ML6

You really shouldn't put so much stock (let alone any) in what Barkley says.

I've said it many times before, Billups is exactly what this team doesn't need. If the "shoot first" crowd thinks Jameer shoots too much, their heads would explode when they watch the garbage Chauncey throws up.

How is the new Cudi album, berto? I haven't had a chance to listen to most of it as of yet.

I think us being ranked #11 is fair actually. Continuity and experience are things we haven't had for the past 3 years. With the starters returing and Dan Werner FINALLY off the team we have the chance to be formidable, especially if Young provides the toughness we need inside and Boynton takes a step forward. I think most of us in Gainesville are just ready for that sport with the helmets and pads to be over with. Watching a team with real potential will be a welcome sight. Side note: I played ball against Chris "Time To Die" Rainey a couple weeks ago at the rec center. Turns out the dude really is a grade A douchebag. Went up for a dunk on a semi-fast break and the guy undercuts me on the way up, takes me out, then laughs. I'm lucky to have my ACLs.

Good God, what a bunch of spazzes. Seriously. I understand the goal is a title and we haven't won one yet, but Otis puts together the best team in franchise history and one of the best in the league and all of the sudden he's made bad moves? How fickle can we possibly be? Sure we've played in some close games through the first 10% of the season. Wanna know who else has? The Boston Celtics. You'd never know it because they've beaten Miami twice on national TV, but the team reigning supreme in the eastern conference according to most people has lost to Cleveland and Dalls and eeked out OT wins against the Bulls, Bucks, and Grizzlies. Doesn't sound like dominance to me. I think some people on this board need to start to put things in perspective. I'm not even trying to be a dick. I'm the biggest Magic fan I know and I get pretty hot-tempered when we lose. But we've played 9 games. 9 games. We talkin' bout 9 games. Do you know how many NBA franchises would absolutely kill for half the success we've had over the past 2 seasons? Our team is good. Really good. Sometimes you might not play like it. I just wish some of us could take a step back and appreciate how great it is to have a great team to root for instead of concentrating on what we don't have every waking second. Wake me up if we're .500 half way through the season. Then I'll be concerned.

This is honestly unbelievable to me. If what it takes is a 2 (count 'em, 2) game losing streak to seriously suggest canning the best coach in franchise history then I am dumbfounded. Have we honestly reached this point of overreaction? We all laugh and joke about the "PANIC" thing that abounds on these boards, but seriously considering the possibility of firing SVG 8 MARK JACKSON-ING GAMES into the season is completely and utterly outrageous. There are 74 games before the playoffs. Call me crazy for not jumping ship on a top 5 coach/team on November 13th.

Adding either Nash or Wall to the Orlando Magic as currently constructed would do absolutely nothing to better our chances of winning a title. Talent doesn't just add up. You can't take player X from team Y and expect them to do the exact same things with team Z, since it is a completely different system built upon completely different schemes. But I guess if we want to sacrifice the next 3 seasons developing Wall at the expense of Dwight or waste the talents of both Nash and Dwight at the same time, then so be it. I'll still watch.

Terrific.

Nick Maloof, dude. Get with the program.

There is about as much a chance of Griffin being a bust as there is DoM spontaneously forgetting how to use hyperbole and analogy. Ain't gonna happen.

James Jones is AWFUL. That is all.

Are we still playing the disrespect card? Why does it matter what people say when nothing is determined for another 8 months?

The Basketball Gods will probably strike me down for saying this, but I am actually looking forward to seeing the Clippers. Some of Blake Griffin's highlights from this preseason are absolutely unreal and the guy plays with 0 regard for his body. Of course, this means he will probably get injured (especially with the Clipper curse) but if he doesn't I see them as a fringe playoff team out west. Griffin and Kaman make up a solid frontcourt, especially when it comes rebounding on both ends of the floor. I think Eric Gordon is going to continue improving and pick up where he left off in FIBA and I think Foye will be good for them, but it all really boils down to if Baron Davis gives a ****. If he comes to play for the majority of the season, I think they slip into the 8th spot. Oh, and I forgot to mention that they have the Cookie Monster. Championship.

I believe it. The dude is relentless.

Never.

Major bummer.

1. 58-24 2. Heat, Magic, Celts, Bulls, Bucks, Hawks, Knicks, Wiz 3. Lakers, Thunder, Mavs, Blazers, Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, Clipps 4. Magic over Lakers in 7 5. KD 6. Watching Blake Griffin's nightly highlight reel

\ How was HHN? I was going to save the money this year unless I heard something good, since it has been going downhill ever since I was about 12.

?

Agreed. If Dwight ever makes that catch-spin baseline simultaneously move in a game I will wet my pants. I also want to state once again just how beautiful that and-1 move was by Dwight. Hit 2 jumpers, saw Yao leaning forward, froze him with a pumpfake and a jab step, then blew right by him. Being able to string moves together like that is, in my opinion, the most exciting aspect of Dwight's development.

I thought Q and Duhon both looked great. Q missed some shots but did well on the boards, in the post, and in transition. Duhon was moving the ball extremely well and looked like he's been here for years.

Completely agree. That Lakers game still feels special to me for some reason. I think it's the fact that both teams went into the game 31-8 and it dawned on everyone that the Magic could legitimately win a title. That highlight isn't nearly the same without Tirico calling it though: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLFyoqyXoU4 Also, I believe Jameer's dunk was against the Nets after he stole the ball from Kidd at midcourt during an unbelievable comeback which we ultimately failed to complete. It used to be on youtube but for some reason got taken down... haven't been able to find it for months.

That is by design.

The backlash toward LBJ has quite a bit more to do with him acting like a pompous jackass than it does with race. Unfortunately, there probably is some racial aspect. However, had, say, Steve Nash quit on his team and paraded himself around in a comparable manner he would have heard the same criticisms as LeBron.

Man, every single Orton picture since draft day has been an absolute train wreck. He can't even catch a break with a caption: "Orton says that if he wasn't playing basketball for a living he would be a garbage man."