First Post

But we’re not a championship contender either. This team’s ceiling is probably the 2nd round, unless you feel truly confident enough in our PG and bench play that you think we could beat Miami or Chicago in a 7 game series. Heck, even the Hawks are a challenge to this team, as presently built.

We’re all strong Magic fans, but a lot of us are also realistic instead of blindly rah-rah. We do love this team, or we wouldn’t be using our free time on this site, digging up advanced statistics and generally trying to sound more intelligent than Bleacher Report or Real GM or the Orlando Sentinel comments section. But the reality remains that our management is painfully incompetent, and the talent level just isn’t quite where it needs to be. And because of the aforementioned incompetent management, the near future doesn’t look great, either, with all our aging players on extended contracts and little salary cap flexibility.

Thanks for posting though, and I hope you stick around and post more.

and then falling back due to the failed trades of last December. Also, our best player is trying to force himself out. I’m probably more optimistic than most though. I’ve seen how so many teams of late have won the championship on the backs of players most fans consider past their prime. Players seem to know how to win better as they get older and are also more hungry. So I think we can contend as presently constructed, but it would take so many things coming together at the right time. Basically the opposite of what we saw last year. As MTC stated, our most reasonable ceiling is likely 2nd round, but if we managed to get hot for the playoffs and got good ball handling/creation from the PG’s and Hedo I feel we could beat anyone. It’s what makes this season exciting for me as I kind of enjoy being the team that is overlooked, but has a chance. However, I have the feeling that much could change in the next month.

Welcome, this is a great site for reading about the Magic and interjecting your ideas. The game threads are always fun.

The moment the mentality of the team changed from, let’s make it to the playoffs to championship or bust, it’s clear than the fan base gained new and high expectetions. That fact + the fact that management didn’t do anything to sustain the championship part in favor of the bust part + some periods of really bad basketball from the team the last two years = lost optimism. I feel from time to time that Magic fans are a bit spoiled and negative (especialy when they overcriticize Stan) but overall it’s understandable that they don’t really see their basketball life “en rose” right now.

If everything goes well.

Will it? Probably not. Will it win one? Pretty unlikely.

Nelson will have to play at his ceiling all the way through the playoffs.

Otherwise, not enough horses in the stable.

I think that each SBN site seems to have its own vibe. OPP does seem to me to be a little more negative than most, but it also seems to have some of the most thoughtful posters out there-as well as having a fantastic staff in Evan and Mike. I can see where the negative vibe occasionally goes overboard, but numbers outlined some of the rationale for that above.

I guess what I am saying is, yes, the site could stand to cheer up a little, but I still prefer it to a kind-of rose-colored glasses approach to the game (netsdaily or the like).

Thanks so much for posting, and joining the community. Here’s hoping you stick around.

Every true fan has to be realistic about this team. I believe we Could when a champion ship not that we will. We are such a roller coaster this year, we can be unstoppable one night, and beat down the next. Except for the early part of the season, we have not exhibited true dominance. I would love to see us win it all, but we have to be realistic about it.

Optimist: The glass is half-full.

Pessimist: The glass is half-empty.

Realist: Either way, that glass is twice as large as it needs to be.

Nets-fan: Hey, this glass is full of kool-aid! We’re getting Dwight Howard!