fishybashi

Hill has not given up on his stagnate starting lineup, hence our current position.

If not for that awful lineup we would not have fallen behind in a lot of games earlier in the season. That lineup does not spread the floor very well.

Jameer Nelson really sucks....

Brian Hill your starting lineup sucks. We always fall behind because of them. If not for them, we would be leading this game.... It's 6 min. left in the third!!! You should have rotated much earlier!!!!!!! Wake up coach!

I really think this Magic team is a lot more capable than what the win-lost columns have indicated all season long. It shows in how they are able to beat very good teams. I've noticed that the victories hinge on Hedo's and/or Jameer's performance. When they are off or turning the ball over a lot, the team needs to find someone else who can carry the team offensively. It is almost as if they are the balance that makes or breaks this team. Dooling on PG has been a great solution to solidify offensive control, which has been this team's biggest problem. The use of Redick on the outside has also been a new weapon that teams must now begin to worry about. It also opens the middle a little more, enough for our slashers and D12 to accomplish their jobs. When our offense picks, so does the defense. So why the schizophrenia? The team's inability to establish it's true identity. This team is a mix of run/gun and half court power -- not one or the other. If it relies too heavily on one (half court which it has tried for most of the season), and coaching doesn't supply the necessary ingredients for success, the team fails. The talent is there. We really don't need too much more -- a Vince Carter may be the tip over the edge that we'll need to take us to the next level, and less reliance on an aging Grant Hill. Heart and hustle has to be there day in and day out. Lackluster performances vs. subpar teams have been due to lack of leadership, and, quite honestly, poor rotations by the coaching staff. Poor performances by Meer and Hedo leads to overall poor team chemistry, and during those games the team has failed to find a go-to guy to compensate for their shortcomings.

Isn't it good to have good shooters in the lineup? It has a way of...well...quieting the crowd?

Redick is doing well with hustle points tonight. Nice feed to Dooling... Wish we figured it out earlier in the season ... Oh well, let me just enjoy this winning spirit... Let us win this one!!!!!!

Let's beat the Heat tonight! We need something to smile about ....

Thisistheyear, Re: why can't our staff see this? Yeah I agree completely. Magic staff are blind!!! Blind!!!! I wish they'd spend more time reading what we write here. We'd be ranked 5 or 6 if they knew how to use our young talent. For example, Redick is doing well given the extra minutes... now imagine how better he'd be if Hill had started playing him earlier in the season? Only God knows....

lol. I thought the wake up call message on the website was for the team to wake up and start playing ball. Message to the fans: wake up! don't buy season tickets coz you'd be wasting a lot of money! Message to the Magic organization: wake up and get a winning attitude around here!

I agree with this post. I've been saying all season long that we need to give Diener a decent shot to run this team. Hill is just so stubborn. He fails to effectively utilize the talent on his team. It's a shame this season was wasted, because it could have been a special one. I think any of us would do a better job coaching for one day -- at least mixing it up to keep the Magic competitive in most games. Hill just has not adjusted, and when he does he reverts to his old losing ways.

We need a player-type who can take over the game. The presence of Vince Carter or a player of such caliber will help tremendously. Re: rotations, the magic have a way of going through long stretches w/o scoring, and this should be nipped in the bud. We still need to give Diener a chance to run the point. We didn't run as much yesterday. Relied heavily on a half court offense once again w/ Howard having an off-night. It doesn't make sense not to use a style of play that works for this young running team. Hopefully we turn it on vs. Miami.

As I have been overly critical of the team and the coach as of late, I want to give props to the Magic for an excellent game last night. Now, everyone must agree, that was exciting to watch. Let's keep the momentum guys. Dooling as PG was a great idea, Coach Hill. Increased running and pesky defense were superb. It was great to have the heart and hustle of Batie back. Let us establish this identity these last games and make a push to the playoffs!

Thanks guys! Yeah, I have a good feeling about how this season will end. Let's wait and see. And, yeah, thanks for helping this thread get more looks Rafael!

As I have been overly critical of the team and the coach as of late, I want to give props to the Magic for an excellent game last night. Now, everyone must agree, that was exciting to watch. Let's keep the momentum guys. Dooling as PG was a great idea, Coach Hill. Increased running and pesky defense were superb. It was great to have the heart and hustle of Batie back. Let us establish this identity these last games and make a push to the playoffs!

See this is my point: Dooling on point guard was working really well in the first quarter...so why the hell do you spend most of the second with Jameer again and we suffer??? Hill is the problem!

