(S)...Otis, you've had more than a week to digest the second round of the playoffs and the season that was. What are your thoughts about the big picture of the 2007-2008 season?

(O)...I think we made strides as a club. I think we have a little ways to go to understand how hard and how disciplined you have to be in the playoffs in order to win games, but I think we definitely made strides. Our guys, as late as last Friday, were still really hurting from the loss to Detroit, so that's encouraging in a way to know that they, to a man, think that we should be still playing right now.

(S)...This team's accomplishments this year are many: 52 wins, a divisional title, a playoff series win over Toronto. But, in this league, you're only as good as your last game. So what, if anything, did the series vs. Detroit reveal to you about your team?

(O)...Number one is that Detroit's been there before. The Pistons are a veteran team. We didn't take care of the ball and we didn't make shots. All the things we did during the course of the season, we didn't do particularly well during the playoffs. We all know the game slows down a bit during the playoffs, so we have to figure out ways to score points. Our better players, Dwight, Turk, Rashard and Jameer, have to figure out ways to improve as well. We just have to continue to improve and add a few pieces for us to get better to give us a chance to win a championship.

(S)...Dwight Howard was amazing this year. What have you told Dwight about what he has to do to get this team to the next level?

(O)...It's more of what Stan has told him, and I echo Stan's thoughts. He needs to do two things. The first is free throw shooting. He has to be able to shoot free throws at a better rate than he did this year. The second part is that he has to develop something to get away from double teams, whether it's a turn around jump shot or a hook or something on the box that's gonna give him a chance to be effective throughout the course of a game when double teams are coming. Our assistant coach, Patrick Ewing was a master at that for years. But Dwight's free throw shooting is the biggest thing.

(S)...Rashard had a forgetful game five in Detroit, but on the whole he had a fantastic year. Did you get what you expected from Rashard this season?

(O)...I think so. We asked him to do what he's done his entire career, and I think he did just that. We asked him to play the power forward position when Tony went down and, to his credit, he did that on both ends of the floor playing against some of the better players in this league at that position. Rashard has to continue to get better and attack the basket, don't become just a perimeter shooter. And we have to do a better job of getting him more opportunities on the block. Those are some of the things that he's taken advantage of throughout his career and I think as time goes on we'll take advantage of his strengths.

(S)...What about Jameer Nelson? I thought he kicked it up a notch in the playoffs. What are your thoughts about Jameer and how he played this season?

(O)....Well, Jameer's gonna continue to grow. My concerns with Jameer are twofold. First, he has to take care of his body. Small guys have a tendency to get hurt because of where they are on the floor. They have to work harder to compete, so he has to take care of his body. Secondly, in the area of leadership, I always harp on our better players to be leaders. He has to continue to improve there. If he continues to shoot the ball well and make the decisions that he's capable of making on the floor, he'll continue to grow and flourish as a player.

(S)...The NBA Draft Camp comes to Orlando this week. What's the plan?

(O)....You evaluate and continue to evaluate the prospects and see what unfolds. We're picking 22nd. I do think that it's gonna be a deep enough draft to where we can get a player that we really like because of all the underclassmen that have declared so that makes the draft more attractive.

(S)...What are you looking to get in the draft?

(O)...I am not really one of those guys who goes into a draft saying that I need to have that position covered and this position covered. As many free agents we have in our back court, I probably am more apt to say that we need the best player on the board, regardless of position. I think that player will be there. Whether it's 1-5, I think you have to take the best player on the board.

(S)...Knowing you don't have salary cap room this off season, is it safe to say that you will not be a major player in free agency this summer?

(O)...I don't think it's THAT safe to say. I think there are three big time players in free agency: Philly, Memphis and Seattle. The rest of us are right around the mid-level. So I think everyone will be players. The difference this year is that there are more players that have the potential to become available through unrestricted free agency and opt outs than there is money to spend. So that makes available players a bit more attractive. You just have to do your best sales job, identify your player or players and kinda stay on that path.

(S)...There's been some talk about Hedo Turkoglu. He had such a great season. But knowing the economics of the game, knowing that he will likely opt out after next season and knowing the fact that he and Rashard play the same position, does the possibility exist that Hedo is not here next season??

(O)...You always look at how to improve your team. But Turk is such a big part of what we do and he allows us to be what I call flexible as a team. We're able to play him at the three or the four. Perhaps you can envision playing Turk some at the two, Rashard at the three, when Tony comes back at the four-spot. So, the flexibility of our roster has been one of the things that's been intriguing about our team. But you're still trying to make your team better and that's how you have to look at the off season.

(S)...You will have a share of your own free agents to deal with: Keyon Dooling, Maurice Evans and Carlos Arroyo to name a few. What's the plan with your own guys?

