Is it to early to be expecting playoffs?

[The Effect]

If Vuc/Harris/Dipo all improve the way they should, i dont see how we arent atleast in the running for a 7th-8th seed. I mean we have a pretty formidable starting 5 of Vuc/Frye/Harris/Fournier/Dipo and a solid bench with gordonX2, payton, o quinn and harkless, so i dont see whats wrong with thinking we're a playoff caliber team if things play out the way they should

[BadMofoPimp]

It all sounds fine and dandy on paper with all the talent here, but until the Magic get a decent coach, I doubt Vaughn leads this team to the playoffs this year or next unless some player reaches All-star status and leads the team on his own to make the coach look good.

[Gator Aces]

The East is rattled right now.

Once FA's sign with their teams we will have a better look of the East.

But for now, it seems that the Magic will be in the lottery next year at 12.

[OrlandO]

It all sounds fine and dandy on paper with all the talent here, but until the Magic get a decent coach, I doubt Vaughn leads this team to the playoffs this year or next unless some player reaches All-star status and leads the team on his own to make the coach look good.

That's because you're basing your opinion of vaughn on his two years of tanking... we don't know what he's like when he's trying 100% to win. I certainly won't be surprised if he looks like a completely different coach next season when priorities are different...

[BadMofoPimp]

It all sounds fine and dandy on paper with all the talent here, but until the Magic get a decent coach, I doubt Vaughn leads this team to the playoffs this year or next unless some player reaches All-star status and leads the team on his own to make the coach look good.

That's because you're basing your opinion of vaughn on his two years of tanking... we don't know what he's like when he's trying 100% to win. I certainly won't be surprised if he looks like a completely different coach next season when priorities are different...

I will give him the benefit of proving me wrong once the season starts with a fresh slate. It has happened before. I may still bash or praise during the season though.

[MagicFan101]

There were only four teams in the east actively trying to lose throughout the season, and we were one of them. And there are 3-4 teams that tank in the East every single year.

There are always teams tanking. You are correct... but not like this past year.

Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn, Washington and Toronto will be better than us. It looks like Lebron is heading to Cleveland or staying in Miami. Whichever one he goes to will be better than us.

That means there are only 2 spots up for grabs. Detroit is the team I think can make a big leap forward. So now we are down to just one single open lottery spot.

Look, I really do think this will be a much more exciting season for us but there isn't much room for the really bad teams from last season to move into the playoffs and are we so much improved, despite our subtractions, to EXPECT we can claim that spot? I don't think so. Not this year.

Where in this comment tree did I say anything about expecting a playoff spot? I said we could make a similar jump in the win column like the Bobcats and that I think we have a better team. Maybe we get 38 wins, which would be more than what most are expecting, but it may not be enough for the 8th seed this year.

Your comment about the Bobcats' major leap from amongst the worst to the playoffs within a thread titled, "Is it to(o) early to be expecting playoffs?" yielded certain assumptions from me on your implied point.

[mhectorgato]

... in a season where half of their conference was going out of their way to lose. Big Al is great and they had a promising year, but you can't ignore that first fact.

There were only four teams in the east actively trying to lose throughout the season, and we were one of them. And there are 3-4 teams that tank in the East every single year.

There are always teams tanking. You are correct... but not like this past year.

Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn, Washington and Toronto will be better than us. It looks like Lebron is heading to Cleveland or staying in Miami. Whichever one he goes to will be better than us.

That means there are only 2 spots up for grabs. Detroit is the team I think can make a big leap forward. So now we are down to just one single open lottery spot.

Look, I really do think this will be a much more exciting season for us but there isn't much room for the really bad teams from last season to move into the playoffs and are we so much improved, despite our subtractions, to EXPECT we can claim that spot? I don't think so. Not this year.

Cleveland will be better than us, regardless if LBJ signs there or not.

If LBJ goes to Cleveland, then wouldn't Miami have a lot of cap space to work with - as Wade took a pay cut, Bosh likely would go to Houston.

