Superman had 26 points and 22 rebounds against the New York Knicks.

The Orlando Magic beat the Knicks 118 to 92 on Saturday night.

Surprising Orlando continues to lead the Southeast Division. Yes, there is a Southeast Division. It is very weak, with the Wizards, Hawks, Bobcats, and Heat, but the Magic do lead the division. Orlando, by the way, is the only team above .500 in the Division.

It was a super performance by Dwight Howard playing for the shorthanded Magic.

Missing injured guards Jameer Nelson and Keyon Dooling, the Magic used only eight players until the last 4:50. All five starters scored in double figures, and three topped 20 points. Hedo Turkoglu had 25 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and Rashard Lewis had 22 points and seven rebounds. source

Get this, Howard has 52 double doubles. Fifty two! That is amazing and leads the NBA.

Even more incredible are the seven 20/20 games (20 points and 20 rebounds). Do you how hard it is to even have 20 rebounds?

Dwight’s game just keeps improving. If he can add a consistent mid-range jumper to his game, then you will have to start talking MVP possibilities.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Can Dwight add the mid-range jumper to his game?

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Maurice Brooks writes for NBA.com and has an ongoing article keeping track of his Top Ten nominations for NBA MVP.

It is called Race to the MVP Weekly Leaders.

Let’s take a look at Maurice’s list with your intrepid author’s comments in italics.

LeBron says – It is all about team (yeah, right)

1. LeBron – Last Week’s Rank – 1
The Cavs are six games below .500 without James in the lineup and 13 games above it when he plays. This past week I received a large amount of e-mails pointing out that he is in the East. Do you really think his stats would be any worse if he were in the West? As well as he has balled this season, he has been even better lately, averaging nearly 33 points, nine boards and six assists over his past six games.

You will get no argument from me. LeBron is bringing it right now and his team is winning.

2. Chris Paul

Wow, Maurice goes out of his way to rake Deron Williams over the coals, but the Hornets are hot right now and that helps.

3. Kobe Bryant

Maurice seems to think Pau Gasol will reduce Kobe’s chance to win the MVP, but your gallivanting author thinks it will increase his chances. Pau will be a number two star that will keep the winning coming, especially when they get Bynum back.

4. Steve Nash – I know there are a bunch of fans checking out R2MVP right now and wondering how come this guy is always in the top five. We’ll start with the fact that he is a great teammate, shoots over 50 percent from the floor and over 90 percent from the line, leads the league in assists and is the best player on the best team in the West and go from there.

Nash is unbelievable, but it is how he incorporates Shaq that will make the difference.

5. Dwight Howard

Maurice kids Dwight a bit and he is an emerging star, but this ranking just seems too high.

6. Allen Iverson

The only person that plays less D is Melo.

7. Paul Pierce

An unrecognized star for years, there is still the question of how well he will play number two star to Kevin Garnett.

8. Dirk Nowitzki

Wait a minute, this guy plays less D than AI.

9. Baron Davis

Love watching this guy play, but then Stephon Marbury amazes me too.

10. Kevin Garnett

This guy has to be in the top five. Come on.

Love Maurice’s column, but does he have to get down on Rasheed Wallace being picked for the All Star game? Rasheed has his ups and downs, but the Pistons are nothing without him. He routinely shuts down opposing centers and power forwards and scores his share in the Pistons balanced scoring offense.

Defense needs to be included in the MVP award and sadly is not.

Where is Tim Duncan?

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Thanks goes to Blue Workhorse.com for sending this YouTube on Dwight Howard putting together his Dunk routine for the All Star game.

Dwight talks about being disappointed from not winning it last year.

There is also a bit of Vitamin Water ad going on, but not much.

He wants to win it for the Big Men in Basketball!

As you can see, Dwight can really throw it down!

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Rip Hamilton scoring over Dwight Howard

The Pistons destroyed the Orlando Magic.

It was a no contest.

Rasheed came out to show Orlando and Dwight Howard what an NBA All Star veteran can do and he did it early and often.

By the time the first quarter was over the game was hard to watch.

First Quarter score Pistons 39 – Magic 18

Final Score Pistons 101 – Magic 93

Rasheed was a +24 while he was on the floor. That means the Pistons outscored the Magic by 24 points while Rasheed was on the floor. Pretty hard to overcome that kind of output.

