Czwarta-Kwarta.com: Podsumowanie dnia 24.03

Marzec jest najlepszym miesiącem dla Marcina w tym sezonie. Dostaje on sporo okazji do dłuższej gry i udowadnia, że jest wartościowym zawodnikiem. W dotychczasowych 11 meczach tego miesiąca jego statystyki wyniosły 5.6pts/ 5.9reb/ 0.6blk przez średnio 15.1 minut gry. To spowodowało, że w NBA wzbudza on coraz większe zainteresowanie. Już nie tylko w Orlando widzą w nim przyszłościowego zawodnika podkoszowego. A jako, że po obecnych rozgrywkach kończy się kontrakt Gortata i stanie się on wolnym agentem, można oczekiwać, że sporo drużyn będzie chciało go pozyskać. W tej sytuacji na amerykańskich portalach internetowych poświęconych NBA, coraz więcej pisze się o nim i do tego, pisze się bardzo pozytywnie. Oto kilka tekstów o Polaku, które pojawiły się w tym miesiącu:

HoopsWorld (23/03/09)
Keeping Marcin?: HOOPSWORLD's Bill Ingram caught up with Magic reserve Marcin Gortat [artykuł poniżej] recently and asked him about his future. Gortat will be a restricted free agent this summer, and will likely get some serious offers based on his play as of late. The question becomes can the Magic retain Marcin, and still stick to the play of re-signing Hedo Turkoglu? The answer is yes. Keep in mind the Magic will have their median exception and "early bird" rights on Marcin, so cap space to sign both Turkoglu and Gortat is not an issue. The issue is Luxury Tax, which according to new league projections will be set at $69.4 million in 2009. The Magic are currently sitting at $62.8 million in salary commitments, leaving them $6.5 million below the tax line. The Magic have two attractive ending contracts in Tony Battie at $6.2 million, and Anthony Johnson at $1.9 million. Again, Luxury Tax is computed at the end of the season, meaning the Magic could very well re-sign Turkoglu to a deal in the $9 million range, and match a Gortat offer sheet up to $5 million per season and still have some breathing room under the tax, if GM Otis Smith can find a new home for Tony Battie and AJ. It's not out of the realm of possibilities that Otis can make this work, but this off-season will be an interesting one for Orlando as they will have to make the tough decision on keeping the core together, or simply saying there are better places to spend $14 million.