[MagicFan101]

There were only four teams in the east actively trying to lose throughout the season, and we were one of them. And there are 3-4 teams that tank in the East every single year.

There are always teams tanking. You are correct... but not like this past year.

Indiana, Chicago, Brooklyn, Washington and Toronto will be better than us. It looks like Lebron is heading to Cleveland or staying in Miami. Whichever one he goes to will be better than us.

That means there are only 2 spots up for grabs. Detroit is the team I think can make a big leap forward. So now we are down to just one single open lottery spot.

Look, I really do think this will be a much more exciting season for us but there isn't much room for the really bad teams from last season to move into the playoffs and are we so much improved, despite our subtractions, to EXPECT we can claim that spot? I don't think so. Not this year.

Cleveland will be better than us, regardless if LBJ signs there or not.

If LBJ goes to Cleveland, then wouldn't Miami have a lot of cap space to work with - as Wade took a pay cut, Bosh likely would go to Houston.

I believe you are right that Cleveland will be better than us with or without Lebron. Still, they never fail to un-amaze us so I didn't want to open that can of worms debate. If Miami loses Lebron, and as a result, Bosh I don't think they would be very good this season. Most of the big names are gone. Next season they might be able to sign people but who is left this year?

Regardless, I feel comfortable with the number of 1 open playoff spot. I really think Detroit is going to have a nice year. I don't expect a deep playoff run for them, but I expect them to be a lock for maxing the post season. Drummond is ready to explode and Stan should help him get there.

[mr2good]

I've been reading this board and from that I'm led to believe that it is too early. Not only that, but we are doomed for the next few years. All of our young players currently aren't good enough and will only develop into role players at best. And Frye and especially Ben Gordon will single handedly drag the team down the drain. I now know this to be true because I read it on the Magic board on RealGM.

Thank change your sig if that's how you really feel!

Doomed? Gimme a break

[mr2good]

this team is nowhere close to the playoffs, and anyone who thinks we are is going to be mad next year

people gloss over losing afflalo like it's no big deal, we are spending money on players who make us marginally better, but does that equal afflalo? and keep in mind we won just 23 games WITH him

Except management and coaching were intentionally tanking the last 2 years and the team played better when the younger guys were featured compared to when the vets were featured.


To use the logic that the vets were dealt away so that means automatically we will be worse is fallacy.

Exactly!

[mhectorgato]

this team is nowhere close to the playoffs, and anyone who thinks we are is going to be mad next year

people gloss over losing afflalo like it's no big deal, we are spending money on players who make us marginally better, but does that equal afflalo? and keep in mind we won just 23 games WITH him

Except management and coaching were intentionally tanking the last 2 years and the team played better when the younger guys were featured compared to when the vets were featured.


To use the logic that the vets were dealt away so that means automatically we will be worse is fallacy.

Ignoring the difference of opinions on tanking (which is rather germane to this convo, but don't want to open that Pandora box again) ....

"Featuring" is different than relying on a nightly basis.

[Baka_La Flame]

Yea people tend to look over he fact that we were tanking last year. We weren't as bad as our record showed and I'm probably in the minority here but I like JV as a coach.

[MagicStarwipe]

I've been reading this board and from that I'm led to believe that it is too early. Not only that, but we are doomed for the next few years. All of our young players currently aren't good enough and will only develop into role players at best. And Frye and especially Ben Gordon will single handedly drag the team down the drain. I now know this to be true because I read it on the Magic board on RealGM.

Thank change your sig if that's how you really feel!

Doomed? Gimme a break

Turn your sarcasm detector on.

[drsd]

Orlando sqweeks into the #8 seed with a losing record, and on an upswing of player and team development. Each round of the playoffs the Magic gel more and more.

And this happens in Orlando to the Magic on a warm Summer 2015 day:

[tooler]

Orlando sqweeks into the #8 seed with a losing record, and on an upswing of player and team development. Each round of the playoffs the Magic gel more and more.

