Offseason Report: The Remaining Free Agents

The 2009 Offseason has started to heat up with the contract agreements of Ron Artest with the Lakers, Hedo Turkoglu with the Raptors, and Trevor Ariza with the Rockets, and Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva with the Pistons, but there are still many top-level free agents available that could mean the difference between a championship and disappointing June for many teams.  For example, the Lakers are no guarantee to repeat if they aren’t able to re-sign Lamar Odom, and the Celtics will be low on big men and wins if they can’t sign Glen Davis or Rasheed Wallace.

Among the biggest names still available are Lamar Odom, Shawn Marion, Paul Millsap, Jason Kidd, and Mike Bibby, though it is reported that Bibby with reach an agreement to return to the Hawks soon.  Jason Kidd has recieved interest from the New York Knicks and his team last season, the Dallas Mavericks.  Most likely he will reach a deal soon, or go to the Lakers or Cavaliers for the veteran minimum for a chance to win a ring.  After a disastrous 08-09 season, Allen Iverson is looking for a team that will take him.  Last season, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups, the team instantly got worse and barely made the playoffs while the Nuggets instantly got better and become championship contenders.  Iverson has been reported to be interested in the Memphis Grizzlies and Charlotte Bobcats, two lottery teams that aren’t anywhere close to championship contention.

Most likely, Lamar Odom, Mike Bibby, Jason Kidd, Ramon Sessions, Andre Miller, and Glen Davis will re-sign with their teams, but free agents such as Shawn Marion, Anderson Varejao, Leon Powe, Nate Robinson, David Lee, and Rasheed Wallace are looking for a new home.  Wallace has received a ton of interest from the Boston Celtics and their Big 3 of Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, while also getting calls from the Orlando Magic.  The Celtics have already said that they will not be re-signing Leon Powe because he is injured, so expect him to sign with a team part-way through the season once he is healthy.  Glen Davis on the other hand, did excellent for the Celtics in the postseason in place of the injured Garnett and will be demanding the mid-level exception from teams.

Sources: Turkoglu Joining Raptors

I don’t see why he would rather go to the lottery-bound Raptors over the soon-to-be championship contender Blazers, especially when he will be making the same amount of money?

ESPN: Free agent forward Hedo Turkoglu changed his mind Friday, deciding not to join the Portland Trail Blazers, opting instead to accept an offer from the Toronto Raptors, sources told ESPN.com.

The Raptors last-minute bid will give Turkoglu all of the salary-cap space they will get by renouncing their rights to Shawn Marion, Anthony Parker and Carlos Delfino. The Raptors expect to have about $10.1 million in cap space to give to Turkoglu for his first-year salary; he would get an eight percent annual raise over the next four seasons of the deal, a source told ESPN.com.

The Raptors have until July 7 to renounce Marion, Delfino and Parker, so it remains a possibility and that a sign-and-trade deal could take shape. But as of now, it is a straight-up deal between Turkoglu and Toronto.

Turkoglu’s decision to go to the Raptors sent shock waves throughout the NBA as he apparently became the first player to renege on an agreement in principal since Carlos Boozer left Cleveland for Utah in 2004.

Earlier Friday, ESPN.com’s Henry Abbott reported that Turkoglu had agreed in principle to a deal with the Trail Blazers, citing sources. The report, which said the deal couldn’t be formally signed until the NBA salary cap is set next Wednesday, followed a Wednesday night dinner in Orlando between Turkoglu and Blazers head coach Nate McMillan, followed by two days of negotiations.

Friday afternoon, Bucher reported that the Turkish star remained in Portland, where he and the team were working on a deal.

After ESPN.com reported the agreement in principle, several news organizations confirmed it, using sources. Late Friday afternoon, the Oregonian reported that Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard and Turkoglu’s agent, Lon Babby, had not confirmed the deal, but that talks were continuing.

Turkoglu, a 6-foot-10 forward from Turkey who played a prominent role in the Orlando Magic’s recent trip to the NBA Finals, had been looking for a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $50 million. Turkoglu is a nine-year NBA veteran. He played for Sacramento and San Antonio before signing with Orlando as a free agent in 2004.

This season he often ran Orlando’s offense and created matchup problems for the Celtics and Cavaliers in the playoffs. Against the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in the finals, Turkoglu averaged 18 points.

