The Orlando Magic

[J-Ville Smoke]

You guys act like having Hedo this year would have made any difference in a series with you in 2010.

NEWS FLASH

You guys are a completely different team this year. Having Hedo wouldn't have made a damn bit of difference for us.

 

[Tizzle]

It does matter because all I hear are Cavs fans bringing up the past to reinforce their thoughts today. People talk about how the Magic messed up on the trade, even if Hedo has gone from decent to awful over a year and that Carter has made the team much better (along with Jameer)... yet people go back to "HEDO LAST YEAR GAVE US MATCHUP PROBLEMS". yeah, well even this year he wouldn't give matchup problems, so why bother even bringing him up? Especially since Carter has already proved to be a much better choice over.

Yes, talk about how the Cavs are matched up with Orlando almost toe to toe, but don't say it's because we replaced Carter with Hedo, because that's dead...



If you're gonna talk about how scared you were of 08-09 Hedo, then I guess I should talk about how glad the Magic aren't facing Shaq in his prime! Phew, too bad you guys have 38 years old Shaq! If 2000 Shaq was on your team, it'd be over in 4 games!! Wow, what an incredibly AWESOME thing to argue about!

Does somebody need a tissue?

 

[Richfield Kid]

Quit talking about how VC makes you better off against teams not from Cleveland. You are on a CAVS board. We. Don't. Care. We know you'll make the ECF. There's nothing to prove here. HERE. Cavs board.

How do you think VC is going to help you beat the Cavs when we have so many options to shut him down. Hell, even Weak Sauce can guard him, and if he gets slow, we've got Delonte, LeBron, Jawad, Moon, and on and on. Hell, we could put Boobie on him if we had to, and he would still jack up 19 footers at 39%.

The significant fact that you guys are willingly ignoring, apparently, is that the difference this year is that we have options. Last year we didn't. We were forced to put Delonte on Turk. Assists, and more hockey assists.

 

[ButterMPancakes]

Does somebody need a tissue?

Great way to tell everyone you have nothing to add and are completely oblivious to anything related...





either way, the Magic does not need Carter to put up 20 pts every night, and they've shown that throughout the entire season... shit, right now the team doesn't even need Carter to facilitate.... how great is it that the so-claimed "difference maker" doesn't really need to be that guy?

 

[ButterMPancakes]

Quit talking about how VC makes you better off against teams not from Cleveland. You are on a CAVS board. We. Don't. Care. We know you'll make the ECF. There's nothing to prove here. HERE. Cavs board.

How do you think VC is going to help you beat the Cavs when we have so many options to shut him down. Hell, even Weak Sauce can guard him, and if he gets slow, we've got Delonte, LeBron, Jawad, Moon, and on and on. Hell, we could put Boobie on him if we had to, and he would still jack up 19 footers at 39%.

The significant fact that you guys are willingly ignoring, apparently, is that the difference this year is that we have options. Last year we didn't. We were forced to put Delonte on Turk. Assists, and more hockey assists.

First game says otherwise...

 

[Richfield Kid]

either way, the Magic does not need Carter to put up 20 pts every night, and they've shown that throughout the entire season... shit, right now the team doesn't even need Carter to facilitate.... how great is it that the so-claimed "difference maker" doesn't really need to be that guy?

How many games in the 09 ECF were down to the wire? How many points do we have to make up? We know how we are going to make up those points this year. How do you plan on countering? And no, the question is NOT, how are you a better team in general, the question is, how is your team that much better vs a CAVS team specifically constructed to beat you in the ECF?

The only significant change you have made was Turk for VC. Other than that, you are basically the same team. Do you really think the VC plus a couple role players with no playoffs experience is a more meaningful improvement vs the Cavs compared to Shaq, Jamison, JJ, Parker and Moon are vs your Magic? Really?

 

[Richfield Kid]

First game says otherwise...

That's it?