Brian Hill, FOr the sake of this season, please don't be so stubborn. I believe that having lost 22 of the last 29 we can safely conclude that things aren't working. The defense you have such pride in? Not there anymore, sir. Your team has lost the desire to win! I can see it in their eyes, they don't think they can win anymore. There are some very clear problems, sir. 1) Dwight needs to surround himself with 1-2 consistent shooters -- everytime. Do you realize why Dwight leads the league in turnovers? You see he doesn't have enough perimeter shooters surround him to receive a pass when he gets triple teamed. The NBA has learned to collapse on Dwight because they know the Magic don't have a consistent outside threat who Dwight can pass to. if a Redick AND a Diener were together on the floor with Dwight? Teams will get scared coz we'll shoot to kill! 2) Your starting lineup? Sucks. Hasn't worked for a long time, sir. Let me just tell you -- GIVE IT UP! PG situation -- very bad. Something has to change there, sir. The turnover situation hasn't changed from day one. It's March now sir, can we PLEASE do something -- anything -- about that? No one is carrying the offense well, and I don't think you have evaluated all your options to it's full potential. For one, you haven't given up on the fact that Grant Hill is not a natural shooting guard. He clogs up the back court, can't you see? Really slows us down. He's s a good player, yes, but I think we need a good outside shooter there to start in order to widen the space for Dwight (hence look at number one above). I would start Grant or Hedo, but not put both of them in the starting lineup together. Use them interchangeably at their natural position. Back to the PG position: I think we have given Jameer and Carlos plenty of chances. Can we finally try Diener out? This time for more than two games? And I mean Point Guard, not PG for one day then back up Shooting Guard the next day. You see, Travis -- he was a PG in college. He is good at that! Let's play our players in the their natural position -- how about that? Is that simple enough for you? Grant Hill is a small forward. Travis Diener is a point guard. Jameer is a shooting guard! Pretty easy huh! Cool, huh? 3) Darko's true potential under utilized. Did you know that Darko was a good shooter before? Heck, he was pretty good last year! Sir, you really hurt his feelings and tried to turn him into a Shaq! I think he can be more like a Dirk! Let's play him a little farther from the basket so he doesn't clog the lane with D12! In fact if he shoots a little more, I think it will take defensive focus away from D12 and give D12 more room to be the Shaq guy you always wanted! Yay! And guess what? Darko? He's also a very good passer! Use those natural skills, sir! Use them! 4) Defense -- we are getting killed by other teams on their 3-point scoring. Sir, there is something called a zone defense that really works to contain that! You can watch some college games, they are good at utilizing that. You can probably look it up on the internet and learn a thing or two about it. You see when teams start to shoot our lights out, we should utilize that more. And guess what? You are concerned about Diener and Redick not playing good defense -- well, now that the team is not playing good defense anyway, can we use them now? Oh, and if that really is your concern, we can remedy that with zone defense too!!!! It's really a good thing, sir. Try it more often and more consistently! You'll see! 5) Redick and Diener. Use them more, and you'll see. You'll see. They have hearts of a champion, and that's what we need right now! 6) Nelson and Arroyo. Sir, when you turned this team to a solely half-*** slow half court offensive machine (or bore), they began to suck. These guys liked running a lot more -- I like that you are running them more now, but they are losing their vigor because they don't believe like they used to anymore! Remind them that this is one of their identities. Not saying to run all the time, but mixing up the offense is really key, sir. Also may I suggest that when they run, try Diener at point and Nelson at the 2 -- I really think you will begin to see Nelson's true strenght as a scorer come out. 7) Encourage our young players. Don't tune them out and make them feel bad! When they leave with a chip like that, they will only prove their worth somewhere else and make you pay. Sir, you have the leading NCAA 3-point shooter of all time! Did you see the defense on him tonight against the Bobcats??? If you set him up to succeed, you will have yourself a legitimate 3-point threat on board! Will you at least try the above, sir, at least one game? One game? I would be happy if you at least fix the turnover/low assist situation first by using a different point guard, then adjusting for the lack of three point threats next, and then attempt to utilize the zone defense a little more. Let's work on those first! What do you think, sir? Does that sound good? It's not like we're doing that great anyway, right sir? Worth it to try something different, right? It's time to adjust to other teams, right? It's March 12th after all, sir, way past All Start Break, so we need to salvage a little something, right? Right? Right? Right? Right? I don't want to be a broken record, sir. But you are one deaf son of a *****, you know that?

Are you serious? Jameer has been a poor leader for this team. In fact, this team has no leader whatsoever, that is the problem. This team had a fighting chance with defense before. Now -- without defense and poor offense ... this team is seriously horrendous! Does not deserve to play in the playoffs. Hill doesn't deserve all the criticism. This team has now lost the desire to win. They have believed in losing for so long I think they have given up. Hill: when are you going to learn? You need to surround Dwight with consistent shooters to spread the floor. And when teams rip you by shooting three pointers there is something called a zone defense. Use it! I'm sick of being a Magic fan. I waste too much time hoping they win.

