What's the most recent NBA champion team the 2024 Orlando Magic beat in a playoff series?

[RSCD3_]

Just a question that delves into thoughts about efficacy of modern offense vs older teams.
The Magic were 16th in SRS this year at 1.48 , with a 113.4 ORTG (22nd) / 111.3 DRTG (2nd)
7 Game Series Assume the Magic are healthly and the team they're playing is in the state they were in during their nba finals.

[falcolombardi]

2006 heat seems like a good bet since they wouldnt get enough shooting to keep up with a 3 point shot offense

[Warspite]

1956 Warriors

[Colbinii]

2004 Pistons

[brackdan70]

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

[falcolombardi]

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

.

You really dont think they beat somethingh like mikan lakers?

[brackdan70]

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

.

You really dont think they beat somethingh like mikan lakers?

Nope and it’s absolutely asinine to try to compare eras.

[eminence]

Which teams ruleset are they playing under?

[AEnigma]

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

.
You really dont think they beat somethingh like mikan lakers?

Nope and it’s absolutely asinine to try to compare eras.

Yeah, if we compared eras, we might need to acknowledge increased talent pools and natural development of the sport. Truly asinine.

[Owly]

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

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You really dont think they beat somethingh like mikan lakers?

Not saying it's justified or not - and the merits and assumptions behind time-travel stuff makes such discussions ... not always the most productive or clear - but someone's already posted '56 3.82 SRS Warrriors. Given the time gap (minimal) and that the Lakers tended to have better RS numbers and their best player tended to rise in the playoffs it's hardly a given they're not taking the Lakers too. If one is shocked at not the Lakers I'd say '56 Warriors is a very similar level response. Granting in-season trades made a difference ... this also means not the '58 1.32 SRS Hawks.

[xb3at band1tx]

2006 heat seems like a good bet since they wouldnt get enough shooting to keep up with a 3 point shot offense

in a one game contest sure but in a series?!

heat would kill them on the boards and they would have easily the best player in wade

[Owly]

2006 heat seems like a good bet since they wouldnt get enough shooting to keep up with a 3 point shot offense

in a one game contest sure but in a series?!

heat would kill them on the boards and they would have easily the best player in wade

Not particularly to argue for the Magic but one the line of argumentation "the best player in Wade" ... sure and it's Wade at his playoff apex if can replicate that but there's a dropoff ...

Shaq has a poor boxscore playoff after playing 59 RS games (where he looked better). Fwiw, and tiny samples, noise etc the on/off in the playoffs looks bad though Alonzo is his backup so ... still it could be argued this is now looking at his prime from the outside.

And then after that other than backup Zo, nobody put up a PER above 12 (11.5 Posey and Haslem) and other than Zo and Posey nobody put up a BPM better than 1 (indeed Shaq himself is at 1.0, Walker at 0.7) ...
Posey rises up in the playoffs and Zo is great in a limited -minute role. There's a lot of recognizable names ... not a lot of still value providing players. Non-playoffs-wise Posey looks worse, J-Will looks more productive but given his D net not that good.

Those other players still have to go out there and contribute ... Wade being incredible is true ... it just hides quite a few warts.

[mikejames23]

That team's main asset is Franz Wagner playing well (who win some games for Germany)... ok he's pretty good, but still not an NBA champ. I think he needs to raise his game to win it all. The 20/5/4 is ok but really needs a strong 3 pointer, etc. They might win some playoff games based off of their defense (2nd in D Rating), but that team has some work to do.

[TheGOATRises007]

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.

Maybe a team from the 50's.

[homecourtloss]

7 Game Series Assume the Magic are healthly and the team they're playing is in the state they were in during their nba finals.

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.
Maybe a team from the 50's.

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

1956 Warriors

There’s no way you actually believe this.

[TheGOATRises007]

7 Game Series Assume the Magic are healthly and the team they're playing is in the state they were in during their nba finals.

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.
Maybe a team from the 50's.

I don’t think this current Orlando team beats any champion. Good team, but not quite to that level.

1956 Warriors

There’s no way you actually believe this.

Which recent champion do they beat?

You could have just said that instead of posting an emoji to try to emphasize your point

[falcolombardi]

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.

Maybe a team from the 50's.

Anythingh else being the same (it is not, modern teams draw from better talent pools that pre 2000's teams, let alone 50's. And have much better phisical training) shooting 3's and having spacing vs shooting long 2's and not having spacing may as well make it a different sport

Orlando would run circles around 50's and 60's and 70's teams.

It only would get close until the 80's where there were some top end collections of talent i phila, los angeles, boston and detroit and even then orlando would probably grind them down with shooting better shots and being more prepared phisically

[TheGOATRises007]

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.

Maybe a team from the 50's.

Anythingh else being the same (it is not, modern teams draw from better talent pools that pre 2000's teams, let alone 50's. And have much better phisical training) shooting 3's and having spacing vs shooting long 2's and not having spacing may as well make it a different sport

Orlando would run circles around 50's and 60's and 70's teams.

It only would get close until the 80's where there were some top end collections of talent i phila, los angeles, boston and detroit and even then orlando would probably grind them down with shooting better shots and being more prepared phisically

Well I presume in this hypothetical, the older teams have at least some time to acclimate.

And I think it'd be fairer to use the older team's ruleset in this hypothetical.

I'm not convinced at all the 2024 Magic transported into the 60's are beating Russell's Celtics.

[penbeast0]

I don't think there's any recent champion they'd beat in a series.

Maybe a team from the 50's.

Anythingh else being the same (it is not, modern teams draw from better talent pools that pre 2000's teams, let alone 50's. And have much better phisical training) shooting 3's and having spacing vs shooting long 2's and not having spacing may as well make it a different sport

Orlando would run circles around 50's and 60's and 70's teams.

It only would get close until the 80's where there were some top end collections of talent i phila, los angeles, boston and detroit and even then orlando would probably grind them down with shooting better shots and being more prepared phisically

Well I presume in this hypothetical, the older teams have at least some time to acclimate.

And I think it'd be fairer to use the older team's ruleset in this hypothetical.

I'm not convinced at all the 2024 Magic transported into the 60's are beating Russell's Celtics.

For falcolombardi, do you think the modern weight work, training, and PEDs to develop significantly better trained physiques is enough for Orlando to beat Boston if instead of transporting Boston to today's NBA, you transported Orlando to the 1960s (and gave them a season to work on proper dribbling and get a feel for the different rules and equipment)?

[falcolombardi]

Anythingh else being the same (it is not, modern teams draw from better talent pools that pre 2000's teams, let alone 50's. And have much better phisical training) shooting 3's and having spacing vs shooting long 2's and not having spacing may as well make it a different sport

Orlando would run circles around 50's and 60's and 70's teams.

It only would get close until the 80's where there were some top end collections of talent i phila, los angeles, boston and detroit and even then orlando would probably grind them down with shooting better shots and being more prepared phisically

Well I presume in this hypothetical, the older teams have at least some time to acclimate.

And I think it'd be fairer to use the older team's ruleset in this hypothetical.

I'm not convinced at all the 2024 Magic transported into the 60's are beating Russell's Celtics.

For falcolombardi, do you think the modern weight work, training, and PEDs to develop significantly better trained physiques is enough for Orlando to beat Boston if instead of transporting Boston to today's NBA, you transported Orlando to the 1960s (and gave them a season to work on proper dribbling and get a feel for the different rules and equipment)?

Yes, pretty clearly