Bullets Forever - Wizards vs. Magic: Washington gets elusive fourth win"Ain't No Luck"https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48097/BulletsForever-fv.png2012-12-29T12:28:08-05:00http://www.bulletsforever.com/rss/stream/35770232012-12-29T12:28:08-05:002012-12-29T12:28:08-05:00Wizards' bigs finally fired on all cylinders
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<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>In Washington's most decisive win all season, the front-court did exactly what we've all been waiting for.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- Last night, the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> finally got just their fourth win of the season against a slipping <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Magic</a> squad. You could put the win on any one factor -- <span>Jordan Crawford's</span> efficient shooting, <span>Garrett Temple's</span> defense, the Magic falling back to Earth -- or combination of factors. But last night it was clear that one thing finally worked exactly as everyone had hoped it would since the offseason: the front-court rotation.</p>
<p>This is not to say there wasn't an all around great effort from the team (well, at least after <span>Jameer Nelson</span> torched the backcourt in the first six minutes of the game). Everyone did their jobs and knew their roles. It's just that it was most noticeable in solid play of the big men. <span>Emeka Okafor</span>, <span>Kevin Seraphin</span>, sweet sweet Nene, and even all four minutes of <span>Jan Vesely</span> proved instrumental in getting a big win last night.</p>
<h3>The Numbers</h3>
<p>The Wizards out-rebounded the Magic last night 47-41 (11-9 on the offensive glass). The four Wizards bigs corralled 30 of those 47 (and seven of the 11 offensive rebounds), compared to five Magic bigs getting 26 (and seven). Seraphin and Okafor also accounted for seven of the Wizards' eight blocked shots; the Magic only had two. Oh, and the Wizards outscored the Magic by eight points in the paint, 46 to 38. They also happened to win the game by eight points. Funny how that works out.</p>
<p>Of the Four Factors, the Wizards won in three categories, losing only effective field goal percentage. They kept their turnover percentage significantly lower than Orlando's (9.5 to 12.5), their free-throw-to-field-goal attempt rate was higher (.170 to .105), and their offensive rebound rate was higher (25.6 to 20.0) -- all resulting in an offensive rating of 113.2 (to Orlando's 104.6).</p>
<h3>The Players</h3>
<h5>Emeka Okafor</h5>
<p>Remember when <span>Earl Barron</span> had a breakout game against the <a href="https://www.peachtreehoops.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Hawks</a> because <span>Randy Wittman</span> wasn't seeing enough "activity" from the Center position? Well, Okafor definitely looked active last night. In addition to his 11 rebounds, Okafor swatted three shots. And these aren't the crowd-pleasing <span>Dwight Howard</span> blocks that just get smacked into the ninth row in the stands. These were -- dare I say -- Bill Russell-esque blocks, the kind that go back into the hands of your teammates to keep the momentum flowing on your side. Okafor's blocks resulted in a coast-to-coast layup by Garrett Temple, a mid-range jumper by Garrett Temple (jeez, he was freakin' everywhere), and a <span>Martell Webster</span> transition three.</p>
<h5>Kevin Seraphin</h5>
<p>He remembered Wittman's "activity" message, too. On top of that, Nene gives him feedback every game to make sure he's making the FIBA to NBA transition properly. Taking Wittman's and Nene's advice, Seraphin played hard to try to take all his shots in the paint. Instead of moving away from the rim, Wittman's been imploring Seraphin to take a "power move" to get to the foul line by banging into defenders.</p>
<p>Wittman acknowledged that "it's a process, a step that we'll keep working [on]" to get rid of his old habits (while he makes shots inside, he is extremely averse to contact; he'd rather go up-and-under three defenders in Redick, Smith, and Vucevic than bust through anyone's arms for a potential trip to the free throw line), but Wittman has seen growth in Seraphin over the last few weeks.</p>
<p>Of his 18 shots, five were outside the paint, and two of them went in. It wasn't his most efficient night, but his 17 points (even his 1/2 Free Throw shooting) were much needed in this one. Not only did Seraphin chip in 17 points -- his fourth-most points on the year -- but he tallied four blocked shots. One resulted in him nailing a hookshot in the post, and one spawned a 24-second violation for the Magic during the Wizards' second-quarter rally.</p>
<h5>Nene</h5>
<p>Minutes restriction shminutes shmestriction. Nene played 29 minutes last night. No one said if that was over or under his allotted time for the night, but one thing is for certain: he was needed on the floor every second he was out there. 23 points on 11 shots (9-10 from the line), with 11 rebounds and four assists to boot. THIS was a peak back at what we saw Nene after he was traded to D.C. last season. THIS is what this team needs from Nene every night. THIS is what firing on all cylinders means. THIS performance by Nene not only made the fans swoon, but him doing what he needs to do (and being on the floor more minutes than *not* on the floor) makes everyone else's job that much easier.</p>
<p>Wittman said as much himself:</p>
<p>"His presence on the floor kind of gives the guys with him a comfort level," he said</p>
