Around the League: 2024-25 Season

[eyriq]

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[basketballRob]

Utah is up by around 20 over the Heat. The best case scenario is that they beat the Heat and lose to us.

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[RookieStar]

Wow... UTA is spanking MIA.

They are healthy why we are sending 3rd stringers with our FA starter...

Hopefully Ainge gives the order to think about Flagg against us

[basketballRob]

The Bucks and Heat lost is good for us. Now we need The Nuggets and NY to lose.

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[RookieStar]

The Bucks and Heat lost is good for us. Now we need The Nuggets and NY to lose.

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3 out of 4 ain't bad.

[pepe1991]

Heat team is under major stress and until trade is done i don't expect much for them.

Bucks need to balance roster out.

Nuggets and pick... That's 20-ish pick. Never bet against best player in the world in his prime.

[drsd]

Heat team is under major stress and until trade is done i don't expect much for them.

At this point, the competition to win the South East is the Hawks, not the Heat. The Magic is an amazing 5W-6L without either Banchero or F-Wagner. With Banchero coming back, the team seems certain to be playing WAY above 500 to close out the season.

Note here: the Magic has the 2nd easiest strength of schedule. Orlando's opponents over the next 46 are a (sad) combined 47.4%. As the Magic is currently winning at a 58.3% clip, those two stats sum to a 28-18 rate over 46 games, simply by past performance times opponent-strength. (46*.5833*1.052=28.22 wins over 46 games; the "1.052" is 50%/47.4%, i.e. the opponent-strengthens multiplier)

Maths alone has the team at 49-33! Such a record would win the South East this year.

Bucks need to balance roster out.

Indeed. It seems probable that either the Bucks or the Knicks will be the Magic's first round opponent. Orlando really needs home court against either.

Nuggets and pick... That's 20-ish pick. Never bet against best player in the world in his prime.

As the current 4-seed, the Nuggets is looking up at Houston and Memphis, both 2-games up. Does anyone really believe in those teams as the #2 and #3?
I expect the Nuggets as the eventual 2-seed. (the Thunder "can't" be caught they are so far ahead of all Western teams).

I project this pick to land at 26. Short of a major injury to Jokić (and his game style doesn't lead to injuries), the pick seems implausible to be above 22.

[drsd]

Utah is up by around 20 over the Heat. The best case scenario is that they beat the Heat and lose to us.

The Jazz was up 28 going in to the 4th and OUTSCORED the Heat in the 4th. That's sad, for Miami.

Brice Sensabaugh scored 34 as a 6th man. He's a 7.8ppg guy this year. What a joke.

Anyhow, the Jazz has a not-horrible starting 5. For Orlando to win, the Magic bench needs to significantly contribute to scoring.

[AdamTheGreek]

We got a lot of results help again last night. Hawks are not handling their West road trip well at all. Simons beat the Bucks. Jazz wrecked Miami. Any thoughts about the Magic overlooking the Jazz tonight thankfully get thrown out the window.

We have a 2.5-game 4th seed cushion again.
Which we need because tonight begins our very difficult 5 games in 8 nights with two sets of back-to-backs.

[Optimus_Steel]

We got a lot of results help again last night. Hawks are not handling their West road trip well at all. Simons beat the Bucks. Jazz wrecked Miami. Any thoughts about the Magic overlooking the Jazz tonight thankfully get thrown out the window.

We have a 2.5-game 4th seed cushion again.
Which we need because tonight begins our very difficult 5 games in 8 nights with two sets of back-to-backs.

How is this possible? Haven’t we played the most games in the league?

[AdamTheGreek]

We got a lot of results help again last night. Hawks are not handling their West road trip well at all. Simons beat the Bucks. Jazz wrecked Miami. Any thoughts about the Magic overlooking the Jazz tonight thankfully get thrown out the window.

We have a 2.5-game 4th seed cushion again.
Which we need because tonight begins our very difficult 5 games in 8 nights with two sets of back-to-backs.

How is this possible? Haven’t we played the most games in the league?

Most of the teams around us have now played as many or only 1-2 fewer than us.
After the 10th, we don’t have a back-to-back until February 5th.
Over the last 3 weeks, we’ve been getting more days off, the gap is shrinking.

[drsd]

We got a lot of results help again last night. Hawks are not handling their West road trip well at all. Simons beat the Bucks. Jazz wrecked Miami. Any thoughts about the Magic overlooking the Jazz tonight thankfully get thrown out the window.

We have a 2.5-game 4th seed cushion again.
Which we need because tonight begins our very difficult 5 games in 8 nights with two sets of back-to-backs.

How is this possible? Haven’t we played the most games in the league?

Most of the teams around us have now played as many or only 1-2 fewer than us.
After the 10th, we don’t have a back-to-back until February 5th.
Over the last 3 weeks, we’ve been getting more days off, the gap is shrinking.

And-1

I also note that the Magic has a cup-cake schedule over the last 46.

[pepe1991]

Heat team is under major stress and until trade is done i don't expect much for them.

At this point, the competition to win the South East is the Hawks, not the Heat. The Magic is an amazing 5W-6L without either Banchero or F-Wagner. With Banchero coming back, the team seems certain to be playing WAY above 500 to close out the season.

Note here: the Magic has the 2nd easiest strength of schedule. Orlando's opponents over the next 46 are a (sad) combined 47.4%. As the Magic is currently winning at a 58.3% clip, those two stats sum to a 28-18 rate over 46 games, simply by past performance times opponent-strength. (46*.5833*1.052=28.22 wins over 46 games; the "1.052" is 50%/47.4%, i.e. the opponent-strengthens multiplier)

Maths alone has the team at 49-33! Such a record would win the South East this year.

