Capo d'Orlando 85 Report post Posted April 1, 2011 I'm actually really comfortable with the playoff seeding right now. I feel ninety-something percent sure that we'll be in the ECF if we play Atlanta and Chicago. I was hoping that things would fall apart for the teams above us and we move up, but that was mainly for Dwight's MVP campaign and the Division Title. I'm still optimistic for Dwight and that MVP voters will pull their heads out, but I'm done worrying about it. As to the Hawks: that game last night was brutal, but Dwight seriously sucked at times and I just don't see a Collins getting to Dwight at all once the playoffs start. He's got to be smarter when he's being guarded by a flopper, but I think he'll dominate the Hawks in the paint as he has for the past several years. Jameer, despite a bad game-tying shot, was in all-star form at times and I expect to see that from him in April. Also, Hedo seems to be finding something just in time for a playoff run. I really feel like we'll step it up all around, even Gilbert, and I just can't see us losing to the Hawks (though I will have my fair share of fears once the first round actually begins). As to the Bulls: this will be scary, especially where we don't have home-court, but I think we'll have a chip on our shoulder and when we beat them up, I don't think it will be a big surprise, just like it wasn't that big a surprise when Boston made quick work of Lebron last season. I could see Dwight getting into foul trouble if Rose is driving to the basket a lot or if refs don't catch Noah playing defense like a line-backer, but instead catch Dwight's retaliation, however, I think Dwight will once again dominate. Noah is undersized and gets over aggressive and I don't see Dwight having too big a problem with him. Rose will get his, and Boozer might show up from time to time but I just don't see their defense shutting us down and allowing them to beat us four times. The key matchup will be Hedo v. Deng and Deng has owned Hedo at times, but I think Hedo will shine in round 2, or at least make heroic shots so we forget all the other stupid stuff. After that I don't really feel like speculating, but I truly think we're at least making it to the ECF. Hopefully by that time Dwight has a nice handlebar mustache. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
bravlady 0 Report post Posted April 1, 2011 Nice assessment. It's gotten to the point with Dwight that if he's going to get called for a foul because of a flopping player then he should make it worth the price of admission and make sure that player doesn't flop again. As long as other teams are allowed to get away with flagrants, it will continue to happen. There's not a player in the conference that can play Dwight one on one so they resort to a type of play that by far is unacceptable and gives the NBA a bad rap. It's embarassing at times and Dwight doesn't deserve to be treated that way. These guys playing hoodlum ball need to man up! 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emory889 353 Report post Posted April 1, 2011 I honestly have no idea what to expect in this year's playoffs. I will say that this may be the most enjoyable playoff run that I experience in a couple of years simply because I won't have any expectations going in. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Emory889 353 Report post Posted April 1, 2011 Oh, and this isn't the same Atlanta Hawks team. The two major matchup weaknesses they had (Bibby on Nelson and Hortford on Dwight) have been fixed. I'm not convinced that Collins will be able to defend Howard in a 7 game series like he did the other night (I actually strongly doubt it) but he's strong enough to play him tough and make Dwight work. This is a first round series that leaves me concerned. It won't be a cake walk. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Butterfly 3 Report post Posted April 1, 2011 For the last 2 years, I have looked forward to the playoffs. Not so this year. After reading Dention's Blog today about injuries, and seeing the players complain about being so tired and not wanting to pratice, I am really convinced of a first round exit. This is not the same team, and it is a shame. I just don't see any heart anymore. 1 2 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Marc Acres 3:16 418 Report post Posted April 2, 2011 We can just add Collins to the long list of people getting away with murdering Dwight out there. As far as the state of the NBA goes, I think we just have to hope for a changing of the guard in the league offices at this point, nothing else is going to fix this. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sabian Jackson 0 Report post Posted April 2, 2011 I see where you're going with all this, but I wouldn't exactly call it "resiliency". I think the fact that we were blowing teams out last year or at least winning convincingly as compared to now, where we're "not out of games" we SHOULD win is in fact a direct correlation of how much WORSE this team has actually gotten. We've had some extremely painful losses and to teams we had absolutely no business losing to, but all year long we came up with excuse after excuse from "hey, every team loses here and there" to "it's okay that player X shot really well tonight...it'll NEVER happen again", lol! How many times have we heard that this season?! To reward this team's sloppy/sub-par play by calling them "resilient" is just asinine. I'm not sure that's really an indicator. Obvious contending teams have lost to teams they should never lose to. Boston have lost to the Nets and Wizards and Cavs, Miami have lost to the Cavs and are terrible against teams over .500, and the Bulls have lost to the Nets and Raptors. The fact that we continue to compete in pretty much every game has been obvious, particularly in the games such as the Miami comeback. Hell, I even went to bed at half-time because I didn't believe we'd win that one. The problem with comparing last seasons team to this season is that the whole league has a different look. We also made 1 (real) change last year, whereas this year half our roster is different. Different opponents, different outcomes. We are probably not worse than last year, we are just different. I will say however, that I have much more confidence in the team this year, simply because we have a vastly offensively improved Dwight. We have heard the excuse "that guy shot great all game long but it won't do it consistency" a few times, but just because we've heard it a lot, doesn't make it no longer valid. Do you really think players like 'Melo will consistently hit off balance, contested jumpers for a whole game consistently? Ultimately, it comes down to this: The regular season means nothing as long as you reach the playoffs. That part is done. Who knows what will happen when they start? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
GhostAnime 50 Report post Posted April 2, 2011 Orlando versus Hawks won't be an easy series, but... I've pretty much given the Bulls the favorite over the Magic myself. I still prefer they face the Celtics, but oh well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FlawlessVictory 26 Report post Posted April 2, 2011 Do you really think players like 'Melo will consistently hit off balance, contested jumpers for a whole game consistently? Umm, yeah. When he's not hitting those shots is when you scratch your head. Melo IS a superstar and arguably a top 5 player (definitley top 10), whether people on here want to acknowledge that or not is a completely different matter. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Sabian Jackson 0 Report post Posted April 2, 2011 Umm, yeah. When he's not hitting those shots is when you scratch your head. Melo IS a superstar and arguably a top 5 player (definitley top 10), whether people on here want to acknowledge that or not is a completely different matter. Err, just no. He's a career 30% shooter from 3. There is no evidence whatsoever to suggest he can do that on a nightly basis. Only person in history who could probably "consistently" hit contested jumpers was Jordan, and possibly Kobe to a lesser extent. Don't insult either of those by suggesting Anthony is on par with them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
