With the east in flux, how far away is Orlando?

[Catman 380]

Grats, but if you have to ask, you can't afford the recurring monthly fees.

 

Perhaps one day we'll hit it big and become espn insiders. A man can dream.

 

I actually had Insider years back and thought to myself - why do I do this?

 

Currently creating a tech startup so I can afford the Insider fees again.

 

Its basically an Insider Aggregate website with everything posted for free, and funded by ad space.

 

Problem is raising enough capital to obtain the articles each day.

 

It's a vicious cycle.

[Nyce_1 311]

We'll battle for playoffs next year, and the few years after. I don't see us as TITLE contenders for another 5 years. We may get lucky one year, with a deep run, but I don't truky see us as consistent contenders till 2019.

[Emory889 353]

We'll battle for playoffs next year, and the few years after. I don't see us as TITLE contenders for another 5 years. We may get lucky one year, with a deep run, but I don't truky see us as consistent contenders till 2019.

 

5 years to contend is a little too long. It might be a good estimate for winning a championship but not for competing for one. There's probably 6 teams in the league that can say they contended this year.....with varying levels of expectations.

 

I think we are 1 more year away from being in the playoffs. 2 to 3 years from being in the playoffs and starting to make a serious push for contending. If in 3 years we don't see a championship caliber roster being assembled then this rebuilding project has failed. If we draft well this summer, I think we are only one to two good players away from being a nasty team. That's a lot of ifs but I see it as a likely scenario.

[Murphy13 185]

5 years is an eternity in the NBA, I cannot see how operating on that time scale for anything would be worthwhile. If we had started a rebuild in 2009 would you really have waited til this year to determine whether it was a success/failure? We are already two years into this rebuild, it is time to start making things happen. Playoffs next year, 2nd round year after, and conf/final year after that-if you don't reach those levels each year then you fail and retool.

[MagicFanInNevada 51]

I agree with Emory and Murphy, Projecting us out until 2019 for being a competitive team is atrocious. I say 2-3 years we'll be a very competive franchise to where we're finishing in top 3 in the East each year.

[Nyce_1 311]

I think you guys are underestimating how long and hard it is to truly become a consistent contender. Our players have to be developed physically & mentally. To me, OKC are now consistent contenders, and they didn't make the playoffs until Durant's 3rd season. They didn't become a contender until Durant's 4th season. That season, they had Durant, Westbrook, & Harden, and lost in WCF (to the Mavs). The following year, Durant's 5th year, they made & lost the finals. Do you see anyone on our roster right now equivalent to any of those players in skill & talent? We have nice players, and we'll get more, but I don't think 5 yrs is outlandish.

 

next year - fight hard but just miss the playoffs. I hope we make it but young guys have to learn how to win on the road to help.

year 2 - fight hard and just make the playoffs; maybe better and 5-7 seed; 1st round loss

year 3 - make playoffs with comfort, 2nd round loss

year 4 - make playoffs, battle in 2nd round for game 7 loss, or maybe win and make ECF

year 5 - ECF; maybe finals, depending on what our team looks like.

 

Indiana:

Didn't make ECF until Paul George's 3rd year. This season was their 4th with him and they were pretenders. I don't know what happened, but they were primed to make the finals, but mentally, they weren't ready. Next year, year 5 with George, we'll see if they'll contend.

 

Orlando with Dwight:

We made the finals in Dwight's 5th year; the first year we were truly contending. Year before, we lost in 2nd round.

 

I think a big part also depends on growing talent vs buying it. Alex & Rob have stated they want to organically build the main parts, but also utilize FA to plug some holes. This may help us get there faster, but all of that depends on what kind of FA we're trying add. Do we want someone like Davis West/Rashard Lewis, as that final piece of the puzzle to throw us in the "contender" discussion, or do we want a few big FAs (think Durant & Horford in 2016) to supplant us there?

