poll: how far will the Magic go this season?

[drsd]

We are all excited about the Magic in the Bubble. But how far will this go?

[j-ragg]

Feels like about as far as last year, with a worse record. More excited than ever to watch some bball though.

[Knightro]

I think the Magic will pass Brooklyn for the 7 seed and lose to the Raptors in 5 games.

Just like last year.

[tiderulz]

dont know why, just feel like they miss the playoffs

[Def Swami]

I think the injuries to both the Nets and Wizards should make for an easy path to the 7th seed and lead to another matchup with the Raptors.

If Isaac plays, I think we could push them to 6 games, and make it somewhat competitive from a point differential standpoint, but we probably still lose in the end. Otherwise, it's probably a similar outcome to last year with the Raptors beating us like a drum for most of the series.

No trades in the off-season. Fournier doesn't opt out. We draft a kid who will likely miss the whole season or spend most of the time in the G League. Run the whole thing back all over again in '20-'21. Re-up Augustin. Okeke spends most of the time on the pine while Aminu plays 23 mpg. Gordon loses another dunk contest. Isaac misses 30+ games due to some lingering injury. Get the 7th seed again. Lose to the Raptors in the 1st round again.

It's a time loop.

[Driguez]

I think the injuries to both the Nets and Wizards should make for an easy path to the 7th seed and lead to another matchup with the Raptors.

If Isaac plays, I think we could push them to 6 games, and make it somewhat competitive from a point differential standpoint, but we probably still lose in the end. Otherwise, it's probably a similar outcome to last year with the Raptors beating us like a drum for most of the series.

No trades in the off-season. Fournier doesn't opt out. We draft a kid who will likely miss the whole season or spend most of the time in the G League. Run the whole thing back all over again in '20-'21. Re-up Augustin. Okeke spends most of the time on the pine while Aminu plays 23 mpg. Gordon loses another dunk contest. Isaac misses 30+ games due to some lingering injury. Get the 7th seed again. Lose to the Raptors in the 1st round again.

It's a time loop.

[Tarheel]

I've gone all out optimist and say we take the 7 seed, catch the Raps off guard and beat them in 6. I just think the bubble will throw up some strange results and we could take advantage.

I'd give us a chance to win a couple games in the second round if it's the Sixers, but we'd ultimately run out of steam. If it's the C's I think we get swept.

[zaymon]

I think we will propably climb to 7th seed and lose to Raptors but if somehow we meet 76ers in the second round i think we will beat the crap out of them

[PrimeThyme]

7th seed followed by a sweep. Isaac could make the Raptors series more interesting but I'm still confident in saying that he will not play this season.

[NotACat]

I think people are writing us off if we face the Raptors too soon. We lost last year because they were able to put Kyle Lowry on Jonathan Isaac and Isaac couldn't take advantage in the post. This allowed them to shift matchups up while keeping Gasol on Vuc: Danny Green playing DJ, Kawhi on Fournier, and Siakam on AG.

We'll have a better chance this year, but Fultz is going to have to be able to shoot better than he's shown so far for us to win the series.

That being said, I voted for us to win the championship. We can all have dreams lol

[SOUL]

dont know why, just feel like they miss the playoffs

I'm usually anti-jinx but I think has a very low to no probability of happening unless you think we go 0-8 and a Beal-less, Wall-less Wizards team runs the gamut.

[tiderulz]

I think people are writing us off if we face the Raptors too soon. We lost last year because they were able to put Kyle Lowry on Jonathan Isaac and Isaac couldn't take advantage in the post. This allowed them to shift matchups up while keeping Gasol on Vuc: Danny Green playing DJ, Kawhi on Fournier, and Siakam on AG.

We'll have a better chance this year, but Fultz is going to have to be able to shoot better than he's shown so far for us to win the series.

That being said, I voted for us to win the championship. We can all have dreams lol

pretty sure Isaac was guarded by Siakam and Siakam went off for 22/8 for the series. and Kawhi on AG. i dont remember these defensive matchups are you mentioning unless they were switches

[NotACat]

I think people are writing us off if we face the Raptors too soon. We lost last year because they were able to put Kyle Lowry on Jonathan Isaac and Isaac couldn't take advantage in the post. This allowed them to shift matchups up while keeping Gasol on Vuc: Danny Green playing DJ, Kawhi on Fournier, and Siakam on AG.

We'll have a better chance this year, but Fultz is going to have to be able to shoot better than he's shown so far for us to win the series.

That being said, I voted for us to win the championship. We can all have dreams lol

pretty sure Isaac was guarded by Siakam and Siakam went off for 22/8 for the series. and Kawhi on AG. i dont remember these defensive matchups are you mentioning unless they were switches

I'm taking about the defensive matchups. It was something I noticed when I was watching condensed versions of the games recently

[yoyojw17]

optimistic about these guys. But i think we make it in as the 7th seed... and get a rematch with the Raptors.... this time.... we grind out that first round and then play the celtic/76er and give them a good run. everyone leaves with their heads down..... then realize what they have done and how big of a step they made.... and growth continues!

