Phil Jackson, a coach who has always enjoyed the luxury of having a top-5 player on his team, commented that a team shouldn’t be considered “great” unless it reaches 40 victories before reaching 20 losses. While I will grant you a moment to reflect on Jackson’s smugness, I must insist that the statement be given some merit. In fact, I will now claim that our 17-5 Orlando Magic are quite likely on their way to accomplishing this particular standard for “greatness.”
So what will this accomplishment get us? Absolutely nothing. Win totals in the regular season serve one explicit purpose: earning the best possible playoff seed. As it stands now, the best we can hope to earn this season is the 3rd seed, which is the same as last season. With the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers both on historic runs (so far), and with much of the rest of the Eastern Conference hovering closer to .500, it appears that we will get the 3rd seed regardless of whether we have 60 wins or 50 wins. In most seasons, a 17-5 start would be good for the 2nd best record in the conference, at worst, but this season that only gets you 3rd.
Still, “40 before 20” would be a nice milepost on this current Magic team’s journey to a championship. To hit the mark, we would need to go 23-14 over our next 37 games. This is hardly a given as the middle stretch of the season includes multiple match-ups against teams with winning records – something we haven’t had our share of lately. But the last two victories - on the road against the LA Clippers and the Portland Trailblazers – was evidence that this year’s team has finally learned two very simple, yet crucial lessons: beat the teams you are supposed to beat and step up your game when facing top opponents.
The Orlando Magic have been discounted somewhat because of the number of opponents we have beaten with losing records. While I will acknowledge that this makes our record seem less impressive than Boston’s and Cleveland’s, it still is no less important to our team. Other than our second game of the season against the Memphis Grizzlies (early enough to chalk it up to the luck of a Rudy Gay buzzer beater), we have beaten the teams that we are supposed to beat. And since a win against the Clippers counts as much as a win against the Blazers, I don’t see any reason for the Magic to apologize for their schedule so far. Besides, weren’t teams like Chicago, Philadelphia, Washington, Toronto, and Indiana supposed to have better records than they do? Do those early victories by the Magic over those teams suddenly get upgraded once those teams’ records reach a more respectable plateau? That doesn’t make any sense, does it?
Sure, some fans may start to question our roster, or at the very least, our playoff prospects, if we end up dropping the upcoming games against teams like San Antonio, the Lakers, the Hornets, and Detroit. But the manner in which we have won games this year – showcasing dramatic improvement across the roster (with few exceptions), more cohesiveness in the starting unit, and timely production from bench players such as Tony Battie, Anthony Johnson, Keith Bogans, and lately, Courtney Lee, and finally, a penchant for big plays -- has this Magic fan thinking that “40 before 20” is nearly a lock.
This message was not subject of approval by the NBA or the Orlando Magic. The views expressed in this blog do not necessarily reflect the views of the Orlando Magic or the NBA, but solely the writer.
"My life will go on, this much I know. Cars and games will come and go. But never once will I forgetta, the way we danced, dear Dick Bavetta." - from "I Left My Heart In Dick Bavetta"
Posts: 9263 | Location: It's Hard Out Here for a Blog Pimp. | Registered: February 09, 2006
I think it is possible but we are going to need to make that all-star break trade that all contending teams seem to make for rebounding help. That is what we are missing right now and that is what is going to be a sore spot against those upcoming teams, all bruisers. Management needs to decide whether baby steps are enough, I don't think they should be.
I often wonder, if my Grandmother had miraculously sprouted a pair of testicles whilst my Grandfather was alive, would I then have to also refer to her as Grandfather? -rtillaree
Posts: 10084 | Location: Trying to figure out why the Fan Voice Blog gets 10 views and JJ/Carlos/Jameer/SVG sucks threads get a million views | Registered: February 15, 2006
While I agree that the Magic are indeed on there way to becoming a 40 before 20 team I would have to agree with Marc that the one move that could put this team over the top would be a nice big who can rebound and give Dwight some relief. Teams are going to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Dwight in the playoffs and he is going to need help. Everyone from Otis on down says the goal this year is a championship so I fully expect or at least hope that our roster will reflect the necessary pieces once the trade deadline expires.
This team has been able to pull out gritty wins, something I haven't seen really in the past 2 seasons. See: Portland and Dallas as examples.
Theres a difference between hitting a game winning shot, and just coming back with a barrage of plays and good defense to set up that shot. Hedo's 3 will make the highlight reel, but Rashard Lewis and the plan to trap Roy are what won us a close one against Portland.
