Eastern Conference Finals - (2) Orlando Magic vs. (4) Boston Celtics

[Silky Smooth]

This sucks. This shit was supposed to be us. And now Lebron is holding up by the balls until July 1st.

 

[SanduskyCav]

This sucks. This shit was supposed to be us. And now Lebron is holding up by the balls until July 1st.

I think it may last longer than July 1st lol....

 

[Powerslave]

We should have listened to KG's series preview: "WE GON BULLY DEEZ NI**S!

Dwight brought it hard the last three games. Facts are facts.

 

[Silky Smooth]

I think it may last past July 1st lol....

 

[Obawan12]

No

If you mean at the hands of the Celtics, you are right, because the Celtics will be playing the Suns.

 

[Imadogg]

If you mean at the hands of the Celtics, you are right, because the Celtics will be playing the Suns.

Haha.

What do you wanna bet?

 

[ButterMPancakes]

I think you're incorrect...

Keep in mind the first two games in Orlando were close down the stretch... What the Magic didn't have consistently was a "play-maker"... They thought they were getting that in Vincent Lamar Carter-- but Magic fans found out first hand what Vince is all about....

What hurts Boston ??? Someone that can take the ball at the top of the key and break a defense down... It also allows for more drive and kicks for their exquiste shooters and plays at the basket for Dwight as the defense reacts to the dribble penetration...

And ya know what, Boston doesn't have an awswer for a 6-10 play-maker... Which is why it's imperative for Lamar to play well for the Lakers, otherwise the Lakers won't win...

So again IMO, you, sir, are incorrect....

Hedo's game has dipped a whole bunch this season. Not only that, but his contract was just AWFUL. The team already has enough bad contracts...


Jameer >>>>>>>> Alston (who wasn't going to want to be a backup anyways)

Clee, although close a favorite, is somewhat easy to find in the draft. Anderson has shown glimpses of greatness (well, obviously not "great", but very good), especially when he was a starter in the beginning of the year.


They played absolute crap defensively the first 3 games and lost it then... tonight was just a game where they couldn't hit any open shots and Boston decided to make every contested shot.


Either way, the team the way it is now >>>>>>>>> how it would've been with Hedo/Clee/Alston.


Onto next off-season...



While I agree Carter was complete crap for half the season and most of the playoffs, it was still a trade you make ten times out of ten. Can't blame Otis (the same way you can't blame Ferry, even if Jamison played like garbage against Boston).

 

[PIP]

Hedo's game has dipped a whole bunch this season. Not only that, but his contract was just AWFUL. The team already has enough bad contracts...


Jameer >>>>>>>> Alston (who wasn't going to want to be a backup anyways)

Clee, although close a favorite, is somewhat easy to find in the draft. Anderson has shown glimpses of greatness (well, obviously not "great", but very good), especially when he was a starter in the beginning of the year.


They played absolute crap defensively the first 3 games and lost it then... tonight was just a game where they couldn't hit any open shots and Boston decided to make every contested shot.


Either way, the team the way it is now >>>>>>>>> how it would've been with Hedo/Clee/Alston.


Onto next off-season...



While I agree Carter was complete crap for half the season and most of the playoffs, it was still a trade you make ten times out of ten. Can't blame Otis (the same way you can't blame Ferry, even if Jamison played like garbage against Boston).

Alright, if you say so...I just personally think you're wrong..

I don't think it's very smart to suggest Hedo's game dipped when it's virtually impossible to compare the situations... It's a very poor think to suggest.. Okay, so Toronto Hedo is not as good as Orlando Hedo... But there's probably an obvious reason for that...

Jameer is a better player than Rafer... Doesn't mean the team is ran better though and doesn't mean Rafer wouldn't have been a better backup to J-Will...

See, there's something to be said for continuity... A team growing and playing well together is very underrated IMO... Boston showed that here, they relied on the guys that were there in '08 and then got some contributions from Rasheed and just recently Nate...