The Blazers are looking to bolster a team that won 54 games last season and advanced to the playoffs for the first time since 2003.

Anchored by All-Star guard Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, the Blazers were the second-youngest team in the NBA.

ESPN.com’s Chris Sheridan, Ric Bucher and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Report: Hedo Turkoglu backs out of commitment with Blazers

This is a stupid move by him.  Not only does he make himself look unloyal and like a jerk, but he also is now forced to sign for way less or go to the Raptors, who won’t be contending anytime soon.

Yahoo! Sports: Free agent Hedo Turkoglu has backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and could be signing with the Toronto Raptors, a source close to the talks told Yahoo! Sports on Friday night.

Turkoglu had agreed on a five-year, $50 million deal with the Blazers, but changed his mind and could be headed for a five-year, $56 million deal with the Raptors. Toronto would have to renounce three free agents – Shawn Marion, Carlos Delfino and Anthony Parker – to create the cap space for Turkoglu.

Apparently, the Blazers are already busy exploring other free-agent options for the $9 million in salary-cap space.

Five years ago, Turkoglu was close to signing with the Phoenix Suns that now-Toronto GM Bryan Colangelo was running, but changed his mind and went to the Orlando Magic.

Sources: Blazers, Turkoglu Reach Contract Agreement

This is a good move for the Blazers, but it might cause some problems in the future.  Hedo Turkoglu is getting old, and they gave him a 5-year deal.  Also, Rudy Fernandez was angry about the deal and Travis Outlaw with almost certainly leave now that he will never get a starting spot.  It also hurts them financially since they won’t have as much money to sign Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, and Greg Oden once they are off of their rookie contracts.

ESPN: Hedo Turkoglu has reached an agreement in principle to join the Portland Trail Blazers, according to sources.

Although a verbal commitment may be announced sooner, the terms of the contract cannot be finalized until Wednesday when the NBA informs teams what the 2009-10 salary cap will be.

The Orlando Magic‘s recent trade for Vince Carter, who has a large salary and plays small forward — which is Turkoglu’s position — made it highly unlikely Turkoglu would be back in Orlando.

The Toronto Raptors expressed interest in Turkoglu, but were constrained by their other efforts to keep Shawn Marion and Carlos Delfino.

Turkoglu, a 6-10 forward from Turkey who played a prominent role in the Magic’s recent trip to the NBA Finals, had been looking for a five-year deal in the neighborhood of $50 million.

Experts believe the cap likely will be somewhere between $57 million and $59 million. If the cap number comes in at the high end, the Blazers can offer close to what Turkoglu is hoping for.

After having dinner with Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan in Florida on Wednesday, Turkoglu flew to Portland on Thursday to visit the the team and see the city.

ESPN’s Ric Bucher reported that the Turkish star remained in Portland on Friday, where he and the team were working on a deal.

The Blazers, one of the youngest teams in the NBA, had been intent on adding experienced players this offseason. They targeted the 30-year-old Turkoglu as a player who could take pressure off team leader Brandon Roy, who has carried the burden of creating most of the team’s scoring opportunities.

Henry Abbott writes the TrueHoop blog for ESPN.com.

Free Agent Breakdown: Small Forward

Free Agency is underway and already there have been many rumors and negotiations between NBA franchises and the top-tier free agents.  The Small Forward position is the deepest position in the Free Agent Class of 2009.  Among the top small forwards are Trevor Ariza, Hedo Turkoglu, Shawn Marion, and Ron Artest.  Many teams have already expressed their interest in these players, and each one of them will find a suitor in a short period of time.

Player-By-Player Analysis

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Trevor Ariza

08-09 Season Stats: 8.9 ppg / 4.3 rpg / 1.8 apg / .460 FG% / .710 FT% / .319 3P% / 1.67 spg / 0.29 bpg / 1.06 to / 24.4 mpg

Height: 6’8″ / Weight: 210 lbs. / Age: 24 / Last Year’s Salary: $3,100,000 / Last Team: Los Angeles Lakers (65-17; NBA Champs)

Trevor Ariza has the most potential out of all the free agent small forwards, but right now he is also not as good as the veterans.  Ariza has shown that he has a strong work ethic by improving his 3-point shooting dramatically from the 07-08 season, as well as improving during the season.  Last season he shot .319% from 3-point range, much better than his career average of .299% from behind the arc.  But, most impressive, is that during the postseason he stepped up his game and shot .476% from behind the arc as well as increasing his scoring and assist averages while shooting a higher FG%.  His 3-point shooting and defense was vital for the Lakers’ title run.

