Orlando contenders in the east?

Shishnizzle · Post #1 » by **Shishnizzle** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:42 am

I'm watching NBATV and they have a new guy working the show(Billy King). They asked him his favorites in the east. He said Boston, Cleveland and Detroit, and he said Orlando he does'nt believe in. He said Orlando is going to have to improve thier road record before we can be contenders in the east. Well I do'nt know if we are contenders over all but this is'nt the 1st time I have heard this with regards to us being contenders recently. My question is why do these people believe in Cleveland so much more than us when Cleveland had'nt looked very good at all. Also this is the freaking east we are talking about. These people are just ignorant.

99 Problems · Post #2 » by **99 Problems** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:44 am

It might have something to do with the fact that Cleveland went to the Finals last year... and they have Lebron...

Happyfoosball · Post #3 » by **Happyfoosball** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:44 am

Yeah and the Giants were going to lose to Tampa in the wild card. Thats why they play the games. Orlando will have youth and energy on their side. They can shoot too. You never know.

Shishnizzle · Post #4 » by **Shishnizzle** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:48 am

Yeh but he really made me laugh when he said we needed to improve our road record. I mean hey dude our #1 in the league road record. Oh ok we will work on that. These guy's need to brush up on what the hell is going on.

AdamTheGreek · Post #5 » by **AdamTheGreek** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:49 am

Tough to improve on the road record when you have 11 home games in March with no more West road trips. :rofl:

Post #6 » by **TheGlyde** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:56 am

Well actually, yeah, it isn't better than Boston or Detroit...

Edit: I guess Snake checked the standings and deleted his post :lol:

Post #7 » by **UCFJayBird** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:57 am

LOL, that is pretty funny. i absolutely love it when a reporter makes himself look like a dumbass by stating false information.

I think Orlando can contend in the East, but will ultimately fall in the 2nd round or the ECF due to inexperience. But we can shoot and play with ANYONE, especially in the East.

Last Guardian · Post #8 » by **Last Guardian** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:58 am

TheGlyde wrote:Well actually, yeah, it isn't better than Boston or Detroit...

Edit: I guess Snake checked the standings and deleted his post

I have no idea what your talking about.

Shishnizzle · Post #9 » by **Shishnizzle** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 4:59 am

The only thing that scares me about Cleveland is how much love Lebron get's from the league itself. I would agree that Boston and detroit are the favorites but I think we have a chance to come out of the east. I'm not sure if our experience will bite us or not. If we play with same confidence we are playing with now in the playoffs then we have a chance. I think SVG will have us prepared, but we have to be ready or it could go badly.

Post #10 » by **TheGlyde** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:00 am

That will learn me not to quote :rofl:

Happyfoosball · Post #11 » by **Happyfoosball** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:11 am

BigCityCat wrote:The only thing that scares me about Cleveland is how much love Lebron get's from the league itself. I would agree that Boston and detroit are the favorites but I think we have a chance to come out of the east. I'm not sure if our experience will bite us or not. If we play with same confidence we are playing with now in the playoffs then we have a chance. I think SVG will have us prepared, but we have to be ready or it could go badly.

David Stern is falling in love with Dwight too. So I don't think it will be that much of an issue.

mattyBoi · Post #12 » by **mattyBoi** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:34 am

King is the 76er's ex-GM

That is obviously the most ignorant comment ever...Hes just going off of common knowledge...Yah know Cavs went to the final, Detroit is always good, Everyone knows about Boston...Then when it comes to us he just trys to find some excuse to put us down.

Although, if you search around and look at some power rankings, all the "experts" have us behind the Cavs, Detroit, and Boston and couple even have us behind Toronto.

If you ask me we are NOT better than Detroit, can maybe get lucky against Boston and are pretty equal with Cleveland and Toronto.

We'll see how it goes, but hopefully we are better next year.

DontPushMe · Post #13 » by **DontPushMe** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:45 am

Of coarse we arent a contender. We will win 1 playoff series if were lucky, then get bounced in the 2nd round.