[RookieStar]

No one wrote * We beat the Raps in game 1? *

I mean its practically tradition.

[EAS Law]

Im interested to see how lack of a crowd affects the officiating and play of the players. No energy to feed off of one way or another.

Anyway—this season is wild because of how many teams are just not complete/guys not focused/ guys not in their normal routine/environment doesn’t feel serious.

Maybe we win the championship? Lol

[cwas2882]

Fultz is a madman. Comes in, drops 20 a game in the play-in games. confidence up, takes out the Raptors single-handedly.

Rd. 2 against the Celts, we catch a break with Kemba hobbled. Fournier and Gordon pull 40% from 3 out of their ass. We bring back Isaac for 20 mpg in this series. Take them down.

Matchup with the Bucks in the EC finals. Isaac is back and on Giannis. This is the hardest he's had to play all season. Middleton goes cold for the series. We grind it out in 6.

We're in the finals. We have home court. Fultz is playing out of his mind. Issac has everything on lock. Houston has just taken out the Lakers because they shot 45% from 3 for the series. We're too big for them, they cool off. Orlando 2019-2020 Asterisks NBA Champs!!!

[Bakomagic]

JI sits out the first 3 games of the seeding schedule and plays off the bench on a minutes restriction For the remaining 5 games to cautiously get ready for the playoffs. Ennis continues to start and play well at SF. Magic go 5-3 in the seeding games bringing there record with Ennis at the starting 3 to 13
wins and 7 losses. The magic earn a rematch with the Raptors, this time without Hall of Famer Kawhi Leonard and Magic killer Danny Green !

Cliff is afraid to shake up the starting lineup so he sticks with Ennis at the SF and brings JI off the bench. This allows the Magic to be able to make Siakim’s life hell dealing with either AG or Isaac defending him every second he is on the court. Siakim remains aggressive and puts up ok numbers on horrific percentages.

Vuc and Bamba both shoot around 40% from 3p keeping Ibaka and Gasol out of the paint. This allows Fultz to blow by Lowry and Van fleet and attack the basket relentlessly for layups, dunks and kick outs to Fournier, TRoss and DJ with the occasional paint drop off to JI or lob to AG when the help defender comes over.

MCW and Lowry get into a fist fight at some point of the series (MCW wins).

Fultz has a break out Series averaging 24pts and 8ast as the Magic win games 1,3,5,6.

Magic in 6 !

I’ll save the 2nd round prediction till after this one comes true.

[pepe1991]

It's funny how seeding really means nothing at this point. Having top 4 record for "home court adventage" is usless. I assume most of the great teams will just coast through first half of schedule to get into playoff shape.
I highly doubt Isaac will play this season again.

Raptors matchup is pretty terrible matchup for Orlando. They are better on each and every position, including bench,depth, coaching and star quality. Magic lost all 3 head to head meetings with Toronto, and only close game was one where Ibaka and Lowry did not play.

Facing Celtics won't bring any difference. They are also better than Magic on almost every position (but C) and have waaay more offensive firepower.
Just like with Raptors, both Celtics-Magic meeetings were not high quality games, both times Celtics had double digit lead by HT and never let it slip. What's even worst is fact that they didn't even need both Tatum and Kemba for it. So in every game, one of them was out. (hell in last one Tatum and Brown were out, but Kemba dropped 37 ).

Anything but playoffs followed by first round exit would be miracle. But just like Magic are superior team to whatever Nets and Wizards still have, in same fashion, Raptors and Celtics are superior to Orlando's current roster. Simply more star power and high quality players.

[TheGlyde]

Fultz is a madman. Comes in, drops 20 a game in the play-in games. confidence up, takes out the Raptors single-handedly.

Rd. 2 against the Celts, we catch a break with Kemba hobbled. Fournier and Gordon pull 40% from 3 out of their ass. We bring back Isaac for 20 mpg in this series. Take them down.

Matchup with the Bucks in the EC finals. Isaac is back and on Giannis. This is the hardest he's had to play all season. Middleton goes cold for the series. We grind it out in 6.

We're in the finals. We have home court. Fultz is playing out of his mind. Issac has everything on lock. Houston has just taken out the Lakers because they shot 45% from 3 for the series. We're too big for them, they cool off. Orlando 2019-2020 Asterisks NBA Champs!!!

Gary Clark is still out there catching fish and socialising with his Rockets buddies.

So I think in this scenario he stabs us in the back, feeds all our secrets to the Rockets, and they sweep us for the second time in franchise history.