What's wrong with this Magic team? 1. Poor offensive execution. 2. Inconsistency. 3. Lack of Heart and Hustle 4. Awful point guards. 5. Poor coaching/rotation of players 6. Inability to utilize 3 point shooters and bench talent. 7. Lack of urgency and/or desire to win games. 8. Inability to adapt to opposing team changes during play. 9. Lack of consistent scorer and/or someone who can take over the game -- WE NEED VINCE. 10. Brian Hill

Emory said it. Ouch. I think coaching staff has placed these players in a pedestal, where they shouldn't be. It's so funny that very minimal adjustments have been done in the PG position all year long! In fact, where back where it all started. Jameer starting and Arroyo as back-up. That's a net change of ... zero!

Darko and Dwight together has awesome potential. I think Darko needs to reclaim his shooting and passing touch and play his own style of game. Unfortunately, he has been turned into something he is not natural at. These two will be quite terrific for a long time. A consistent shooter in the perimeter will help them kill teams in the future!

Good point. SO can we please try something new and give Diener a shot at running point????

Let's not lose hope, Magic fans. I sincerely think that this Magic team is still a very talented team. And as much as I hate to it, I think we will be better now without Grant Hill. The unfortunate thing is we had relied on him too much in the beginning, when he would have been better coming off the bench. To return to my original point: I think talent wise this Orlando Magic team is about a 5th-6th seed Eastern Conference team, and I hope and pray than adjustments are FINALLY made to fix the problems we have been having ALL YEAR LONG. We can get a string of wins with a change in lineup, using less turnover prone guys to run the offense. I'd even venture to say that we change the starting lineup and blow it way out of the water -- change the point guard position even. I know a lot of people like Jameer Nelson, but let's admit it. Jameer Nelson has been mediocre at best this season, I'd rather have no turnover type of guy giving the offense a shot. The one game Arroyo started he did remarkable, for instance. And what about giving Diener (finally) a legitimate shot? Allowing Hill not to change lineups when the Magic are a momentum. I think the players need to say, look coach, I am not tired yet. I can play another quarter to keep riding this momentum. Obviously someone needs to stand up and be a leader on the floor, because I have literally given up on Brian Hill and his awful substitutions. Give the 3-point shooters consistent minutes. Redick was hot, but Hill cooled him off by sitting him down several games. Guys that are sat feel like they have more to prove so they don't do as well, a la last game. But if given the trust and consistent minutes, I think Redick will be more a difference than Grant Hill. Hate to say it, but I'd rather Hill stay injured now to allow us to use the versatility of this team that has been so poorly utilized, i.e. more minutes for 3-point threats Bogans, Redick, Diener, hell, even Garrity! Magic fans, we have the weapons to run ... we have the weapons to shoot the lights out ... we have the weapons to block and rebound ... we have it all!!! I am confident if we get our **** together we can go 23-0 .... literally ... The talent is there. I suggest: 1) Transfer ball handling responsibility from Nelson to Diener/Arroyo. 2) Surround Dwight consistently with legitimate 3-point threats, i.e. Redick before Garrity, for example. 3) Coaching staff not to change lineups when the team is on a momentum. 4) Running and gunning more. 5) Allowing Milicic to take more shots a little further from the basket, hence also allowing him to pass and not clog up the basket. 6) Use our younger players. Yes, let us give Augustine a shot over Outlaw. The guys that have something to prove will at times outshine, why not give it a try? 7) In the offseason -- Fire Brian Hill. Sorry had to add that 7) guys!

Go figure! We hardly ran tonight against the Nuggets ... why not??? When it worked so well vs. the Bulls??? At least half and half ... Tonight it was just lackluster and really ugly!!!! I am tired of these turnovers, can the dumbass coach please put a different point guard to ****ing run this offense? I am getting really pissed off! And JJ needs to play again. Remember how instrumental he was vs. San Antonio in Orlando? Why does Hill forget these things and the fans don't? It's time he plays people with heart. I am tired of these inconsistent guards. Our guards are awful! This is a game we could have won. Nuggets were playing awful in the beginning and we gave them their confidence back with our POOR OFFENSIVE EXECUTION. It's always the same problem! I had hoped we learned something from the run and gun win vs. the Bulls. At least mix up the offense ... PLEASE!!!!!

I was born in the then Orlando Arena parking lot in 1992 after a win against the LA Lakers.