I'm a Magic fan for life, and have been since 92', but i'm a little worried that this team isn't keeping up with the rest of the East.
We basically have the same team we had last season, with the addition of Pietrus, Lee, and Johnson, which Imo' we have as good of a team as last season.
There have been some pretty major moves in the East this summer, Philly adding Brand, Clevland getting Mo Williams, Toronto adding Jurmaine O'neal etc. Also you have the Wizards resigning a healthy Arenas, ATL resigning a maturing J. Smith, and Miami getting a healthy Dwade back to pair up with Marion and a young stud like Beasly.
You still got your NBA champs Celtics together, and your Pistons who give us a hard time every season.
Imo, our team has some serious competition, any of these teams can make the playoffs, and one injury to any of our top 3 players, and were in serious trouble, our teams depth isn't there, once you get past our starting five, the rest of the players on the team our D-leagers at best. Also something to think about, D12 has been playing alot of summer ball the last few seasons, his body has got to were down sooner or later, who do we have to back him up?
I just hope that Otis isn't done yet, cause if this is it, we might be looking at another lottery pick.
P.S. feel free to agree, or disagree, I'm just stating my opinion.
Posts: 3102 | Location: IN THE LBC WITH MY MIND ON MY MONEY AND MY MONEY ON MY MIND/SIPPIN ON GIN AND JUICE! | Registered: April 24, 2006
I'm sorry but I think that O'neal and Brand doesn't help the Raptors and 76ers as much as Pietrus helps us. O'neal is injury-ridden and will make Bosh take more of those outside jumpers all the Raptors fans hate. Elton Brand is a stud who is also coming off an injury and that just isn't a system that he will fit into well, what with the running and gunning. Pietrus on the other hand comes into a system built for athletic, spot up shooters to succeed. He brings a defensive presence to the perimeter that just wasn't there before, not to mention SVGs success with taking players who have had trouble and rekindling their careers. (Hedo, Cook, Evans) I think that Cleveland added exactly what they needed in a score-first point guard who can play off of Lebron's ability so they will be much better but still not as good as the Magic. The Pistons and Celtics are the obvious favorites however, but I think after that it is the Magic as the clear-cut third best team in the East.
"It's not like the Magic have improved" LZ Granderson-November 10 "Dwight needs to develop a three point shot, so we can surround Gortat with shooters" Osprey23
Posts: 939 | Location: Orlando | Registered: November 23, 2007
I know i'm out numbered her on my opinions, but untill proven wrong, i'm stiking to it.
Pietrus tons of potential,yes, but hasn't proven a thing, and if I remember correctly Warriors were a run and gun team, and he's no longer with them, a career 8ppg player, not impresive.
Lee=Sasser.
Anthony Johnson, how many teams he's played for? Nuff said.
Imo, I would rather have kept Los, Keon,and Mo.
Just my opinion, and i'm sticking to it. COME ON!
Posts: 3102 | Location: IN THE LBC WITH MY MIND ON MY MONEY AND MY MONEY ON MY MIND/SIPPIN ON GIN AND JUICE! | Registered: April 24, 2006
Originally posted by You're Fat, Pat!: I agree to some extent...I think our starters are better this year...Pietrus is better than Mo, and Dwight and Meer will continue to improve.
BUT, I think our depth (or lack thereof) is really, REALLY gonna bite us later.
think about it...our bench has definitely taken a step down from last year. And it was one of the 10 worst benches in basketball.
Johnson Bogans Cook Foyle Battie Gortat Lee Redick
I just hope we're some how able to get some solid backups
Doesn't Pietrus play the 3 also? One of the things we need is a 3 off the bench who can score and defend. The adittion of pitrus isn't a bad one, but I think de'd be better suited of the bench backing up Shard.
Imo' Hedo is good, but coming off hid best season, and a FA next summer, he's very valuable for us to pick up a starting PF, or 2 guard.
I posted on the Ben Gordan thread, a way to get Gordan, sending Hedo, Cook,Bogans, and a future first for Hinrich and Gordan, just a potential deal, that could happen and would stregthen our team.
IMO D-12 will be better, Meer will pick it up, Turk & Shard will take turns being heroes, MP will stop SGs from having career nights against us, Gortat will mature and be good for 12/7 by the end of the year, and Battie coming back can't hurt us.
I think we have improved and still have a few chips to play if we need them at the trade deadline.
Add in SVG having a 2nd training camp with most of our guys, and the potential that CL brings, we might even be way ahead more often and get to see JJ shoot some more!
Go Magic!
We're are just a PF and a back up point guard away from many championships... GO MAGIC!
Originally posted by Erik: I know i'm out numbered her on my opinions, but untill proven wrong, i'm stiking to it.
Pietrus tons of potential,yes, but hasn't proven a thing, and if I remember correctly Warriors were a run and gun team, and he's no longer with them, a career 8ppg player, not impresive.
Lee=Sasser.
Anthony Johnson, how many teams he's played for? Nuff said.
Imo, I would rather have kept Los, Keon,and Mo.
Just my opinion, and i'm sticking to it. COME ON!
I want to explain something that you obviously don't understand. Defense wins Championships. JD said it best we are a PF away from Championship contention. Petrius has proven again and again he can defend the leagues best. Also he is a role player who's job was not to score but defend night after night, and he was happy to do that. Winning teams do that. Here's an example. Kobe Bryant plays the role of "on ball defender" for team America in the olympics. He is not averaging many points per game, why? Is he a crappy offensive player? ... NOOOOO! The fact is, most coaches, or at least our olympic coaches value defense so much more than offense, that they have the best offensive basketball player in the world at the defensive stopper role.
One more thing, why does every body assume Hedo will start. He was supposed to be the 6th man last year before Batie got injured, and our team was not successful last year, never did we ever have a chance to win the championship, we were never even mentioned in the same sentence last year. I hate the arguement that we won 52 games last year as indicator of a success. Trust me if the celtics had not won championship last year they would be making moves to the other two starting positions.
We need to put Lewis at his natural position, we need a big year from Nelson. Obviously we need another MvP year from D12. Then we need Batie, and Peitrus to play solid D, and make hustle plays, we can contend, I hope we get another PF to develop under Batie, that would get us there. We need Turk to come off the bench and learn to take care of the ball better, and stop making so many stupid plays, and turnovers. Other wise we should trade him for a dominant PF.
GREAT JOB MAGIC, WAY TO GO !!!
Posts: 640 | Location: Outdoors on some court, Desperately trying to get into shape, for next years tryouts. | Registered: June 28, 2006
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