Ariza still isn’t good as creating his own shot, but he is excellent at moving without the ball and getting open for 3′s.  During the regular season and postseason, Ariza hit many huge shots for the Lakers, with many of them being 3-pointers.  Ariza is already one of the top role players in the league, and should continue to improve.  He is also unaffected by pressure and can make shots at the end of games, something that is extremely valuable in a player.  He also steps up his defense at the end of games and many times came up with critical steals throught the regular season and postseason.  At the extremely young age of 24, Trevor still has plenty of time to improve his game.  Expect him to become a lock-down 1-on-1 defender as well as a better shooter and offensive initiator.

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Ron Artest

08-09 Season Stats: 17.1 ppg / 5.2 rpg / 3.3 apg / .401 FG% / .748 FT% / .399 3P% / 1.52 spg / 0.35 bpg / 2.03 to / 35.5 mpg

Height: 6’7″ / Weight: 260 lbs. / Age: 29 / Last Year’s Salary: $7,400,000 / Last Team: Houston Rockets (53-29; 2nd Round)

Ron-Ron is definitely the toughest player in this year’s free agent class (and possibly the league), but he is also the most mentally unstable.  Ron Artest proved last season that he can stay under control and not cause problems, but who knows how long he can keep that up.  Artest is a very talented player, especially on the defensive end, but his history and craziness scares some teams away as well as making some teams not want to give him a long term deal.  While Artest is worth around $10 million a year, he will only be getting the Mid-Level Exception (around $5.6 million) due to most teams not having cap room.  Artest shot a low percentage last season due to taking way too many bad shots, but don’t expect him to do that if he is teamed up with LeBron James or Kobe Bryant.

One of Artest’s greatest strength though is literally his strength.  He is an extremely strong and tough player, which helps him on offense and defense.  He is one of the best 1-on-1 perimeter defenders in the league and doesn’t back down from anyone, even if they are torching him (e.g.: anytime he is playing Kobe Bryant).  While he is viewed as crazy and unstable by mostly every NBA fan, he is also one of the biggest competitors and will do whatever it takes to win.  Artest is a really good 3-point shooter and can create his own shot well, one of the weaknesses of Shawn Marion and Trevor Ariza.

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Hedo Turkoglu

08-09 Season Stats: 16.8 ppg / 5.3 rpg / 4.9 apg / .413 FG% / .356 3P% / .807 FT% / 0.83 spg / 0.25 bpg / 2.65 to / 36.6 mpg

Height: 6’10″ / Weight: 220 lbs. / Age: 30 / Last Year’s Salary: $6,864,200 / Last Team: Orlando Magic (59-23; NBA Finals)

Hedo Turkoglu was the most improved player in the 07-08 season, and with a strong 08-09 season he is now looking to get the biggest paycheck of his life.  Turkoglu developed into a clutch player and offensive initiator in the 07-08 season, and continued that into the 08-09 season.  He can create his own shot and create shots for others, something that Ariza, Artest, and Marion aren’t very good at doing.  Hedo also has a huge size advantage over the other small forwards.  But, one of Turkoglu’s problems is that he is a mediocre defensive player, which also happens to be the strengths of Marion, Artest, and Ariza.  Turkoglu is clearly the best offensive player, and worst defensive player of the group.

 Turkoglu has the ability to create his own shot and do it well, but he has a tendency to take a lot of bad shots.  He also gets a ton of open looks due to the other stars on his team, just like Ariza does on the Lakers.  His shoots a low % due to his bad shots.  But his numbers are also benefited from having Rashard Lewis and Dwight Howard to pass to for assists and they also take pressure off of him on offense.  Turkoglu is one of the “point-forwards” in the league.  Point-forwards are small or power forwards that have the ability to dribble the ball up court and set up teammates for scores.  Lamar Odom and LeBron James are 2 of the more well-known point-forwards in the league.