(O)...They all had good years. Maurice probably had his best year as a pro. Keyon had a good year for us. Carlos was big for us especially when Jameer was down. We're gonna look at it and talk about it and talk about the economics of it all. We're gonna figure out how it all fits. We like all those guys and we have to figure out how to get our team better.

(S)...I know this is a sore subject...but is there any chance whatsoever that Fran Vazquez, your first round pick from 2005, come over and play next season in Orlando?

(O)...If I had to put a percentage on it, I'd say less than two percentage points. A lot of it depends on him at this point. I think we've done a good job as an organization of letting him know how important he is to us. But he has two years left on a contract that has a buy out that's roughly around $10 million. There would have to be concessions on his part to say ya know what, I'm gonna come over and take a little less and I'll pay out my buyout and come over and play. That's the concession he has to make as a pro. He likes the idea of being in a Magic uniform, but financially, I think it might be tough for him.

A huge thank you to the good folks here at WDBO for allowing us to get the word out. Much appreciation to all of our sponsors and to all of you golfers at our Golf 4 Kids event at MetroWest Monday. We had a full field and we were able to raise, drum roll please, over $45,000 for the Destiny Foundation.

Thank You!

The winning foursome, coming in at a gaudy 30 under par, was a team captained by a good friend of mine, Kyle Frakes. Kyle and I went to high school together at Lake Brantley but I can assure you there was no funny business going on there. Kyle's foursome included Brad Culpepper of Florida Gator and Tampa Bay Buc fame. Congrats fellas!

The highlight of the tourney would come late in the day. 22 year old college football player Kyle Barber, from St. Cloud, was playing his final hole of the day, the par three 167 yard #8. Kyle steps up, in a downpour, and strokes it right smack down on the flag. Witnesses tell me that the ball actually hit the flag stick and bounced in the hole!

In all my years of playing in golf tournaments, never have I heard of any one winning a car in a hole in one contest. Kyle Barber is soon to be B-M-O-C at Eastern Kentucky University! He'll be driving back to school in a brand new 2008 Massey Cadillac CTS. I read recently that the chance of an amateur making a hole in one on a par three is one in 13,000. Congrats to our Miracle Man, Kyle Barber!

The lowlight of the day? It pains me to write that I owe Officer Jim a beverage of his choosing. Team O-J defeats the Anez Group 59-62. Needless to say, I will be stacking my foursome next year. I wonder if Tiger is busy?

Nonetheless, it was a great day of fun, fundraising. and fellowship, not to mention a miracle hole-in-one.

Thank you for your support of the Destiny Foundation!

Pains me to say it...but the better team won!

FIRST QUARTER:

With nothing to lose, I expected the Magic to come out firing to begin the game. However, we were inexplicably tentative aloof! The Magic had seven turnovers in the first 8:45 of the quarter. Rashard Lewis had four of our eight total turnovers in the quarter. In an ominous sign of things to come,the Pistons hauled in five offensive rebounds and had nine more field goal attempts than Orlando. As poorly as the Magic played, the the score read 20-20 after one.

SECOND QUARTER:

The Magic continue to play give away and miss free throws. Yet, we take a 33-27 lead after Rashard's first field goal of the game at the 5:35 mark of the quarter. Then, as the Pistons did all series, they went on a huge run (11-0) and took a 47-41 lead at halftime. We got a big time reprieve. Seems like we should be down by 20 considering the free throw shooting (7-16), the turnovers (12) and Detroit's 10 offensive rebounds.

THIRD QUARTER:

The Magic finally show some life They started to play their game. They upped the tempo, cut down on the turnovers (three in quarter), gave up just one offensive rebound and gwent on a 14-4 run to end the quarter to take a 68-65 leading going into the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER:

It's 70-65 after a couple of Rashard free throws. Then, the Pistons go on a 13-0 run keyed by Antonio McDyess, who had 8 points and a couple of huge offensive rebounds during that game deciding jaunt. We start oh for our first eight from the field and don't hit our first field goal until the 3:38 mark. Magic cut it to 85-84 with :40 to play, but again, the Pistons make the plays late, i.e...a huge Prince block on Hedo to end all Magic hope. 91-86. Game over. Season over.

SUMMARY: The Pistons made plays in crunch time....They took care of the ball....They hit their free throws....They defended.

The Magic just did not execute in late game situations. We didn't take care of the ball. We were frustrated by Detroit's physical play. We didn't take advantage of Chauncey Billups' absence and could not control Rip Hamilton all series.

In other words...DEAL WITH IT ORLANDO!

That's the message from Joel Litvin, NBA President of League and Basketball Operations, in reference to the 'inadvertent' clock stoppage near the end of the third quarter of game two. Litvin goes on to say, "We determined that the play that concluded with Chauncey Billups' three-point field goal took approximately 5.7 seconds. Because there were only 5.1 seconds remaining in the quarter when the play began, the shot would not have counted had the clock continued to run."

