drsd wrote:Dear Magic fans:
We are all happy with the 500 record. But how does it stack up, and were did the Magic fall apart over the last three seasons?
It looks like "youth" set in at about game 20. Indeed it is the games #20 - #40 where the total melt down occurred.
So we should be happy, but be cautious in our enthusiasm.

Can you shorten your chart to say the first 20 games so we can see the data more clearly?
It appears that by game 12 (where we are now), past lineups have been more or less in the -4 to -6 range, which implies a 4-8 or 3-9 record. But kinda tough to see it at this point.
I would also wonder about SOS for these past seasons. How was the point differential in those games? Were they as closely fought as the games this season? Or were there more blowouts? Were there any key players held out due to injuries (including vs opponents)?
Things are not equal between seasons and there are too many variables to rely on "good starts in past seasons" being an indication of where this season may go. IMO, we've seen this team face a tough schedule to start the season, and they've been in it at the end of just about every game and are 6-6 (and having dealt with injuries to key players). That to me is reason for optimism/enthusiasm.