[ToTheLeft]

1st half there was 0 double team on howard...then the heat realized nobody else wanted to play except for howard so they doubled him hard and nobody else could hit a shot, the howard got frustrated and committed stupid fouls which created an all to familiar scenario for us magic fans...

The magic team that showed up didn't even resemble the magic team that we all know...some of that can be contributed to great Miami defense, the other can be just lack of discipline on the offensive side. The Magic still are a great defensive team, their offense just disappears at times which is why I was hoping they could somehow get Chris Paul. As much as I love Jameer I think Chris/Dwight could be a great 1-2 combo.

[jcmanson]

I'm willing to bet Orlando will get the 2 seed.

[thepostman]

Sounds about right to me

[TDDance234]

Expecting Vince to create his own offense is a pipedream. He kills that team by standing around and jacking up bricks.

They've got to find a way to get Bass and Ryan Anderson in to the game. Duhon is a terrible PG and Jason Williams is about two steps slower than he used to be.

The Magic have to be the most frustrating team in the NBA.

[jcmanson]

So that's 11 in a row for the Heat.

[WinthropEagleFan]

So that's 11 in a row for the Heat.

And Mike Miller is about to return from his injury. Things are starting to click, and they should be even better once Miller finds his role and knocks the rust off.

[RubberMallet]

they are rolling..its actually fun to watch now.

[thepostman]

and the magic are playing horrible...gotta hand it to the heat, they have really pulled this thing together. Its weird, it seemed like as soon as LeBron returned to Cleveland that is when this team really began to click. Boston is still the best team in the league and the Orlando Magic are falling apart and need to make some kind of move to be able to keep pace with Boston and Miami...

[jcmanson]

I do think Boston is still the team to beat in the East, but I'm not sure all their old guys are going to be able to hold up for the playoffs.

It will be interesting to see how the Heat adjust with Miller playing. I guess he will take James Jones minutes. Either that or they play Chris Bosh at C and Lebron at the 4. With Miller, Wade/Jones, and one of the PGs.

[thepostman]

I would think Wade would just take the spot of PG with LeBron and Wade sharing those duties...Bosh is not a fan of playing center

[BJWilliams]

my guess is Spoelstra (sp?) doesnt really see a lot in the other bigs (except Z but he doesnt seem like a big minutes kind of guy) with Haslem out

[jcmanson]

I would think Wade would just take the spot of PG with LeBron and Wade sharing those duties...Bosh is not a fan of playing center

This is what I would have thought, but Spoelstra loves having a true PG on the court all the time. I'm guessing Miller will just steal time from Jones and maybe a few minutes each from Wade and Lebron.

[jcmanson]

Are the Magic panicking? Supposedly trading Rashad Lewis for Gilbert Arenas and trading Vince Carter, Gortat, and Pietrus for Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark.

I don't see how this makes them any better

[thepostman]

yes..they are. Turk wasn't consistent when he was with the magic before, Jason Richardson is an upgrade from Vince and Gilbert Arenas, when healthy and sane, would be an upgrade from how rashard is playing....I think overall it would make the Magic better, BUT losing Gortat is a mistake at this point. They do not have a dependable back up to dwight howard. Dwight tends to get into foul trouble and without Gortat it will make that scenario much tougher to get through...

With all of that said it won't make them any worse, but with the loss of Gortat it doesn't really make them any better.

[ToTheLeft]

yes..they are. Turk wasn't consistent when he was with the magic before, Jason Richardson is an upgrade from Vince and Gilbert Arenas, when healthy and sane, would be an upgrade from how rashard is playing....I think overall it would make the Magic better, BUT losing Gortat is a mistake at this point. They do not have a dependable back up to dwight howard. Dwight tends to get into foul trouble and without Gortat it will make that scenario much tougher to get through...

With all of that said it won't make them any worse, but with the loss of Gortat it doesn't really make them any better.

Bass can play the 5, along with Clark and Orton, if there's foul issues.

