Diener Off To Good Start in Sophomore Season!

It's great to see former Fond du Lac Goodrich and Marquette star starting to turn some heads in the NBA. Was there ever a doubt?

Check out this article in the Orlando Sun Sentinel...Click on the title of this entry to link over the the article at the papers website.

He has a mop of hair and a slight build, which makes his Orlando Magic uniform appear even bigger and baggier than NBA designers intended.

At 6 feet 1 and 175 pounds, Travis Diener still looks like he stepped off a high-school court yesterday -- no matter how hard he tries to age his image. And he tries.

That's why his skateboarder-scruffy beard is back, much to the chagrin of his mother.

It makes Diener look a little older, a little tougher, a little more grown-up.

Nothing, though, has matured more than Diener's game since his rookie year last season.

After his 23-point outburst Saturday night against the San Antonio Spurs -- which improved the Magic's preseason record to 3-0 -- Diener might as well shave the whiskers.

When Coach Brian Hill looks at Diener now, he sees a driven young man who has grown into a pro.

"Travis is an NBA player," Hill said. "The thing right now is that he knows he belongs. I don't know if he felt that way a year ago. He's certainly playing like it."

The league is taking notice, too. An NBA scout at the Magic-Spurs game said, "Looks like they might have a point-guard controversy down there in Orlando."

That might be an exaggeration, considering Jameer Nelson and Carlos Arroyo -- thought of as Point Guard 1 and 1A since late last season -- have not played an exhibition game this year because of injuries.

When asked about Diener's place in the point-guard pecking order, Hill said, "Everybody has to earn playing time, and that's not going to change. We'll see what happens."

Hill said he wasn't opposed to activating three point guards on game nights.

Diener has captured the coach's confidence with his shooting and improved decision-making.

"I have no reservations about playing Travis at all," Hill said.

Diener conceded that he had reservations last season as he tried to make the transition from college. He played in just 23 games for Orlando, watching the rest.

"I feel a lot differently than last year. I think you can see it when you watch me play. It takes some adjustment," he said. "The summer league helped me a lot."

Diener played freer and fearless this summer, the way he did at Marquette, and led the Magic in scoring. As the only healthy point guard available against the Spurs, he willed the Magic to the victory.

He hit 7-of-11 shots, including all four of his clutch 3-pointers, and he had zero turnovers in 44 minutes.

Two of Diener's 3-pointers came in the final nine minutes, and his jumper and two free throws gave the Magic a 92-85 lead they would not relinquish.

Diener also has solidified his stock as perhaps a tradeable asset, meaning the Magic actually might have gotten something out of the infamous Fran Vazquez draft of 2005.

Orlando picked Vazquez at No. 11, but he elected to play in Spain. Diener was taken in the second round, the 38th pick out of Marquette.

The club traded Lithuanian center Martynas Andriuskevicius, another second-round choice, to the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Several teams are searching for point guards, and there has been some interest in Diener.

He certainly is building a case in Orlando, showing his growth.

Brian Schmitz can be reached at bschmitz@orlandosentinel.com