Special guest post today from Austin Kent, editor-in-chief of The Good Point, on Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu …

There are differences between the terms underrated and inappropriately-rated, especially as they relate to hindsight — one is susceptible to it and the other is not.

Take Steve Nash for example. There once was a time when the BC-born soccer player was a mere afterthought in elite level basketball discussion. As the years since tell us, Nash would ultimately thrive given the appropriate situation, the world took notice and the "underrated" tag was lost forever. Due to the public (and the league’s) misperception, Nash flew under the radar until the truth was exposed. We all adjusted accordingly and a star was born.

The case of Hedo Turkoglu is a similar, albeit more tragic, example and it’s the latter word that sets the two apart. For years the man has been one of the most effective basketball players in the NBA, but unfortunately, he will never share the recognition of teammate Dwight Howard or sidekick counterparts like Josh Howard or Pau Gasol.

While players like Nash, Ben Wallace and more recently Chauncey Billups have all taken turns out-performing the expectations people had set for them (earning "underrated" and eventually "legitimate" status along the way), their emergence to the forefront comes more from the general public realizing that what they thought to be true was, in reality, false. These ex-role players and roster fillers had simply come into their own.

With Turkoglu, the ones who know him understand that good things happen to those around him, and such has been the case since even before 2008’s Most Improved Player award. In the form of buzzer-beating jumpers and eerily silent contributions of near 20-5-5, Turkoglu contributes to teams in ways we logically should, but can’t quite appreciate.

We know his track record but we deny his status as one of the league’s more valuable players. The most sickening part about it is that we don’t even know why we do it. For this reason, Turkoglu distinguishes himself from what are, in actuality, the inappropriately-rated players (think young Nash or pre-Detroit Billups), players who were always capable, just misused. The lack of credit that we give Turkoglu, despite witnessing his personal and team success, contradicts his substantial worth as a player. As far as underrating is concerned, isn’t that the true definition of the term?

Hedo Turkoglu isn’t the most handsome pig in the pen, nor the most articulate or flashy but his contributions to the Orlando Magic and to the NBA are significant. If coaches and general managers ever got together in a dark, dank basement to assemble their own Frankenstein-like basketball hybrid, one can assume that the ultimate result would turn out similar to Turkoglu. Given his lumbering aura but more complicated essence, the analogy makes sense.

Hailing from the Turkish fringe of Europe, Turkoglu boasts the height of a genuine power forward with the same circulatory ice water that runs through the veins of guards Ray Allen and Jamal Crawford. His utilitarian ways have paced the Orlando Magic all season long and his intangible existence is what the Los Angeles Lakers fear most (okay, second most) heading into the NBA Finals.

Compared to the players who have seen their stock rise from "underrated’ to … "normal rated," hindsight will have no such positive effect on Turkoglu’s legacy because years down the road fans, media and coaches alike will be just as confused about the things he did on a basketball court.

All of that said, facts don’t lie and so with every step the Magic take, the Turkish delight becomes more and more of a legitimate force where it matters most; in the win column.

But just as we have in the past, we will see this and look away, never truly realizing that Hedo Turkoglu is giving us something we don’t even know we want.

As the editor-in-chief of The Good Point, Austin Kent combines a
degree in sport management with an uncontrollable desire to write
what’s on his mind. You can check him out on Facebook and/or Twitter.

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Monday to Friday, The Basketball Jones look at the big games and story lines from the night before with a mix of in-depth analysis and irreverent humor. As always, questions and comments are appreciated.

On today’s show, Tas and I finally take a look at the NBA Finals. Will the return of Jameer Nelson help or hurt the Magic? Can Dwight Howard dominate the same way he did against Cleveland? Is this Kobe Bryant’s redemption series? All that, and we get to a couple of your emails and hand out some prizes.

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Press conferences. Usually you’re met with pablum, a coach
with an agenda, or downright nonsense. With Phil Jackson and Stan Van Gundy
taking the podium, though, you’re compelled to listen. And react. Let’s do
both.

Phil takes the mic, first.

On what Orlando’s two regular season victories over Los Angeles means to the
Lakers …

"We have a great deal of respect for them as far as a team.
They played very well down the stretch to win these two games they played
against us. Obviously [there are] mitigating circumstances, we had different
people in the lineup, they had different people in the lineup, it was four
months ago; but it certainly gives us a great deal of respect for them."

That’s pretty significant, to me.

The Lakers more or less handled the Houston Rockets and
Denver Nuggets in the regular season. Not just in terms of winning games, but
by winning them pretty easily. Not the case for the Magic. Orlando has their attention.

And he’s right; the lineups have changed for both teams.
Keith Bogans (who saw Kobe Bryant drop 41 on the Magic on December 20^th)
is gone. Jameer Nelson’s status and/or effectiveness is still up in the air.
And the Lakers, laugh all you want, got 35 fine minutes out of Vladimir
Radmanovic (24 points, four rebounds, four steals) while keeping things close
in the losses.