In response to the record, it would be nice to win 40 before losing 20, but like you said, it doesn't mean much other then seeding.
He had a name
His name was Wince Harder
Posts: 10226 | Location: Getting a stew going | Registered: July 03, 2007
I know everyone wants another big that can help rebound, but I don't that will solve our rebounding problems. As long as we are playing a SF at PF for most of the game rebounding is going to be a problem.
The help has to come from the guard position which IMO, Pietrus was supposed to help us in this regards but I have not seen much of it so far.
Posts: 6541 | Location: Amway Arena Lot 3 waiting for the next game | Registered: February 23, 2006
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Former A-10 standouts and Associated Press National Players of the Year Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's and Xavier's David West have been named to the NBA All-Star team and will square off Feb. 15 in Phoenix, Ariz. It marks Nelson's first All-Star selection, while West earns his second straight honor.
Posts: 6666 | Location: Perpetual English Confounder | Registered: July 10, 2007
Originally posted by echo4papa: I mean... two teams could end up with the same record and you would label one elite and one not because one struggled in the beginning of the season?
Yeah, that is my logic regarding discounting our wins just because the teams have sub-.500 records now. I think that Toronto, Philly, Chicago, and Indiana will all be winning teams by the end of the season. But we shouldn't wait till then to be proud of beating them now.
"My life will go on, this much I know. Cars and games will come and go. But never once will I forgetta, the way we danced, dear Dick Bavetta." - from "I Left My Heart In Dick Bavetta"
Posts: 9263 | Location: It's Hard Out Here for a Blog Pimp. | Registered: February 09, 2006
While we are on the subject of discounting wins.. here is something that botheres me.
For the most part, I like Hollingers power rankings. One thing I don't like about it though, is the way it discounts its own self with regard to the strength of schedule. It only looks at the combined win/loss record of all the teams you played, not their overall standing in the power rankings.
Teams like Indiana, for instance, are ranked higher than you would think, based largely because of their strength of scehdule. They are below .500, and even though they are ranked in the top 15, the fact that we played them twice actually hurts our ranking.
Maybe I should e-mail him about this.
************************** "You're just like Rashard Lewis: cold blooded." ~Kberto
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Former A-10 standouts and Associated Press National Players of the Year Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's and Xavier's David West have been named to the NBA All-Star team and will square off Feb. 15 in Phoenix, Ariz. It marks Nelson's first All-Star selection, while West earns his second straight honor.
Posts: 6666 | Location: Perpetual English Confounder | Registered: July 10, 2007
Originally posted by echo4papa: I mean... two teams could end up with the same record and you would label one elite and one not because one struggled in the beginning of the season?
Yeah, that is my logic regarding discounting our wins just because the teams have sub-.500 records now. I think that Toronto, Philly, Chicago, and Indiana will all be winning teams by the end of the season. But we shouldn't wait till then to be proud of beating them now.
I don't quite think I totally agree with this philosophy.
The year the Heat started out atrociously, then magically turned it around in the 2nd half is an example. If you beat them in the beginning of the season, then you beat what was a bad team. The fact that they got their act together later adds no value to your victory when they were playing like Junior College reserves.
But I agree with your last statement. Any win over any NBA team is something to be proud of. Part of the aspect of being a championship team is consistently beating the teams you are supposed to beat, so these victories are vital.
It still boggles my mind to think that the only team in the NBA this year to have beaten both the Lakers and the Celtics are the Indiana Pacers.
Originally posted by Jareth Cutestory: How about 40 before 10? LOL. Or atleast 15...
Funny....I was actually thinking about a "30 Before 10" post!
I think this is more impressive: we would have to play .500 ball (22-22) for the rest of the season to equal last season's 52-win total.
"My life will go on, this much I know. Cars and games will come and go. But never once will I forgetta, the way we danced, dear Dick Bavetta." - from "I Left My Heart In Dick Bavetta"
Posts: 9263 | Location: It's Hard Out Here for a Blog Pimp. | Registered: February 09, 2006
We haven't lost more then three games in a month, have we? 2 in October (out of 2... ouch), 2 in November, 3 in December, one so far in January. Not too shabby.
************************** "You're just like Rashard Lewis: cold blooded." ~Kberto
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. - Former A-10 standouts and Associated Press National Players of the Year Jameer Nelson of Saint Joseph's and Xavier's David West have been named to the NBA All-Star team and will square off Feb. 15 in Phoenix, Ariz. It marks Nelson's first All-Star selection, while West earns his second straight honor.
Posts: 6666 | Location: Perpetual English Confounder | Registered: July 10, 2007
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