Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young Get Their Wishes Granted

by Evan Dunlap on Apr 17, 2009 1:11 PM EDT in Commentary

The Philadelphia 76ers are more than happy to help the Orlando Magic decorate their bulletin-board. With a tip of the hat to SLAM, here's Sixers point guard Andre Miller discussing with the Philadelphia Daily News' Marcus Hayes why he's happy to be playing the Magic:

"Boston is a team that people have in the conference finals. It's probably easier to go through Orlando than to try and match up with Boston, with Boston coming in with a lot of energy and trying to get through the first round as fast as they can."

More quotes from Hayes' piece, along with my commentary, after the jump.

Here's more from Hayes, with my emphasis added:

Miller and the rest of the Sixers made sure to stress that they meant no disrespect to the Magic. They understand that they might not have an answer for Orlando's three-point shooting and Dwight Howard, perhaps the league's most dynamic post presence.

Still . . .

"I agree with 'Dre," Thaddeus Young said. "Orlando's a great team, but we definitely want to play them. Boston is fresh off a championship. That's the worst thing you can do is go play a team that just won a championship. They're going to want to get back and be hungry."

We're off to a jolly-good start here, then. Although no Magic players have made similar comments--that they're happy they specifically drew the Sixers and/or avoided the Chicago Bulls and the Detroit Pistons--they have to feel pretty good about playing one of the league's worst effective-field-goal-percentage defense teams--19th in the league, just one-tenth of one percent better than the Golden State Warriors!--with only one credible post defender. Those factors, among others, are probably why 40 out of 40 basketball commentators whose predictions I've read to date have picked the Magic to win the series. One of those commentators, JSams of sister-site Liberty Ballers, is on the record as saying Philly could "possibly" win the series, but he nonetheless picked the Magic. In 5 games.

I don't mean to fault the Sixers for being confident; one prefers to hear this sort of talk than the alternative, which is defeatism. And their confidence is fairly well reasoned, since they lost each of their 4 games to the Celtics this season, including one on Tuesday when Boston was without its best defender and emotional leader, Kevin Garnett. They went winless against Orlando as well, but 0-3 is better than 0-4, right?

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Comments

I am definitely going to enjoy the series....

but I am looking ahead. Let’s just hope the players aren’t doing that.

"I have come that you may have life, and life to the max"

by MNeilson on Apr 17, 2009 1:21 PM EDT reply actions

Let's hope.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

I comment WAY too much.

Die for my family and live for the moment/And that's the main difference between me and my opponent - Phonte of Little Brother

by erivera7 on Apr 17, 2009 11:19 PM EDT up reply actions

What Stan will do with this:

OMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMNOMN

omn.

by fwedo on Apr 17, 2009 1:44 PM EDT reply actions

omn?

by bandrewg08 on Apr 17, 2009 5:14 PM EDT up reply actions

Definition as per the urbandictionary.com

1. omnom :

tasty
This food is omnomnomnomnomnom

“It can be hard to keep up with Internet slang”

by AB's triple double on Apr 17, 2009 6:03 PM EDT up reply actions

haha thank you.

by fwedo on Apr 17, 2009 6:31 PM EDT up reply actions

by fwedo on Apr 17, 2009 6:34 PM EDT up reply actions

LMAO. WTF?

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

I comment WAY too much.

Die for my family and live for the moment/And that's the main difference between me and my opponent - Phonte of Little Brother

by erivera7 on Apr 17, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions

hahahaha omg that is awesome dies

Obey the hat.

by TheGiantSquid on Apr 17, 2009 11:37 PM EDT up reply actions

it actually generates a random one every time.

i kinda died when i found it.

(i put this up to explicate what om nom nom nom means to our new member[s])

by fwedo on Apr 18, 2009 12:07 AM EDT up reply actions

I didn't realize it changed! refreshes page heeee

Obey the hat.

by TheGiantSquid on Apr 18, 2009 12:29 AM EDT up reply actions

awesome.