It was not that Dwight Howard looked bad on the court. On the contrary, at times he looked dominant, but that was against the Pistons bench. And that was a bored bench, most of the time playing with a 20 point plus lead.

At times, even Amir Johnson looked better than Dwight. It is hard to play on the road behind by so many points.

Yes, it was a hard game to watch.

Rasheed Wallace stole a pass on the opening possession against the Orlando Magic. In the first 2 1/2 minutes, the Detroit Pistons’ forward scored seven points, blocked a shot and grabbed a rebound.

When Wallace’s pace slowed, Richard Hamilton picked up the slack.

Hamilton scored 32 points and Wallace had 13 of his 15 in the first quarter, helping the Pistons build a big lead that allowed them to coast in a 101-93 win over Orlando on Friday night. source

The Pistons wanted to send a message back to the Magic. The message was sent in impressive fashion.

What was the message?

We are better!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Do you think the Magic want to meet the Pistons in the playoffs again?

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Rashard Lewis – We beat the Pistons!

Young teams have to go through a growth cycle and it appears that the Orlando Magic took a big step in that growth cycle.

The Magic beat the Pistons 102 to 100.

The Pistons had pounded the Magic on a regular basis

It had gotten to the point that some of the Magic were tired of the losing and some of them half expected to just lose again.

This is the growth cycle.

You must overcome the psychological hurdles that the great teams can throw at you. Losing to the Pistons was one of those hurdles.

It happened four straight games in last year’s playoffs, and four in the regular season before that. Detroit also handily won their first of four contests this year. source

The Pistons did not make it easy for the Magic. Chauncey Billups managed to can a 32 foot 3 pointer to tie it up with 3.6 seconds left.

“I was thinking, ‘How in the world did he make that?”‘ Howard said. “I was expecting him to miss it, but they call him ‘Big Shot Chauncey.”‘

Actually they call him Mr. Big Shot, maybe correct nicknames is another one of those hurdles.

Rashard Lewis made a tough shot at the buzzer to pull out the victory.

Mr. Big Shot was willing to accept that. Great teams accept great losses.

“I can sleep after a game like this,” said Chauncey Billups, whose 32-foot 3-pointer tied the score with 3.6 seconds left. “After that loss in Chicago, I was up at five in the morning, mad, wondering what’s going on. A game like this, we fought, we competed and the dude (Lewis) hit a tough, tough shot. That’s why he gets paid the big bucks.” source

The Magic had more heroes in this game.

Lewis might have received a $116 million contract from the Magic, but on this night, it was Hedo Turkoglu who hurt the Pistons the most.

He had 26 points and had eight assists. The Magic kept running a high pick-and-roll play with Dwight Howard (23 points). While the Pistons’ defense focused on Howard, Turkoglu continually got clear lanes to the basket.

Rasheed Wallace had a monster game for the Pistons with 15 points and 15 rebounds.

Orlando took a little step towards believing in themselves and it can only pay dividends down the road.

Keep in mind they caught the Pistons in a mini slump and things may not work as well the next time, but that too is a part of the growth cycle.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Where is your team in the growth cycle?

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LeBron James knows he must improve for Cleveland to win

It is not often that LeBron James is humbled.

It is even less often that the King is shown to be at a deficit with his hoop skills.

The Cleveland Cavaliers surprised a lot of teams last year, but unless LeBron and the team improve, they will fall behind the Pistons, Celtics, and probably the Magic.

And right now LeBron is behind Kobe in his ability to finish a game.

In last year’s Championship, the San Antonio Spurs took LeBron and basically punished him.

So the Spurs took LeBron out behind the woodshed?

Well, not exactly, but something like that.

The San Antonio Spurs prevented LeBron James from dominating in last year’s NBA Championship series.

The Spurs, given more than enough time to game plan, took advantage of his shortcomings during the Finals. Bruce Bowen chased him wherever he went, and when James did penetrate, he usually found a four-man wall waiting for him.

The Spurs’ goal: If James wanted to drive, he was going to have to plow through a crowd of them to do so. Instead, they dared James to fire pick-and-roll jumpers, and he didn’t make nearly enough, shooting just 32 percent in the four-game sweep. source

The King was not going to side idly by and let this public humiliation escape away without rectifying some soft spots in his game.

