Surprise stories in the NBA

Is it just me, or does it all of a sudden seem that Ray Allen was the 'throw-in' in the Gary Payton trade a year ago that brought little-known Ronald 'Flip' Murray to the Sonics?

Don't get me wrong: I love Ray Allen. In fact he's one of my favorite players to watch. But here we are six games into the season and Allen hasn't suited up yet because of injury, Murray is averaging more than 20 points a game, and the Sonics are 5-1!

Seattle GM Rick Sund has maintained a sense of modesty and humor regarding the trade. "If Murray continues to play this way," he has said. "I'm going to tell people I insisted he was part of the deal!"

The reality is that Murray was a salary cap throw-in and the Sonics lucked their way into uncovering a gem.

Still, what a find! Murray scored 20 points or more in his first six games this season. And Nate McMillan has so much confidence in him that he gave Murray the ball, cleared the floor and let him go one-on-one with Latrell Sprewell the other night with the game on the line in Minneapolis. Murray drove by Spree, pivoted and hit a fadeaway jumper at the buzzer to win the game for Seattle.

Murray has shown an array of skills. He can shoot the perimeter jumper. More impressively, he seems to get wherever he wants with the ball on the floor, using great strength and smooth ball handling to get past his defender.

I've seen him play a couple of times now and I hate to fuel the hype, but he reminds me of Joe Dumars. He has the size, strength and skills to play either guard spot and be both a scorer and an assist man.

It will be interesting to see what Nate McMillan does with Murray when Allen returns, but it seems to me they can play together. Add those two to a lineup that already has Rashard Lewis and Brent Barry, and you've got a smooth, talented bunch of skill players who will be awfully fun to watch. The Dallas Mavericks of the Northwest, perhaps?

The Orlando Magic also have been a surprise – for the wrong reasons. A lot of the so-called 'experts', including me, felt that the Magic would be contenders in the parity-filled Eastern Conference. Adding Juwan Howard to a team that had Detroit down 3-1 in the playoffs last year before folding seemed to be a move that might propel Orlando a step closer to the Finals.

Instead the Magic have been awful, losing seven straight games since an opening-night victory over the Knicks. Orlando is struggling both to score (86 points per game) and stopping opposing teams. Tracy McGrady has suffered the first extended slump of his career, shooting poorly and being visibly frustrated by the team's poor play early on as well as his own. McGrady even hinted at retirement after a game last week! ("Earth to Tracy. Come in Tracy. Can you hear me?")

So why is Orlando struggling? Well, through eight games, the team is shooting 39 percent and being outrebounded by six per game. It hasn't helped that Pat Garrity and Gordon Giricek are injured, and that both McGrady and Howard are shooting under 40 percent. Drew Gooden hasn't been much better.

But why are they shooting poorly?

Maybe it's just a slow start, but I think the team is suffering from a lack of any semblance of inside play. Just as in football, where you need an offensive balance between the pass and the run, in basketball you must have a balance between the inside and outside game. Without that balance, teams can load up defensively and take away the spacing that's necessary for a good offense.

Orlando has no interior strength. Howard is more of a jump shooter that a post player, and so is McGrady. Gooden is trying to score down on the block, but it's not happening.

The lack of a post threat means defenses can really extend on the perimeter and challenge jump shots. And the lack of size and strength is being exposed on the boards. It's tough to win in the NBA when you don't rebound well, but if you combine that with bad shooting, you're in huge trouble.

Maybe the Magic should trade for Ronald Murray. And get a 'throw-in' like Ray Allen too.