THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
ORLANDO - Stan Van Gundy has scored a season-high in satisfaction.
All fall the Orlando coach has groused about at least some portion of the Magic offense. The shooting. The ball movement. The focus.
Finally, Van Gundy thinks it's all coming together.
"We kept our poise, picked up our intensity and in the second half we were terrific," he said of the Magic's win over Toronto on Tuesday, their eighth in nine games. "I thought it was a very, very good win for us - the best we've played all year."
The Magic haven't changed their strategy from last year's 52-win season, during which they advanced to the second round of the playoffs by spreading the floor on offense. They attempted 801 3-pointers, second-most in NBA history. This season the Magic have attempted almost 25 threes a game, second-highest in the league.
With Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and the Magic's cast of shooting guards firing away from long range, it creates opportunities inside for All-Star center Dwight Howard.
And though the Van Gundy is pleased with his team's offensive progress, the Magic's unsettled shooting guard picture has gotten more complicated.
Mickeal Pietrus, signed as a free agent, has provided more defense, but his offense has been spotty. With Pietrus sidelined with sore ribs against the Raptors, J.J. Redick made his first NBA start and scored 10 points.
Pietrus practiced Thursday and will remain the starter, but the guard rotation now appears to include Redick, reliable sub Keith Bogans, veteran point guard Anthony Johnson and rookie Courtney Lee.
"I don't know what the rotation will look like," Van Gundy said. "J.J. played really well the other night. It will probably be situational."
What complicates Van Gundy's decision is that the rest of the Magic players had strong offensive games with Redick in the lineup. Turkoglu, Jameer Nelson and Lewis each had 22 points and overshadowed Howard's 18.
"It's been a slow start for me personally," Redick said. "We're off to another great start as a team, and I'd like to be contributing more."
Nelson, a four-year pro, has started to contribute more after struggling early on. In the last four games, he's shot 60 percent from the field, 42 percent from 3-point range and averaged 18.8 points.
"I was just being aggressive, looking for my shot first," Nelson said.
Nelson's offense, while important, is not vital, Van Gundy said.
"The bottom line is that all year it will be different guys," he said. "We are not going to get by if only one of the (other four players) play well, and struggle if only two of them play well."
Nelson is not only hitting threes, but penetrating better, which also opens the offense.
"When he gets in the paint, a lot of things happen for us," Van Gundy said. "The more we get him in the paint, the better things will be for us."