So, LeBron James went to work this past summer.

So James brought Cleveland’s shooting coach, Chris Jent, with him nearly everywhere he went last summer. Jent was in Las Vegas working with James as he trained with Team USA. He accompanied him to Los Angeles for the ESPYs. To New England for a working vacation.

The results aren’t hard to see. Just ask the Memphis Grizzlies, whom James hung 51 points on Tuesday. He’s leading the league in scoring, averaging 29.8 points per game while shooting a career-best 48.7 percent. James’ three-point percentage has dropped slightly, but his midrange game has never been better.

Now that the King has improved, LeBron would like to see the team improve. One area of definite improvement would be more talent.

“They have to get LeBron more help,” one scout said recently.

The GM, Danny Ferry, has twice tried to get Mike Bibby, asked about Andre Miller of the Sixers, tried to put together a package for Jason Kidd of the Nets. So far no luck.

Geez, LeBron takes the team all the way to the finals without talent. How scary would the Cav’s be with talent?

One thing is for sure, LeBron will be working on his game in the meantime to get better.

NBA Basketball Fan Question Is LeBron the best player in the NBA?

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Grant Hill slashing to victory

If ever there was a nicer guy in the NBA than Grant Hill, then that player would be a Saint.

Grant left the Pistons and they still wanted him back.

We are now very close to Grant Hill’s debut as a Sun.

Phoenix did not hesitate to pick him up, because Grant is more than nice, he is capable of still putting up big numbers.

When Grant played for the Detroit Pistons, back when he was healthy, they had him at a new position called point forward. In other words, he would not bring the ball up, but the point guard would immediately pass to Grant Hill popping out from the baseline on every play.

Grant then took over as the playmaker for that possession. Point Forward.

Grant Hill did not have a very good shot at that time and eventually had to hire a shot coach will helped him to a great degree. So, Hill was mainly a slasher and rebounder in those days.

The Pistons were an anemic team back then and Grant was not accustomed to being the sole leader. He needed a partner at that time, especially one that could knock down the crucial bucket.

The rules at that time made it difficult for a slasher with no jumper to score the big bucket. The referees tended to favor the defender, unlike now where some players have actually learned how to lean into their defender and earn a trip to the foul line.

After his Piston time came the Orlando years of having little talent around him and constant foot injuries. Hill enjoyed a huge salary at the time, but would have given it all up to win.

The Suns dial the phone

Phoenix came calling this year and what they offered was the chance to win it all. Come play with us and be involved and win it all. The contract was for a meager 1.83 million.

Phoenix has come so close year after year with always some freakish event holding them back.

If Amare Stoudemire could have stayed on the bench when San Antonio’s Robert Horry slammed Steve Nash into the scorer’s table in last season’s conference semifinals, the Phoenix Suns might be the reigning NBA champions….

If Nash hadn’t had to leave the court with a cut gushing blood from his nose last season in Game 1 of that series, maybe the Suns would have won. If Joe Johnson didn’t smash his face in the 2005 conference finals, if Raja Bell hadn’t missed two games of the 2006 conference finals. source

It is not to dwell on what might have happened if the circumstances had been slightly different, but it is more to show just how close the Suns are to finally winning it all with this nucleus of Nash, Marion, and Stoudemire.

Grant Hill longs for the winning feeling he once enjoyed at Duke.

Someday, the laws of nature insist Nash will show signs of age. These runs at the title won’t go on forever. Just ask Hill, who played on a constant contender at Duke but hasn’t come close in his injury-plagued pro career.

“I played 13 seasons in the NBA and we never expected to win a championship on those teams,” he said. “So I know these opportunities don’t come around often.

You could say Grant Hill longs for Phoenix as much as Phoenix longs for Grant Hill.

Grant has a chance to not only win with the Suns, but perhaps be that difference between winning it all and having to say what if.

And it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy!

strong>NBA Basketball Fan Question Will Phoenix win it all?

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Ben Gordon shooting the lights out!

The NBA draft class of 2004 has their contracts coming up for renewal.

In the NBA, this is the first of the great Promises, like a strong spring breeze after a long cold winter; it brings with it many new riches.