Maybe Orlando doesn't beat Boston with Hedo as their play-maker, Lee as their starting 2guard and Rafer as their backup... But I do believe they would have had a much better shot--because I believe Lee would have been much better chasing Ray around... I think Hedo gives you more than Vince and I think Rafer would have been much better than J-Will....

I look at what that Magic team did in the playoffs last year, and then I look at what the guys they brought in this year did for them in these playoffs... VC, J-Will, Anderson, Bass and Barnes... Sorry, I'm just less than impressed from their contributions...

If the guys Otis brought in played better, maybe the Magic wouldn't have just gotten their pancakes buttered...

 

[ButterMPancakes]

Alright, if you say so...I just personally think you're wrong..

I don't think it's very smart to suggest Hedo's game dipped when it's virtually impossible to compare the situations... It's a very poor think to suggest.. Okay, so Toronto Hedo is not as good as Orlando Hedo... But there's probably an obvious reason for that...

Jameer is a better player than Rafer... Doesn't mean the team is ran better though and doesn't mean Rafer wouldn't have been a better backup to J-Will...

See, there's something to be said for continuity... A team growing and playing well together is very underrated IMO... Boston showed that here, they relied on the guys that were there in '08 and then got some contributions from Rasheed and just recently Nate...

Maybe Orlando doesn't beat Boston with Hedo as their play-maker, Lee as their starting 2guard and Rafer as their backup... But I do believe they would have had a much better shot--because I believe Lee would have been much better chasing Ray around... I think Hedo gives you more than Vince and I think Rafer would have been much better than J-Will....

I look at what that Magic team did in the playoffs last year, and then I look at what the guys they brought in this year did for them in these playoffs... VC, J-Will, Anderson, Bass and Barnes... Sorry, I'm just less than impressed from their contributions...

If the guys Otis brought in played better, maybe the Magic wouldn't have just gotten their pancakes buttered...

Here's the main problem: Alston was a head case who was NOT going to play backup PG (he didn't want to do it here and he didn't do it in NJ). In fact, it would've been stupid to cater to him and have him be a starter when Jameer is years better than him and is one of the biggest reasons for this team's success.


Orlando could indeed have resigned Hedo. It wasn't a Hedo/Carter trade, as they pretty much traded salaries. The problems came because Hedo was offered a TERRIBLE contract (well, not terrible for him :chuckles and no one in their right mind (with the exception of Toronto...) would match that. Not only that, but it wouldn't have allowed the Magic to match Gortat's offer, and it's hard to argue with that match after he was able to fill in for Howard during the Bobcats series and even had some clutch freethrows at the end...


The trade for Carter was great. You get a 20/5/5 (lol... ), and another guy who could very well be Rashard's replacement when he retires/gets way too old. What do you give up? A headcase PG who didn't want to be the backup, a sophomore that plays good defense and a decent shooter (which is easier to find), and a guy that was just riding on the bench anyways.


It's really pointless to plug in success from one year, then if next year it isn't the same then you assume the team was worse. Did I think the Cavs were worse this year? No way. But it could be easy to make that assessment since they didn't make it to the ECF...


Redick was also the Magic's best defender for Ray Allen and I really thought he should've been getting 35+ minutes a game. Shit, up until game 6, he was leading the team by a huge amount in +/- (and this was while getting 20+ minutes with the starters). CLee wouldn't have done much of a better job, really (Redick's also a smarter player and better shooter).

Rafer would have obviously been better than JWill and it'd be great if he wanted to be on the bench, but it wasn't gonna work out. Although Rafer was close to a blackhole offensively, he was still a good defender.



This off-season should be interesting.... I fully expect Barnes to be back and unless some team decides to offer Redick a ridiculous contract, he'll also be back. I (and most Magic fans) do not even want to hear Wince's name, but even if he stays, maybe the team will continue to grow and with the way things are going, the Magic will still be in the top 3 (maybe top 2) in the East. If LeBron does not resign with the Cavs, then the Magic might be the ones holding the #1 seed in the East next year.



and this is how things look now. If Bosh joins Wade and they get some good role players around that team they could be a force to reckon with... (or if LeBron somehow joins Wade...)



whatever, bring on the off-season (OR SUNS RALLY)