The Fan Voice: "So Far, So Good"

By Live or Die Magic | November 8th, 2007

I told myself I wouldn’t let it happen. I said that I wouldn’t jump the gun like I did in 2004 and again in 2006. I promised myself that I would wait till late-January before I got too excited. But here I go again, envisioning what this current Magic team could be this season. A 4-1 start, including three road victories to start the season, has made it difficult to hold back my enthusiasm for the team’s prospects of success this season. Now, I’m not painting myself blue or camping out at the O-rena yet, but I am starting to think that a new mindset is taking over the team. A mindset that says: we are joining the ranks of the East’s best teams.

The problem with getting excited this early is that I only have to look to the Magic’s recent past to discover what happens. Fast starts in 2004 and 2006 turned into mediocrity by January and led to three Magic coaches being let go. The only difference this year is that I can say with certainty that Stan Van Gundy will remain at season’s end, regardless of the record.

As in the past three seasons, we enter 2007-2008 thinking the Magic are a playoff team. What we found at the end of those seasons, especially the last two seasons, was that the season came down to a close call here, or a tough loss there. In most cases, those “tough losses” were against teams we should have beaten. For instance, last season we had a huge, huge win over the San Antonio Spurs, capped by an amazing play from Dwight Howard. But any help gained from that unexpected win was tossed out the playoff seeding window when we give up ugly losses to the Charlotte Bobcats and Atlanta Hawks.

I am trying hard this season to keep my expectations realistic. Unfortunately, as a sports fan, I succumb to the same early season delirium as everyone else rooting for a team with little recent post-season success. We all expect our team to not only bask in the hope and promise of a new season, but to also take that huge leap that we are promised each and every year. For me, I define that leap as getting out of the first round of the playoffs.

But I’m getting ahead of myself again! For now, for the months of November and December, I want to see the Magic do something that should be simple, and yet it will separate them from the Magic teams of the last few seasons. They should beat the teams they are supposed to beat. Beat the Milwaukee Bucks. Check. Beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. Check. You think beating a rebuilding Timberwolves team on the road isn't a big deal? Well, this is the type of game we would not have won the last few seasons. This is the type of game that the Magic must win this season. We don’t want to find ourselves in April, trying desperately to gain a more advantageous seed (or even trying to make the playoffs at all!) and looking back on the schedule and saying “If only we hadn’t lost to the Sonics, or the Hawks," or whatever team ends up being the doormats this season.

If we can nail down the victories that we should, it will make the losses to the better teams more palatable. Yeah, it was tough seeing the Magic lose to the Pistons, but the fact is that the Pistons are a well-coached veteran team that has our number and is going to get a top-4 seed this year. That doesn’t mean I expect the Magic to go “0-4” against the Pistons this year, but I do realize that we are not yet ready to challenge them for Eastern Conference supremacy.

Which brings me to the other two teams we have played this season: the Washington Wizards and the Toronto Raptors. These two teams joined us as playoff teams last year. If the Pistons are a team that is clearly above us, then the Raptors and the Wizards can be viewed as “peers.” These two teams, along with teams like the New Jersey Nets, Miami Heat, and Indiana Pacers, are the teams that we are competing with for the playoffs and for better seeds. We have beaten the Wizards and the Raptors on the road so far. They are good teams – playoff teams – and we beat them in their houses. I’ll gladly trade one loss to the Pistons or the Celtics for two victories over the Raptors or the Wizards.

Knowing that the games against the lesser teams count just as much in the standings as the huge upsets of the title contenders is a necessary step. Avoiding these slip-ups, while still sprinkling in some unexpected victories, is what will take the Magic beyond the mediocrity of .500 this season.


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.

I think the Southeast is ours for the taking, we have a different starting unit that is finally able to score during crunchtime.

Miami has looked so bad that Wade coming back may not even get them in the playoffs.

Washington is soft in the lane and Arenas just had his surgicaly repaired knee drained.

Atlanta and Charlotte look improved but are at the bottom of the league in three point shooting. Expect teams to starting packing the lane defensively like they did to us last year.

If Otis and SVG can get our bench up to par (via rotation changes or trades), we could very well be meeting the Pistons again in the Eastern Conference finals.

quote:

Originally posted by bhnole:
If Otis and SVG can get our bench up to par (via rotation changes or trades), we could very well be meeting the Pistons again in the Eastern Conference finals.

[plugs ears]
Ack! Too soon, too soon! Don't jinx it!