This time period, 3 years after your initial contract, is the reason that so many undernourished, undereducated, immature lanky, talented basketball players leave College early to go to the Pros.

You see, it is not the NBA come calling, it is the after 3 years free agent or renegotiate that they hear so loudly.

The class of 2004, including Ben Gordon, may face the harsh reality of being drafted at the wrong time.

With only a few teams expected to be under the salary cap next summer, there probably won’t be a big market for free agents. Most teams are going to drive a hard bargain with their ‘04 rookies right now. Because any contract they sign would be guaranteed, those players are going to be asked to give up some money in return for the security of a longer-term deal. source

The teams have until Oct 31st and only 3 players have signed on the dotted line; Dwight Howard, Devin Harris and Kevin Martin.

If they don’t sign before Oct 31, then next year they can test the Free Agent waters.

Here are some of the players from the class of 2004:

Emeka Okafor, Bobcats, No. 2 pick
Bobcats co-owner Michael Jordan has said he wants to re-sign the 6-10 forward/center, the 2005 Rookie of the Year, but so far no deal has been reached. Will the Bobcats be willing to go into the $70 to $75 million range for a player with Okafor’s history of injuries?

Ben Gordon, Bulls, No. 3
The 6-2 guard and former Sixth Man Award winner has blossomed into a 20-point scorer, meaning he probably wants a deal better than the five-year, $47.5 million package Kirk Hinrich signed a year ago. More likely, it will take something similar to that of Sacramento’s Martin. But with teammate Luol Deng (see below) also due for a hefty extension, can the Bulls afford both?

Al Jefferson, Timberwolves, No. 15
He could be in for a near max deal after averaging 16 points and 11 boards last season. Plus, as the main piece in the Kevin Garnett trade, Wolves vice president Kevin McHale can’t afford to let the 6-10 power forward get away.

Others include:

Shaun Livingston, Clippers – injured

Josh Childress, Hawks – probably headed for free agency

Luol Deng, Bulls – looking at a huge payday, but will it be the Bulls?

Andrew Iquodala, 76ers – possible free agent

Josh Smith, Hawks – maybe free agent

Jameer Nelson, Magic – undecided by the Magic

Yes, Ben Gordon and the class of 2004 may have to live on only 7 or 8 million a year a piece. How will they manage?

NBA Basketball Fan Question Which of these free agents would you want the most?

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Grant Hill has a new wardrobe

My Pistons would have taken Grant Hill back in a second.

No, your intrepid author does not own the Pistons. It is a figure of speech, geez.

But we still would have taken Grant back!

Phoenix is where Grant has ended up and the land of retirement sun and dry air may be the final resting place for this basketball legend.

Motown

If we back up a few years, well, several years to a Piston team that had very little beyond Grant Hill to work with, you will see a determined Hill that was put into the position to be the main star on the team.

Hill averaged over 20 points and 7 boards while shooting a percentage in the high 40’s.

At the same time, Grant struggled with the leader role. He could not be the main star at that time, because his game was limited to taking it to the rack and during crunch time that does not always work.

Disney World

Unfortunately in spite of universal love by Detroit and all fans in Michigan, money got involved and Grant had to leave for Orlando.

As a side note, Orlando allowed Ben Wallace to go to Detroit where he brought a championship to the town.

Orlando brought nothing but pain to Grant with multiple surgeries and very little talent surrounding him.

The speedy Suns

Now he finds himself in Phoenix and does not have to be a starter, let alone a star. Those jobs belong to Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion.

Grant feels healthy and even though he is 35, Grant has not logged a lot of minutes in his career because of the prior injuries.

From injuries to the Suns, it is a whole new world for Grant.

That was then, before six surgeries, including five on his ankle, and 374 missed games in seven years with the Orlando Magic. This is now: Hill, who turns 35 Friday, begins his 14th season with a healthy ankle and a hunger to win a ring matched only by his new Phoenix Suns teammates, who have flirted with a championship the past three seasons. source

Grant even said he was working on his 3 point shot, but it remains to be seen.

Can Grant Hill get it done at 35?

Will Grant Hill finally get his ring?

Nobody knows for sure, but there is one thing for sure, Grant Hill is excited to be a Phoenix Sun!

NBA Basketball Fan Question Will you be rooting for Grant Hill to do well?

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