We have a little to work with. Otherwise we'd have nothin.
Magic will not make it. It's easy to go on a little run when you're out of the playoffs and no one expects anything from you.
Just ask the Warriors.
They could bomb out and have a bottom 3 season just as easily as they could make the playoffs. Considering the age of their team I'd say it's more likely.
EDIT: And if they make it your team is the one out, adn the Wiz have a lot more talent and experience than the Magic. It's gonna be a couple more years for the Magic.
Magic will not make it. It's easy to go on a little run when you're out of the playoffs and no one expects anything from you.
A "lil run?" Francis gone, Darko and Arroyo in, bam, they've won 10 straight games. That's not a lil run. They were just shy of the playoffs after starting the year thinking about: do we pick Gay, or Aldridge? Darko and DHo mature a year, they add a dead-eye shooter. They have some of the most frontcourt talent in the league.
Their coaching situation is the only thing keeping them out. As it is, I still can't see them missing (probably around 6-7 seed), but their coach really sucks, you might luck out.
But even if they do miss the playoffs, for the sake of argument, you've still traded Darko, a guy who will be a well above average starter at Center at worst for the next 10 years, for a high lottery pick. Not good.
You don't know Darko will be "a well above average starter" anymore than I know Magic won't make the playoffs.
First of all they never won 10 in a row. They won 8. Secondly, they beat Philly, Atlanta, Toronto, and Detroit sitting RIP and resting most their starters. Along with Miami and SA who were firmly entrenched in their playoff positions. Thirdly, it was the last two weeks of the season and like I said no expected anything from them.
Lastly, when it finally came time to show up and win a game they needed, they choked away the final two games against Chicago and the Pacers.
First of all they never won 10 in a row. They won 8. Secondly, they beat Philly, Atlanta, Toronto, and Detroit sitting RIP and resting most their starters. Along with Miami and SA who were firmly entrenched in their playoff positions. Thirdly, it was the last two weeks of the season and like I said no expected anything from them..
Fact is, we started playing much better after the Francis trade. Pretty much all of the games we lost from that point on were heartbreakers that could have easily gone the other way. Then Nelson came back from injury and we really started to roll. Along with the teams you mentioned, we also beat Cleveland, Dallas, Chicago and Milwaukee in the last 2 months of the seaon.
Quote:
Lastly, when it finally came time to show up and win a game they needed, they choked away the final two games against Chicago and the Pacers.
Not true. We were already eliminated by the time we played those last 2 games. The Chicago game could have easily gone the other way and the last game against Indiana was just a let down.
Bottom line, the Magic were a different team after the Steve Francis trade. Period. If they play like they did after that trade next season, there is no reason for them not to make the playoffs.
Different is not good, or playoff worthy. If you trade players you'll obviously be different.
And there is a large reason you likely will miss the playoffs. You couldn't string anything together until the last 2 weeks of the season against teams who had no reason to play hard or expect a challenge from teh Magic other than Philly who was in a massive free-fall already.
Dumars must be wondering where it all went wrong, from contender to predender in a blink of the eye! Said days for all you poor Pistons fans, noted by all this what could have been talk!!! Ah hind sight is a beautiful thing...