Bucks need to balance roster out.

Indeed. It seems probable that either the Bucks or the Knicks will be the Magic's first round opponent. Orlando really needs home court against either.

Nuggets and pick... That's 20-ish pick. Never bet against best player in the world in his prime.

As the current 4-seed, the Nuggets is looking up at Houston and Memphis, both 2-games up. Does anyone really believe in those teams as the #2 and #3?
I expect the Nuggets as the eventual 2-seed. (the Thunder "can't" be caught they are so far ahead of all Western teams).

I project this pick to land at 26. Short of a major injury to Jokić (and his game style doesn't lead to injuries), the pick seems implausible to be above 22.

Winning division means jack **** since 2016 and rule changes. Given you play same amount of games vs own division and other conference divisions it makes only sense to get rid of "guaranteed top 4 seed". At least by doing so NBA avoided some clusterf***s like Dallas having 4th seed with 60-22 record due BS rules ( 2006).

Strenght of scedule really means nothing with so many games left. Also it just depends on metric and how it's calculated. Thankaton has Magic as 29th in SOS, ESPN with different calculation -14th.

As for Knicks and Bucks as probable first round matchup, i think Knicks are clear 3# on East and only way to play them is to slip to 6#. I don't think that's realistic. We alraedy lost tie breaker to Knicks so their seeding adventage is clear.
Bucks scare me if they are 5# and match vs us 4th.
Other teams (Hawks, Bulls, PIstons , Pacers) don't really concern me.

Nuggets are so strange. They are 10-3 with Westbrook in starting 5. They can beat just about everybody but also have no issues losing to Wizards. They lack energy on some nights, their defense is questionable all the time, but as long as Jokić exists they will be elite team. But to me they are prime candidate for massive shakup trade.

[pepe1991]

btw inject OKC vs Boston in my vains, my body is ready

[RichCollab]

Heat team is under major stress and until trade is done i don't expect much for them.

At this point, the competition to win the South East is the Hawks, not the Heat. The Magic is an amazing 5W-6L without either Banchero or F-Wagner. With Banchero coming back, the team seems certain to be playing WAY above 500 to close out the season.

Note here: the Magic has the 2nd easiest strength of schedule. Orlando's opponents over the next 46 are a (sad) combined 47.4%. As the Magic is currently winning at a 58.3% clip, those two stats sum to a 28-18 rate over 46 games, simply by past performance times opponent-strength. (46*.5833*1.052=28.22 wins over 46 games; the "1.052" is 50%/47.4%, i.e. the opponent-strengthens multiplier)

Maths alone has the team at 49-33! Such a record would win the South East this year.

Bucks need to balance roster out.

Indeed. It seems probable that either the Bucks or the Knicks will be the Magic's first round opponent. Orlando really needs home court against either.

Nuggets and pick... That's 20-ish pick. Never bet against best player in the world in his prime.

As the current 4-seed, the Nuggets is looking up at Houston and Memphis, both 2-games up. Does anyone really believe in those teams as the #2 and #3?
I expect the Nuggets as the eventual 2-seed. (the Thunder "can't" be caught they are so far ahead of all Western teams).

I project this pick to land at 26. Short of a major injury to Jokić (and his game style doesn't lead to injuries), the pick seems implausible to be above 22.

Winning division means jack **** since 2016 and rule changes. Given you play same amount of games vs own division and other conference divisions it makes only sense to get rid of "guaranteed top 4 seed". At least by doing so NBA avoided some clusterf***s like Dallas having 4th seed with 60-22 record due BS rules ( 2006).

Strenght of scedule really means nothing with so many games left. Also it just depends on metric and how it's calculated. Thankaton has Magic as 29th in SOS, ESPN with different calculation -14th.

As for Knicks and Bucks as probable first round matchup, i think Knicks are clear 3# on East and only way to play them is to slip to 6#. I don't think that's realistic. We alraedy lost tie breaker to Knicks so their seeding adventage is clear.
Bucks scare me if they are 5# and match vs us 4th.
Other teams (Hawks, Bulls, PIstons , Pacers) don't really concern me.

Nuggets are so strange. They are 10-3 with Westbrook in starting 5. They can beat just about anybody but also have no issues losing to Wizards. They lack energy on some nights, their defense is questionable all the time, but as long as Jokić exists they will be elite team. But to me they are prime candidate for massive shakup trade.

Give me the Bucks in the 1st round over the Celtics, Knicks or Cavs. I’m buying the Cavs as legit and changed from last year playoffs.

[eyriq]

Well... a lot of smoke that MEM is getting Jimmy?

I quite like the fit

[RookieStar]

Well... a lot of smoke that MEM is getting Jimmy?

I quite like the fit

MEM has to get rid of Bane for that to happen. But yes, a very interesting WC Playoffs if that happens

[pepe1991]

OKC guard pressure on defense is something else.

[Idiosyncratic]

OKC guard pressure on defense is something else.

Celtics couldn't move in the second half... 27 points.

15 straight wins WITHOUT Chet who was a DPOY candidate himself.

For the people who think defense is dead in the NBA and that it is a 3 point contest, just watch the Thunder in the West and Magic in the East and pretend no other games exist lol.

[pepe1991]

Player bumbs his chest- tehniqual foul.
Gobert throws intentional elbow at Zubac from behind that lands on his back and head - refs: nah, regular foul.