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Magic guard finds niche, confidence in playoffs

Troy Hudson, once in the doghouse, is team's second-leading scorer.

By JAMAL THALJI, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times
published April 27, 2002

ORLANDO -- Troy Hudson has seen it all in the NBA. All the bad.

The fifth-year pro went undrafted out of Southern Illinois in 1998. He was waived twice, once by the Jazz in 1998 and by the Clippers in 2000. He has played 59 CBA games in three seasons. His current team, the Magic, tried three times to replace him last season with a reserve point guard.

The one thing Hudson never thought he would see in his pro career was the light.

The green light.

Now when he looks to coach Doc Rivers, it is all he sees.

"He's given me the green light all season long to do what I have to do out there to help the team win," Hudson said. "If that means I'm creating my own shot and putting points on the board, that's what I'll do. Whenever I'm out there, he tells me to stay aggressive. The team is looking for me to be aggressive and to score, and I have to be that every night now."

What a turnaround from last season for Orlando's second-leading playoff scorer behind an ailing Tracy McGrady.

Hudson averaged 11.7 points and 3.1 assists while playing 22.9 minutes in the regular season -- all career bests for Hudson, who tied for sixth in Sixth Man of the Year voting and seventh in the Most Improved Player.

But the 26-year-old is making his mark in the playoffs, scoring 26 in Orlando's 111-103 overtime victory over Charlotte Tuesday, evening the Eastern Conference series at 1 entering today's Game 3.

The Hudson Rivers saw last season was a player struggling to find his niche, a bench guy averaging 4.8 points and 2.2 assists in 13.5 minutes.

"Whenever I took a bad shot or made a turnover or anything like that, I look over at the bench and I see a grimace on Doc's face," Hudson said.

Now when Hudson turns the ball over -- he averaged 2.01 turnovers in the regular season -- Rivers has remained patient. Sort of.

"Well, now I close my eyes and I say a blessing and then lift them up and tell him to just keep playing," Rivers said.

Rivers' patience grew in relation to Hudson's production. Besides being point guard Darrell Armstrong's backup, Hudson can move to two-guard when Armstrong plays and McGrady is at small forward. As a scorer, Hudson can make the spot-up 3 or drive for an acrobatic lay-up.

McGrady said he saw Hudson's talent during his Clippers' days, talent that can help Orlando win its first playoff series since the 1996 East semifinals.

"He gave us some energy, he ran the show and scored and contributed," McGrady said, "and that's why we've been so successful, because we have a guy like Troy Hudson."

But Hudson learned some tough lessons during his frequent visits to Rivers' doghouse -- and bench -- last season.

"I learned how to play the point guard position a little bit better than when I first got here," Hudson said. "Now if I need to I can go out and run the offense, but if I need to score, I can do that, too. Before I was just known as a scorer. Now I can do both."

Said Armstrong: "Troy can play this game, but it wasn't going to happen overnight, and the best thing for Troy was that he knew it wasn't going to happen overnight."

Hudson's game ebbs and flows with his confidence, which is why Rivers took the restraints off this season.

"He's given me my freedom," Hudson said. "Whenever I can go out and play free and not worry about mistakes, that's when I'm at my best."

MASHBURN OUT: Jamal Mashburn will remain in Charlotte during Game 3 to be treated for anemia and vitamin deficiency.

-- Information from Times wires used in this report.

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