| 16 August 2010
Who will provide toughness for the Magic now that Barnes is gone?
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Some fans were bemoaning Matt Barnes' departure. It was not necessarily because of his play on the court but more for the attitude he played it with.
Barnes was a pretty average statistically, but he brought a swagger to the court that Orlando had never had before that made the team tough. If he were a little bit of a better player and could deliver -- especially from the 3-point line -- we are most certainly talking about an Eastern Conference championship team in 2010.
This attitude made Barnes an instant fan favorite and a cult legend along Orange Avenue. But he is gone now.
So the question remains, does Orlando need someone visibly and emphatically providing a "mean streak" on the court to be successful? The Magic did not have a so-called enforcer in 2009 when they went to the Finals. But you could argue that is how the Lakers defeated them and how the Celtics would have defeated them had they had Kevin Garnett (you could also argue about needing a power forward, but that is not the point of this post).
As much as people may not like how the enforcer does his job, the fans love having an enforcer on their team. The old "love to play with him, wouldn't want to play against him" argument. Orlando easily replaced Barnes' statistical output by signing Quentin Richardson, but the team will have difficulty finding someone who can protect his teammates the way Barnes did.
DIME Magazine thinks Marcin Gortat or Brandon Bass could step in to fill that role. The problem is that Bass seems like a pretty quiet guy who is not going to be ultra physical if someone messes with Dwight Howard and Gortat will not necessarily be on the floor to do that job.
Seems like Orlando will be keeping its "soft" label (undeservedly, but that will be the wrap the team will continue to receive).
So why would the Magic need a goon in the first place? Teams are going to play Dwight Howard extremely physically. That is really the only strategy to beat him. You have to be able to push him away from the paint and force him out of his comfort zone or to the free throw line. Until he can keep defenses honest with a 12-foot jumper or work on post moves outside the lane, that is how Howard will be defended.
Howard complains often about the physical play and not getting the respect he feels he deserves. As much as he wants to argue with the officials to try and convince them he deserves call, it might just be easier to get other players to stop fouling him.
OK, that will never happen. But something... or someone... needs to keep people from fouling Howard hard.
Barnes got into a fight with the Memphis Grizzlies on a random Sunday just to make a point. Safe to say no one on the Magic right now is willing to do that.
Howard is currently unprotected by a physical force. All that he has is Gortat backing him up in spot duty when Howard gets in foul trouble. I think teams are willing to make that trade and face Gortat for as long as possible.
Shaquille O'Neal had Horace Grant backing him. Michael Jordan had Charles Oakley and Dennis Rodman. Kobe Bryant has had Shaq, Ron Artest and now Matt Barnes backing him up.
They all had someone who could deflect attention away from the star or take the hit for him. That is not a bad thing. And it is not something completely necessary -- who backed up Tim Duncan? Bruce Bowen?
Howard does not necessarily need an enforcer. But it would help.
Bass can fill that role despite his seemingly laid back demeanor on the court. The only problem is he struggled to get on the floor and looked lost sometimes on offense and defense. Gortat could do it too, but he seems too valuable as Howard's backup to play him alongside the Magic's superstar. Daniel Orton could also fill that role, but he does not appear to be ready to play meaningful minutes this year.
Orlando's style of play honestly does not really support the prototypical enforcer. The one-in/four-out style is meant to leave Howard on an island in the paint to spread the floor. Orlando has probably employed the style better than any other team that has attempted it. But it does leave Howard open to the kinds of fouls he wants to avoid.
Really adding an enforcer-type player to the roster is more about the team becoming more versatile than anything else. Orlando needs to be able to play a variety of different styles. And having a player who is not afraid to mix things up is not a bad thing. It certainly could help in the battles during the postseason.
So does Orlando need a goon? Yes and no.
One person does not have to fill that role. Someone on the team has to be willing to do what is necessary when the time comes.
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