Ducklett wrote:SOUL wrote:Like, the Pacers lost 14 in a row and then beat Miami and Boston.
Kings have beat Lakers, Knicks and Rockets in a row.
These are two of the four worst teams.
Not only that but our rotations have been anything but consistent. It was Franz's first game back, and Mo's third? game back. Noah getting a bigger role, AB is our star. Its all different and no one would have thought the team looks like it does now the first week of the year.
Outside of Eyriq, no one that that AB would be this big of a difference maker on our season. And not a single person knew that Noah Penda in the second round would be getting anything but garbage time minutes. Stuff happens, lets see how it plays out.
All this needs bit of perspective.
When we lose, there is doom & gloom & doomsday clocks setting. When we win, people already shower themselves in May's championship champagne.
Truth and reality of a team is somewhere in between.
This team, due how much they invested in Bane, how many picks they lost (being literally last team to such stuff, as atmosphere around picks goes through radical changes ) had set of expectations, on pretty damn bad East entering this season.
Even from salaries POV, Magic are one of most expensive teams on East. 3rd or 4th most expensive if you remove Celtics ( dead cap situation with Tatum) & depending how you look at 76ers situation with Embiid, as they entered season without any clue will he retire or continue to play or get medical red-shirt or whatever.
So baseline expectations were set in off season. At least home court advantage. At least top 3 seed. At least 50 wins.That's it. Literally, betting sites had us at 51,5 or 50,5 depending where you looked at. They had as in top 4 title winners by odds.
And today we are half way through a season.
23-18 record
6th on East.
This isn't even close to expectations.
To win 50 games, they would have to go 27-14.
Their SOS is now only 0,3 weaker than baseline level. They already played through easiest possible part of the schedule, and went .500 through it.
Raptors, without starting C for half of the season, without backup C, without Barrett half of the season, predicted to win 41 games, are overachieving.
Celtics without best player & losing 3/5 starters, are overachieving. ( original predictions 40 wins )
Pistons, who cost $21 000 000 less than Magic this year, are best team on East. (original predictions, 45 wins).
Our original win loss predictions were set about at same level with Nuggets. ESPN had Nuggets at 52,5, Magic at 51,5.
This is reference point worth looking at.
Nuggets over season lost for longer periods of time: Jokić, Braun, Gordon, Cam Johnson, even Murray for 5 games, and they sit, without Jokić, at 28-13 record on West.
Objectively, if you are outsider, who doesn't give a f*** about excuses, as nobody should ( all league is hurt, case and point, Grizzlies played you without 5 rotation players , including best player & starting C and backup C and 2 backup guards ), Magic season is playing in same fashion Cavs season has been playing.
As consistent underachieving. Both teams supposed to be gunning for 1# seed and are looked as "contenders" based on premise that nobody is
that elite, without Tatum & Haliburton. Yet, both teams are going through bizarre season where they deal with:
- identity crises
- awkward roster buildup
- new additions who didn't gain desired impact
- stars who are underachieving
- complete lack of effort & sense of urgency in some games
- inconsistency at every level, where on any given night they can beat great team, just to lose to Hornets / Jazz on other night
- random player breakouts who becomes hero of an hour out of nowhere ( Black /Jaylon Tyson )
At the end of a day, that record in front of you, is your reflection. Nobody gives a crap about internal struggles. Nobody cares about feelings of people who make $10 000 000 to play kid's game.
World is not collapsing, team is not falling apart. But neither they are world beaters.
Like i thought entering this season, East is weak. And whoever goes through East, won't be able to put much of a fight in finals. Because teams simply aren't that good.
Trade deadline will be strong indicator. If you see team like Pistons doing zero moves, it just signals that even they, as 1# seed, with cheap roster, aren't all that sold on idea of being able to have fighter's chance at winning. And if they aren't, nobody else should. Since they are best team East has right now. ( and that alone, is bit depressing notion ).
Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans. -John Lennon
