May 9, 201016 yr Author 3 of the 5 starters that got them to the Finals last year are no longer on the team. Yet they still win as many games as they did last year and then beat Charlotte with Howard playing little to no minutes. They have beaten Atlanta back to the stone age. I know Atlanta, Charlotte aren't title contenders and wouldn't make the playoffs in the West, but you beat who is in front of you. This team is going to beat whoever they play in the Eastern Conference finals. I won't make any guesses as to what happens against the Lakers, but I would be stunned if either Lebron's elbow or the Three Amigos are able to beat the Magic.
May 9, 201016 yr Cleveland (if they make it) and Orlando is going to be a great series. Lakers and Phoenix should be an entertaining series that might turn out to be closer than we all think. But I would choose Lakers in 6. I still find it very, very, very ironic that the best teams with the best chances to have a true battle to get to the finals is out of the East even though the West is seen as the stronger conference. I think everyone agrees that the Celtics and/or Magic beating the Cavs is a more realistic scenario than the Suns/Spurs/Jazz beating the Lakers.
May 9, 201016 yr And were replaced by much better players.... But all 3 were huge in their run last year. Carter, Nelson, and Barnes are going to have a tough job playing as well as Turkoglu, Alston and Lee did in the ECF last year. Sure the new trio is better, but last year's 3 were huge. Turkoglu was their 2nd best player in the playoffs last year and created shots for everyone. Do they have a playmaker that can score and set teammates up in crunch time? No team just blasts everyone they play all the way to the championship. Better players does not always mean better results.
May 9, 201016 yr Yet they still win as many games as they did last year and then beat Charlotte with Howard playing little to no minutes. They have beaten Atlanta back to the stone age. I know Atlanta, Charlotte aren't title contenders and wouldn't make the playoffs in the West, but you beat who is in front of you. This team is going to beat whoever they play in the Eastern Conference finals. I won't make any guesses as to what happens against the Lakers, but I would be stunned if either Lebron's elbow or the Three Amigos are able to beat the Magic. All I'm saying is that claiming a team is the best in the league off of how they look in the first two rounds is historically inaccurate. Maybe it's just a coincidence but every team since the 2001 Lakers has been challenged in one of their early playoff series. Like I said they may win it, but let's see how they match up in the ECF and/or Finals first.
May 9, 201016 yr ^I'm not claiming them the best team in the league because of their 1st two rounds. I'm saying they're the best team based off of how they played from the beginning of the year until now, and the fact they have more talent than anyone else.
May 9, 201016 yr ^I'm not claiming them the best team in the league because of their 1st two rounds. I'm saying they're the best team based off of how they played from the beginning of the year until now, and the fact they have more talent than anyone else. What about the Lakers? Who has a better 5 some than Bryant, Gasol, Odom, Bynum and Artest talent-wise?
May 9, 201016 yr What about the Lakers? Who has a better 5 some than Bryant, Gasol, Odom, Bynum and Artest talent-wise? Heard somewhere maybe Hubie Brown or Jeff Van Gundy, that you needed the best 8 to win the NBA title.
May 9, 201016 yr Author Yeah, I said nothing about Orlando being the best team in the NBA, they are the best team in the East. It will take something special to beat the Lakers.
May 9, 201016 yr Heard somewhere maybe Hubie Brown or Jeff Van Gundy, that you needed the best 8 to win the NBA title. Talent-wise give me the Lakers 8 over anyones. Give me their best 6 over anyone else's 8 based on talent. The Magic have great players for their system but put alot of their players on other teams and they do not do as well. The Magic have a great roster to play to their style of play, but I'm not willing to buy that they have the most talent in the league. I think Stan Van is as good X's and O's as anyone in the league and I think Howard's presence defensively to go along with the shooters on their roster give them a good chance against anyone, but don't tell me that they have the best 8 in the league.
May 9, 201016 yr Let's go Celtics! Rondo with his 4th career playoff triple double! I love it. Now just get the win!
May 9, 201016 yr Tony Allen reminding some people "Hey, before I got hurt doing a dunk after the play was over... I was a pretty decent player."
May 9, 201016 yr I remember last year when everyone doubted the Magic all postseason, there was no way they could play with the Cavs, and blah blah blah...Now this year, they're dominating and it's because they're playing the Bobcats and Hawks. What will all of your excuses be when the win the whole dange thing like they're going to? Well they'd better win the whole danged thing this year rather than what they did last year, which was fizzle against L.A. I don't think my eyes could take that affront again.
May 9, 201016 yr Sickening game to watch. Rondo was lights out, but there is no excuse for the Cavs to be rebounded and out-hustled. LeBron was a non-factor once again, Mo Williams goes on vacation after the regular season, Antwan Jamison is the worst post defender in the league. Cavs could have taken advantage of the situation and put the Celtics in a bind, I fully expect this series to go to 7 now, and I wouldn't be surprised if the Celtics won the series. The Cavs are so mentally weak at times it's pathetic. The Celtics put together a nice 4th quarter, something they don't do often. However with Cleveland's defense in this series nothing would surprise me.
May 9, 201016 yr Author While Game 5 is an important game for both teams, all the pressure back on Cleveland. These two teams are likely going to play 7 games now, so a well rested Magic team will get the leftovers, good luck.
May 10, 201016 yr While Game 5 is an important game for both teams, all the pressure back on Cleveland. These two teams are likely going to play 7 games now, so a well rested Magic team will get the leftovers, good luck. Celtics win game 5 and it doesn't return to Cleveland. Cavs win game 5 and it does. Just like this series should be, 7 games.
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