Orlando Sliding Without Unlucky Penny

The Orlando Magic knew they would have to proceed this season without Shaquille O’Neal.

But minus Penny Hardaway for a healthy chunk, too? Well, the predictable has happened.

When Pat Williams’ ping-pong balls were air-lifted through the chute, the Magic certainly weren’t short on luck. Not so now. “We used it all up,” G.M. John Gabriel says. Injuries and a 7-1, 300-pound defection have conspired to strip the Magic of their elite status.

They’re not exactly the expansion team of ‘89, but hardly the up-and-coming squad that pushed aside Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls and made an early appearance in the NBA Finals, either.

Bothered all season by a left knee that underwent arthroscopic surgery November 17, Hardaway isn’t expected back until mid-January. He has tendinitis (unrelated to the surgery) behind the knee, and the injury has affected his calf and hamstring as well.

Since injured knees are tricky, a worst-case scenario has Hardaway not returning to full strength until just before the All-Star break. By then, the Magic could be trying to salvage a season that may put the team back where it started before the fun began -- in the lottery.

Hardaway’s injury hasn’t been the only one for the Magic. Nick Anderson and Dennis Scott have sat with aches and pains, and the team has yet to have its top three scorers on the floor for a generous stretch. As it is, misery has invited company.

“It has been traumatic for us because this has happened in a very short period of time,” Gabriel says. “Usually when teams slide, it’s because of a gradual aging process. Ours is different. The combination of the injuries and losing Shaq has been hard to digest. But we must keep a positive attitude, because we know that when healthy, we’re a good team.”

The Magic were built with Shaq in mind, and without him, they’re still searching for an identity. Hardaway was supposed to be the focal point, but he hasn’t been on the floor. In the interim, the Magic have had to lean on players such as Rony Seikaly, who arrived only weeks ago in a trade; Gerald Wilkins, who sat out last season with injuries; Darrell Armstrong, a former United States Basketball League player; and Derek Strong, a career bench player.

“The transition to a different team is tough for anyone to go through,” Gabriel says, “but it has been worse for us because we haven’t had guys healthy enough to go through it. We’ll be going through our transition at midseason.”

Compounding the problems are the difficulties of Brian Shaw, who struggles to shoot 35 percent; and Horace Grant, who has disappeared from the offense. Hounded by double-teams, Grant is averaging four fewer points than last season. Last week in a double-overtime loss to the Indiana Pacers, he took five shots in 49 minutes. The previous game, against the Utah Jazz, he shot twice. That’s not quite the production the Magic want from a player they’re paying $17 million this season.

The team’s fall has been drastic. The Magic are no longer a tough ticket in a one pro-sport town. Their sellout streak at Orlando Arena ended last month after 258 games, and some games are played before a noticeable number of empty seats. The spoiled home fans, accustomed to success, haven’t seen much; the Magic already have lost as many games at home as they did during the past two seasons combined.

Not all is rosy off the court, either. Two months ago Anderson was accused (but not charged) by an Orlando woman of assault. Anderson insists he is innocent and suggests he is being targeted for extortion. He was concerned enough about the situation to hire a full-time bodyguard.

“We’re a long way from panicking,” Scott says. “We’re going through a tough time now, but sooner or later, it will turn around. After four years of success, this hurts. But the hurt is going to stop.”

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New Jersey Nets Coach John Calipari has no use for first-round flunkees Yinka Dare and Ed O’Bannon, a pair of Willis Reed mistakes. Calipari uses Kendall Gill at O’Bannon’s small forward spot because he wants Gill and rookie Kerry Kittles on the floor.

And there’s the prehistoric Xavier McDaniel around to get minutes at backup small forward. O’Bannon wants a trade to his hometown of Los Angeles in the worst way, but neither the Lakers nor Clippers have shown much interest.

As for Dare, he was elevated to the starting spot last week when Shawn Bradley came down with a sore knee. But Dare continues to receive fewer minutes than journeyman Adrian Caldwell.

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Entering last weekend, the Houston Rockets had lost only four games, but two were to Vancouver and Toronto. Both were humbling defeats, though Houston played without Hakeem Olajuwon against the Raptors and without Charles Barkley against the Grizzlies. But it also shows how vulnerable the Rockets can be without one of their three future Hall-of-Famers.

In terms of age, the Michael Jordan-Dennis Rodman-Scottie Pippen unit is virtually as old as Olajuwon-Barkley-Clyde Drexler. But the reason the Rockets’ ages always come into question is because each of their three stars has suffered a semi-serious injury over the past few years.

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Around the league: Jamal Mashburn’s frustration with the Dallas Mavericks boiled over last week when he intimated a desire to be traded. “I don’t know where I fit in,” Mashburn says. With George McCloud giving Dallas some much-needed outside shooting at small forward, Mashburn is fighting for minutes. ... The Pacers are aggressively seeking a scoring forward to ease the burden on Reggie Miller. They have inquired about Mashburn and Clifford Robinson and are very willing to part with Derrick McKey. ... Besides Latrell Sprewell and Joe Smith, no one is untouchable on the Golden State Warriors. Expect a midseason shakeup. ... Sign of the times: The Boston Celtics are the only team without cheerleaders or dancing women. They’re also the only team to resist changing their uniform or colors. Thank goodness for tradition. The Cleveland Cavaliers are using Danny Ferry at center in place of reluctant shooter Mark West during fourth quarters, and their offense is responding. The Cavs were quite effective last season when they used four shooters and one post player. The Seatte SuperSonics employ the same strategy when they switch from shot blocker Jim McIlvaine to Sam Perkins. ... Mitch Richmond is still smoldering in Sacramento about his contract, which has two more years to run and is light-ended, meaning he’ll receive less than the $3.5 million he makes this season. Brent Barry, whose defense is a sticking point with Clippers Coach Bill Fitch, remains in the doghouse and his meager minutes (15.4 per game) reflect as much. ... Asked if the Rockets would be interested in trading for Isaiah Rider, Charles Barkley replied: “We’d vote 12-0, no. We want to be able to get a good night’s sleep. We don’t want the cops banging on our doors at all hours of the night.”