What the magic fans are saying about the series.

[Diesel]

Orlando fans take...

There really isn't any reason at all to watch the NBA until April........... If I wasn't a Magic fan I sure as hell wouldn't. NBA regular season isn't that great. College Football and NFL are far superior to the garbage product the NBA trots out during the regular season there's a reason the NBA is losing so much money.

You should watch some Atlanta basketball games and not just the games we played against them this year and get back to me. I never said the Magic would walk on them. You're simply putting words in my mouth there, but I promise you there is no way in hell ATL will beat the Magic in a 7 game series. If the Magic lose to them SVG and Otis Smith(he should be fired no matter what truthfully because he sucks) should be fired as soon as the game ends, because that will be by far the most embarrassing and disappointing ending to a Magic season in a very long time.

People are overreacting right now. The team is pretty banged up and very tired(I know people are going to say "O that's not a good excuse" but NBA players are NOTORIOUS for dogging it during the regular season hell Boston spent an entire half of the NBA season dogging it last year you could also make the argument LA was dogging it the first half of the season this year and turned it on now because they realized they can get home court advantage) NBA players, especially ones on teams like the Magic, Heat, Celtics, LA etc.... that have been the playoffs over and over do not give their best effort every night. It just happens SVG said it best "They wanted to win and we didn't". It's very obvious our team really doesn't care right now and as long as they show up when it matters I personally don't care either.

Either way the Magic will be making second round exit, and most likely will crash and burn against Chicago.

Just thought I would wet your beech for the conversation. For the most part they all believe that Orlando wins by game 6. If we were to poll hawks fans, I would guess about the same. However, who's to say that we're not dogging it until the games count. I would love to see us sweep the Magic and wait to play the Bulls winner.

[Gray Mule]

:stirthepot:

REASON VS EXCUSES.

There are reasons why any team wins or loses. Reasonable reasons.

Then, there are excuses why there are losses. Sometimes these excuses are completely wild.

Magic fans and Hawk fans both have excuses why their teams play the way that they do.

A lot of these excuses will not stand up to close examination. Both teams are what they

appear to be - - - Good, middle of the pack teams. Neither team is a dominant team and

neither is a complete example of sorriness.

Should be a great series!!

:kingchris:

Edited April 6, 2011 by Gray Mule

[coachx]

I think it will be a 7 game series. I really like the matchups we have against them at all positions except center of course. We are like each other in many ways. Both teams are jump shooting teams for instance. The Magic will be hot from 3 a few games to get their wins. The key is who wins the ugly games when neither teams jump shots are falling. They just have that big anchor in the middle but we have the better over all talent.

Howard has no backup so simple foul trouble = a Hawks victory. Therefore attack the rim and know when to look for contact.

Arenas is giving them 7 ppg off 33% FG. He is complete garbage.

The Magic's perimeter defense is sub-par. Both JJ and Crawford should have excellent performances in this series. They need to be aggressive. Marvin, or whoever is at SF, should attack Turkelouh early and often off the dribble. Attack JJ Redick's defense whenever he is on the floor. Again, I basically believe the Hawks overall talent will be enough to make this a 7 game series.

We actually have a favorable offensive post up option in this series (Bass, Turkelouh, and Anderson) play the majority of their PF minutes. Either Horford or Smoove should be able to get the best of them in the paint.

Bench energy is alwayse HUGE in a 7 game playoff series. We need ZaZa and Wilkens veteran scrapiness.

Collins must be healthy. Hopefully the ankle is OK in a week.

Edited April 6, 2011 by coachx

[spotatl]

For the most part they all believe that Orlando wins by game 6

Lol... I think that for the most part people here believe that Orlando wins by game 5.

[Supporter]

Joe is the x factor in the series, no one else on the team can attack and pressure defenses like him. If Joe get 25+ ppg in this series we win, if he only scores 15ppg we lose.

[Admin]

I think we've got a legit chance at beating them, unless they go crazy from downtown. JRich doesn't have the Hawk killer instinct like VC was. Turk isn't the constant 3pt threat (since he doesn't just stand out there) that Rashard was. And now we've actually got a guy (maybe 2 with Etan) that can bang in the paint with Dwight and will play him physically from the half-court line down instead of getting pushed around by him and forcing the D to help and therefore leave men open on the perimeter.

I don't think this will be an easy series by any stretch of the imagination and I can easily see us win or lose this one but at the very least I believe we'll be competitive and win a couple-few games.

