RealGM

I think if we can get this next game we will be in good shape to win at least the next 4. We have a home heavy schedule with alot of rest time down the stretch. We should be very rested come playoff time. We all made season predictions early in the year and I think I said 48 wins. I can't remember, but it looks like we should break 50 wins. We have 19 more games togo. We have to win at least 10 of those. I don't want to jinx anything, but it looks pretty good. Let's say 53. We would have togo 13 and 6 to pull out 53. Question is, can we stay a head of Cleveland for the 3rd spot? Currently we have a 5.5 game lead on Cleveland after thier loss to the Bulls. Orlando 40 and 23 Cleveland 35 and 27. Looking at those records, it looks like 4.5 to me. Is that right? Either way 5 up in the win colum with a game in hand. If we can pull out this Golden State game and then win the next 3. That will be 44 with 15 games togo. I think if we get the next 4. We will be looking to play Washington in the playoffs. It's looking a lot like Washington. They are going to get some of thier guy's back. It could be a tough match up.
vs Golden State
vs Atlanta
vs LA Clippers
@ Miami
vs Indiana
vs Cleveland
vs Washington
vs Philadelphia
@ Atlanta
vs San Antonio
@ Milwaukee
vs New Orleans
@ Cleveland
@ New York
vs Chicago
vs Minnesota
@ Chicago
@ Atlanta
vs Washington

It would only be proper for the Magic, fielding their best team in a very long time, to put in great work to get a high seed only to be matched up with a fully loaded Wizards team at 6 and lose as a result. In fact, that's my prediction. Hope I'm wrong, obviously. That would suck so hard.

Not sure about that. It really depends on if Arenas is really back completely. It will be a tough match up, but He is going to have to work hard to get back into basketball shape and it remains to be seen if he can cut and get to the basket the way he used to do to us. Caron will definetly make them better. We'll see.

FFBlitzace wrote:It would only be proper for the Magic, fielding their best team in a very long time, to put in great work to get a high seed only to be matched up with a fully loaded Wizards team at 6 and lose as a result. In fact, that's my prediction. Hope I'm wrong, obviously. That would suck so hard.

the first time we played washington and won didnt they have their full lineup? if not i know they had butler. i dont know we have done pretty well against washington in the past. maybe i should be but im not to scared of them. i doubt arenas will be his full self by first round also.

Yeah they did, but Arenas wasn't himself. He was tentative, just launching jumpers all game long.

Obviously you could argue that that's how he will play once he comes back. I hope so.

and looking at that schedule there really is no reason why we shouldnt be able to win 14 out of 19 of those games which would be amazing, 54 wins! man i can only dream.... speaking of dreaming could you imagine if we won out and were 59-23... just dreaming

I'm still woried about Cleveland catching us. It's still possable, and then your looking at the Raptors. I feel that is a much tougher match up. I don't see the bottom 3 switching postion. I don't see anyone catching Washington and I don't see Washington catching Toronto. If Toronto catches Cleveland it will only change who has home court between the two. I don't see Toronto catching us, so it will be Washington or Toronto. I prefer Washington.

BigCityCat wrote:I'm still woried about Cleveland catching us. It's still possable, and then your looking at the Raptors. I feel that is a much tougher match up. I don't see the bottom 3 switching postion. I don't see anyone catching Washington and I don't see Washington catching Toronto. If Toronto catches Cleveland it will only change who has home court between the two. I don't see Toronto catching us, so it will be Washington or Toronto. I prefer Washington.

it could definitely happen, but i dont think it will Cleveland is 35-27 now and toronto is 33-27. If we keep playing how we should be playing with this upcoming schedule it would be hard for either to catch us.

I'm a little surprised no one is talking about us maybe catching Detroit. They're only 5 games ahead of us now. Not a huge chance to catch them, but they have a little tougher schedule than us. And if we get hot and they get a little cold it could end up being a race for #2 in the conference.