Now, had mumbleman gotten something done at the trade deadline maybe we would have been a contender. In my opinion if he had gotten the brad miller and garcia deal done we would have been the favorites in the east. They both would have been perfect fits. Too bad we have an incompetent mumbling jackass as our gm who cant form a coherent sentence let alone run a team.

99 Problems · Post #14 » by **99 Problems** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 5:52 am

mattyBoi wrote:King is the 76er's ex-GM

That is obviously the most ignorant comment ever...Hes just going off of common knowledge...Yah know Cavs went to the final, Detroit is always good, Everyone knows about Boston...Then when it comes to us he just trys to find some excuse to put us down.

Although, if you search around and look at some power rankings, all the "experts" have us behind the Cavs, Detroit, and Boston and couple even have us behind Toronto.

If you ask me we are NOT better than Detroit, can maybe get lucky against Boston and are pretty equal with Cleveland and Toronto.

We'll see how it goes, but hopefully we are better next year.

Nah, I think you guys are better than us.... We're pretty much an up and down team that has been disapointing this year... We're not really ready to contend for the East this year, just hoping to have a good run...

Don't sell yourselves short, if you hold on to 3rd you'll most likely have an easy path to the second round with a banged up/rusty Wizards team... After that anything can happen....

flyingvee · Post #15 » by **flyingvee** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 7:00 am

Playoff basketball has always been a whole lot more physical and tough, and we just don't have anyone physical on this team other than Dwight, as opposed to Cleveland who added Big Ben and Smith. If Dwight guards Ilgauskas you think Lewis will be able to keep Wallace off the boards? Then again I think it's more likely we get he 4th seed as Cleve will probably get the 3rd seed by better record and we get Boston in the 2nd round. May sound weird but I like our matchup with Boston better, and Cleve and Detroit can beat the crap out of each other in the 2nd round.

mattyBoi · Post #16 » by **mattyBoi** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:08 am

I agree i think we are the team Boston does NOT want to see in the 2nd round.

We will likely hold the 3rd spot though, with the easy schedule and remaining home games.

As far as Toronto goes i see them as being a dangerous team in the Playoffs...They can get hot and hang with any team...Especially if Bargs in on.

It will def. be interesting, cant waittt

lovehoops01 · Post #17 » by **lovehoops01** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 8:56 am

BigCityCat wrote:Yeh but he really made me laugh when he said we needed to improve our road record. I mean hey dude our #1 in the league road record. Oh ok we will work on that. These guy's need to brush up on what the hell is going on.

That was a bad reason to give. Maybe that's why he got fired as Sixers GM. Maybe he didn't pay enough attention to the details.

drsd · Post #18 » by **drsd** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:52 am

The Magic currently have the same road losses as home losses. That's a BIG improvement at home from earlier in the year.

drsd · Post #19 » by **drsd** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 9:56 am

Another point, the Magic have proven they can beat the Pistons and the Celts. A strong push to get further as a team (recall that Lewis is just coming to his stride and that Cook is only now in game shape, and that StM has only recently settled on a rotation), and there is every reason to see the Magic as a team in the Eastern Finals. From there, ???

Look at last year's Cavs. They are not unlike this year's Magic. Both are 50 win teams with a star-ace, some nice add ons, and several big holes. If last year's Cavs can do it, why not the Magic?

And let's look at the best-possible "problem" for GM Smith. What if the Magic win a Championship this year? Firstly, he will be stuck to not make a single roster move. There, the team would not get better and the "fluke" title would be a one-off. But I think ALL OF US would accept this scenario.

Before a team can talk about dynasties, they need their first W. Just win!

KingRobb02 · Post #20 » by **KingRobb02** » Tue Feb 26, 2008 1:58 pm

We are not contenders. The thing about the playoffs is that the better team always wins in a 7 game series. If this were the NCAA tournament I would be confident that a hot shooting team liek our could topple any giant, but asking us to stay hot for 2 weeks straight against the Pistons is ridiculous. Right now, i see 4 teams in the east that would beat us including the Raptors. I want to say that we have a good chance of beating the Celtics in a 7 game series, but I just think that KG will be fired up for the playoffs after getting snubbed for the MVP, and the fact that he knows this may be his best shot. That may be just too much to handle.