_____________________________________________
HoopsWorld (22/03/09)
Will The Magic Lose Gortat?
Over the past few seasons, the best way to beat the Orlando Magic has been to attack Dwight Howard, get him into foul trouble, and then take advantage of the Magic's lack of depth at the center position. This season, that hasn't been as effective a gameplan as it was in the past, thanks in large part to the contributions of Marcin Gortat.
"My game is definitely better than it was last year," Gortat tells HOOPSWORLD. "Finally I've improved enough to get into the rotation and I proved that I can help the team coming off the bench. Obviously it's not big minutes, 10-15 minutes playing time, but I'm trying to help as much as I can and be the most productive. I just have to do what I've been doing for the last seven years, which is work hard and be ready for every opportunity."
Last night's game against the New York Knicks is a perfect example. Howard played just 30 minutes and fouled out, yet the Magic held off the Knicks and came away with a win. Gortat contributed eight rebounds, five points, and a block in 18 minutes off the bench, preventing what would previously have been a Knicks lay-up drill and a loss for the Magic. Just another night at the office for Gortat, who has gone from long-term project to solid contributor for Orlando this season.
"He's worked extremely hard on his game, even prior to coming to Orlando," Magic GM Otis Smith tells HOOPSWORLD. "We got him every summer before last year and he worked really hard. He goes against Dwight every day, so he just gets better. I don't think his production surprises anyone in our gym. He might catch some other guys off guard, but he's doing what we brought him here to do."
"Marcin's had a very, very good year," agrees Magic head coach Stan Van Gundy. "There's been some ups and downs, but for the most part he's been very consistent and very, very good - particularly on the defensive end and on the boards. He scores on pick-and-rolls, very active, very energetic, just what we need coming off the bench every night."
"Marcin's playing extremely well," says Magic big man Tony Battie. "He's done a great job of raising his level of play, especially from last year to this year. He's playing some big time minutes now and the sky's the limit for him. He's learning from one of the best centers in the league, that being Dwight, and he's soaking everything up like a sponge."
Gorat didn't see much action over the first month and a half of the 2008-09 season, just a few garbage minutes in three games. When an injury claimed Dwight Howard in mid-December, however, Gortat got his opportunity to play . . and seized it. He helped the Magic score a rare win in Utah, then recorded 16 points, 13 rebounds and three blocks at Golden State, and he's been an integral part of the rotation ever since.
"Dwight's definitely the best center in the NBA and I believe I can cover his weaknesses," says Gortat. "Having two big guys who can run the floor, blocks shots, two big bodies under the basket, is going to create a lot of problems for the other teams. Obviously, I have to improve my game a little bit more, but I'm definitely ready to play and I can put a lot of energy in the game, play defense on the best players, and try to keep Dwight away from foul trouble. That's stuff I've been doing throughout my career, so I'm not really doing this stuff for the first time."
Playing with and against Dwight Howard is certainly a rare advantage for Gortat. Most European big men come to the NBA and have to count on coaches and smaller players to tell them how an NBA big man should perform. Instead, Gortat gets to bang with one of the league's most dominant big men every day in practice.
"I think it's the fact that he works so hard on his game, and that he has somebody in practice who's going to go so hard at him and make him better," says Howard. "Every day in practice I'm going at him, pushing him, making him tougher.
"He pushes me, too, but I usually don't feel it," cracks the always-jovial Howard. "He needs to hit it a little harder in the weight room, but Marcin's playing great. I love his game, and I've liked him since my first summer here when we played summer league together. He's made me and the other guys better."
"I think Dwight pushes him more than he pushes Dwight, but at the same time I think his length gives Dwight a little bit of a challenge in practice," says Otis Smith. "We had a combination going at one time, we used to have Marcin and Adonal (Foyle) to go against him and Adonal used to smart him, but (Marcin) can do a little bit of everything. I think it helps both players, both Dwight and Marcin."
Of course, every time a young players shows marked improvement in the final year of a contract you have to wonder whether or not the team will be able to retain him. That will certainly be the case for Gortat, who makes just over $700,000 this season and has most certainly earned the attention of a few teams in search of size. The Magic don't want to get into a bidding war, and there have even been rumors that Gortat might return to Europe. While other NBA teams have to be a legit concern for Otis Smith and his staff, Gortat has no intention of returning to Europe.
"Europe is always going to be open for me, it's not going anywhere. My dream is to play in the NBA and stay in the NBA. I'm going to work as hard as possible and we'll see. Two or three months and you'll know the answer. I would like to stay. I love the organization; I love the Orlando Magic. My first steps in the NBA were in Orlando and I love the city, the fans, I live in a great place, we have a great coaching staff, great teammates, so it's up to the GM."
The Magic have shown a great deal of patience and faith in Gortat, and it would be a shame to see them lose him just as that faith begins to pay off. One thing's for sure: re-signing Gortat is now one of Smith's top priorities for this summer's free agency.
_____________________________________________
New York Post (17/03/09)
Orlando's Marcin Gortat will be the Mehmet Okur of this summer's free agent class. Dwight Howard's raw backup isn't going to come cheaply, but the team that collars him will have spent wisely on a guy guaranteed to average an easy double double.

_____________________________________________
HoopsWorld (17/03/09)
Gortat's Got Next
Interesting prediction from Peter Vescey of the New York Post today, who wrote that the team that can sign Orlando Magic back-up big man Marcin Gortat this summer will be getting "a guy guaranteed to average an easy double double" in the future.
Gortat currently averages 3.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game in 11.4 minutes behind Orlando's dominant big man, Dwight Howard. Originally drafted in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, the 6-11, 240-pound center from Poland was traded to the Magic for cash and played in only 6 games last season; this year, he's played in 47 contests and is showing promise with his .545 shooting percentage and has had two double-doubles this season when given significant playing time (about 30 minutes).
He'll certainly be worth the risk for most teams out there at the right price - big men don't grow on trees and Gortat certainly has the raw talent and size to be a factor off of someone's bench. It's doubtful that the double-doubles will come that easily, as Gortat probably isn't ready to be a full-time starter just yet. And at 25-years old, there isn't much upside to a guy like Gortat as you'll pretty much be getting what you're seeing now. He likely has topped off his development and has reached his ceiling, but sitting behind a guy like Howard means he hasn't been given much playing time.
Should Gortat go to a team that gives him a consistent 18-20 minutes per game at the right price, that team will certainly like what they'll be getting. He's a solid back-up and several teams in need of some size and a bruiser off the bench will come calling; that's a bunch of squads - Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, and Denver all come to mind, but there are certainly others that could use the help.

