http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/bask...?coll=orl-magic I still posted the story because you have to be a member now to view the orlando sentinel so the link might not work.I hope zaza is ok! LAKE BUENA VISTA -- The chicken vs. crocodile matchup that the Orlando Magic witnessed Tuesday at feeding time on an Animal Kingdom safari ride was intriguing, but it was not competitive (the croc won big). But Reece Gaines vs. Shammond Williams . . . now that was really ferocious. Magic Coach Doc Rivers tried feeding Gaines, a prized rookie, to Williams, a seasoned journeyman, in a battle of point guards on the opening day of training camp. Rivers wasted no time exposing Gaines to the harsh light of the NBA, and Gaines held his own. "I wanted him to get used to NBA [defensive] pressure. I've told Shammond to hawk him every chance he gets; make his life miserable," Rivers said. "He did that pretty well. "Reece looked good. He had a nice day. He and Shammond went at -- a little too much at times. But that's good, too. We want to see that." Rivers needs to see his point guards play well enough to remove suspicion. No position on the club raises more concern. The starting job is Tyronn Lue's to lose, although he has never run a team for a full season. Per union edict, Lue cannot report until Friday, along with four other Magic veterans who have four or more years of NBA experience. The other 14 Magic players with three or fewer years of service started camp Tuesday at Disney's Wide World of Sports. Despite five years in the league, Williams can attend training camp because he was only offered a partially guaranteed contract. Playing for his fifth team in six seasons, he was brought in as a safety net in case Gaines or Lue struggle or are injured. The Magic did not re-sign Darrell Armstrong, 35, and did not invite back Jacque Vaughn. Rivers immediately tested Gaines by matching him against Williams in a scrimmage. "Just trying to help Reece become the best player he can be," Williams said. "I have a few wounds and stuff, but that's in the game." Gaines swept past Williams with a nice move. Williams countered, nailing a buzzer-beating jumper. "It's fun working with Reece and Shammond about point-guard duties," Rivers said. "Got to really teach them their roles and teach them everybody else's role. They have to understand who should get the ball. "In our first scrimmage, Drew Gooden went the whole scrimmage without touching the ball, and to me, that's a crime." Gaines, the Magic's 15th pick in the draft, shrugged off being pressed by Williams -- and Rivers. He did, after all, play for Rick Pitino, whose practices were defensive jousts. "Yes, I felt it. Funny for me, at Louisville, we pressed all the time. But it's not the same competition," Gaines said. "I think I learned pretty quickly." Gaines was a college star, finishing his career at Louisville as the school's fourth-leading scorer. But he's starting over at this level. "Coach Pitino always told me I better enjoy my time at Louisville being a big fish in a small pond because I have to start over now. He's right," Gaines said. "I'm wishing now I would have given a little slack to those freshmen." CAMP ETC.: Small forward Gordan Giricek was the star on Day 1, hitting jump shots all over the floor. He played most of the summer with his Croatian National Team. . . . Rivers also praised centers Steven Hunter and Zaza Pachulia. Pachulia seriously sprained his left ankle in the evening practice and could miss several days. . . . Calling it a team-building experience, Rivers surprised players by taking them on a safari ride at Animal Kingdom before practice. "We knew something was up, though, because they woke us up at 6:30 this morning. I ain't woke up that early for basketball or anything in a while," Drew Gooden said. "They told us we were going for a Safari adventure, and everybody got excited. Strangest thing I saw? When they fed the crocodiles. They rang the bell, the crocodile bell, and they all starting squirming, getting ready to eat. They tore that [dead]chicken up."
I read that in the paper today. Nice to see Gaines vs Williams. Is our starting point guard Lue for sure?
it sounds like lue will be the starter, but shammond williams will likely compete for the spot during the preseason and the camp.
Actually its not for sure if Lue will start, in my opinion Shammond is going to win the PG battle and later on Reece will take control. No one offered Lue a startiong position although he has it right now but i think he will lose it. Thats a decent point guard lineup, better than DA Jaque Vaughn and C whitney
Remember when Lue got inside AI's head in the finals? Lue will start. He's not necessarily better, but the Magic haven't had a scoring pg for a while, and now that they have Juwan they need one even less.
