Recent Past They got Dwight, they built, they got SVG, they got pretty awesome, and then they lost in the finals. And if you don't know, now you know.
Offseason Hedo left, but they traded Rafer and Courtney (and Tony Battie) for Vince and Ryan Anderson. They also managed to bring in Matt Barnes and Brandon Bass, while keeping the Polish Hammer. WHAT?Projected lineup Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter, 'Shard, Brandon Bass, and Dwight Howard. Jason Williams, Mickael Pietrus, JJ Redick (?), Matt Barnes, Ryan Anderson, and Marcin Gortat as key subs.
General Overview Goddamn, the Magic are good. Really fucking good. Look at that lineup. There is exactly one real weakness: backup point guard. Other than that? Motherfuck.
Everyone in that starting 5 is capable of putting up pretty goddamned nice numbers, and a couple are capable of being truly awesome. Off the bench, there's at least four really quality guys that can come in and contribute. When healthy, this team will be goddamned hard to beat. They look likely to rely less on the three-ball this season, and the Hedo loss has turned into a positive as a result of the moves they made to make up for it. This team is capable of so much, all over the floor, and really altering itself in a few different ways to allow it to more effectively combat various types of opponents. And with Van Gundy at the helm? Look, I know a lot of people like to bash the guy because he's sort of a mess, but dude knows what he's doing. And if they can play to their ability? Well, there may only be three teams in the East, but goddamn...there are 3 MOTHERFUCKING SQUADS in the East. Is it bad that I'm already looking forward to Spring? Acus....
If they were a hip hop act07-08 was Instinctive Travels, sort of introducing themselves to the world and letting their impending awesomeness be known. 08-09 was The Low End Theory; sort of brash, and pretty goddamned awesomeness, but still, you get the feeling it's not necessarily their peak. 09-10? Well, this could well be Midnight Marauders.
(and, yea, I just threw my name into the Midnight Marauders>Low End Theory crowd)
((also, Orlando's versatility is somewhat equivalent to the various styles Tribe were able to bring))
(((Dwight's Q Tip, in that he'll still be doing his thing after everyone else is gone)))
((((there we go))))
Guessing how they'll do I think I put down the Celtics for the east, but goddamn, that could be a fun matchup. Anyway, I have the Magic down for about 60 wins, and they could well win the championship. I can't stress enough how amazing those top three in the east are, and how much getting that one seed will matter.
I think I might be with you in the Marauders > Low End crowd. But I cannot say for sure. They are both pretty close.
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, and basketball. I will take your word for it.