And this happens in Orlando to the Magic on a warm Summer 2015 day:

Hennigan is committed to high character guys. We'd never steal a Finals trophy that the 76ers earned fair and square.

[MagicMadness]

Yea people tend to look over he fact that we were tanking last year. We weren't as bad as our record showed and I'm probably in the minority here but I like JV as a coach.

What exactly constituted 'tanking', though? I'm not sure we can get rid of our two best vets (one our team captain, the other our leading scorer and a borderline all-star), insert two non-superstar rookies, add filler and claim the team is now 'not tanking'.

If we were 'tanking' (rebuilding) last season, then we appear to be 'tanking' (rebuilding) this season as well...

We're not a bad team. We have a lot of exciting potential, and there are going to be some great highlights this season. But our inexperience will likely deter us from finishing off teams in the 4th and winning games.

[Baka_La Flame]

Yea people tend to look over he fact that we were tanking last year. We weren't as bad as our record showed and I'm probably in the minority here but I like JV as a coach.

What exactly constituted 'tanking', though? I'm not sure we can get rid of our two best vets (one our team captain, the other our leading scorer and a borderline all-star), insert two non-superstar rookies, add filler and claim the team is now 'not tanking'.

If we were 'tanking' (rebuilding) last season, then we appear to be 'tanking' (rebuilding) this season as well...

Playing Dipo and Tobias 15 minutes some nights for no apparent reason... Vuc sitting out for 3 weeks with a concision.. Lamb and Moore coming off the bench and eating up minutes.. suspect rotations in general. It wasn't a blatant tank but there were some moves that were clearly made to hurt our chances of winning. I'm going to miss Jameer but honestly I think Oladipo was a better player then him last year and I think Tobias is as good as Afflalo. With that being said I don't think we will miss either one and their production will easily be replaced by our young boys. We will miss their veteran leadership but we brought in guys to replace that not to mention our young guys are already mature beyond their years so a vet presence isn't as needed in our locker room as it would be on a immature team like the Cavs. The tank is over.. Any short comings next season will be a result of inexperience or bad coaching.. Maybe both but the goal next year is most definitely playoffs

[BadMofoPimp]

To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if the Magic fail to reach the playoffs for the next 2-3 years if things don't happen as people think they will.

But, I have a belief that Vooch, Harris and Oladipo are the future and everyone around them are the Role Players they will need to bring this franchise to the upper echelon of the NBA. And, that is even if Gordon, Payton and Frye are those role players or not. I think Vooch and Oladipo will be all stars as soon as this season or next.

Mark My Words!!!

[Bensational]

Fans complained that Afflalo/Nelson helped us win games in a tanking season, so losing those two and adding nothing but rookies and randoms should not equate to 15-20 extra wins.

So yes, I'd say it's way too early to expect the playoffs. Hope for it, but don't expect it - yet.

I'd like to question those fans to make sure they were watching the same team I was. Sounds more like an uninformed reporter like Ric Bucher or Chris Broussard.

Wait, people thought the Nelson/Afflalo backcourt was helping us WIN games?

In all honesty, this being the first season of the team being handed over to the youngsters, I'd expect some growing pains. That said, I still think we could be in contention for the 8th seed come seasons end.

I saw it all the time here, fans complaining that the vets took valuable playing time away from the kids, and gave us a better chance to win games when we really didn't want to. Come on now, I know I'm not making this up.

We even had posters discussing whether or not the Magic were purposely keeping Nelson/Afflalo out of the line-up longer than necessary whenever they got injured (specifically at the end of Rebuild Year 1).

lol, yeah i saw the same sentiments being expressed all the time, but i couldn't remember who it was.

[MagicFan32]

the people who think this could be a playoff team are gonna be the first ones on the fire henny bandwagon

you realize the guy we picked 4th overall is probably not gonna play much? please justify him eating into harkless/frye/tobes/koq mins