Basketball 
/ Nick Shiambouros / 01 February 2011 / Leave a Comment 
Dwight Howard remains the charismatic leader of this Orlando outfit
"The Magic are definitely playing with a lot more intensity since the trade but I think they will have their work cut out to trouble Miami and Boston in the post-season."
Orlando shocked the NBA with a seven player, three team trade earlier this season, says Nick Shiambouros, but is it all working out?
The Orlando Magic are currently in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 31-18. After a poor start to the season the new look Magic appear to be heading in the right direction and are playing some high-quality basketball.
Last December Magic GM Otis Smith stunned the basketball world by trading Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter, Mickael Pietrus and Marcin Gortat in a three team deal. In return, Orlando signed Hedo Turkoglu and Jason Richardson from Phoenix and Gilbert Arenas from Washington.
Smith felt that some of his starters were not putting in enough effort on the floor and this prompted him to take such drastic action so early in the season.
After this blockbuster trade took place, Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy put his rotation together in record time, which was no easy task.
The current team is built around superstar center Dwight Howard who is having an outstanding season on both ends of the floor. Howard averages more than 22 points per game and is a huge presence inside the painted area. On the defensive end he is averaging over 13 rebounds per game which is impressive to say the least.
Jameer Nelson surprisingly retained his position in the face of competition from Arenas, but Van Gundy has kept the new man on the bench. This is despite Arenas being paid $62m over the next three years - a jaw-dropping amount of money for a bench player. Arenas is one of the most talented point guards in the game and should be given an opportunity to prove himself in Orlando.
The Magic are definitely playing with a lot more intensity since the trade but I think they will have their work cut out to trouble Miami and Boston in the post-season.
Orlando have some pretty tough games coming up before the All-Star break later on this month. They have to play Miami, Boston and the Los Angeles Lakers within the next two weeks.
I think the Magic are well worth opposing against these three elite teams. Despite recent improvements, they do not appear to have the right balance and chemistry required to compete at the highest level despite replacing half the team. In addition Orlando do not have a natural shooting guard in the rotation, which puts a lot more pressure on Howard to deliver.
I would not rule out the chance of Orlando trading a couple more players before the deadline on February 24 in an attempt to address this issue. If they could tempt someone like Tayshaun Prince from Detroit they would have a more realistic chance of competing for a championship.
Recommended Wagers:
February 3 Lay Orlando v Miami with advertised handicap
February 6 Lay Orlando v Boston with advertised handicap
February 13 Lay Orlando v Los Angeles in the match odds market
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