<p> </p>
<h5>Jan Vesely</h5>
<p>So Vesely only played four minutes last night (he's played an average of about 20 the previous four games), and it was only at the end of the second quarter. But even in those 4 minutes, Vesely did exactly what he was supposed to do. He didn't take any shots. He didn't foul anyone. He didn't turn the ball over. He just placed himself around the basket and jumped over <span>Gustavo Ayon</span>, <span>Andrew Nicholson</span>, J.J. Redick, and <span>Ish Smith</span> to get an offensive rebound. Actually, he did it twice in the same possession. And that possession ended in Jordan Crawford nailing a three to bring the Wizards within two against the Magic.</p>
<h3>The Takeaway</h3>
<p>Even though the Wizards are now on their 47,000th point guard of the season, it seems like nothing is quite as effective for the team as being able to rely on consistent, active play from the bigs. Points in the paint, defensive rebounds, offensive rebounds, getting to the free throw line, turning blocked shots into fast breaks -- that's what this team has really been missing all season, and that's what this team needs to continue to build for the rest of the season. Hopefully, this rotation can stick around for a while.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/29/3814536/wizards-bigs-seraphin-okafor-nene-vesely-magicAmin Vafa2012-12-29T10:48:50-05:002012-12-29T10:48:50-05:00Temple of Doom: How Garrett saved the Wizards
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<figcaption>Rob Carr</figcaption>
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<p>The Wizards' victory over the Orlando Magic was keyed by an unlikely source. How did Garrett Temple get here and what did he do to help Washington get a 105-97 win.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- <span>Garrett Temple's</span> plan for Christmas was probably more thoughtful than yours. With his Reno Bighorns scheduled for zero games between December 22 and 28, Temple did what many of us wish we could: fly home to Louisiana and surprise his family. Temple arrived on the 22nd and settled in. His family was thrilled to see him and all was well.</p>
<p>Then, an unexpected phone call changed things. It was the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/">Wizards</a>, and they wanted him to report to D.C. on Christmas day for practice.</p>
<p>Suddenly, Temple had new Christmas plans.</p>
<p>"I made sure to give my little sister her gift and my family their gifts on the 23rd," he said Friday. "I was able to see them for two days, which was a great Christmas gift."</p>
<p>The Wizards are glad Temple's schedule was flexible. In just his second game, Temple was a life-saver, providing excellent defense and solid offensive poise in the Wizards' 105-97 win over the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a>. He didn't score the most points, nor did he make the most spectacular plays, but the Wizards would have been blown out again without him.</p>
<p>"Garrett don't know half of what we're doing," <span>Randy Wittman</span> said. "I'm throwing him out there to the wolves, and I couldn't be more proud of him."</p>
<p>You had to look carefully to see Temple's impact, but it was there. When <span>Jameer Nelson</span> went off for 14 first-quarter points, Wittman turned to Temple and gave him the tough assignment. Temple's instructions? Fight over screens, pressure Nelson at the point of attack and don't let him get any clean perimeter looks. He carried out those orders perfectly, helping to hold Nelson to just two points the rest of the night.</p>
<p>Later, it was <span>J.J. Redick</span> that couldn't miss. Wittman's solution? Slide Temple over and have him run Redick off the three-point line. Redick didn't get nearly as many clean looks and only padded his stats by the end of the game.</p>
<p>"When a guy got hot, I tended to say, 'Garrett, you go guard him,'" Wittman said.</p>
<p>It wasn't just Temple's defense, though. Throughout the season, Wittman has pleaded with his guards to get the ball up quickly off missed shots. With the Wizards' half-court offense a disaster, the Wizards must cheat the system and get the ball ahead for early offense while the defense is still setting up. This has been a problem, though, for every other guy that has played the point guard position this season.</p>
<p>But for one night, it wasn't with Temple. Wittman gave him free reign to probe the defense, and he found his big men with early post-ups that they converted into points. It's no accident that Nene, <span>Emeka Okafor</span> and <span>Kevin Seraphin</span> all put up great numbers on Friday.</p>
<p>"Garrett's more so of a point guard. He sees the floor, wants to pass first and get guys open, but at the same time, he can knock down the shot," <span>Bradley Beal</span> said. "He gets everybody involved, and he's one of our best defenders."</p>
<p>Obviously, Wizards fans have been here before with D-League call-ups. With the exception of <span>Cartier Martin</span>, each one of these players have either fizzled out or haven't been retained after the season. Skepticism of Temple is very much justified until he can put together multiple strong games.</p>
<p>But for one night, Temple Of Doom was the savior. With the Wizards at 4-23, they'll take it.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/29/3813574/garrett-temple-wizards-vs-magic-2012Mike Prada2012-12-28T21:18:35-05:002012-12-28T21:18:35-05:00Late Christmas present: Wizards win!