 

[oasis05]

I think the magic are certainly good enough that they can beat us. I just don't think it's the likely scenario. The magic have the best size in dwight howard, but the cavs have a very diverse set of size that can compete with the magics front court with the additions of shaq, and jamison.

Aside from Dwight Howard the magic don't have much up front. Rashard Lewis would be hard pressed to be in the cavaliers big man rotation at power forward with jamison being a superior player, and Anderson cleaning up what's left of the minutes at the 4.

I think the cavs can push their size advantage on the magic.

Looking at the back court is where the magic could do some damage. Last year the cavs couldn't match up with the magic when they ran pietrus out and spread the floor with 4 wing players and dwight howard.

Mo and Parker have a tall task guarding Vince Carter and Jameer Nelson. I don't think mo and Parker have to score, but they do have to defend well and keep Shaq out of early foul trouble. The magic will try and run pick and roll to pull shaq out of the paint and get him out of his defensive comfort zone and it'll be the cavaliers guards that will have to step up, something I haven't seen consistently all year. Which is why I've been a proponent of West and Gibson who consistently play good defense.

 

[jvpertz]

It does matter because all I hear are Cavs fans bringing up the past to reinforce their thoughts today. People talk about how the Magic messed up on the trade, even if Hedo has gone from decent to awful over a year and that Carter has made the team much better (along with Jameer)... yet people go back to "HEDO LAST YEAR GAVE US MATCHUP PROBLEMS". yeah, well even this year he wouldn't give matchup problems, so why bother even bringing him up? Especially since Carter has already proved to be a much better choice over.

Yes, talk about how the Cavs are matched up with Orlando almost toe to toe, but don't say it's because we replaced Carter with Hedo, because that's dead...



If you're gonna talk about how scared you were of 08-09 Hedo, then I guess I should talk about how glad the Magic aren't facing Shaq in his prime! Phew, too bad you guys have 38 years old Shaq! If 2000 Shaq was on your team, it'd be over in 4 games!! Wow, what an incredibly AWESOME thing to argue about!

Again it is not my worry as to whether or not the Magic are a better basketball team this year than last year. Like I said, they may be MUCH better for all I know or care. However, getting away from the aggregate perception of the Magic, what specifically matters to me is are the Magic better against the Cavs with Vince Carter in place of the 08-09' Hedo Turkgulu. And my resounding answer is no because one player has a great track record against the Cavs and the other does not.

That is all I care about.

 

[Richfield Kid]

...and one more thing. Prog rock sucks!

Just Kidding. Opeth is my brother-in-law's favorite band. I love him, but he is a tragically nerdy fellow.

Ever seen Green Carnation? I saw them in Kent State and they rocked a Theremin. Wow! Pretty cool.

 

[ButterMPancakes]

How many games in the 09 ECF were down to the wire? How many points do we have to make up? We know how we are going to make up those points this year. How do you plan on countering? And no, the question is NOT, how are you a better team in general, the question is, how is your team that much better vs a CAVS team specifically constructed to beat you in the ECF?

The only significant change you have made was Turk for VC. Other than that, you are basically the same team. Do you really think the VC plus a couple role players with no playoffs experience is a more meaningful improvement vs the Cavs compared to Shaq, Jamison, JJ, Parker and Moon are vs your Magic? Really?

Jameer and Alston are two completely different players... one plays defense and is a blackhole offensively. The other is great offensively is pretty much a blackhole defensively unless it involves pick and roll defense.


I think the team is better off with Jameer instead of Alston, much better off without Hedo (especially since what he has turned into this year), and has the deepest bench almost in the history of the franchise... last year's bench, asides from Gortat and Pietrus = pretty much useless.



and I don't think the Magic are "much better than the Cavs"... never did I say that. I said the Magic are much better than last year, and same goes for the Cavs, but that would be against the Cavs team of last year, but that would be stupid to say... it'd be almost like saying the Magic were better off with Hedo from last year...

 

[ButterMPancakes]

That's it?

Wasn't that the only game the Cavs played without Delonte?

