National Basketball Association

Magic embrace rare practice in preparing for Heat

Published Feb. 7, 2012 10:54 p.m. ET

foxsports

Perhaps Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy's biggest frustration this season has nothing to do with what his team hasn't accomplished at times during games.

It is centered on what the abbreviated NBA schedule hasn't allowed his team to do much so far - and that's practice.

''I hate it, I'll be honest,'' Van Gundy said. ''Because you're job as a coach is to prepare your team. Even when we were going good I'd see so many things on the floor where I'm rolling my eyes...The only way that I know to get better is you come in here and your work on it and you work on it and drill it and drill it.''

The Magic held their first true contact practice since Jan. 14 on Tuesday as they prepare to host Southeast Division-leader Miami for the first time this season Wednesday night.

It was much-needed prep time for a team that is in the middle of stretch that will see it play 20 games over 32 days before the All-Star break.

It's a blistering jaunt that has included both the Magic's recent season-high four-game losing streak and a reviving three-game win streak that was snapped Monday in overtime by the visiting Los Angeles Clippers.

''I was forgetting in the NBA that you actually practice, it's not just all back-to-back games and days off,'' forward Ryan Anderson said. ''We got to walkthrough some stuff and really tighten up on some offensive plays and went over some new stuff we want to run against Miami.

''It's just good to come together as a team after you make a mistake and correct it rather than in a game where you have to play through it.''

Anderson is continuing to adapt well to his starting role this season averaging career bests in points (16.3) and 3-point shooting (42.9 percent).

He said the biggest change for him has been more focused prep time dissecting his nightly matchup.

Wednesday that will be Chris Bosh, who has also started strong and become more involved in the Heat's offense. His average is up to 19.7 points per game and he's also shooting 50 percent from the field for just the third time in his nine-year career.

Van Gundy said a lot of that credit, though, belongs to Miami coach Erik Spoelstra, who apparently devoted a lot of the Heat's limited preseason prep time to integrating Bosh more into an offense that already features scorers Dwyane Wade and LeBron James.

''Erik never gets enough credit because he's coaching three great players,'' Van Gundy said. ''What he's done changing the system has gotten Bosh much more involved. He totally changed what they're doing and where they're playing Bosh.

''It's gotten him involved to where he's averaging 20 (points) a night without taking anything away from James or Wade. So that's been a key adjustment for them and it's why I think they're a much better team this year than they were before.''

Even with three more meetings against the Heat after Wednesday, Anderson said there's no question that this first matchup will be measuring stick game for Orlando.

''They're a great team and a team we always like to compete hard against and we want to beat,'' he said. ''And they're one of those teams that we're gonna have to get through if we're gonna be successful. We definitely want to come in and get a big win and redeem ourselves.''