The idea of taking care of business down the stretch is
important, too. Kobe Bryant, "the best closer in the NBA," shot 4-19 in the
fourth quarter in these close losses. While the Magic won both quarters, and both
games.

So does that mean Kobe
returns to the mean in the Finals? Possibly, but that’s not what the Lakers are
banking on. Or should be banking on. What they need to do is make sure the game
isn’t an off night away from going in Orlando’s
favor. That means you put it out of reach by the fourth quarter. Not enter it
down a point, as was the case in both regular season losses.

This isn’t to take away from Kobe by cherry picking 24 minutes of play, or
to expect him to shoot this poorly again. Sometimes jumpers don’t go in. And,
should the Lakers get another close one in the fourth quarter, maybe make it so
Pau Gasol (2-4 in fourth quarter shots in the regular season) doesn’t get less
than half as many shots as Derek Fisher (3-9), and 15 fewer than Kobe.

On whether or not his
team is preparing for the possible presence of Jameer Nelson …

"We haven’t gotten to that level of personnel, the guard
personnel, other than [Dwight] Howard being a force inside. We’re still
identifying it as positions, more than we are as individuals, and Jameer brings
another level of game to their team, but, you know, we respect [Anthony]
Johnson. Also, [Rafer] Alston, as players.

"Someone’s gotta do that job for them, and, you know,
Jameer’s going to come in and do it. If he does he’ll just bring in another
specific thing that’s an execution skill."

Translation? Derek Fisher can’t really guard anyone, any
more. If Nelson can play, and play his typical brand of ball, then we’ll be in
trouble. But Johnson can stay with him defensively, and Alston can free himself
offensively from Fisher’s grasp. We know Derek’s done, but the trade deadline
was last February, so there’s not a whole lot we can do about it.

It’s up to us to make sure that the things we do have a hope
in hell of somewhat countering (i.e., Dwight Howard) don’t go off.

Was losing to Boston last year a
motivating factor this time around?

"I think that at any level that once you get a taste of what
it’s like to be here, it’s a motivating factor. Just to be standing, just to be
left with that feeling of ‘we’re the only ones here, and everybody else is home
on vacation.’

"When you get to this level and don’t win, you go home and
you think about it a long time. It’s something that is certainly a motivating
thing for us. It’s certainly pushed us."

More translation?

I’ve lost two of these in a row, and I’m pretty sick and
tired of it.

Stan Van Gundy was next. On my computer, at least.

On Orlando’s perimeter-happy ways …

"We’ve heard the criticism of how we play. I think that what
you do from an offensive standpoint in this league is pretty much determined by
your personnel, so I’m very confident that the way we play, and the shots we
try to create are best for our team.

"I don’t think you can sit down and say, ‘this is the style
of play that wins in the NBA,’ and try to replicate that. And we’re sitting
here tonight with the way we play."

Translation?

We had Hedo Turkoglu, and then my GM went out and spent over
$120 million on Rashard Lewis. What was I supposed to do, start Tony Battie? Or
start both small forwards, and ask Lewis to bang inside like a power forward?
He doesn’t even bang inside like a small forward!

We shot 38 percent from behind the arc in the regular
season, almost 37 percent from behind the arc in the postseason, we beat the
defending champs, we beat the team with the best record in basketball handily,
and we’re still supposed to feel sorry about this?

Listen, I’m sorry I don’t have five Dwyane Wades out there.
I have three-point shooters, and asking them to do anything but shoot the shot
that is the best percentage for them would make me an awful, awful coach.

On Jameer Nelson’s
possible return, and what it means to the team’s chemistry …

"It’s not like he hadn’t played with our guys, I don’t worry
that a whole lot, and I don’t really think our guys need an emotional boost. I
don’t think it’s going to be like a Willis Reed moment or anything. We’ll just
decide after [Tuesday] if playing him gives us a better chance than not playing
him. It’s a simple as that."

It really is. It’s not as if the Magic developed this
unerring sense of offensive chemistry behind Rafer Alston. They were good
enough to make the Finals with an above-average point guard manning the show,
and they’re good enough (obviously) to make the Finals with an average point
man running the show.

We have to remember that this was the best defensive team in
the NBA during 2008-09. They win on defense, not on point guard play. Did they
bust the Lakers twice with Nelson on board? Yes, but those were also close wins
that could have gone either way. If Nelson proves he can get past Derek Fisher
and stay on the court for 30 minutes, than he plays for 30 minutes. If not, no
biggie.

On what about the
Lakers scares him the most …

"Pau Gasol is a guy who was the go-to guy, really without a
lot of help, on 50-win teams in Memphis,
so he’s proven he can carry teams.

