How far away from a playoff team are we?

[Hilltop]

Q: How far away from a playoff team are we?

A: ~234 miles

[Catledge]

Not next season, hopefully the season after that. Of course there's a lot of "managing" to be done before that time. I just hope we really build a good team instead of a perpetual 8th seed like the Bucks.

I don't want to be like the Bucks either, but I think people sometimes confuse cause and consequence with them. They are an 8 seed because they are an average team. They are not an average team just because they are an 8 seed. Sure, they would have a better chance of adding a good rookie with, say, the #9 pick than with the #15, but that's just one of many, many reasons why they have few avenues for improvement.

The Magic are in a different situation with a number of promising young players already on our roster, several extra picks in the next few years, and outstanding cap flexibility. This is why I feel it's to our benefit to trade our vets for more picks and promising young players, but not to trade them for nothing just to be bad.

[JNelson43]

Not next season, hopefully the season after that. Of course there's a lot of "managing" to be done before that time. I just hope we really build a good team instead of a perpetual 8th seed like the Bucks.

I don't want to be like the Bucks either, but I think people sometimes confuse cause and consequence with them. They are an 8 seed because they are an average team. They are not an average team just because they are an 8 seed. Sure, they would have a better chance of adding a good rookie with, say, the #9 pick than with the #15, but that's just one of many, many reasons why they have few avenues for improvement.

The Magic are in a different situation with a number of promising young players already on our roster, several extra picks in the next few years, and outstanding cap flexibility. This is why I feel it's to our benefit to trade our vets for more picks and promising young players, but not to trade them for nothing just to be bad.

Yeah, there's nothing wrong with the seed itself. My point is more simplistic, that I hope we do continue to build through young talent and shoot for really promising guys. Not that anyone goes out of their way to pick guys that aren't good, but having mediocre chuckers like Ellis and Jennings surrounded with some other average players is one the worst situations to be in.

[Catledge]

^^^ Exactly -- Their problem is that their best players are chuckers who aren't going to get any better. Their status as perpetual 8th seeds is a consequence of that. So the lesson here is to avoid drafting and trading for mediocre chuckers, not to avoid a season where we get the 8th seed.

[LBPTarHeel27]

Q: How far away from a playoff team are we?

A: ~234 miles

Brilliant.

[Drederick Tatum]

I agree with the consensus. Not this upcoming year, but by the 2014-15 season I think the playoffs are a realistic goal

[RookieStar]

Q: How far away from a playoff team are we?

A: ~234 miles

LOLZ!!! you win

[eyriq]

During that 12-13 start we were playing top 8 defense. Baby got hurt, the wheels came off, and the rest is history. Nelson, our best offensive player, was hurt sporadically, so our bottom of the league offense was pretty consistent. However, should we combine Baby the defensive anchor with Nelson the offensive dynamo I think..... we'll still be bottom five.

[AdamTheGreek]

It's the East, they can realistically make the playoffs this upcoming season.

[Orlwillbeback]

It depends on the development of Vuc Harris Harkless, our draft pick and whether we can nab a good fa pg.

[LBPTarHeel27]

It's the East, they can realistically make the playoffs this upcoming season.

As crazy as it sounds, it is true. I don't see it happening. I HOPE it doesn't happen. But it really could. The bottom 11 of the East are pretty equally terrible going in to next season.

[magicsanta]

I've never thought in terms of tanking. But I believe the team as it is right now, is close to developing into a playoff team (if it's not already in the East), but is far from being a championship team. i.e. it's natural course would be to compete for playoff spots for a number of seasons. That's part of the reason why I believe trying to trade vets for young guys with high potential is necessary even if it makes us worse in the short term. That's not exactly tanking as many suggest, but prioritizing long term given the poor expectations on the short term possibilities of the team.

Answering the title's question: If the Magic doesn't make trades it will contend for a playoff spot, but won't have a good chance of making the 2nd round if it succeeds. That's the explicit goal the players set for themselves in the last plane they took together (I remember reading this): making the playoffs.