Has Orlando's Window Closed?

[ML6 520]

Orlando Knicks?

 

Pfft, I wish! That would mean we'd have 'Buike AND Eddy Curry, and if I recall correctly a recent thread said those two would make us awesome for some reason.

[My 6th Rebuild 6]

As long as we have Dwight Howard we will always contend. Our team is getting old but it's not like we are stuck with long term contracts. The Magic are poised to contend until 2012 then reload that summer with a player like Chris Paul or Deron Williams.

[Shock Phantom 263]

Pfft, I wish! That would mean we'd have 'Buike AND Eddy Curry, and if I recall correctly a recent thread said those two would make us awesome for some reason.

inb4magicLA

[Franchero MVP 391]

The whole "bosting is getting old" is, in itself, getting old. We heard all the same stuff last year. I don't doubt that Dwight is going to get better. But we need more than Dwight to win a title. Yes, we will contend every year because of him; but we wont win a title unless he gets some serious help, especially from the SG position. He also needs to drastically improve his FT%. Until these things happen, the farthest we are going to get is the ECF (and depending on how lucky we are on the playoff brackets, maybe the second round).

 

Last year Dwayne Wade, by himself, killed us with the Miami Heat during the regular season. The same with Lebron. And they also have someone that takes away the Lewis mismatch. Come on people.

 

On the other side, we have already shown that we can't beat the Celtics team from last year; and this year, in my opinion, they are more stacked. Why should I think things will magically change this year, especially when our own team hasn't?

 

So give me a break about telling me that I have "given up" on my team. I am a magic supporter through and through, will watch every season game; does that sound like giving up to you?

 

So lets keep the "I AM A BIGGER FAN THAN U DURRRRR" stuff out of it. We're trying to have a logical discussion here.

 

Bottom line, for us to be a legit contender for the TITLE this year:

1) Dwight needs to improve his FT%

2) Wince needs to go. It's obvious the guy doesnt care.

3) Rashard needs to prove why we pay him so much

4) Injuries may need to happen to other teams.

[jacklj13 16]

i truely believe the magic will be the surprise of the nba this year barring and long term injury. the magic have a good mix of talent and seasoned players. i see 2 or 3 guys having not good but great seasons. i will be optimistic until i am proven otherwise.

[iTs JUST zo 29]

"But those are outside matters. The real issue for Orlando in trying to make it back to the Finals and compete is that they seem to have detonated the special formula that got them there in the first place. Vince Carter had a handful of terrific great games for the Magic but also brought all the questions about toughness and clutch ability. And he seemed a tremendous step back from what Hedo Turkoglu had given them, regardless of Turkoglu's age and diminishing skill. Chemistry for that team was shaky. It seemed inconsistent and incomplete, like there were tensions bubbling under, in contrast to the 2009 team which seemed to hum like a finely tuned engine.

 

Finally there's the nature of championship windows themselves for small-market teams. A large market team like the Lakers can contend for a decade if they keep egos in check. They can stay in the conversation as long as their top elite player is around and healthy. But we've seen it often in the past. A smaller market team has what is considered a great team, pushes the elite team in their conference, but is unable to reach the summit. The Magic tinkered with what worked, which is often a big no-no in sports. Turkoglu may have been on the downside of his career and not as talented as Vince Carter, but the Magic were better with him running point forward in the halfcourt set.

 

Think of what they need in order to return to the championship if they don't make a major trade this season. They need Carter to play better than he did last season, have everyone stay healthy, repeat last year's performance, then overcome Boston's defense and Miami's starpower... just to make the Finals where barring a gigantic upset they'll then face the same Lakers team that overwhelmed them two years ago. Orlando's ownership group has commendably committed money to the team as it enters a new arena with a contending team. But unless it takes a major step back up the ladder, it may just be spinning its expensive wheels as the rest of the league continues to stay one step ahead of them.

 

Orlando will be good. But barring Dwight Howard becoming one of the most dominant offensive players in the league or massive injuries to both Miami and Boston, there's little evidence to believe they'll be good enough to be considered a real title contender."

 

lollol lets see the Lakers contend for a DECADE when Kobe has 4-5 good years left in him lolol has this guy ever heard of the San Antonio Spurs? lots of fail in this article. Small marker or big market, the only thing that matters is the players and we have Dwight Howard. So no..our window will never close as long as we have the best defensive player and most dominant big man in the game..hes 24. So I believe we will be an elite team longer than the Lakers will because when Dwight is 30 and in his prime, Kobe will be retired and this half assed article will be flushed down the toilet with the rest of the crap.

 

 

 

[Ryan the Magic Fan 253]

You know, my biggest problem was the article was when it said we were having chemistry issues, and that their were problems bubbling under the surface. Where the heck did that come from. Dwight and Vince became great friends, and up until the Boston this series, the Magic were blasting and rolling every team they played, and having fun while doing it.

 

Now to breakdown what is wrong with so many posts here:

 

Last year Dwayne Wade, by himself, killed us with the Miami Heat during the regular season. The same with Lebron. And they also have someone that takes away the Lewis mismatch. Come on people.

 

On the other side, we have already shown that we can't beat the Celtics team from last year; and this year, in my opinion, they are more stacked. Why should I think things will magically change this year, especially when our own team hasn't?