"And their other personnel is great. Two big areas for us is
that we have to limit easy baskets, I think the Lakers are a great passing and
cutting team playing out of the Triangle, I think we have to try and limit the
number of layup attempts and easy baskets they get. And I think the other real
challenge for us, on the defense end, is rebounding."

Translation?

Pau Gasol is awesome. I really hope the Lakers keep ignoring Pau Gasol.

Was that
out loud? OK, let me mention a few things that everyone already knows about …

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This season should drive the point. Most seasons should, to
an extent, but often a coaching misstep or three allows for an uncompetitive
final four, and the pre-ordained winner to triumph in a walk.

What am I talking about? The way the Orlando Magic put together a solid,
Finals-worthy team of players, and more or less relied on the "anything can
happen in a seven game series" mentality all the way to the Finals. And they’ve
only made it to the Finals. Who knows what happens from here?

I’m not talking about shooting for mediocrity, standing pat,
or making penny-wise and pound-foolish moves. And I’m certainly not advocating
Magic GM Otis Smith as the best in the biz.

What I would like to get across is the idea that a good
batch of good players in their prime, met with fine coaching, really have as
good a chance as any to make it this far, even if there are obvious holes.

For instance, the Magic start two small forwards up front
that aren’t known for their defense or rebounding. They’ve tossed a litany of shooting
guards out to the wolves with varying degrees of success, with three different
starting point guards running the show. And yet, with great coaching, a star
who isn’t in his prime yet, and (tres importante) Rashard Lewis and Hedo
Turkoglu at just about their absolute peak, matchups and smart play led them to
the Finals.

There could have been more of these teams. If George Karl
hadn’t instructed his men to trap and double and overplay like crazy, the
Nuggets could have been here as well. If Jerry Sloan’s "no layups; really, no
anything save for the other team shooting free throws"-policy had taken a week
off back in 2007, the Jazz could have made the Finals that year.

If Sam Cassell hadn’t been injured in 2004? If Dirk Nowitzki
hadn’t injured himself in 2003? Actually, the 2003 San Antonio Spurs
(supposedly in a rebuilding year with a rookie Manu Ginobili, David Robinson
about to retire, and Tony Parker in his second year) are a solid example, with
all those 30ish role players and Tim Duncan in his prime. The 2000 Indiana Pacers? Detroit in 2004? The 1997
and 1998 Utah
Jazz? Neither of these teams were pre-ordained. They just had enough, and
followed through.

Nobody was picking the Magic to make this year’s Finals
before the season started, but there were a select few that knew that — should
a few things fall into place in spring — this team had every chance to make it
here. But it takes players playing up to expectations. And it also takes
coaching, and that’s where a lot of GMs fail their teams.

Well, the coaches fail them too, obviously. But it’s the GMs
that bring in the safe choice, the comfortable choice, and the expected choice,
more often than not. And coaches, way more than players, live up to expectations
both good and bad. It’s the GMs that don’t see, blinded by their coaches
consistent playoff appearances, that certain sideline stalkers have consistent
flaws that they been able to maintain for years without ever having to change.

Again, this isn’t to overly credit Otis Smith. He tried to
sign Billy Donovan — hell, he hired
Billy Donovan — this time two years ago, before choosing Stan Van Gundy.
Still, he picked a winner.

That’s why you have to stay on these coaches. And that’s why
there’s no shame in relying on the proven fact that, faced with having to win
four times in seven games against a team everyone has been picking since the
winter before, anything can happen.

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A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Get Your Basketball On. Meet (Nike’s new campaign) Leroy Smith, the man who motivated Jordan.
PF: LamarOdom.com. The Candy Man talks about why athletes are reluctant to speak to the media.
SF: Cleveland Frowns. It’s time for a new LeBron James billboard outside of the Quicken Loans Arena.
SG: Warriors ‘09 Draft Blog. GSW covers the multi-team workout that took place over the last two days.
PG: Hooped Up. Kenny Smith reenacts his three-point performance from the ‘95 Finals.
6th: D.C. Sports Bog. Steinz calls out Kornheiser for ripping Gilbert Arenas on today’s On the DL ‘cast.
7th: Raptors Republic. RR welcomes Alvin Williams back to the Raptors organization. Hear, hear!
8th: Celtics Hub. Is Ike Diogu the Roberto Petagine of the NBA? Who the heck is Roberto Petagine?
9th: NBA Playoffs 2009. Knee-high and livin’ large: A Lil’ Penny retrospective.
10th: New York Times. The NBA’s disciplinary "seventh tech draws an automatic one-game suspension" rule isn’t as arbitrary as Jeff Van Gundy and others might think.

Got a tip/link for Ball Don’t Lie? Hit me up at jeskeets@yahoo.ca or follow me on Twitter.

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