[thepostman]

not as effective as gortat...again I don't think it makes the Magic worse or anything, but I am not sure it makes them any better..we shall see very soon though

[flamesbball84]

yes..they are. Turk wasn't consistent when he was with the magic before, Jason Richardson is an upgrade from Vince and Gilbert Arenas, when healthy and sane, would be an upgrade from how rashard is playing....I think overall it would make the Magic better, BUT losing Gortat is a mistake at this point. They do not have a dependable back up to dwight howard. Dwight tends to get into foul trouble and without Gortat it will make that scenario much tougher to get through...

With all of that said it won't make them any worse, but with the loss of Gortat it doesn't really make them any better.

Bass can play the 5, along with Clark and Orton, if there's foul issues.

Clark and Orton will lose a team games if they are playing any meaningful minutes. Clark is a blackhole on the offensive end. An athletic combo forward who cant get meaningful minutes on a team that loves to play athletic forwards.

Bass is a solid option, but he is an undersized PF who is an energy player as it is. If Howard has to miss any significant minutes because of foul trouble or fouling out, the Magic are screwed at the 5 spot.

If I was an opponent, I'd take it at Dwight Howard every single trip down the court. With his tendency to foul, he'll be getting into foul trouble a lot and that defense will fall harder than the Berlin Wall with Howard off the floor since really no one else on that team can play any defense.

[jbock13]

It's NBA season?

[thepostman]

It's NBA season?

thanks for your great addition to this conversation

ignorance is bliss I suppose

[TDDance234]

Are the Magic panicking? Supposedly trading Rashad Lewis for Gilbert Arenas and trading Vince Carter, Gortat, and Pietrus for Turkoglu, Jason Richardson, and Earl Clark.

I don't see how this makes them any better

Uh, what?

Richardson and Carter are a wash. Carter probably is more suited for Phoenix's offense and Rich is probably better in the Magic's system.
Turk was the reason Orlando made the Finals a few years ago. If he can play like that again, he's a major upgrade for them.
Losing Gortat hurts but he wasn't playing much anyway.

Arenas gives them a go-to guy at the end of games. They still have some pieces to move to get a solid backup C.

Nelson
Arenas
Richardson
Turk
Howard
w/ Redick, Ryan Anderson and Bass coming off the bench is great top-8. Not as good as the Heat or Celtics, but they've planted themselves in the thick of things.

[flamesbball84]

turkoglu is washed up. He is well past his prime and is merely an average player at best and that is being a bit lenient. There's a reason why the Magic let him go, the Raptors traded him, and the Suns traded him - it's because he isn't any good anymore. If you are a player with Turkoglu's style of play and couldn't get it done in the Raptors or Suns offense, you just aren't going to get it done in the NBA. How can you struggle that bad when you got assist machine PGs like Calderon and Nash throwing you the ball?

At least SVG has shown that he does in fact have a brain and will continue to play Brandon Bass at PF for the foreseeable future rather than play Turk at PF.

[thepostman]

Turk was not the reason the Magic made the Finals. I get so annoyed at this statement being said over and over again by the media and people who only saw clips...Turk for every great play had 10 horrible plays..he was/is lazy on defense and picks when he wants to play hard on the offensive end. It has only gotten worse...

The reason the Magic made the finals is because:

A. They played great together as a unit and got hot at the right time
B. The Celtics were banged up

A lot of Magic fans won't admit the 2nd reason, but I am not sure how you can't at least acknowledge that. The team did play great as a unit, that is for sure...Turk had some good times with the Magic, but I spent more time getting frustrated with him and his lack of of focus then being happy with him

EDIT: Stan has already said Bass will start, so either Turk, J-Rich, or Arenas will be coming off the bench...

[jbock13]

It's NBA season?

thanks for your great addition to this conversation

ignorance is bliss I suppose

You're really beginning to like me aren't you?

[thepostman]

It's NBA season?

thanks for your great addition to this conversation

ignorance is bliss I suppose

You're really beginning to like me aren't you?

I don't know you...I just disagree with you...nothing personal about it

[jbock13]

Go Magic!