Tell us something we don't know, Joel!

Sure, the more I think about the play, the more maddening it becomes.

Was the clock gaffe a factor in the Game Two 100-93 loss? Yes.

Was it the determining factor? No.

Sure, the Pistons gained a head of steam from that Billups' home run, but the cold hard fact is that the Orlando Magic did not make plays when they needed to!

All season long, this Magic team has been poised and polished in the fourth quarter. Such was not the case on Monday night in Auburn Hills.

Rashard Lewis, who came alive with eight points in the third quarter, had a forgetful fourth. Over the final 3:05, Rashard would miss his final four shots. Rashard also had a huge turnover with just over a minute to play and the Magic down just two. Rashard finished the game just 6-21 from the field with six turnovers.

Hedo Turkoglu also turned it over six times. Turk was shut out in the final period of game two. To add insult to insult, Hedo curiously heaved an ill-advised three point bomb at the :42 mark that would clank off glass and end all hope of a come back.

It's ironic that Turk and Hedo, the two guys who have been so great all season in clutch situations, were the two guys just couldn't come through for us late in the fourth quarter of game two.

Magic fans, as we head toward game three, we can lash out at the refs, the clock operator and even David Stern, but the bottom line is that we just didn't make the plays necessary to win a playoff game against a great team on the road.

Hopefully, we, and the NBA, learned valuable lessons.

...I hate crying about the referees, but that call at the end of the third quarter was atrocious. The TNT replay clearly showed that Billups released the ball at the 5.23 second mark. The clock read 5.1 seconds at the beginning of the play. Do the math. The shot came .13 too late!

...Our MVP of tonight's game? The Palace clock operator!

...With that said, we're up four with just over six minutes to play but couldn't hold the lead. The Magic also made some very questionable decisions in the final three minutes of the game. They have only themselves to blame for the loss. But there's no question that Billups' three gave Detroit the momentum it was looking for after the Magic gained a head of steam in the third quarter.

...Seems like we can't get a break on these late clock controversies. Houston stole a win from us earlier this season after the refs got one wrong. It happened again in game two. If it's not for bad luck, we'd have none at all.

...Rashard was 0-4 with one turnover in the final 3:05.

...The Pistons didn't score a field goal in the final 6:00 of game two. Problem is, the Pistons hit their final 13 points from the free throw line.

...If Jameer Nelson does not foul out with 1:23 to go in this game, I believe we win! The Closer sparked the Magic in the third quarter with three-3-pointers. He ran the show all night and finished with 22 points. I have to think that shot with :42 left and the Magic down two goes to Jameer if he's on the floor. Jameer Nelson is coming of age as a point guard in this league.

...That is all from Motown...Magic fans, let's rock the house for game three because our team's gonna need you!

...Your team didn't just get trampled in game one, they got ambushed. The Detroit Pistons played a perfect defensive game. Usually against the Magic, teams must pick their poison. However, the Bad Boys prevented the three point shot....They defended Dwight....and they limited penetration.

...The Magic score a season low in points and connect on a season low three 3-pointers. I don't think we were flat...I think you can credit the Pistons for flattening us!

...Note to officials: There's no crying in the playoffs, but please guys, watch what Mcdyess, Maxiell and Wallace are doing to Dwight down below. The Pistons are masters at the waistline pushy. Not crying...It's a fact. Call it!

...Magic fans, just a little reminder for game three in Orlando Wednesday: three more techs and Rasheed's suspended one game!

...Was that Vinny Johnson or Jason Maxiell lighting us up for 10 fourth quarter points?

...How many times have we heard it? The playoffs are aqll aout game-to-game adjustments. we have one heck of a coach in Coach Stan, but if the Pistons continue to take away the three, Dwight and the drive, I am not sure what adjustments can be made. The only think I see is that Superman must get deeper in the lane.

...Hedo and Rashard had 18 points apiece. The Pistons are daring those guys to drive the ball to the hole. Again, we gotta hit our free throws.

...Yes, game one was a blowout...but keep in mind, we led 46-45 early in the third quarter. Time out...Pistons go on a 19-3 run to blow it open. Game over.

I...f you know of any phone booths up here in the Auburn Hills area, please point them out to Dwight. It's obvious what Detroit's gonna do. They're gonna hack, claw, scratch and maul him. The Pistons made him look like Clark Ken in game one with 12 points, 8 rebounhds and 3 blocked shots. We need him to be Superman the rest of the series if we're gonna come back.

...Because of the way the Pistons dismantled us in the second half (48-31), I am sure there are many of you who are predicting doom in this series. Here's what I have learned this season: DON'T COUNT US OUT!