Orlando Magic Season Preview - SI.com (link)

[Mayhem 0]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_man...c.preview/index.html

 

In a nutshell:

 

Reasons for hope - D12 improving, Battie is back (we hope), Pietrus an ugrade defensively at SG

 

Reasons to worry - Turk's contract status, missing a mean PF, the PG situation

 

quote:

Bottom line

The Magic are runaway favorites in the Southeast Division. But against a physical team such as Boston, Detroit or even Cleveland, Orlando will continue to come up short. Another second-round exit is probably in the cards.

 

I agree with almost everything in the article. My main gripe - getting eliminated in the 2nd round again!

[Mayhem 0]

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/writers/chris_man...c.preview/index.html

 

In a nutshell:

 

Reasons for hope - D12 improving, Battie is back (we hope), Pietrus an ugrade defensively at SG

 

Reasons to worry - Turk's contract status, missing a mean PF, the PG situation

 

quote:

Bottom line

The Magic are runaway favorites in the Southeast Division. But against a physical team such as Boston, Detroit or even Cleveland, Orlando will continue to come up short. Another second-round exit is probably in the cards.

 

I agree with almost everything in the article. My main gripe - getting eliminated in the 2nd round again!

[Nessloch 0]

Cleveland can't beat this team. I would've loved to face off against them in the playoffs last season (and the year before).

 

That's all I have to say about that write-up.

 

Boston and Detroit are our only hurdles if we're healthy.

[Murphy13 185]

cleveland cant compete, and until i see otherwise, neither can boston. it would be a tough matchup of course, but i believe orlando would prevail. detroit, as always, is the biggest hurdle.

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

We were so close in all of those games against Det. I just don't get why no one thinks we have a chance. If we improved free throws or cut down on turnovers either one of those 2 things would have been enough to put us over Det in that series.

[Mr Charisma 0]

quote:

Originally posted by Marc Acres 3:16:

We were so close in all of those games against Det. I just don't get why no one thinks we have a chance. If we improved free throws or cut down on turnovers either one of those 2 things would have been enough to put us over Det in that series.

I agree with this totally.

 

Yes, it would have helped if Dwight had more help up front, but improvement in the area of free throws and turnovers would have still gotten us by the Pistons.

 

So I have to disagree somewhat with those that say that we must get bigger to get past Detroit. It is only 1 of the areas where even minimal improvement will be enough to get past Detroit.

[Marc Acres 3:16 418]

I still want to get that front line help because I don't want to take any chances but I don't think we are as bad off as these sports writers make us out to be.

[ThisIsTheYear 241]

Destiny's on LeBron's side, since his Cavaliers haven't matched up with us in the playoffs. Also, what's with this "lack of physicality" business? Detroit has the best interior defending big men in the league by a landslide, Dwight would shred Bawston into bits.