Denton: Magic-Rockets Notes
By John Denton
December 23, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Marcin Gortat is a wildly popular hero back in his native Poland, so much so that he’s usually mobbed for autograph and picture requests when he walks the streets. But Gortat said recently that the other side of fame in his native country has hit him rather hard of late.
Gortat, who signed a five-year, $34 million free-agent contract over the summer, has struggled at times early this season, causing his playing time and confidence to dip. He said that some of the media in Poland have inferred that he hasn’t played as hard as in the past after earning a hefty payday.
``People are obviously talking to me and the media back in Poland are saying all kind of stuff about how I took the money and I’m not playing hard anymore,’’ Gortat said. ``I don’t care what they write or who is saying what. I just want to help this team and do everything that Coach (Stan) Van Gundy is telling me to do. I believe as long as I’m getting playing time that I’m helping the team and I believe that he needs me. I just want to pay him back and do everything I can to help out.’’
Gortat has played much better of late, aggressively attacking the boards on the offensive end of the floor. He said he showed up to training camp mentally fatigued after playing for Poland in the European Championships, and he’s just now back to 100 percent physically and mentally. And he admitted that early in the season his love for the game might have wavered, something that is no longer a problem.
``I’m trying to have some fun again. I’ve talked to some vets and they realized that I wasn’t enjoying the game as before,’’ Gortat said. ``I think it was a mental thing going from the European Basket to the NBA and you are playing over and over and you are getting tired. They’ve talked to me about trying to get my (swagger) back and enjoy the game again. I feel like my enjoyment for the game came back. I’m having fun going hard and I’m trying to not let anybody hit me and I’m trying to hit first.’’
STARTING AGAIN: Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who made his return Monday as a reserve after missing 16 games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Van Gundy said all along that Nelson was his unquestioned starter at point guard and he put the Magic captain back in the starting lineup even though he’s clearly still working his way back into top form.
Nelson missed all six of his shots in Monday’s win against Utah, but he was more upset about the shots that he passed up. In time, Nelson said, those instances will be fewer as his timing and rhythm return.
``When you are out there the game happens so fast. A play happens and then it closes up real fast or it opens up and you’re not ready,’’ Nelson said. ``I was really aggressive, but I just didn’t take some of the shots that I should have taken. It’ll come back to me.’’
T-MAC BACK? Tracy McGrady, who starred in Orlando from 2000-04 and twice led the NBA in scoring, said it gave him great joy to see his distant cousin, Vince Carter, now playing with the Magic. McGrady, a native of nearby Auburndale, left Orlando under acrimonious terms in 2004 after a spat with then-GM John Weisbrod, but he said he actually has nothing but fond memories of his time in Orlando.
``It’s good to see (Carter) home to keep the family in a Magic uniform,’’ McGrady said. ``Lot of great memories here, the four years that I played here were unbelievable years. Some great games, some great nights. There were just a lot of memories that I’ll never forget.’’
McGrady, whose playing time has been restricted since rejoining the team following a micro-fracture surgery on his knee last summer, can be an unrestricted free agent next July. His said his first option is clearly to return to Houston, but he’d be open to a return to Orlando if the situation presents it.
`` Of course, it’s home,’’ McGrady said when asked if he would consider the Magic this summer. ``But my first option is Houston over any team. Houston is where I want to be. My wife and kids love it there; it’s home for us. But you can’t ever rule out coming back. Vince gets to sleep in his own bed every night, in that big ol’ house he has over there. I told him, hypothetically speaking, if I was to come back – if I was to come back, I was gonna rent out his guest house.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
By John DentonDecember 23, 2009
Note: The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Orlando Magic. All opinions expressed by John Denton are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Orlando Magic or their Basketball Operations staff, partners or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Magic and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.
ORLANDO – Marcin Gortat is a wildly popular hero back in his native Poland, so much so that he’s usually mobbed for autograph and picture requests when he walks the streets. But Gortat said recently that the other side of fame in his native country has hit him rather hard of late.
Gortat, who signed a five-year, $34 million free-agent contract over the summer, has struggled at times early this season, causing his playing time and confidence to dip. He said that some of the media in Poland have inferred that he hasn’t played as hard as in the past after earning a hefty payday.
``People are obviously talking to me and the media back in Poland are saying all kind of stuff about how I took the money and I’m not playing hard anymore,’’ Gortat said. ``I don’t care what they write or who is saying what. I just want to help this team and do everything that Coach (Stan) Van Gundy is telling me to do. I believe as long as I’m getting playing time that I’m helping the team and I believe that he needs me. I just want to pay him back and do everything I can to help out.’’
Gortat has played much better of late, aggressively attacking the boards on the offensive end of the floor. He said he showed up to training camp mentally fatigued after playing for Poland in the European Championships, and he’s just now back to 100 percent physically and mentally. And he admitted that early in the season his love for the game might have wavered, something that is no longer a problem.
``I’m trying to have some fun again. I’ve talked to some vets and they realized that I wasn’t enjoying the game as before,’’ Gortat said. ``I think it was a mental thing going from the European Basket to the NBA and you are playing over and over and you are getting tired. They’ve talked to me about trying to get my (swagger) back and enjoy the game again. I feel like my enjoyment for the game came back. I’m having fun going hard and I’m trying to not let anybody hit me and I’m trying to hit first.’’
STARTING AGAIN: Magic point guard Jameer Nelson, who made his return Monday as a reserve after missing 16 games following arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, was back in the starting lineup on Wednesday.
Van Gundy said all along that Nelson was his unquestioned starter at point guard and he put the Magic captain back in the starting lineup even though he’s clearly still working his way back into top form.
Nelson missed all six of his shots in Monday’s win against Utah, but he was more upset about the shots that he passed up. In time, Nelson said, those instances will be fewer as his timing and rhythm return.
``When you are out there the game happens so fast. A play happens and then it closes up real fast or it opens up and you’re not ready,’’ Nelson said. ``I was really aggressive, but I just didn’t take some of the shots that I should have taken. It’ll come back to me.’’
T-MAC BACK? Tracy McGrady, who starred in Orlando from 2000-04 and twice led the NBA in scoring, said it gave him great joy to see his distant cousin, Vince Carter, now playing with the Magic. McGrady, a native of nearby Auburndale, left Orlando under acrimonious terms in 2004 after a spat with then-GM John Weisbrod, but he said he actually has nothing but fond memories of his time in Orlando.
``It’s good to see (Carter) home to keep the family in a Magic uniform,’’ McGrady said. ``Lot of great memories here, the four years that I played here were unbelievable years. Some great games, some great nights. There were just a lot of memories that I’ll never forget.’’
McGrady, whose playing time has been restricted since rejoining the team following a micro-fracture surgery on his knee last summer, can be an unrestricted free agent next July. His said his first option is clearly to return to Houston, but he’d be open to a return to Orlando if the situation presents it.
`` Of course, it’s home,’’ McGrady said when asked if he would consider the Magic this summer. ``But my first option is Houston over any team. Houston is where I want to be. My wife and kids love it there; it’s home for us. But you can’t ever rule out coming back. Vince gets to sleep in his own bed every night, in that big ol’ house he has over there. I told him, hypothetically speaking, if I was to come back – if I was to come back, I was gonna rent out his guest house.’’
John Denton writes for Orlandomagic.com. His Orlando Magic ``Behind the Scenes’’ segment can be heard on ESPN 1080 AM on Thursday at 5:05 p.m. Submit questions to John for his ``Ask J.D.’’ mailbag feature that will appear every Friday at AskJD@orlandomagic.com.