Hopefully they falter a little over the next week and we can close that gap. Then again, here's hoping we don't blow a few games we should win. To catch them we'd need to get to 53-55 wins, which is no easy task. Luckily the team is looking really sharp right now and we have an easy schedule.

i would also rather have washington by the way and as far as getting detroit... its not impossible but detroit would need to slack off in the final stretch which is something they are not known for doing. i think we are a dead three spot would love to see us move to two but it'd be tough

http://www.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?t=718514

an interesting thread about what alot of us thought prior to the season starting. Hollinger was like Nostardamus. Don't want to get off topic from the race to the playoffs but its interesting.

our schedules weak, we should win most of them.

UCFJayBird wrote:I'm a little surprised no one is talking about us maybe catching Detroit. They're only 5 games ahead of us now. Not a huge chance to catch them, but they have a little tougher schedule than us. And if we get hot and they get a little cold it could end up being a race for #2 in the conference.

Hopefully they falter a little over the next week and we can close that gap. Then again, here's hoping we don't blow a few games we should win. To catch them we'd need to get to 53-55 wins, which is no easy task. Luckily the team is looking really sharp right now and we have an easy schedule.

For the Magic to catch Detroit, Orlando would probably need to go 16-3; or something like that. But it is possible. As described above, there is rest between almost every game. And most games the Magic will be favored.

UCFknight84 wrote:our schedules weak, we should win most of them.

Cleveland's is weaker. Magic still must play SA and New Orleans. Cleveland plays only Detroit -- it's entire schedule to finish is Eastern Conference opponents. And the Magic have four series of back to backs between now and the end of the season. I think Van Gundy said the other day they play 9 games in the next 15 days, which he thought was crazy since they already have played more games than any other team and then the last week in March/beginning of April they play 3 games in 9 nights.

The games vs. CLE will be huge for us, obviously.

But, I have a feeling PHI will catch WSH in the standings. Even with Butler and Arenas back.

This could mean a first round against PHI. I like that better then WSH

lovehoops01 wrote:-= original quote snipped =-



Cleveland's is weaker. Magic still must play SA and New Orleans. Cleveland plays only Detroit -- it's entire schedule to finish is Eastern Conference opponents. And the Magic have four series of back to backs between now and the end of the season. I think Van Gundy said the other day they play 9 games in the next 15 days, which he thought was crazy since they already have played more games than any other team and then the last week in March/beginning of April they play 3 games in 9 nights.

I'd take our schedule over theirs in a heartbeat.

Cleveland has THREE games remaining against Detroit and TWELVE games total remaining against teams that are currently in the playoffs. Oh, and they still have to play New Orleans and Portland.

Conversely, we have no games remaining with Detroit (or Boston for that matter) and only have 8 games remaining against playoff teams. Sure, we still have to play the Spurs and Warriors at home but that is more than made up for by the relative weakness of the rest of our schedule as compared to the Cavs.

The Magic should try to drop to the 4th seed to face the Raptors. They're better off facing them than the Wizards with a healthy squad.

In all honesty, to me there is no excuse for the Magic to lose 5 more games period. I'll give S.A and N.O as losses, and I'll even say once with Cleveland and Golden State, but thats a worse case scenario. To me, I don't think Cleveland has a great chance to catch us as long as we take care of business. I think in the end we'll stay third though, but a strong,hot third seed going into the post season, assuming we get out of round 1, the team we'd play in round 2 wouldn't be in for a cake walk.

ctorres wrote:The Magic should try to drop to the 4th seed to face the Raptors. They're better off facing them than the Wizards with a healthy squad.

The Magic aren't going to actually try to lose games.

I'd rather them face the Wizards with two rusty starters and possible chemistry problems than Bosh and the Raptors, given the choice.

ctorres wrote:The Magic should try to drop to the 4th seed to face the Raptors. They're better off facing them than the Wizards with a healthy squad.

It's good to know that we have a choice to lose or not, unlike the Knickerbockers.