, look
backdoor or pass out to a forward for a jumper.
According to Jordan, Brand seems like a natural fit for the offense. He can
pass, he has a nice mid-range jumper from the elbow and he can move inside to
the pivot at times. In fact, Jordan envisions Brand, Iguodala and Young much
in the same way Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler excelled in
the offense in Washington.
"It's going to take time," Brand said of the new offense. "I know we can put
the basics in, but once we have the basics, it's still more plays, more layers
we can add."
Of course Brand must stay on the floor to make things work.
Orlando swept the three-game regular season series between the two clubs last
season and has won four straight and eight of nine overall against the Sixers.
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