 

Bottom line, for us to be a legit contender for the TITLE this year:

1) Dwight needs to improve his FT%

2) Wince needs to go. It's obvious the guy doesnt care.

3) Rashard needs to prove why we pay him so much

4) Injuries may need to happen to other teams.

 

 

And do you know what the key thing is there? They still ended up loosing despite how much they killed us, and also had no post season success. There is no guarantee that they together are going to be the next Jordan and Pippen. Two alpha dog players have only worked when it is a big man/wing combo. But two wing scorers has never been tried before. The last team to attempt it was actually the Magic when they brought in Grant Hill and T-Mac but it ended up bad from injury.

 

Oh and you honestly think that Chris Bosh takes away the Lewis mismatch? Do yourself a favor, go back and watch the Toronto/Orlando series from 3 seasons ago. Lewis destroyed them from outside because Bosh is one of the laziest defenders out there. And then Lewis also really manned up and played some tough D on him. In many people's eyes Lewis outplayed Bosh for the whole series.

 

As for the Celtics, the two O'Neals are in no way shape or form a replacement for Perkins, who is going to be out of the lineup till at least well after the all star break. Perkins is one of the biggest reasons the Celtics are such a dominant Defense, and if it weren't for Dwight I would call him the best post defender in the league. They are going to miss him until he gets back and thats a fact. And what happens when he gets back too? Do you think that when Perkins is ready to go that Shaq will just say ok, I'll ride the bench and possibly be a 3rd stringer. Yeah. Right. He has been a cancer ever since he left Miami and that is not going to change anytime soon. That combined with having to manage minutes for the big 3 due to age and I wont be surprised if the Celtics end up getting only the 4th seed, especially with how good Chicago may be.

 

As for your list:

1) Duh, That's been said for years and hasn't changed.

2) As said before, up until the ECF this team was the best in basketball and steamrolling everyone who got in there way. Vince was playing very well after the all star break. Take away games 1 and 3 of the ECF where it was obvious Orlando simply did not show up and that series may have gone different as well. So why should the team be changed?

3) Rashard has already proved why we pay him so much. He has hit the big shots when they mattered and is the whole linchpin in our spread system. His contract may be too large but he has done what has been asked of him as a player. Keep in mind he was supposed to be a SF and the number one option when he was originally brought in.

4) Worry about your own team. It is just as likely that Boston may collapse from age or chemisty issues. That the egos in Miami dont mesh at all. Injuries may not be needed what so ever.

 

So being realistic means giving up on your team? I'm still gonna follow the magic this year and I would still have hope, but truth is....beating the Celtics, Heat and Lakers in back to back to back series is pretty difficult given the scorers we have.

 

Who's to say Orlando doesn't come out and take 1st place in the east? Of all the best teams, Orlando has the least problems to over come. Miami essentially has put a whole new team together that has to find out what it's identity is and how they will play. Boston has to get over the loss of it's best post defender and also manage minutes for an aging squad. And Chicago also has to work on getting its chemisty working with Boozer.

 

As said before, up until the ECF, Orlando was the hottest team in the NBA and had been since the all-star break. It's more likely that based on familiarity alone that Orlando could wind up taking the 1st seed. That leaves Miami and Boston to duke it out in the 2nd round, a matchup that I'm not so sure Miami wins. And then it's Boston Orlando again in the ECF and this time you have to think Orlando will be ready to play after last years embarrasment.

 

Like I said before....Bad contracts are going to be the downfall of this team. :shard: :shard: :shard: :shard: :shard:

 

We have essentially only two bad contracts. Lewis and Gortat. One of them is very tradable. As for Lewis well. I believe that if another elite player is brought in, like a CP3 or Melo, Lewis becomes a fantastic 3rd option. The situation for the future would be much worse if we had kept Hedo and had to be paying him as well.

 

Like it has been said before. As long as Dwight is here, and managment remains committed to spending the money required to put a championship contending squad on the field, the Magic's window is open and is open wide.

[iTs JUST zo 29]

nothing to see here folks. SMall markets according to this guy pushes bigger market teams to the brink before eventually failing...meanwhile..the spurs, the ultimate small market team was the best team for a decade in the 2000s. Also he claims Lakers will contend for a decade, when kobe will have the ultimate decline in 4-5 years and eventually retire. I wonder how they will contend without Kobe (and fisher).

 

its the players...it has nothing to do with what market you are in.

 

nothign to see here. just another stupid article posted here to make our blood pressure rise for no reason, when in reality we are in the best shape for a longggggg time coming.

[iTs JUST zo 29]

Unless Chris "Mind Freak" Angel performs a stunt and makes Dwight Howard dissapear, the Orlando Magic will be a name mentioned when talking about elite teams for the next 12-15 years (as long as dwight doesnt leave)

[AddiFB 429]

Talking about trades... Trade deadline is in February... What's the weather like in Orlando in February?

[Ryan the Magic Fan 253]

Talking about trades... Trade deadline is in February... What's the weather like in Orlando in February?

 

Pretty beautiful if I remember it.

[Franchero MVP 391]

Ryan, last year called. They want their arguments back :-/