 

Just because the east sucks now, doesn't mean it'll be a cakewalk in 2-3 yrs. We're catching up to the following teams: Miami will be there for as long as Lebron is there. WAS will get better (Wall & Beal ain't no joke); Indy, *sigh* will be competitors, BOS, potentially Rondo & Love, will compete. Chicago, always competitive.

 

I'm like all of you and want us to be contenders in 2-3 yrs, but I'm not holding my breath for that. We'll compete, and make a little noise in that time frame, but to truly contend for a championship, I'm not seeing it for another 5 yrs. But after that, if all goes according to Rob's plan, we'll sustain that position, for a long time, like OKC will.

[jmmagicfan 302]

I think you guys are underestimating how long and hard it is to truly become a consistent contender. Our players have to be developed physically & mentally. To me, OKC are now consistent contenders, and they didn't make the playoffs until Durant's 3rd season. They didn't become a contender until Durant's 4th season. That season, they had Durant, Westbrook, & Harden, and lost in WCF (to the Mavs). The following year, Durant's 5th year, they made & lost the finals. Do you see anyone on our roster right now equivalent to any of those players in skill & talent? We have nice players, and we'll get more, but I don't think 5 yrs is outlandish.

 

next year - fight hard but just miss the playoffs. I hope we make it but young guys have to learn how to win on the road to help.

year 2 - fight hard and just make the playoffs; maybe better and 5-7 seed; 1st round loss

year 3 - make playoffs with comfort, 2nd round loss

year 4 - make playoffs, battle in 2nd round for game 7 loss, or maybe win and make ECF

year 5 - ECF; maybe finals, depending on what our team looks like.

 

Indiana:

Didn't make ECF until Paul George's 3rd year. This season was their 4th with him and they were pretenders. I don't know what happened, but they were primed to make the finals, but mentally, they weren't ready. Next year, year 5 with George, we'll see if they'll contend.

 

Orlando with Dwight:

We made the finals in Dwight's 5th year; the first year we were truly contending. Year before, we lost in 2nd round.

 

I think a big part also depends on growing talent vs buying it. Alex & Rob have stated they want to organically build the main parts, but also utilize FA to plug some holes. This may help us get there faster, but all of that depends on what kind of FA we're trying add. Do we want someone like Davis West/Rashard Lewis, as that final piece of the puzzle to throw us in the "contender" discussion, or do we want a few big FAs (think Durant & Horford in 2016) to supplant us there?

 

Just because the east sucks now, doesn't mean it'll be a cakewalk in 2-3 yrs. We're catching up to the following teams: Miami will be there for as long as Lebron is there. WAS will get better (Wall & Beal ain't no joke); Indy, *sigh* will be competitors, BOS, potentially Rondo & Love, will compete. Chicago, always competitive.

 

I'm like all of you and want us to be contenders in 2-3 yrs, but I'm not holding my breath for that. We'll compete, and make a little noise in that time frame, but to truly contend for a championship, I'm not seeing it for another 5 yrs. But after that, if all goes according to Rob's plan, we'll sustain that position, for a long time, like OKC will.

 

I think with our current players and 2 rookies we should at least contend for the playoffs this year, hopefully squeak in and probably lose in the first round. I would hope that we can build/contend in 2-3 more years. As always, some of it comes down to luck/health, but barring that I really think we need to be serious contenders no later than the 2016-17 season, the 4th season from now. Unless we have an injury to a major player (a la Rose in Chicago), I don't think we should expect less. Really, we are already 2 years into the rebuild process and haven't seen a lot of success yet. I expect some pretty good jumps in win totals this year and next. If we can't get it done in that time frame, then we might need to go in a different direction. Having said all that, I do expect that we can get it done. I think with this draft we will have all the "young core" in place, and will just need the right veteran FA's to bring it together. I actually think a couple of mid-level FA this summer could put us into position for at least the 2nd round.

