ORLANDO -- After three seasons of banging his head against a wall, J.J. Redick finally has proven he belongs in the NBA.
He never thought it would take this long.
Redick may have come into the league as one of the most celebrated college basketball players in recent history, but it has taken a complete remaking of his game and his attitude to finally carve his niche.
"I've been thinking about it recently, and maybe I wasn't ready to do this last year, or my second year, and certainly not as a rookie,'' Redick said Friday night after helping the Orlando Magic hold off the Detroit Pistons 110-103. "I could not have stepped in and played well like this, but I've learned how to be a pro. And that wasn't easy.''
Vince Carter was about to deliver one of those "don't-you-wish-I-was-still-here" games Friday night in New Jersey, when he fell to the floor clutching his left ankle midway in the second quarter.
Carter, traded by the Nets to the Orlando Magic this summer, had 16 points in his first 15 minutes before he left with a sprained ankle. X-rays were negative and he told reporters that "hopefully,'' he could play Sunday in Toronto.
His mother, who was there, described it to the Orlando Sentinel as a "mild sprain.'' It happened on a drive to the basket when he stepped awkwardly on the foot of New Jersey guard Devin Harris.
ORLANDO -- After 10 consecutive seasons of averaging at least 20 points a game, Vince Carter is likely to see his scoring drop significantly this season.
And he'll be happy about it.
It didn't take Carter long during the preseason to realize that playing with a dominant center like Dwight Howard -- a luxury he never has had before -- will change the way he plays the game.
"This is going to be great situation for me. It's one I've never been in before,'' he said before Friday night's lopsided 123-86 exhibition victory over the Atlanta Hawks. "It's a luxury that will be pretty easy to get used to.''
It didn't take long for Magic coach Stan Van Gundy to let his new star know that no one is immune from his sometimes-biting, often-surprising critique.
Vince Carter -- the eight-time All-Star -- caught Van Gundy's wrath Wednesday, just the second day of training camp. Often treated with kid gloves during his time in New Jersey, Carter became the example of what not to do late in the morning practice.
"He (Carter) did not play well defensively today. He didn't do a good job out there. He's capable of doing a lot better, and that's what I want to see," Van Gundy said. "As a matter of fact, we'll talk to him about that and show him some (film) clips tomorrow."
ORLANDO -- Ever since he was traded to the Orlando Magic almost three months ago, Vince Carter has said all the right things. He's talked endlessly about fitting in with a team that reached the NBA Finals last season, about altering his game to fit with center Dwight Howard, and about being happy to change the way he has played his entire career.
On Friday, coach Stan Van Gundy finally asked him to stop.
He doesn't want Carter fitting in. He wants him standing out.
When Bruce Bowen officially announces his retirement in a San Antonio beauty salon Thursday, the nation will not be overcome with nostalgia. Spurs fans will send Bowen away with a hearty thanks and fond memories. But for any NBA player who has played against him and any fan who has watched Bowen hassle their own's teams star, this is a day of celebration.
ORLANDO – Second-year forward Ryan Anderson was almost invisible when he joined the Magic alongside All-Star Vince Carter in the trade last month with New Jersey.
He is making his presence felt now.
Anderson has been the early star of the Orlando Pro Summer League, showing why he should fit quite nicely on a team that relies heavily on good shooters surrounding a dominating center like Dwight Howard.
Anderson hit 11 of 15 shots – both his 3-point attempts -- for 33 points and 15 rebounds in the Magic's 85-82 victory over the Boston Celtics. On Monday against Oklahoma City, he had 21 points and seven rebounds after struggling through the opening half.
Update: Hedo may not be headed to Portland after all -- reports now suggest he ended negotiations abruptly and will sign with the Raptors.
Henry Abbott of TrueHoop is reporting that the Blazers have landed top free agent Hedo Turkoglu for the princely sum of $50 million (or more) over five years. Hedo had been the expected target of Portland's largess before the Magic acquired Vince Carter. That move made this move rather logical from every perspective.
... well, except the perspective that it's unclear exactly why Portland needs a ball-dominant small forward. After all, the Blazers do have one Brandon Roy, eternal All-Star, under contract. And with Roy dominating the ball this season, the Blazers finished with the league's finest offense. In terms of offense, this is a bit like the Lakers adding Ron Artest: sounds good on the surface, but when you look at the details, you get a bit worried.
There was a lot of activity in the NBA this week, and we're not just talking about the draft. Some of the NBA's big names and better teams were in on it.
Here's a quick look at the trades that went down and what they mean:
The Thinking: The Cavaliers get an aging O'Neal, with the hope that he can have a productive year playing alongside LeBron James. The only way this trade is a success is if the Cavaliers are the 2009-10 NBA champions. For the Suns, trading O'Neal means that they are beyond tinkering and are leaning toward turning over the personnel of a team that missed the playoffs last season.
ORLANDO -- After three seasons of banging his head against a wall, J.J. Redick finally has proven he belongs in the NBA.
A to Z.
ORLANDO -- After 10 consecutive seasons of averaging at least 20 points a game, 
It didn't take long for Magic coach 
ORLANDO -- Ever since he was traded to the 
When 
ORLANDO – Second-year forward 
Update: Hedo may not be headed to Portland after all -- 
There was a lot of activity in the NBA this week, and we're not just talking about the draft. Some of the NBA's big names and better teams were in on it.