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<figcaption>Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Led by big performances from Jordan Crawford, Nene, Kevin Seraphin and newcomer Garrett Temple, the Wizards moved to 4-23 on the year.</p> <p>WASHINGTON -- I'm not going to lie: when I witnessed the <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> falling behind by double digits in the first quarter, I turned to Amin and predicted that they'd rally to make it a seven-point game in the second quarter, then fall behind by 15 and never come back.</p>
<p>Boy, was I wrong. Instead, the Wizards rallied late in the second quarter, took the lead at halftime, pulled further ahead in the third and executed beautifully down the stretch for a 105-97 win. Sure, it was the Magic, but a win is a win at this point. Nothing is guaranteed, and the Wizards still need to take charge, yada yada yada.</p>
<p>You'll find that a lot of these notes is me lauding <span>Garrett Temple's</span> play. He was great. <span>Jordan Crawford</span> piled in the points and Nene and <span>Kevin Seraphin</span> were excellent, but it was Temple that keyed the win. He organized the Wizards offensively and put the clamps down on <span>Jameer Nelson</span> defensively after he went off early in the game. Without Temple, the Wizards lose big.</p>
<p>Here are your notes.</p>
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<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>Shelvin Mack</span> said last game that the Wizards didn't do a good job of reading the scouting report on certain guys. Apparently, that includes himself. In this game, he ducked under two ball screens involving Jameer Nelson even though Nelson is much better pulling up from behind the line for threes than driving to the rim. The third time made me want to scream. Did Mack not see Nelson pull up the previous two times?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I didn't like the Red Sea parting on Maurice Harkless' dunk. Both Nene and <span>Emeka Okafor</span> had a chance to step up and take a charge. Neither did.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">It was almost like those threes deflated the Wizards' spirit. Defensive rotations that were being made in half-court situations earlier in the game weren't being made after Nelson bombed away. There was very much a sense of "here we go again" pervading the team.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The <a href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Magic's</a> defensive rotations are really on point, and when I say that, I'm saying that they understand angles and know how to guard two men at once when the primary defender is beat. Precise positioning is clearly something they practice.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;"><span>J.J. Redick</span> continued to get open looks, exposing Crawford's absolute disintrest in staying with him. In the locker room, the Wizards have a board where they track the percentage of jump shots that the players contest in a game. Crawford's number has been lower than any member of the team all season. He was lucky that Redick missed many of those shots.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Garrett Temple played pretty well during his stint. I expect him to start tomorrow.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I might be reading too much into this, BUT ... I thought it was significant that Serpahin took that 17-footer instead of handing it off to Crawford. Crawford obviously got the Wizards back into the game in the second quarter, but it was in typical Crawford fashion. (This is the thing that always happens, and it's fair to ask whether Crawford is selfish or simply responding to the lack of talent around him). On this play, Crawford ran into Seraphin on the drive, and Seraphin may not have been happy about it. I dunno, maybe I'm reading too much into it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Orlando let the Wizards back into the game because they lack scorers and go through droughts. Things were really bad when E'Twaun Moore was running the point, and the Wizards were able to take advantage with some early offense on the other end.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Seraphin very much thinks first about his own scoring and second, third, fourth and fifth about everything else.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Whoa, I did not know Beal had the kind of hops he showed on that alley-oop dunk.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Temple really ran the point solidly in this one. I especially liked his crosscourt pass to Crawford for an open three with under two minutes left in the first half. He saw that Crawford's help defender sunk into the middle to prevent the roll man from getting a dunk, and he timed his crosscourt pass just as the help defender moved, which left Crawford WIIIIIIIIDDDDE open.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The three-guard lineup that closed the half worked out a lot better than I expected. It is workable when Temple is as big as he is and Beal is capable of playing big by rebounding and defending threes. