Orlando is legit

[High 5]

As a Warriors fan, they are the last team I want to meet in the finals if the Warriors somehow made it. It's the only team recently that have made GSW look extremely bad.

Did I just read someone acknowledge a potential Warriors/Magic finals?

[MavfanAus]

and annnnnnnnnnnnnother "legit" thread.

What the hell does legit even mean around realgm anyway?

[jehosafats]

They damn near beat the Knicks

[J-Ville Smoke]

We aren't "legit" but we're not terrible. We won't make the playoffs, but I enjoy watching this team play much more than watching Dwight flail around like a baby deer in the post.

[bigpimpatl]

we're not making the playoffs.

We don't have the talent, and our schedule so far has been easy. Don't be surprised if we are above .500 because this month we play both the raptors and wizards twice.

[cwas2882]

they're doing it wrong.
jacque vaughn is too good for his own good...or rather, the franchise's own good.

Kind of sort of agree. I think that on a rebuilding team, the coach and the players need to do everything in their power to win basketball games and to cultivate a winning attitude and an expectation that the team show up and compete every night. Jacque and the personnel have certainly played their part thus far.

I think the General Manager, meanwhile, needs to do everything in his power to prevent his rebuilding team from winning TOO many games and from compromising future potential for present success. It's on Hennigan, now, to dilute the team's talent and pick up some future assets or youth along the way. Hennigan is half of the equation, and his ability to capitalize on veteran production at the trade deadline this year is especially necessary given how quickly this team is amassing wins.

RealGM poster "thelead" posted the following on the Magic forum, which I found interesting:

NBA Champions, their #1 and that player's draft pick:
1990 - Detroit Pistons - Isiah Thomas (#2 pick)
1991 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1992 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1993 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1994 - Houston Rockets - Hakeem Olajuwon (#1 pick)
1995 - Houston Rockets - Hakeem Olajuwon (#1 pick)
1996 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1997 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1998 - Chicago Bulls - Michael Jordan (#3 pick)
1999 - San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (#1 pick)
2000 - Los Angeles Lakers - Shaq O'neal (#1 pick)
2001 - Los Angeles Lakers - Shaq O'neal (#1 pick)
2002 - Los Angeles Lakers - Shaq O'neal (#1 pick)
2003 - San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (#1 pick)
2004 - Detroit Pistons - Chauncey Billups (#3 pick)
2005 - San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (#1 pick)
2006 - Miami Heat - Dwayne Wade (#5 pick)
2007 - San Antonio Spurs - Tim Duncan (#1 pick)
2008 - Boston Celtics - Kevin Garnett (#5 pick)
2009 - Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant (#13 pick who manipulated his way to LA)
2010 - Los Angeles Lakers - Kobe Bryant (#13 pick who manipulated his way to LA)
2011 - Dallas Mavericks - Dirk Nowitzki (#9 pick)
2012 - Miami Heat - LeBron James (#1 pick)

No, 2013 doesn't look to be a great draft, or at least not a top-heavy one, but as cucad8 said above, higher IS better. This year, and especially in 2014.

With the teams with lower than #3 pick players, thay all had top 3 picks doing heavy lifting. Lakers with Pau as a #3 pick, Dallas with both Kidd and Chandler as #2 picks and Miami in '06 had Shaq (#1 pick), Payton (#2), Zo (#2)

[GeneralNbaFan]

I said this team would make the playoffs lead by Big Baby average 23/8 and people laughed at me. Where are they now ?

I wasnt the one who laughed at you, because I didnt see it.
But right now I am laughing at you...Big Baby will not average 23/8 (right now 16.2/7.8) and Orlando will not make the playoffs!
Milwaukee will fall off and Philly go in!

[Malik Starks]

I said before the season that this was a playoff team and they are proving that. We also have not played an "easy schedule" we've played Brookln 3x, Spurs, Knicks, GS, Utah, etc. We've competed in all of those games while dealing with a new system, overhauled roster, and injuries. December is easier and we will be well over .500 come january and stay that way barring significant injury.

We are gonna shock quite a few people when it's all said and done, I believe we will be much higher than an eighth seed at the end of the year.

[Jaykoolzboy]

A very balanced team, remind me a lot of the old Pistons team where you have no super star, but everyone can contribute. All they need is a superstar like LMA.

[Yungsta404]

I predicted the magic to be a 30-35 win team before the season started because they have some vets who can play, i like some of their young players, and I was impressed how they were still competitive last year when dwight went down.

[tiderulz]

I said before the season that this was a playoff team and they are proving that. We also have not played an "easy schedule" we've played Brookln 3x, Spurs, Knicks, GS, Utah, etc. We've competed in all of those games while dealing with a new system, overhauled roster, and injuries. December is easier and we will be well over .500 come january and stay that way barring significant injury.

We are gonna shock quite a few people when it's all said and done, I believe we will be much higher than an eighth seed at the end of the year.

no, we wont. And we still have plenty of playoff teams that we havent played yet

[cucad8]

A very balanced team, remind me a lot of the old Pistons team where you have no super star, but everyone can contribute. All they need is a superstar like LMA.

Big difference is the quality of the "everyone who can contribute" players. The direct comparison for every team without a superstar is not the championship pistons. THey had very good players. What it is is just a very mediocre team.

[RookieStar]

Getting to the 8th seed would be a huuuuuge deal cuz frankly, I see us as NOT a playoff team yet. Still, season is young, who knows AA might become a Kobe-clone, BBD a Charles Barkley one, and our Rookies be good.

( yeah like that's gonna happen )

[GeneralNbaFan]

Is this a " Bobcats are legit" clone?
Its clear that they are better than the cats, but no freaking way they make the playoffs.... noooooooo waaaaaaaaaaay!

[Cigamodnalro]

Once upon a time.

[NYK_89]

Once upon a time.

Classic bump

This and the philly is playing well without bynum they are the favorites for the Atlantic are my 2 favorite ones from the season.

The Jazz fan flipping out that people would disrespect them and have them not making the playoffs is another one

[J the Drafter]

^^Well, no one expected Glen to first miss ten games and then miss the rest of the season, with McRoberts, rookies and second rounders as the only available big men. The team was 12-13 when Glen sprained his shoulder. No one expected Hedo to break his hand in the first game, either. (And Vaughn's preference for playing veterans hasn't always held this team in good stead.)

[RookieStar]

lulz.... ah well. #1 pick in a crappy draft..here we go!!

[BayAreaMadSkill]

^^Well, no one expected Glen to first miss ten games and then miss the rest of the season, with McRoberts, rookies and second rounders as the only available big men. The team was 12-13 when Glen sprained his shoulder. No one expected Hedo to break his hand in the first game, either. (And Vaughn's preference for playing veterans hasn't always held this team in good stead.)

Davis and Turkoglu are both cancers to the Orlando team. They need to be cut. Davis is a ballhog who takes shots away from our youth, and Turkoglu is just an idiot.

Orlando has a really bright future. This thread is pretty funny though.

[RapHippy]

lulz.... ah well. #1 pick in a crappy draft..here we go!!

Lets go for another year just like this one

Wiggins/Parker or die trying