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Shawn Marion

08-09 Season Stats: 12.9 ppg / 8.5 rpg / 2.0 apg / .485 FG% / .189 3P% / .796 FT% / 1.28 spg / 1.0 bpg / 1.52 to / 35.8 mpg

Height: 6’7″ / Weight: 228 lbs. / Age: 31 / Last Year’s Salary: $17,810,000 / Last Team: Toronto Raptors (33-49; Missed Playoffs)

The Matrix is only a star in an up-tempo style of play with a premier pass-first point guard.  Without those 2 things he is only an above-average role player.  Marion is a terrible outside shooter, expecially without Steve Nash to get him open looks, and can’t create shots for himself or others.  But, he is one of the best players in the league on a fast break, as well as the best rebounder for his size in the league.  Of the free agent small forwards, Shawn Marion is the best at blocking shots and rebounding, but the worst player on the offensive end of the court.  The only offense Marion can create for himself is the occasional post-up of a smaller player or a drive to the basket.

Shawn also has an attitude problem.  He wants to be the star and go-to guy of a team, but he can’t create his own shot and can’t set up teammates for open shots.  Though he is one of the top players in the league you would want on the fastbreak with you or guarding the other team’s star player with the game on the line, he creates too many problems and doesn’t really have a position.  He can’t shoot or dribble well enough to be a small forward and his too small to be a power foward.

Lakers Smack Magic, Pop Champaign

The Los Angeles Lakers are your 2009 NBA Champions.  Not too surprising considering they had the world’s best player, a player who craved a 4th championship, a player who was motivated beyond any measure to finish the job this time. And his teammates followed his lead all the way to a championship. That player has put himself in the conversation as one of the top 5 greatest basketball players of all-time.

Kobe Bryant, the greatest wing player of this decade, vaulted his team’s play to another level and the Los Angeles Lakers and their fans can now celebrate a 15th championship. This one was a long time coming. Just 24 months ago, it looked as though Kobe Bryant would never wear the purple and gold again. It started to get ugly, with Kobe asking to be traded before the ’08 season. Teams lined up trying to secure Bryant’s services but GM Mitch Kupchak refused to trade the superstar. I’d say it turned out to be a good move.

In a dominating performance, the Lakers won their 4th title in the last 10 years by soundly beating the Orlando Magic 99-86 to win the series 4-1. Big ups to Phil Jackson for a record 10th title as a coach. He is one of the top 3 coaches of all-time. Yes he had Jordon and Pippen, then Kobe and Shaq but everyone needs talent to win a championship so that argument is just ridiculous. He is arguably the best coach ever. And this year there was no second star player. It was Kobe and some good players who filled in nicely and that is how you build a champion.

Game 5– Kobe Bryant led the way with 30 pts to go with 6 rebounds, 5 assists,  4 blocks, and the Bill Russell Finals MVP Award. He averaged 32.4 pts and 7.4 assists in the Finals. Lamar Odom added 17 and 10, Ariza had 15 pts, Gasol racked up 14 pts and 15 boards, and Fisher had 13. Orlando was led by Rashard Lewis’s 18 pts on 6-19 shooting. The Lakers shot 8-16 from behind the arc compared to the Magic’s 8-27 and outrebounded the eastern champs 47-36. I was disappointed by the Magic’s response after LA went on a killer 16-0 run at the end of the 1st half. Frankly, it looked as though Orlando packed it in after that. Rashard Lewis for one was not hustling after rebounds. Ariza beat him to a ball early in the 4th and it just showed he was mentally gone. He wasn’t the only one. The entire Magic team played poorly and other for game 3, they shot terribly from 3 pt. range, which was their undoing. The 3-pt. shots went down against Cleveland but not in the Finals against a more determined, couragous team. If you actually take a closer look at LA, they were not suprememly talented. Kobe is the best player in the world, Gasol is one of the top big man but in no way is he dominant,  and Odom is a good player but excruicatingly inconsistent. All three played great in the series and that was the difference. Ariza was just awesome throughout the entire playoffs. He has turned himself into an invaluable player because of his desire, hustle, 3-pt. shooting ability, and excellent defense. The rest of the team are bench players. Fisher is a verteran who stepped up at the end of game 4 but other than that, he is an average player. Walton, Farmar, Vujacic, Brown, and Bynum are bench guys right now. So LA wasn’t like Boston from last year where they were obvioulsy talent laden with three stars in Garnett, Pierce, Allen, and a young stud in Rondo. But the Lakers came back tougher this year and they played very well. They were clearly the best team in the last two rounds of the playoffs.