This is going to consume my afternoon

This post was bought to you by British beer, cured meat products and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje: the player so good, they named him twice.

by big aaron on Apr 18, 2009 10:41 AM EDT up reply actions

can't say i blame em

pretty much agree with those comments.

www.last.fm/user/mhetrick04

by mhetrick14 on Apr 17, 2009 2:46 PM EDT reply actions

Word.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

I comment WAY too much.

Die for my family and live for the moment/And that's the main difference between me and my opponent - Phonte of Little Brother

by erivera7 on Apr 17, 2009 11:20 PM EDT up reply actions

The series of nom

Orlando will eat Philly alive.

Off-topic: mhetrick14 – Are you Mhectorgato from RealGM?

This post was bought to you by British beer, cured meat products and Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje: the player so good, they named him twice.

by big aaron on Apr 17, 2009 6:25 PM EDT reply actions

nope

don’t post on realgm at all, actually.

www.last.fm/user/mhetrick04

by mhetrick14 on Apr 17, 2009 9:38 PM EDT up reply actions

Haha!

They don’t stand a chance against Orlando, Boston or any other team in the East. They’re done! I predict Orlando in 4.

by C's09Champs on Apr 17, 2009 6:29 PM EDT reply actions

I sympathize with Andre Miller and Thaddeus Young. Really, I do.

.. Ben said it best .. I don’t mind opposing players having confidence against the Magic. That’s their job as professionals, to know that they have the ability to beat whoever whenever. If they have a defeatist attitude, that makes peeps like Miller & Young look bad. I welcome their comments .. that’s what their supposed to say. No qualms on my end.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

I comment WAY too much.

Die for my family and live for the moment/And that's the main difference between me and my opponent - Phonte of Little Brother

by erivera7 on Apr 17, 2009 11:23 PM EDT reply actions

I respectfully disagree

There are plenty of other things they could have said…like, “It doesn’t matter who we play, we have to go out there and play our game and play to the best of our abilities.”

Also if it’s their job to know they have the ability to beat whoever, whenever, then they shouldn’t be happy to avoid Boston. I can understand where you are coming from, but of the bottom 4 seeds, only Detroit should be saying they’d be happy to play Orlando. Orlando has owned Philly pretty much since Dwight came into the league. I agree they shouldn’t have a defeatist attitude, but there were much more diplomatic things that could have been said by a team that will be lucky to last more than 5 games.

by Lee for three on Apr 18, 2009 1:03 AM EDT up reply actions

True. They could have (and should have) avoided saying what they said about Boston. I agree.

My comment was specifically towards what Miller/Young said regarding the Magic, specifically. Probably should have been more clear with my thoughts, but a good call nonetheless. I’m with you.

I'm the other guy at Third Quarter Collapse, with a Twitter account.

I comment WAY too much.

Die for my family and live for the moment/And that's the main difference between me and my opponent - Phonte of Little Brother

by erivera7 on Apr 18, 2009 1:08 AM EDT up reply actions

It's all good...

…after all we’re both on the same side. It’s just so frustrating with all the disrespect Orlando has received this year and now it’s even somewhat coming from a team that’s a huge underdog in the series.

Regardless, I am amped up for these playoffs….not just watching Orlando but what could a great post-season overall.

Rockets-Blazers in the first rd (and that team giving LAL a tough time)
An intriguing Nuggets-Hornets series (IMO)
The possibility of Wade-Lebron in the second round
The possibility of Magic-Cavs ECF
And then the possibility of either of those teams playing LAL in the Finals

In my opinion, the best post-Jordan playoffs was in 2007 (Suns-Lakers, Clippers scoring 130 a night, Lebron going off against Detroit), even though it was ultimately a let-down in the Finals. I think if things shake out right, this will be the best post-season since ’98. And with so many superstars (CP3, Dwight, LBJ, Wade) not even in their primes yet, I think the NBA has a bright future.

Sorry for the huge tangent, but I literally cannot wait for the playoffs to start.

by Lee for three on Apr 18, 2009 1:57 AM EDT reply actions