Post-draft / FA poll: will Orlando win 41+ games?

[drsd]

The predraft poll was almost 2-1 in favor of Orlando being a winning team this year:
Realgm LINK

Ask this question after the draft and free agency.

With the draft and FA periods complete, the Magic's depth chart looks somethig like:
Payton/Watson/Summer-Leaguer
Oladipo/Fournier/Marble
Harris/Hezonja/Harkless
Gordon/Frye/Nicholson
Vučević/Smith/Dedmon


To quote me:

There seems to be enthusiasm that the Magic is improving. Will that improvement equal wins. Do you think the Magic will win more games than they lose this year (or at least go 41-41)?

Frankly this roster looks better and more balanced than last years. And with individual player development coupled to increased coaching, the roster looks a lot like a playoff team to me.

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[Baka_La Flame]

Nope. I'm thinking 32-36

[eyriq]

Smith ahead of Dedmon? Besides that detail we look like a .500 team to me!

[j-ragg]

Sadly I doubt it. I'd love to be wrong though.

[SportsGuy8]

It's extremely hard to predict where your team will end the season. So many variables with this young team, can probably end up anywhere from low 30s to even high 40s (remember, this is the East).

Either way, your team really looks like Warriors East, with a different style of play and type of players, obv. In a couple of years you could challenge Cavs, along with Bucks.

[Nemesis21]

Didn't vote, don't like the description for option B. I think we won't quite win 40 games, I'm thinking somewhere between 34-38 wins.

[shadrock]

Just have yes or no as options for the poll. I dont think we will win 41 this season but still think the description for that option was way off.

[NBAchamps2017]

NO. No significant roster upgrade. Team's still a doughnut. When Jason Smith scored 20 and 25 points on you, something is wrong. Bench is still flimsy. Forward-Center position is still skinny.

Needs: Bench (super six man). PF who weighs 250+lbs. Consistency. Turnover must be addressed priority one. Go to guy.

Prediction: 30-33 wins with the current roster.

[Jiwol]

No, but I'm definitely more optimistic than the poll description or the whiner above. We have very versatile roster which is improved indeed. Athletic scorer form the bench in Hezonja plus very competent back-up PG is what we lacked. And I don't even wanna mention Skiles-effect again. He improved every team he coached. I'm thinking 35-40.

[darthcheech2000]

You have managed to pigeonhole a yes or no question even further with the black and white descriptions.

I think most fans do not think we will win 41 games next season and believe we're on the right track.

[MrShow]

43 games!

[LBPTarHeel27]

I say no but it isn't because "the roster is fundamentally flawed"...I just think a leap from where we are now to a +.500 team is something that will take two years, not one.

It is pretty fair to say we won't be better than...
Cleveland
Atlanta
Toronto
Washington
Miami
Chicago

Then there are teams that were better than us last year and will likely improve at a faster pace...
Detroit
Milwaukee
Boston
Indiana

Then there are teams that fell off a bit...basically putting them right there with us in the East...
Brooklyn
Charlotte
New York

...and then Philly, who should remain the worst in the East.

So 6 teams that I would say will 100% be ahead of us, barring season derailing injuries. Another 4 that have a great shot at being ahead of us.

Say 2 of the 6 certainties have season derailing injuries, leaving 4 ahead of us. Only 2 of Det, Mil, Bos, & Ind finish with a better record than us. That still leaves us at 7th in the East. In recent history, that position is teetering right around .500.

For that reason, I would say that this team's ABSOLUTE ceiling...the complete best case scenario...is 41 wins. That is if everything goes right for us this year. You have to vote under .500 on this one.

[Def Swami]

42 wins


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[drsd]

The poll question is word-for-word identical to the first poll.

My issue is this: either the Magic has a roster to win or it does not. Management, coaching, ad training issues have never been discussed as current issues at hand. So for all NO voters, it is my opinion you are voting against the roster itself.

Thus, " … roster is fundamentally flawed and cannot be coached to a winning … " is a totally reasonable interpretation of your respective NO votes. I respect the vote, but NO means that you do not see the Magic roster as capable of winning. That is the very definition of FLAWED.

I make these points as NOs currently out-weigh YES. What does that mean? It means that, so far, fans see the draft and FA process as a down-grade to the team. Dem's is die Facts.


p.s. to NO voters: Our Magic, in which we Love, will prove the vote wrong. I have ten chocolates bet on this to RealGMers


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[MagicMadness]

We are trending in the right direction, but I see 31-36 wins.

We are still very young, and our bench is maybe average at best.

Thus, " … roster is fundamentally flawed and cannot be coached to a winning … " is a totally reasonable interpretation of your respective NO votes. I respect the vote, but NO means that you do not see the Magic roster as capable of winning. That is the very definition of FLAWED.

I'm not sure if youth is considered a fundamental flaw.

Because most of the people voting 'No' are doing so because they know youthful teams have trouble winning in the NBA...

I make these points as NOs currently out-weigh YES. What does that mean? It means that, so far, fans see the draft and FA process as a down-grade to the team. Dem's is die Facts.

Most fans here expect the Magic to be improved this season. Just because we don't realistically expect the team to have a 60% increase in wins doesn't mean we think the team has gotten worse.

[Devin 1L]

No.

Reason: Youth.

Prediction: 36-38

[mhectorgato]

I make these points as NOs currently out-weigh YES. What does that mean? It means that, so far, fans see the draft and FA process as a down-grade to the team. Dem's is die Facts.

I'm thinking that we'll win 35 games (with a margin of error of 2). That's a considerable up-grade (this would be 10 more games than last season, or 40% increase, which is hardly non-trivial), but still not 40.

[LBPTarHeel27]

The poll question is word-for-word identical to the first poll.

My issue is this: either the Magic has a roster to win or it does not. Management, coaching, ad training issues have never been discussed as current issues at hand. So for all NO voters, it is my opinion you are voting against the roster itself.

Thus, " … roster is fundamentally flawed and cannot be coached to a winning … " is a totally reasonable interpretation of your respective NO votes. I respect the vote, but NO means that you do not see the Magic roster as capable of winning. That is the very definition of FLAWED.

I make these points as NOs currently out-weigh YES. What does that mean? It means that, so far, fans see the draft and FA process as a down-grade to the team. Dem's is die Facts.


p.s. to NO voters: Our Magic, in which we Love, will prove the vote wrong. I have ten chocolates bet on this to RealGMers


..

I voted no and I don't feel that way at all. I see some good improvement on the way when you compare us to last year. Doesn't mean we will be over .500.

[LBPTarHeel27]

No.

Reason: Youth.

Prediction: 36-38

Edited for stupidity.

[mhectorgato]

No.

Reason: Youth.

Prediction: 36-38

Shortened season?

I think he meant we'd win between 36 and 38 games next season, out of the normal 82.