[Murphy13 185]

I agree with your sentiments Nyce, but five years is too long in the NBA. The hierarchy completely reshuffles in less time than that...It's just not a viable window. What you are mentioning isn't even 5 years, its actually 7 since we are two years in-thats even worse. I could see it taking 5 years to win a ring or call bust, but not to contend. The league is going to look so different 5 years from now you cannot make your plan on what it will be like then. For all we know Toronto, PHI, and CLT will be the eastern powerhouses and MIA will at the bottom again.

 

Further, 'cultivation' of talent is a great way to go, but once again in the time frame you speak of you will lose it all due to loss of rookie scale deals. We need some serious movement within the next year to two because with the exception of this years' picks the others will either have to be signed to big bucks, shipped out, or have flopped. 2016 (with the last chance FA money we will have) is the year we must put it all together for contender status or change course.

[Nyce_1 311]

I think with our current players and 2 rookies we should at least contend for the playoffs this year, hopefully squeak in and probably lose in the first round. I would hope that we can build/contend in 2-3 more years. As always, some of it comes down to luck/health, but barring that I really think we need to be serious contenders no later than the 2016-17 season, the 4th season from now. Unless we have an injury to a major player (a la Rose in Chicago), I don't think we should expect less. Really, we are already 2 years into the rebuild process and haven't seen a lot of success yet. I expect some pretty good jumps in win totals this year and next. If we can't get it done in that time frame, then we might need to go in a different direction. Having said all that, I do expect that we can get it done. I think with this draft we will have all the "young core" in place, and will just need the right veteran FA's to bring it together. I actually think a couple of mid-level FA this summer could put us into position for at least the 2nd round.

What mid-level FAs do you think we go after to help us? I'm not impressed with the crop this year. Gotta think that anyone we sign will have to allow our players to continue their development, while fitting in.

 

I think our "timeline" also hinges on what we do with Jameer/Afflalo this year. If they're still on the team, I think we make the playoffs next year. If they're gone, that means we have a very young squad, and I don't think we make the playoffs (unless Vic & Tobias play like superstars, and our #4 kills it in his first year).

[Nyce_1 311]

I agree with your sentiments Nyce, but five years is too long in the NBA. The hierarchy completely reshuffles in less time than that...It's just not a viable window. What you are mentioning isn't even 5 years, its actually 7 since we are two years in-thats even worse. I could see it taking 5 years to win a ring or call bust, but not to contend. The league is going to look so different 5 years from now you cannot make your plan on what it will be like then. For all we know Toronto, PHI, and CLT will be the eastern powerhouses and MIA will at the bottom again.

 

Further, 'cultivation' of talent is a great way to go, but once again in the time frame you speak of you will lose it all due to loss of rookie scale deals. We need some serious movement within the next year to two because with the exception of this years' picks the others will either have to be signed to big bucks, shipped out, or have flopped. 2016 (with the last chance FA money we will have) is the year we must put it all together for contender status or change course.

I think we're sorta kinda saying the same thing, but with different definitions of "contend" causing the disagreement. When I say contend in 5 years, that's contending for a title. Anything less than that level isn't contending in my eyes. I agree we'll be competitive in 2-3 years, but won't truly contend for a ring before 5 yrs.

 

Sounds like, you, and everyone else, are saying contend for playoffs?

[Jay Magic 1,248]

I honestly believe our team is alot better than what we see last year.

 

The aim was to finish as low as possible for this exact draft.

 

I believe in harris & vucevic we have 2 possible all stars next season.

 

We will make a HUGE jump. But thats just imo.

[Catman 380]

5 years is an eternity in the NBA, I cannot see how operating on that time scale for anything would be worthwhile. If we had started a rebuild in 2009 would you really have waited til this year to determine whether it was a success/failure? We are already two years into this rebuild, it is time to start making things happen. Playoffs next year, 2nd round year after, and conf/final year after that-if you don't reach those levels each year then you fail and retool.

 

It's a waste of time to debate this until the roster is set.

 

As of now, going by the draft strategies that are suspected, the Magic are a year away from playoff contention. But FA has yet to happen, and the draft has yet to happen, so lets see.

 

Also, the Magic need to win ~15 more games to be an 8th seed. Not an easy leap.