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Beal's issues shooting the ball are well-documented. He clearly seems to be aiming shots instead of taking them fluidly. But based on how he ended the first half, I completely buy his assertion from Wednesday that he doesn't think about scoring too much on the court. He continued to work with his defensive rotations, and you have to like the way he came down to swat a shot at the rim.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Okafor really stood up offensive players at the rim in this game. If defense were simply about that, he'd be one of the best in the league.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Seriously, Temple's defense on Nelson was outstanding. There's a guy with a <a href="https://www.poundingtherock.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Spurs</a> background that reads the scouting report. He's longer than Mack, sure, but he also was jumping around high ball screens and channeling Nelson to the basket, where his lack of size proved to be a detriment. Temple proved the age-old axiom: it's one thing to read a scouting report, it's another to process it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Orlando's inability to space the floor is very Wizards-like.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Okafor engaged in some nice defensive rotations in this game. I liked the way he cut off Nelson late in the shot block before Nelson got to the lane, preventing Nelson from even getting an attempt to the basket.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I think there's some utility to a three-guard lineup with both Crawford and Beal. Beal is potentially a good spot-up player, and having him play more 3 may allow him to attack defenders closing out rather than have to curl off screens. Crawford can do more of the curling, which he has experience doing, and Beal can work a bit off others to get his confidence up. It's a stopgap, but potentially a worthwhile one.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Not sure why Wittman went back to <span>Cartier Martin</span> over <span>Martell Webster</span>, given the success of the three-guard lineup. The obvious play was to go with Webster, then play three guards to close the game, but he chose to go with Martin, who lost Maurice Harkless on a couple cuts and offensive rebounds early in the fourth quarter. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The impact of shooters: because the Magic had to account for Webster in the corner, Jordan Crawford had a lane to get the ball to Seraphin for a critical layup on a pick and roll.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">The Wizards did a really nice job of making their off-ball cuts whenever Temple is in the game. I don't think that's a coincidence. When you run a set that is well-executed, it's easier for everyone to know precisely when and where they must make their cuts. If the play is a beat off at the beginning, it affects everything at the end. With Temple in the game, the Wizards were more precise in how they timed every pass, which, in turn, affected how precise they were in timing every cut.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">Another thing that was nice to see: the aggressiveness of Seraphin when he caught a pass in a pick and roll situation. He popped out for most of the game, but in the fourth quarter, the Wizards got him rolling to the rim and he was much more aggressive.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">One more nice thing: the off-ball screening of Seraphin and Nene was excellent. The guards constantly found openings when they curled off screens or went to the basket with the dribble. Nice job by all of those guys.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 9px;">I'll refrain from talking about Crawford's dumb foul that nearly cost the Wizards more than it should have.</span></li>
</ul>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/28/3813162/magic-vs-wizards-score-final-2012Mike Prada2012-12-28T18:19:05-05:002012-12-28T18:19:05-05:00Discuss Magic vs. Wizards here
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<figcaption>Geoff Burke-US PRESSWIRE</figcaption>
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<p>Discuss tonight's game here</p> <table cellspacing="5" border="1" align="center" cellpadding="5"><tbody> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3">2012/2013 NBA Regular Season</th></tr> <tr> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/sports_magic/files/2010/06/new-orlando-magic-logo.jpg" height="72" width="80"></center></td> <th align="center" width="20">@</th> <td width="240"><center><img src="http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/wizards_alt_logo_hand.gif" height="72" width="80"></center></td> </tr> <tr><td align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>December 28, 2012</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>Verizon Center</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>7 p.m.