Orlando Magic News & Notes: Practice?

There have been some rumors about the Magic and Marcus Camby but Magic Head Coach Stan Van Gundy told Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel they’re no hurry to add a big man.

"“I don’t think it’s as big a necessity as what other people think right now,” coach Stan Van Gundy said after practice Friday.Magic President of Basketball Operations Otis Smith has said the team needs another true center against only maybe five teams. Bigs are at a premium in the NBA, and Smith seems content to wait to acquire the player he wants instead of adding someone who might not be as suited to the Magic’s needs.“Otis is always looking,” Van Gundy said. “It’s a matter of when the guy is available that you like. I think the one thing you don’t want to do is just go out and commit to anybody and that takes you out of being able to get somebody who could really help you. So, I think right now we’re OK.”"

You can read that story here.

In fact, two of Orlando’s bigs have got a nice opportunity and have made the most of it.

Evan Dunlap of Orlando Pinstriped Posts says Gilbert Arenas has made a positive impact.

"“Gil’s done a lot of good things for us, but probably the biggest thing he’s brought is his passing,” Van Gundy said. “[…] Our passing has just picked up, and Gil’s been a huge part of that. He can really see the floor. If he can cut down on some of the careless passes and the turnovers–his turnovers are high–I think guys like playing with him because they’re getting the ball and getting good shots.”And indeed Arenas’ new teammates have thrived off his passes. They’re shooting 15-of-20 from the floor off his passes to them in pick-and-roll situations, according to Synergy Sports Technology. That figure isn’t sustainable, but it does show Arenas’ remarkable skill in running the Magic’s bread-and-butter play."

Phillip Rossman-Reich of Orlando Magic Daily almost forgot what practice was before the weekend.

Earl Clark had some interesting things to say last week.

"The Magic have only held one practice since their overhaul, but it hasn’t taken Clark long to pinpoint the differences between the Suns and Magic.“Everything is really detailed here. Coach wants everything to be perfect,” he said with a laugh. “But there are also a lot of defensive schemes that we do that are different and I’m just trying to pick it up fast.”Because Phoenix passed on Clark’s option earlier this season, he will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. Though he has only been in Orlando for two weeks, he already loves the situation and could see himself re-signing with the Magic over the offseason.“Yeah, definitely. I think Coach Van Gundy likes to push his players to their full potential and I like his style of coaching. Anytime you’re not doing something well or you’re half-assing it, he’s always there to push you and that’s great for a guy like me. I love being around somebody that’s going to give it to you straightforward and motivate you to go out there and get the job done. As far as the players go, they have all taken me in with open arms and everyone is cool. Everybody is around the same age so I can relate more to this team and its fun to be around them,” Clark said."

Alex Kennedy of Hoops World has a nice story on him here.

(Andrew Melnick is Howard the Dunk’s lead blogger, co-host of CB Sports Radio from 5-7 pm week days (1420sports.com) and ESPN 1080’s Magic Insider (http://espn1080.com). Subscribe to his RSS feed, add him on Facebook and follow him on Twitter to follow him daily. You can download the HTD app here).