An open letter to Stan Van Gundy, Magic Coach
Dear Mr. Van Gundy,
This year has been a good one to you. After taking Billy Donovan’s leftovers two years ago after he changed his mind about coaching the Magic, you have had some former players call you out and you have had your current players call you out but yet, you are still coaching in June.
Half way through the season, your former player with the Miami Heat, Shaquille O’Neal, called you the “Master of Panic” saying that you lose your composure at the end when the game is on the line. O’Neal took it further calling you a “nobody” and a “frontrunner”. I am sure you try to brush those comments off your shoulders like Jay-Z waving off haters, but surely, having the most dominant player in today’s NBA call you out must have a knock on your self-esteem. Nevermind the fact that you were ousted halfway through the season by Heat GM, Pat Riley, and they went on to collect a ring that same season, without you.
Before the playoff even kicked off this year, people had your Orlando Magic only as an afterthough to make it to the Eastern Conference Finals. You were fortunate enough to have Celtic, Kevin Garnett miss the rest of this season due to an injury, almost ruling Boston out as the favoriate in the East to repeat. Next in line to take the East, and now with KG out for Boston, was the Cavaliers led by MVP Lebron James. Your Magic, still an afterthought.
Your first match up in the playoffs, the under acheiving Philadelphia 76ers. Yet it still took you 6 games and a scare to get past one of the worst teams in the East. After the 76ers series, people questioned whether you could get past the Boston Celtics after struggling the way you did with the 76ers.
After a must win game 5 loss to Boston, your team leader, Superman, Dwight Howard called you out, saying he didn’t get enough touches, questioning your adjustments in the game and that he didn’t get enough touches. What is it with you and your big men? You know you gotta keep them happy, especially when they are future Hall of Famers and your leading offensive threat.
You lost, All Star Jameer Nelson, to a horrible shoulder injury after the All Star break. That must have been brutal but your GM helped out by grabbing Raefor Alston from the Rockets which gave a good injection of new blood into the lineup, limiting the setback from losing Nelson.
You made it past the Celtics and then did the unthinkable, stunning the Cavs and Lebron, handing the city of Cleveland another bitter dissappointing loss to end the Cavs best season ever, one that even had me calling it “Destiny” for Lebron to get his first ring. For that I can only applaud the effort your players put forth and your coaching effort by you and your staff.
Now that you had made it to the NBA Finals to face the Lakers there was talk that made me unsettled. Reports had surfaced about the possibility of Nelson coming off the injured list and making himself available for the NBA Finals. I was hoping that this chatter would just die down and he would assume the position of leading from the bench. I mean, after all the guy hasn’t played a game since February.
As you tip off game 1 in L.A., sure enough, Nelson enters the line up. This was mind-boggling to me. Why are you straying from the proven, battle-tested (and victorious) line up by taking Alston out and adding Nelson? I don’t care how good Nelson is, not playing for months and having your first game back be in the Finals, maybe not the best game to shake all that rust off. Game 1 was embarrassing watching your team get blasted on the boards and with Dwight Howard only having one field goal and no dunks, can’t equal a win but only a horrible beating. Where were the adjustments there that helped you get past the Celtics, 76ers and the best in the east, the Cavs?
Which brings us to game 2 last night in L.A. Your team looked strong and aggressive and it was obvious that adjustments were made that countered L.A.’s threat on the boards. But one question I have to ask, why did you give former Dukie, J.J. Redick 27 minutes on the court last night? That had to have been the most minutes this unproven NBA player has received all season long, even with Nelson out earlier. Which brings to me the bigger question overall, why change your team’s proven winning chemistry at this point in the season? Maybe Shaq is right, here we find your team, late in the season, trying to make adjustments when really, you already had the winning formula.
Signed,
Michael Hagan