 

[ButterMPancakes]

...and one more thing. Prog rock sucks!

Just Kidding. Opeth is my brother-in-law's favorite band. I love him, but he is a tragically nerdy fellow.

Ever seen Green Carnation? I saw them in Kent State and they rocked a Theremin. Wow! Pretty cool.

Never... and besides Opeth, I can hardly say I listen to any other "prog" band... not my thing (I'm talking about Dream Theater-like bands).

 

[Richfield Kid]

Jameer and Alston are two completely different players... one plays defense and is a blackhole offensively. The other is great offensively is pretty much a blackhole defensively unless it involves pick and roll defense.


I think the team is better off with Jameer instead of Alston, much better off without Hedo (especially since what he has turned into this year), and has the deepest bench almost in the history of the franchise... last year's bench, asides from Gortat and Pietrus = pretty much useless.



and I don't think the Magic are "much better than the Cavs"... never did I say that. I said the Magic are much better than last year, and same goes for the Cavs, but that would be against the Cavs team of last year, but that would be stupid to say... it'd be almost like saying the Magic were better off with Hedo from last year...

This is getting a little frustrating. Are you purposely not answering our questions? I'm not asking if Orlando is a better team than the Cavs. I'm asking, HOW are they going to win 4 out of 7 games vs the Cavs? Two different things. Most people, outside of Cavs fans, still thought the Cavs were a better team even after the ECF. The playoffs are all about matchups when teams are so even from an overall talent standpoint. We think the matchup problem from last year is gone, and we also think we have more talent. You have a freak, a 3pt system designed off that freak, and Wince.

I guess you're just hoping the Shaq gets in foul trouble every game and your shooters hit 45% from three with a hand in their face. Even if you can keep LeBron out of the paint, we still have weapons. Another improvement from last year.

 

[Blue Magic]

I don't see how what Hedo has done THIS year matters. He is not on the Magic. What people are trying to say is that last year's Hedo was what killed us. We simply don't believe that wince can recreate the problems that Hedo made for us. He isn't the same type of player. Sure you guys have played at a higher level during the regular season this year, but not necessarily against the Cavs. You trampled the rest of the league, but the key advantages that you had against us are gone, and that will show over a 7 game series.

This Hedo V.S. Vince debate is getting old.

Hedo only did so good because of the way you guy's were playing defense... As you can see, he did jack shit when an athletic player like Iggy or Ariza was smothering him... But instead of putting the clear choice in Lebron on him, you decided to go with West and put Lebron on Rafer for who knows why... Maybe your coach was trying to let Bron rest on D? idk... I didn't understand it then or now...

Hedo did not create a mismatch as much as it was just your team just using an unorthodox defensive scheme... That, plus the fact that your pick&roll defense from your bigs was poor, which forced your perimeter players sag in and help, leaving open shooters and you D scrambling. Obviously this year your team is better suited to play different styles and matchup, as you added some more post options for defense and for fouls and what-not. Not to mention, those additions include 2 former all-star players...

If LeBron had played Hedo straight up like most normal teams wouldve done, he wouldn't have been as much of a problem, as Hedo couldn't even do shit on Ariza or Iggy. Your coach chose to rest Bron on D by guarding Skip and roaming, which created several other problems for your team. Hedo is still an NBA player, he's gonna make some plays and his size definitely helps when you put a combo guard on him. He was not the problem tho as much as it was your coach imo. But clearly ORL and CLE fans will never see eye-2-eye on this issue. ORL fans feel like we know what role Hedo brought, and Vince is significantly better at it when he's on. Hedo was nice, but he couldn't make all the plays... Vince can. Magic are a little better... Cavs are a little better team. It's a new season, so may the best team win! Hedo is irrelevant, as he was played horribly and pretty much forced into a big role by injuries and by how he was played. Yeah, he stepped up when needed, but the fact that Bron guarded neither Hedo or Lewis takes away from the mismatch argument.