To say that things aren’t going well for the Orlando Magic would be an incredible understatement. Since defeating the Indiana Pacers on Jan. 24, the team has fallen into a four-game skid that if defined as abysmal would be a compliment. But it all actually started the night before that win, when the Magic produced a pathetic 56-point performance in a loss to the Boston Celtics. That Monday night game should be remembered as the moment the Magic crumbled.

To be fair, the 66-game schedule hasn’t been kind to many teams at this point, with back-to-backs packed in like strippers in a trunk. But for the Magic – with my obvious homer status aside – it’s been a fascinating season with only 21 games behind them. And it all starts with the man who set the tone for Orlando’s season by requesting a trade, Dwight Howard.

After last night’s hideous 74-69 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers (and the game was a lot worse than that score suggests), Howard maintained that his team can win, but he still wants to play for a team that can win.

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The hat tip says Stan Van Gundy looks like a doppleganger of Ron Jeremy, which in turn makes him remind you of Mario Mario, but I think he’s got more of a Paul Bearer vibe to him. Maybe it’s the funeral blazers. Anyway, the Orlando Magic coach has always been the type to provide a solid blockquote, as he does here, revealing his thoughts on the Miami Heat and that whole “us against the world” vibe.

Via Sports Radio Interviews:

“I’m not going to feel bad that you are struggling on a basketball court because you only get to within two wins of a championship. Come on there was nothing to feel sorry for. I got a little tired I’ll admit of the whole everybody hates us routine. I thought first of all it’s not true. Okay it’s the same as the Yankees type of thing. There’s just a lot of people interested, so there may be more people who dislike you. There are also more people that like you. There’s a great deal of interest. Second of all they brought it on…LeBron more than anybody. They brought all that scrutiny and attention on yourself. You went out seeking it then don’t cry in the face of it. That to me got to be a very tiresome story line.”

I also would’ve accepted “Miami Heat, entitled, got beaten by the Mavericks, boom, roasted.” Van Gundy also added a professional’s perspective to that whole “LeBron turns into Sad Keanu in the fourth” meme.

Even this year we saw LeBron James have great 4th quarters in the Boston series and the Chicago series. I certainly experienced it first hand when we played them back in the Eastern Conference Finals. He was tremendous against us.

If we keep having interviews like this, do you think somebody will finally say “the Dallas Mavericks won the Championship and it didn’t really matter how good LeBron was”?

No?

[headband tip to Off the Bench]

Hot off of David Stern’s remarks about the Orlando Magic’s poor play and his expectations of silence, Stan Van Gundy is being dragged a little further through the proverbial mud today, as a new Sports Illustrated poll of 138 NBA players declares him far and away the most annoying coach in the NBA. Nearly 90 of the players admitted that when they are playing the Magic, StanVan drives them crazier than any other coach in the league. Phil Jackson and Scott Skiles tied for second with 7%.

When asked for comment, David Stern declined and continued thanking the 90 players that stopped by his office to collect money that he owed them for “something totally different”.

Additional fun notes from SI’s survey include:

Two coaches who left their teams midseason received votes: Larry Brown of the Bobcats (2%) and Jerry Sloan of the Jazz (1%)…. Sloan, Brown and Jackson all are among the top six alltime in NBA coaching wins…. Two non–head coaches, Celtics assistant Lawrence Frank and Bobcats majority owner Michael Jordan, received one vote apiece…. The Pistons’ John Kuester is tied for the lead among NBA coaches with eight technicals but received no votes; Van Gundy’s seven techs tie him for third.

Now I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned this before, but I’m a bit of a Magic fan, and I just want to take this opportunity to slam my fists against the table and yell to the world in a fiery rage… I agree. Seriously, Stan annoys the hell out of me. On and off the court. I wish SI surveyed the entire league so the number could be higher.

As the Orlando Magic flirted with elimination and a 3-1 deficit last night heading into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Orlando head coach Stan Van Gundy and Pardon the Interruption host Michael Wilbon were locked in a war of words. Wilbon, who moonlights as a NBA analyst, started the brouhaha on Monday by telling Dan LeBatard on his Miami radio show that he had heard “rumblings” about Van Gundy’s job being in trouble if the No. 2 seed Magic lose to the Celtics in this series. Van Gundy responded by screaming incoherently, throwing his hands in the air and finally giving Brandon Bass playing time.

Van Gundy actually lashed out at Wilbon yesterday prior to the Magic’s 21-point slaughter of the Celtics by calling Wilbon a “talking head” and questioning the integrity of a man who has never suited up to play nor been in a locker room. Van Gundy added that Wilbon has it out for him because he’s chosen not to appear on PTI and that hosts of such shows choose their friends based on favors. Wilbon, a self-proclaimed journalist, responded to Van Gundy’s comments in a phone interview later yesterday, name-dropping a bunch of athletes and coaches who have appeared on PTI, and ripped right back at Stan.

Tell us one side of the story, Shannon Owens of the Orlando Sentinel:

“He may want to check his facts first before he shoots off his mouth. He can criticize me, I’m not above taking it publicly, but he may want to get his facts straight. And I will tell him that when I see him.”

Michael Wilbon added, “There’s no deal in place that if you come on our show, you don’t get criticized. Charles Barkley is one of my close friends and there’s praise for Charles and we have to criticize Charles. Larry Brown, same thing. Mike Brown was just on the show and we had to criticize him after the playoffs. I don’t know where that comes from and before [Stan Van Gundy] questions my integrity, he needs to check his facts.”

Owens went on to defend her “mentor” Wilbon, saying that Van Gundy was way off base and the guy is just doing his job and blah blah blah. As a Magic fan, season ticket holder, and former sports journalist, I can say from an Orlando media standpoint that Wilbon’s claim about Stan’s job being in trouble is far-fetched. He’s the first media personality to mention it and the only rumor source I’ve heard of. Then again, for the sake of the journalistic integrity that I once went to school for, my best sources are a couple homeless people who I make sing popular 80s songs for loose change. Also, this whole thing is stupid and embarrassing for the NBA Playoffs.

Wilbon will address the issue on PTI today at 5:30, and Van Gundy will respond by screaming at traffic and taking JJ Redick out of the game when he’s nailing shots from the MTV Rock and Jock 10-point circle. Then Vince Carter will show up, yawn, and ask anyone if they’ve seen his Snuggie.