It's a funny thing in the NBA. Both Cleveland and Boston seem to have forgotten about the team that beat them in the playoffs just two short months ago. Both teams are insisting that they'll make the NBA finals, and cite each other as their biggest obstacles. Ironically, the team that knocked them both out has quietly improved.
Sure people are boasting about Shaq making LeBron an unstoppable phenom and Rasheed Wallace's presence making Boston's Big 3 + Rondo, A fab 5. But many sports writers and professional analysts are counting Orlando as an underdog. Again. Yep I said it,Again. Did Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee really make Orlando a championship team?I think not. They were essential pieces to an almost perfect puzzle.This year's team has better pieces that can make the puzzle complete. Let's break down the off season's moves for Orlando.
PG: Same situation as last year. Jameer Nelson will be healthy entering the year and he's a stronger point guard than Rafer Alston. Alston was a great backup, but Nelson is younger and better, and the Magic are stronger with him.
PF: Again, mostly the same in Orlando. Rashard Lewis will still occupy the PF slot, but backing him up will be Brandon Bass, a much better option than an aging Tony Battie. The team has also acquired Ryan Anderson from the Nets, a versatile forward who can score from long range.
C - No changes. Dwight "Superman" Howard and Marcin "The Polish Hammer" Gortat will be holding their spots down. Enough said.
SG - This is one of the more worrisome positions for Orlando. Instead of Courtney Lee... Orlando will more than likely go with Mikael Pietrus and Matt Barnes backing him up or the opposite. These 2 guys will be the keys to winning games. They both are big SG/SF who can play exceptional defense. They can play SF if needed, and can handle the ball in case of some terrible accident to Jameer Nelson. They will need to produce what Courtney Lee did in points which shouldn't be hard (9 PPG)and avoid needless turnovers. This seems to be a slight upgrade over Lee since he was a rookie and still had some learning pains. Let's not forget about JJ Redick who is still a threat from behind the 3 point line and getting better and not a defensive liability as most thought... Just ask Ray Allen.
SF: The loss of Hedo Turkoglu was obviously hurtful to the Magic and their fans, but what better way to counter that than by signing Vince Carter? The team now has a legitimate superstar to play alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, and they're simply dangerous for it.
The Magic have lost Hedo Turkoglu and rookie Courtney Lee, both valuable players. However, the improvements they've made across the board (especially in the depth department) more than offset any hits they take from the loss of Hedo and Lee. All in all, this is a stronger Magic team, and remains the team to beat in the East.
Sure people are boasting about Shaq making LeBron an unstoppable phenom and Rasheed Wallace's presence making Boston's Big 3 + Rondo, A fab 5. But many sports writers and professional analysts are counting Orlando as an underdog. Again. Yep I said it,Again. Did Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee really make Orlando a championship team?I think not. They were essential pieces to an almost perfect puzzle.This year's team has better pieces that can make the puzzle complete. Let's break down the off season's moves for Orlando.
PG: Same situation as last year. Jameer Nelson will be healthy entering the year and he's a stronger point guard than Rafer Alston. Alston was a great backup, but Nelson is younger and better, and the Magic are stronger with him.
PF: Again, mostly the same in Orlando. Rashard Lewis will still occupy the PF slot, but backing him up will be Brandon Bass, a much better option than an aging Tony Battie. The team has also acquired Ryan Anderson from the Nets, a versatile forward who can score from long range.
C - No changes. Dwight "Superman" Howard and Marcin "The Polish Hammer" Gortat will be holding their spots down. Enough said.
SG - This is one of the more worrisome positions for Orlando. Instead of Courtney Lee... Orlando will more than likely go with Mikael Pietrus and Matt Barnes backing him up or the opposite. These 2 guys will be the keys to winning games. They both are big SG/SF who can play exceptional defense. They can play SF if needed, and can handle the ball in case of some terrible accident to Jameer Nelson. They will need to produce what Courtney Lee did in points which shouldn't be hard (9 PPG)and avoid needless turnovers. This seems to be a slight upgrade over Lee since he was a rookie and still had some learning pains. Let's not forget about JJ Redick who is still a threat from behind the 3 point line and getting better and not a defensive liability as most thought... Just ask Ray Allen.
SF: The loss of Hedo Turkoglu was obviously hurtful to the Magic and their fans, but what better way to counter that than by signing Vince Carter? The team now has a legitimate superstar to play alongside Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis, and they're simply dangerous for it.
The Magic have lost Hedo Turkoglu and rookie Courtney Lee, both valuable players. However, the improvements they've made across the board (especially in the depth department) more than offset any hits they take from the loss of Hedo and Lee. All in all, this is a stronger Magic team, and remains the team to beat in the East.
About the Author:
If you're constantly thinking about the beginning of next NBA season, get your fill of NBA action at RootZoo's NBA basketball forum, home to the best NBA conversations, basketball pick 'em, and much more.
0 comments:
Post a Comment