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The Orlando Magic dumped Trevor Ariza early last season because they didn't think he was a good enough long-range shooter for their long-bomb attack.Well, talk about misreading a player? Mistakes happen, and the Magic likely will pay dearly for that one during the NBA Finals that start tonight.
In the 89 games Ariza played for the Magic – covering parts of three seasons – he missed the only 12 shots he took from 3-point range. He was reminded constantly to just focus on defense and leave the shooting to others.
It's why shortly after coach Stan Van Gundy arrived, Ariza was sent packing to LA, traded for two guys long gone from the Magic roster.
Guess how many 3-point shots Ariza takes now?
In his 18 playoff games covering the last six weeks, Ariza has hit 30 of his 60 3-point attempts, looking like one of the league's best long-range shooters, adding to his reputation as one of the league's finest open-court defenders.
Don't be surprised to see him smothering Magic small forwards Hedo Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus at one end, then outshoot them at the other.
And don't think for a minute that Ariza isn't licking his chops at this opportunity to stick it in the Magic's collective face. He wasn't happy about leaving Orlando, even if he diplomatically sidesteps the question today.
"It's not about me, or about one person in this series,'' Ariza said. "It's about the team. I just didn't fit into his (Van Gundy's) style of play, and that's fine with me.''
Ariza, a lanky 6-8 forward, has been huge in the Lakers run through the playoffs. Twice he made big steals in the closing minutes of games against Denver in the Western Conference final. He started only 20 of his 82 games during the regular season, but he has been a key force as a starter throughout the playoffs, hitting several big shots.
The Lakers love his versatility, something that got lost in his earlier stops with the Knicks and the Magic. Like many NBA players, he didn't find his niche until he found a team to utilize all his strengths.
"You're not going to fit into everyone's system,'' Ariza said. "I made a lot of friends there, but it's a business.''
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