</strong></td></tr> <tr><td align="center" colspan="3"><strong>CSN, 106.7 The Fan</strong></td></tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>Projected Starting Lineups</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Jameer Nelson</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PG</th> <td width="240"><span>Shelvin Mack</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Arron Afflalo</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">SG</th> <td width="240"><span>Bradley Beal</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">Maurice Harkless</td> <th align="center" width="20">SF</th> <td width="240"><span>Martell Webster</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Gustavo Ayon</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">PF</th> <td width="240">Nene</td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240"><span>Nikola Vucevic</span></td> <th align="center" width="20">C</th> <td width="240"><p><span>Emeka Okafor</span></p></td> </tr> <tr><th align="center" bgcolor="silver" colspan="3"><strong>2012/13 Advanced Stats</strong></th></tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">91.9 (14th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">Pace</th> <td width="240"><span>91.3 (19th)</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">100.6 (28th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">ORtg</th> <td width="240"><span>95.2 (30th)</span></td> </tr> <tr> <td align="right" width="240">102.3 (9th)</td> <th align="center" width="20">DRtg</th> <td width="240"><span>104.4 (12th)</span></td> </tr> <tr><th height="20" colspan="3" bgcolor="silver">Also see: <a href="http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Pinstriped Post</a> | <a href="http://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/28/3812982/wizards-vs-magic-preview-2012">StoryStream</a> | <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/2012/12/28/fastbreak122812webmov-2339354/index.html">Fast Break</a> </th></tr> </tbody></table>
<p> </p>
<p>WASHINGTON -- Two things of note.</p>
<p><strong>1. <span>Randy Wittman</span> said he'll stick with the same starting lineup. </strong>That means <span>Jordan Crawford</span> will come off the bench again.</p>
<p><strong>2. <span>John Wall</span> did a shooting drill before the game </strong>for the first time since late-November. (Obviously, he has shot around and worked out behind the scenes; I'm just talking about before a game). He worked with Jerry Sichting, and not <span>Sam Cassell</span>, which I found interesting. He also took a bunch of threes after his standard floater/mid-range jumper sets, which I found odd. (He was really streaky on these, making a bunch in a row, then missing a bunch in a row). <a href="http://www.nba.com/wizards/video/john-wall-shootaround">Here's a video</a> of him as he's shooting off the dribble.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/28/3812986/magic-vs-wizards-game-time-tv-schedule-and-open-threadMike Prada2012-12-28T16:38:41-05:002012-12-28T16:38:41-05:00Meet the Magic
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<figcaption>USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Learn more about the Wizards' opponent tonight.</p> <p> </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.bulletsforever.com/" class="sbn-auto-link">Wizards</a> will try for a second time to beat the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/">Orlando Magic</a>, the team everyone expected to be in the East's cellar. Learn more about them.</p>
<p><b>Where and When?</b> Tip off is at 7 p.m. The game will be on Comcast SportsNet.</p>
<p><b>Why Should I Care?</b> Because the Magic have now lost three straight to bad teams after being so good early on in December. This is about as winnable a game as you'll see on the schedule.</p>
<p><b>Are They Any Good?</b> No, but they were good for most of December, picking up critical road wins over good teams and playing with the point differential of a playoff squad. Recently, though, they've felt the loss of <span>Glen Davis</span>, who went down when the Wizards and Magic last played nine days ago.</p>
<p><b>Who's Out?</b> The usual suspects are not playing for the Wizards. For Orlando, Davis will not play for the fourth straight game.</p>
<p><b>What Are They Good At?</b> This is a very good defensive team that fights you hard and pays very good attention to detail. More specifically, they have taken two things out of the <span>Gregg Popovich</span> playbook in San Antonio: contesting shots and not fouling. Orlando<a href="http://hoopdata.com/teamgl.aspx?team=ORL"> is in the top 10 in the league</a> in both categories, and that goes a long way.</p>
<p><b>What Are They Bad At?</b> Generating offense, which is no surprise when you look at their roster. The absence of Davis, who at least soaked up a lot of possessions, has exacerbated this issue. Davis is really their version of Jordan Crawford. He takes bad shots and monopolizes the ball, but if he doesn't do it, nobody else can. In that way, he's carved out more value than he normally would elsewhere.</p>
<p><b>Will <span>J.J. Redick</span> go off tonight? </b>Of course. He always does.</p>
https://www.bulletsforever.com/2012/12/28/3812688/wizards-vs-magic-preview-meet-jacque-vaughns-squadMike Prada