HAPPY HAYWOOD

Between being acquired on the night of the NBA draft for Michael Doleac and then traded Aug. 1 to the Washington Wizards, Brendan Haywood spent barely more than a month as a member of the Orlando Magic.

He has yet to play a full month with the Wizards since coming off their injured list Nov. 26. But he has already made a huge impact in a non-starting role.

The 7-foot rookie from North Carolina went into Friday night averaging 8.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.4 blocked shots in 12 games. Had he played enough games to qualify, he would rank ninth in the league in blocks.

"At first, I didn't know how good a situation this was going to be for me," Haywood said before the Wizards took on the Magic. "But it turned out to be a great situation."

The Wizards gave up Laron Profit, who the Magic waived Oct. 15, and a conditional first-round pick which can be used no earlier than 2004 for Haywood.

"I didn't think he'd play this well this soon," Magic coach Doc Rivers said. "But I do think guys who stay in college four years tend to play better earlier than guys who don't."

The Magic's pick is protected 1 through 20 in 2004, 1 through 13 in 2005 and 1 through 3 in 2006. If it's not used by then, the pick is unconditional in 2007.

MCGRADY UPDATE

Tracy McGrady won't rejoin the team tonight in Dallas for the Magic's game against the Mavericks. But Rivers expects him to play Wednesday night when the Indiana Pacers come to town.

Rivers said he had not spoken since Thursday to McGrady, who flew Wednesday to Atlanta to have a specialist look at his strained lower back.

"If he's not going to play, I kind of stay away from guys," he said. "I don't want to think about Tracy today."

Monty Williams made his second start in a row at small forward in McGrady's absence. Williams picked up two fouls in the opening 6:25 of play guarding Michael Jordan and was replaced by Jud Buechler, who was Jordan's former teammate with the Chicago Bulls.

TOUGHEST TICKET

The first appearance by Jordan at the TD Waterhouse Centre since March 1998 resulted in the Magic having their first advance sellout of the season.

Of their previous 11 home games, only the Nov. 9 meeting with the Sacramento Kings was listed as a capacity crowd of 17,248. The Magic's average of 14,277 fans a game is 23rd among 29 teams.

Not surprisingly, the Wizards have sold out all 11 of their home games and are easily the league's top road draw, averaging 20,886 fans in 13 games away from the MCI Center.