New Chapters

The curious case of Steve Francis has been resolved. I think.

After his team-imposed suspension was lifted following a meeting with Magic head coach Brian Hill and co-GM Otis Smith, Francis apologized to his teammates, coaches, and fans on Tuesday, thus ending this bizarre chapter in the Magic season. Maybe.

To repeat from a previous entry - there are two, and only two, methods of getting an NBA player's attention: money and minutes. I wrote that since Francis is due $48 million guaranteed American dollars over the next three seasons, money was not a factor, which was incorrect on my part. His suspension was without pay, meaning he lost $180 grand per game while pondering his decision to remain on the bench during a blowout in Seattle last week.

The second part of that equation - minutes - is what I figured would truly slap Francis in the face. Say what you will about Steve-O, but the man wants to compete. He wants the ball in the clutch, sometimes to the detriment of his team. To be prevented from playing basketball, I felt, was the strongest statement the Magic could possibly make.

Francis, in a rare fit of contrition, went so far as to claim that he would "live with the decision" to come off the bench, if it came to that. That sounds great - and I'm not doubting Francis's sincerity - but all NBA players know that it's not who starts, it's who finishes. It's worth noting that second-year guard Jameer Nelson, a player reportedly deemed "untouchable" in any trade offers made to the Magic these days, leads the team in fourth-quarter points, and has scored a majority of his season total in the second half and overtime. With a preternatural sense of maturity and confidence, it is evident to any who watch this team that Jameer Nelson doesn't give a crap what you think of his size or defensive skills. They doubted him at St. Joe's, they doubted him on draft day, they doubt him now. The chip on his shoulder is the size of a grapefruit. Personally, I like that in a point guard.

There's only one basketball, and only one crunch time. Can the Magic survive with two guys who believe they deserve the rock when the game is on the line? We're about to find out.

The potentially tragic aspect of all of this - Francis, Grant Hill's lingering injuries, Keyon Dooling's brain fart, Kelvin Cato's inexplicable apathy, the equally potent apathy of the fans in Orlando - is the fact that the Eastern Conference is utterly terrible, and the Magic have more than enough talent to make the playoffs in this environment. As of Tuesday night, they were nine games under .500 but only three and a half games out of the final playoff spot in the East. It's there for the taking. One whiff of success, one hot streak, one brief stretch of continuity and aggressiveness, and they are in the mix. The line is razor-thin, and these next few weeks may indeed become the turning point in the season for Orlando.

Meanwhile, in Miami, a fascinating comment from head coach/potentate Pat Riley in Friday's Miami Herald.

"This is an entirely different basketball team than I've ever coached. The personalities are different. There's a lot of great things. There's a lot of things that have to be purged, and it's just a whole different view. There has to be some realignment of focus of what this whole thing's about. And I think over the next two or three months we can do that."

For the first time in my memory, Riley the Coach comments on the players handed to him by Riley the General Manager. I wonder if Stan Van Gundy is allowing himself just a small chuckle somewhere.

"The personalities are different"? Well, yes. Shaquille O'Neal, while largely immobile, still demands the focus of the offense. Antoine Walker still needs touches, and a long leash. Jason Williams needs faithful care and grooming. Gary Payton needs a muzzle and a Way-Back Machine. And Dwyane Wade needs his own reality show, because he is by far the best player on that team, and one of the five best players in the league.

Wade leads the team in points, assists, and minutes, is third behind Udonis Haslem and Alonzo Mourning in rebounds, and is tied for second in blocked shots. You think Riley is discovering chemistry problems now? Wait until Wade gets hurt and misses a few games, God forbid.

Miami has feasted on the pathetic Southeast Division to the tune of a 5-1 record as of Tuesday - a division so bad that Orlando was unbeaten at home against the Southeast heading into the home game with Washington on Wednesday.

Miami was a very respectable 11-8 against the Western Conference heading into Wednesday's games. However, the Heat was only 7-7 against non-divisional Eastern Conference teams over that same span - a conference I have just characterized as, umm, "terrible," I believe.

To make sense of this, consider: the top team in the Eastern Conference, Detroit, went 15-2 against the East en route to a 30-5 start. The Nets started 13-8 against their own conference in building a 20-15 record in their first 35 games. Cleveland: 13-6 against the East, 7-9 against the West.

Point being, take out the dregs of the Southeast Division, and Miami is not exactly making hay in the East - not like the other conference leaders, anyway. This doesn't sound like an opportune time to start tweaking the rotation, but it appears that is exactly Riley's plan.

By now, most observers have agreed that Stan Van Gundy's fairwell press conference was only slightly more believable than the one staged by President Logan in the season opener of "24." Frankly, it doesn't matter. This is the team that Riley built, and this is the team that Riley wanted to coach. I guess I just find it incredible that he's expressing surprise at how difficult it's become to make the pieces fit.

These are crucial days for the Florida NBA teams. By the end of this month, we'll know for sure where their fortunes lie.