The lasting image i’ll remember from this series is Kobe’s hanging banker over Dwight Howard midway through the 3rd quarter of game 5. Just an unblievable display of strength and hangtime, especially considering he shot over a 7 footer with mad bunnies. Which play was better, MJ’s against the Lakers in the ’91 Finals or Kobe’s over Superman?

Player of the Finals other than Bryant: I love Trevor Ariza’s game and the way he plays. While his Finals stats were modest at 11 pts and 6 rebounds, he’s like the Chase Utley of basketball in terms of playing the game “the right way.” He plays with so much desire and determination and it translates to success. As mentioned, he has become a great shooter and a stud defensively. He can jump out of the gym and doesn’t make many mistakes. You’re not nervous when he gets the ball because he doesn’t get flustered by pressure. He got hurt at the end of last year and I think that if he and Bynum hadn’t gotten hurt, LA might have won over Boston or at least made it a tougher series. Ariza (and Odom) are free agents this year and if the Sixers (my team) weren’t so stacked at small forward, I’d beg them to sign Ariza. LA needs to sign at least one of the two while also upgrading through trades/draft/free agency because if they don’t do that and Bynum doesn’t develop next season, LA won’t win the title next year. Boston will be improved with Garnett’s return and Orlando and Cleveland will be just as good if not better as well.

Key Play of the Finals: No question it was Derek Fisher’s 3-pointer over Jameer Nelson to force OT at the end of game 4. If Fish misses that, the series is deadlocked at 2 and who knows what would have happened. But he knocked it down and then hit the game winner with 31 secs. left in the extra session. As a veteran in this league and with 3 championships coming into the series, Fisher clearly had more experience and it payed off. In fact, that was the key to the entire series. The Magic were a young team while the Lakers were here last year and had guys who had won before. It up in coaching too when Van Gundy stuck with Nelson and sat Rafer Alston on the bench for all of the 4th and OT. And Nelson didn’t foul Fisher but instead let him rise into a 3-ball. Makes no sense and the Magic will be beating themselves forever for giving away that game. Oh what could have been for Orlando.

Everyone’s A Winner Baby, Especially in LA!

Well the Los Angeles Lakers have proven to be triumphant in securing their fifteenth NBA title. It is also Phil Jackson’s tenth title as a coach and his eleventh overall over the course of his professional career within the NBA.    

Finals MVP holds both the Larry O'Brien Trophy as well of the award given to the Finals' MVP. For the player it was his 4th professional NBA title but his first Finals series MVP award. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Noah D Bernstein

For the Orlando Magic this was something of a disappointing way to end their season in what one might describe as something of a blowout. victory for Los Angeles.

Rafer Alston of the Orlando Magic looks somewhat disappointed after the team's 99-86 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in the game 5 of the NBA Finals played at the Amway Arena in Orlando, Florida. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Jesse D Garrabant

The Lakers’ 99-86 triumph over the Magic secured a 4-1 series’ win and all the adulation one could come to expect that’d be poured upon perhaps the NBA’s most storied franchise. And even though the feat was achieved away from home at the Amway Arena in Orlando. It didn’t however make the victory anytheless sweeter. And for Finals’ MVP Kobe Bryant it may well have brought the redemption he’d finally sought. The talk of him not being able to land and win the Big One without Shaquille O’Neal finally becomes mute.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol celebrate after the team's victory over the Orlando Magic in game five of the NBA Finals played at the Amway Arena in Orlando , Florida. With the victory the Lakers secured their fifteenth NBA title as a franchise. Picture appears courtesy of nbae/getty images/ Jesse D Garrabant

If ever there was to be an indication that last night wasn’t to be the night where the home team may well have felt that there could somehow be some jubilation on the part of their fans. Then one had to look no further than the performances of their main triumvirate of Dwight Howard , Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu. Who for all sense and purpose were weighed down with the undue pressure of expectation. Their’s was the daunting task of trying to keep the team in contention against the Lakers and perhaps force them to win the title on their home-court. Alas it wasn’t to be ! They came up short when it mattered most.

