RealGM

What is the prediction?

Magic in 4
Magic in 5
Magic in 6
Magic in 7
Bucks in 7
Bucks in 6
Bucks in 5
Bucks in 4

That there is no real home court makes this very interesting. That the Magic lack key players means a Clark AND a Frazier need to step up. A tall task.

Off bet: who will be the Magical surprise for Orlando? My vote is Ross. I think he will have a 30+ game or two this series.


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The real question: How many total games would be required for the Magic to beat the Bucks 4 times?

rcklsscognition wrote:The real question: How many total games would be required for the Magic to beat the Bucks 4 times?

I think we would have to play them 20 times to beat them 4 times. Honest

Another better question is? How many games will be over in the 1st quarter? I'm talking a full 20 point lead by the bucks in the 1st. I say 3 out of the 4

We're about to get rooooooooollled. Bucks take it in 4, and may set a record for largest point differential in a playoff series.

75% of voters think Bucks in 4. What are we even doing in the playoffs lol.

Ducklett wrote:75% of voters think Bucks in 4. What are we even doing in the playoffs lol.

Honestly, only 6 teams deserved to make the playoffs out east. Wouldn't have been too upset if they gave the kings, Suns, Grizz and Spurs an opportunity to get into the playoffs for either the western or eastern conf. Outside of maybe the kings, I don't think the Magic or Brooklyn are better than those teams.

It would be a lot more fair if Giannis wasn't playing. I still don't think Orlando would beat them though, lol.

drsd wrote:That there is no real home court makes this very interesting. That the Magic lack key players means a Clark AND a Frazier need to step up. A tall task.

Off bet: who will be the Magical surprise for Orlando? My vote is Ross. I think he will have a 30+ game or two this series.


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While there have not been home courts in the traditional sense, the league has tried to simulate a home court atmosphere by including videos of home team fans and piping in canned audio to mimic a home crowd.

New York Times wrote:But in striving to manufacture a home-court edge where none exists, the league — using people like Watson — has assembled a database of music, audio cues and graphics that teams would ordinarily be using in their own arenas. The idea, Watson said, is to create a sense of home, away from home.

“As we get deeper into the playoffs, there will be more dramatic effects,” Watson said. “I think the spectacle will grow.”

Even now, there are moments that transport teams like the Bucks back to their home arenas. From his spot at the plexiglass scorer’s table, Watson relays cues to his crew — he works with a public-address announcer, a music coordinator and a screens producer — to play the Notorious B.I.G.’s eponymous classic when Giannis Antetokounmpo soars for a dunk or to flash Khris Middleton’s name in flames on the arena’s big screens when he drills a 3-pointer.

The Philadelphia 76ers christen their wins by walking off the court to “Here Come Their Sixers,” their longtime anthem. And the Heat have something called the “ViceWave,” which turns the arena into a neon tapestry.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/sports/basketball/nba-homecourt-advantage-wnba.html

And from my back of the envelope math, it appears that the bubble has been able to replicate some portion of normal home court advantage. From season to season in the NBA, home teams usually win about 60 percent of the time (about 65 percent in the playoffs). In games played in the bubble, home teams have won 56.2 percent of the time. If there was no home court advantage, home teams should win 50%, but there is that ten-percentage-point advantage under normal conditions, and about 6 percent in the bubble. So it looks like the measures employed in the NBA bubble have been able to replicate about 60% of the normal home court advantage.

Rainwater wrote:

Ducklett wrote:75% of voters think Bucks in 4. What are we even doing in the playoffs lol.

Honestly, only 6 teams deserved to make the playoffs out east. Wouldn't have been too upset if they gave the kings, Suns, Grizz and Spurs an opportunity to get into the playoffs for either the western or eastern conf. Outside of maybe the kings, I don't think the Magic or Brooklyn are better than those teams.

Kings and Grizz did have an opportunity and they failed miserably

The Magic, if they play way above their heads and shoot the absolute lights out, may be able snake one game.

I think most assume it will be non-competitive sweep.

Shoutout to the 'Magic in 4' vote.
I've got Bucks in 5. If we had Isaac healthy, and Bamba was healthy enough to get himself in as the backup center, this is an entirely different series.
With that said, Milwaukee has not looked sharp. Also, if MCW gets under Gianni's nerves, then we get some extra intrigue.
It all comes down to making 3s. Milwaukee wants us to shoot a ton of them, we have to just go out and make them. We averaged 11 makes per season, if we get 16, 17, 18 triple makes in a game then we're probably in a good spot to win.
Thankfully we don't have to worry about Vooch respecting Marc Gasol too much any longer. That's not the situation with Brook Lopez. Brook plays Vooch way better than when he was with Jersey/Brooklyn. Still, Nik has to redeem himself for last season. Has to, or we're 100% getting swept. Unfortunately, Milwaukee is the best in the league in opposing 2PT%, so that means Nik's going to have to spread the floor and knock down a 3 here and there.
AG was our overall best playoff performer last season, we'll need him to step up big again.
Evan cannot let Wes Matthews do to him was Danny Green did last season. Cannot **** happen.
Fultz-Bledsoe is very intriguing.
Yes we were 0-4 in the regular season meetings, but we didn't have Ennis for those. James is looking for a payday this offseason, if he hangs defensively with Middleton and/or Antetokounmpo, look out.
Can Augustin and Ross hit 3s off the bench? There will be at least a game in this series where they do.

Just did a podcast previewing the series (including a prize giveaway and an intro that I spent a lot of time on if you like your NBA on NBC memories).
Penny & Pops Podcast
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4gF5WOcHJWFHCcqSAwHtYc
Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/137665379/magic-bucks-1st-round-playoff-preview-episode-47-august-16-2020
iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/penny-pops-podcast-magicbasketballonline-com/id1114413480#episodeGuid=tag%3Asoundcloud%2C2010%3Atracks%2F876896008

rcklsscognition wrote:The real question: How many total games would be required for the Magic to beat the Bucks 4 times?

Bucks in four.

If AG and MCW are good to go, then I think we can maybe catch the Bucks for one game when they take a night off, because I mean, why get up for the Magic.

It sounds to me though that AG will be on shaky ground, and a little stress on that hamstring and we could easily lose him for the series.

MCW I don't think will play in the first game or two, he's still in a walking boot.

If the Magic can't beat the Bucks in 4, they deserve to lose the series.

I'd be surprised if we take 1.

We can win a game if Giannis has a 2 week+ injury before the playoffs start.

I voted Bucks in 5 for the same reason I stated in the GB thread. I refuse to vote for us getting swept.

However, I truly believe we get swept unless we come out on fire in one game and the Bucks come in after a day of getting drunk and partying the night before.

Bucks in 4 easy. Every game a double digit loss. We lack the health and talent to make this series anything more than a glorified warmup.