[spotatl]

To me it always comes down to whether the Hawks are taking it inside and drawing contact or content to shoot long 2 point jumpers. The problem is that Orlando is a team that wants you to take long 2 point jumpers and the Hawks have players who want to take long 2 pointers if given the opportunity.

[Admin]

To me it always comes down to whether the Hawks are taking it inside and drawing contact or content to shoot long 2 point jumpers. The problem is that Orlando is a team that wants you to take long 2 point jumpers and the Hawks have players who want to take long 2 pointers if given the opportunity.

Yep no doubt about that, we are far better when we try to get inside and get to the foul line ... unfortunately we absolutely suck at that this year!

[AHF]

To me it always comes down to whether the Hawks are taking it inside and drawing contact or content to shoot long 2 point jumpers. The problem is that Orlando is a team that wants you to take long 2 point jumpers and the Hawks have players who want to take long 2 pointers if given the opportunity.

+1

I was going to make this post before I saw you had already done it. Well said.

[WraithSentinel]

I just hope Jason Collins ankle is healed by the time the series start. We have him and LD actually uses him. We can push it to 7 games.

[adhawk33]

I think we can win this series. I just hope with a series victory, this doesn't mean ASG has an "I told you so" moment and keeps Drew.

[Crank]

I say we sweep the magic then beat the Bulls in 6 and then get lebroned in the eastern conference finals

[hawkshomer]

I say we sweep the magic then beat the Bulls in 6 and then get lebroned in the eastern conference finals

I like your enthusiasm.

[atlguitar]

I say we sweep the magic then beat the Bulls in 6 and then get lebroned in the eastern conference finals

or get Bibby'd ...

[TomSelleck]

However, who's to say that we're not dogging it until the games count.

I would say the difference is in the past Orlando has shown the ability to dog it and then turn it on in the playoffs. They obviously crushed the Hawks last year, took care of the 76ers and Cavs pretty comfortably in 2009, and beat up the Raptors in 2008. This Hawks team has never, ever made it look easy in the playoffs. The only two series these Hawks players have won were way, way closer than they should have been. Now do I think Orlando can turn it on again? Not really. I don't think they're as good as they were. But their fans have at least seen it happen before.

[dakast]

Lol... I think that for the most part people here believe that Orlando wins by game 5.

Amen brother!!!

[atlbraves93]

Lol... I think that for the most part people here believe that Orlando wins by game 5.

Uh no. The Magic is the one of the few teams that Hawks fans are confident against (this year).

To me it always comes down to whether the Hawks are taking it inside and drawing contact or content to shoot long 2 point jumpers. The problem is that Orlando is a team that wants you to take long 2 point jumpers and the Hawks have players who want to take long 2 pointers if given the opportunity.

Why does that matter if they make them?

[spotatl]

I think that most fans don't expect the Hawks to get to game 6. I didn't say that all Hawks fans think this.

Why does that matter if they make them?

Because long 2 point jumpers are the worst shot in basketball. You don't get many offensive rebounds, you don't get to the line, and you don't get the other team in foul trouble.

Edited April 7, 2011 by spotatl

[AHF]

Why does that matter if they make them?

You can say that about any shot and be right. What does it matter if you shoot half court shots if you make them?

It is the "if" part of the statement that is the problem. You are beginning the question with an assumed best possible outcome. The better way, IMO, to look at it is to see how those types of shots play out over time. Since those shots tend to be low% and they are the lowest ts% shots you can possibly take, that means you are playing into the strategy of the defense when you take long 2's - i.e., giving Orlando exactly what it wants. As others pointed out, without a backup C getting Dwight in foul trouble with our superior athleticism would be fantastic. The Hawks have shown too often that those shots don't always fall for the team so when you are working to create penetration and better shots and are drawing contact and fouls, you will still be scoring and pressuring the opposition outside of their comfort zone even when the shots aren't falling at a high %. When you give in to the defense and shooting all jumpers, it is only not a disaster if you are nailing everything.

It is a big long-term problem for this team until we get better floor balance on offense.

[Sothron]

I do think we could beat Orlando in a seven game series because simply this Orlando team isn't as good as the one they had last season. Do I expect us to beat them? No. I think we lose in six. If we do beat them then we get to play the Bulls who have completely smoked this team every game but one this year.

Sund has said several times this team is judged by the playoffs. They don't pay the luxury tax but they come just under it. That's still a good bit of money to spend for a first round playoff exit (potentially). Depending on how the CBA plays out I think we see (finally) some major trades to break up this core this offseason.