Post-Game Analysis: NBA Finals – Game 4

99-91 (OT)

Down the stretch on the biggest stage, in the biggest game, it was the old veteran guard who made the two biggest plays of the series. Derek Fisher’s long 3-pointer with 4.6 seconds left in regulation tied the score and the Lakers went on to beat the Orlando Magic 99-91 in dramatic fashion.

Fisher’s 27 foot 3-pointer over Jameer Nelson came after Dwight Howard missed two free throws with 11.1 ticks left. Then with under 35 secs. left in overtime, Kobe Bryant kicked the ball out to the top of the key where Fisher launched and swished home another clutch 3 ball, this time breaking the 91 all score. This shot was the game winner and gives Los Angeles a commanding 3-1 series lead while also putting LA one win from a championship. The Lakers were led by star guard Kobe Bryant who moved pass legendary Celtic Dennis Johnson into 16th place on the Finals scoring list by scoring 32 pts. It was difficult though as Bryant hit just 11-31 shots, although he did make all 8 of his free throws while adding 8 assists and 7 rebounds. Hedo Turkoglu’s 25 pts and Howard’s 16 pts, 21 reb and 9 blocks were not enought to keep Orlando from the brink of elimination. Game 5 is Sunday in Orlando.

Play of the Game: Derek Fisher’s game tying bomb from a couple feet behind the arc saved LA from falling into a deadlock with the Magic and instead puts the Lakers one win from capturing their first NBA title since Shaquille O’Neal and the boys swept New Jersey to win their third straight championship back in 2002. But the truth is Fisher should never have been allowed to shoot the ball but for a bone-headed defensive play by Jameer Nelson. As Fisher received the ball from Trevor Ariza just behind halfcourt with 8.5 secs. left, Nelson retreated and allowed Fisher to get to the three point line without any defensive pressure. Fisher (who was about 30 feet from the hoop) then took a little hesitation step while Nelson stood beneath the three line. D-Fish rose and fired home the trey while Nelson barely got a hand up. But Nelson should have been 1) on the bench! Alston had a great game 3, what the hell was Van Gundy doing? Van Gundy said he stayed with Nelson because the group he had on the floor in the fourth regained the lead and because it reached a point when Alston had sat too long– http://www.comcast.net/articles/sports-nba/20090612/Whitlock-Van-Gundy-Choke/– Are you kidding me ? 2) Nelson should have been right on top of Fisher, a 3 ties the game for god’s sakes and 3) even fouled the veteran guard before he got the shot off. This would have put Fisher on the line with about 7 secs. to go and would have prevented Fisher’s game tying attempt. Instead, Nelson did neither and Orlando is now on the doorstep of elimination.

Player of the Game: Trevor Ariza deserves player of the game honors for leading the Laker 3rd quarter comeback. Orlando led 49-37 at the half but Ariza and co. quickly turned the game around. After a jumper by Fisher, Ariza dunked the ball and Bryant hit a 3. Ariza then scored the next 9 points including two treys to bring LA to within one at 54-53 at the 6:41 mark. The rest of the Lakers took over from there and ended up outscoring the Magic 30-14 to take a 67-63 advantage into the final quarter. But it was Ariza’s furious play that sparked the comeback. Then in OT, Ariza grabbed a huge offensive rebound with about 48 secs. to go, which gave LA another chance to take the lead. Less than 20 secs. later, Fisher was hitting the game winner, only because of Ariza’s hustle and determination.

Key Stat: Orlando was atrocious from the foul line, hitting just 22 of 37 shots for 59.5%. Dwight Howard was 6-14 including 2 missed free throws that could have made it a two possession game. Instead, the Magic’s lead stood at 87-84 and Fisher preceded to hit his game tying shot seconds later.

Game 5 Outlook: The outlook is bleak for Orlando as no team has comback to win games 6 and 7 on the road. But to even get the series to a game 6, Orlando must salvage game 5 at home. They have the physical talent to do it, but where will their heads be after collapsing at the end of game 4? Orlando has bounced back after heartbreakers but this one is different because instead of holding home court advantage and having a chance to take a 3-2 series lead, the Magic are left to wonder what if. They must bounce back and keep themselves alive otherwise, Kobe and the Lakers will be celebrating in Orlando on Sunday Night.