_____________________________________________
Orlando Sentinel (11/03/09)
Orlando Magic's Marcin Gortat is getting to do more than just back up Dwight Howard ? is it working?

Marcin Gortat had finally reached the top of his personal Mount Everest.

He briefly found a place on the floor playing alongside three-time all-star Dwight Howard.

"We've been talking about it for a long time," Gortat said. "It was great for me to say I played with Dwight."

Usually, Gortat serves as Howard's backup for the Orlando Magic, relegated to the few minutes that are available.

So when Howard checked back into Sunday's game against the Boston Celtics to start the second quarter, Gortat assumed he'd be heading to the bench.

"I was surprised when I saw Dwight come in and not point to me," Gortat said. "He was coming in for somebody else [Rashard Lewis]. I was like, 'Wow. I'm playing with Dwight. I can't [mess] up.'"

Gortat, 25, continued his promising progress, scoring six points, grabbing five rebounds and blocking two shots in 23 minutes. Foul-plagued again, Howard finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks.

When Howard and Gortat were on the floor together for a seven-minute stretch in the second period, they scored on back-to-back baskets, Gortat with a jumper and Howard on a dunk.

Howard already had two fouls, so Gortat defended burly Celtics center Kendrick Perkins, who didn't expect Howard to be waiting to block his shot, playing behind Gortat. Howard added two more baskets, one on an assist from Gortat ? just one 6-foot-11 guy passing to another 6-foot-11 guy ? before Howard exited after picking up his third foul.

Looking for rebounding help and to counter physical play, Coach Stan Van Gundy was so thrilled with the twin-towers experiment that he used it again Monday night against the Detroit Pistons.

But as elated as Gortat was after the Boston game, he was just as deflated on Monday after the loss to Detroit.

The second-year big man trying to find his way in the NBA learned more lessons.

This time, the Howard-Gortat duo ? dubbed "The Polish Prince and Superman" by Howard ? fizzled after playing together most of the pivotal fourth quarter. Gortat had seldom seen much action in the heat of a game.

He had two of his shots blocked, including a jumper with the Magic leading 90-89 with two minutes left, and also missed a free throw.

Gortat felt as if he had fallen off Mount Everest. "I lost this game for us. It was my fault," he said, slumped in front of his locker. "I lost concentration."

Nobody was blaming Gortat. Van Gundy, though, was "kicking" himself for playing Gortat in a "pressure situation" for so long instead of calling on veteran Tony Battie.

"Over the next five weeks, I want to look at anything that might help going into the playoffs, and I wanted to see Marcin and Dwight together again," Van Gundy said. "A veteran big guy would have handled it better."

Howard and Gortat played 13 minutes together. They accounted for 10 points and 11 rebounds in that time ? but had only a combined four rebounds and three points when they were on the court in the final period.

Gortat hopes Van Gundy hasn't lost confidence in him and will pair him with Howard again.

Gortat needs a strong finish as he will become a free agent this summer. "I'm going to play for the team that wants me," he said.

"Marcin has improved a great deal," Van Gundy said. "He's gone from a roster guy at the end of the bench to a guy who got minutes in the playoffs last year to a solid back-up, and now a guy we want to see if we can play with Dwight."

_____________________________________________
ESPN (9/03/09)
One of the things we kept discussing was how much Marcin Gortat might fetch as a free agent this summer. Orlando's backup center gets little mention, but has been amazingly productive this season. His 21.0 rebound rate is among the best in the league, plus he's shooting 53.7 percent and has a 17.18 PER (all numbers entering Sunday's game).
Additionally, he was an active force defensively, blocking two shots and altering at least three others. Given the sample size, we should take his numbers with a bit of a grain of salt, but he put up good numbers in limited minutes last season, too. I haven't heard anyone talking about him, and the 25-year-old from Poland could help a lot of team's frontcourt needs.

PTS	30	T.Parker vs.GSW
REB	14	P.Gasol vs.OKC
AST	12	D.Williams vs.HOU
STL	4	K.Bryant vs.OKC
BLK	5	A.Randolph vs.SAS