Are The Magic Back?

Yesterday the Orlando Magic made a blockbuster trade landing them Gilbert Arenas, Jason Richardson and Hedo Turkoglu in separate deals.  They gave up on the struggling Rashard Lewis shipping him to DC and moved Vince Carter to Phoenix; who struggled mightily in the playoffs last year. 

Do these trades really help?

I have to admit that when I first heard about the trade I reacted like most fans and said "Oh, its a wrap for the Eastern Conference." 

Now that I have taken a closer look, I raise the question.  Does this really help Orlando?  The answer is maybe.  But maybe not...with a strong emphasis on not.  The NBA is all about match ups and I'm not sure how much good Orlando did in creating match up problems for others, but they did raise some concerns for themselves.  Someone forgot to tell GM Otis Smith that he is in a division with the Miami Heat; you know winners of 12 straight, the team with the Big 3 in Bosh, Wade, and LeBron.  Who is going to guard those guys?  Maybe the plan is to let it fly and try and outscore everyone, because they sure wont be playing any sort of defense with that roster. 

It will be interesting to see them in action next game.  I believe Rashard will gain some confidence back now that he is out of Orlando, and VC should benefit with playing Steve Nash ( I can see the oops flying already). 

Oh and I hope Agent Zero finally reappears, that #9 guy was not as fun...

Peace,
Agent 34

NBA Playoffs..So Far Part 1.

Guess Who's Back?

As Kanye West said "Hi Haters I'm back off Hiatus." Kanye

Oook, so since I last left you the NBA Playoffs have started and we learned a lot about some teams during that time. Such as the Dallas Mavericks; who spent a lot of money only to lose in the 1st round, no excuses for the Nuggets the Thunder Kids are growing up quicker than expected, and hopefully time will heal all wounds for the Blazers..literally. In the East a young Buck shined bright, while the Bulls took a step back, the Bobcats are still kittens and D-Wade needs help bad.

Here are my Round 2 Predictions:

Suns-Spurs

This series looks like the changing of the guard so far, with Duncan looking like a shell of his former self (before the 29 point game 2) Amare and Nash have a connection that looks to be unstoppable! Jason Richardson is more than a dunker and his hot shooting has helped propel Phoenix to a 3-0 series lead. Now I believe people are starting to understand why Amare and the Suns stayed put at the deadline. This team is dangerous and should handle the aging Spurs in 6 games.









Lakers-Jazz

Laker fans got more than they expected from the youthful Thunder, but it seems to have lit a fire in the Champs. Utah thus far are without supporting stars Okur and Kirelinko (Kobe Stopper?) and are down 0-3 against the Lakers with only 1 more game in Utah. Expect the Jazz to at least get 1 but I don't think they will win any in LA. Bynum and Gasol have dominated the inside, while Kobe and a rejuvenated Artest have been shooting lights out. The Champs are right where they are supposed to be 1 games away from the Western Finals.










Cavs-Celtics

I want to pick the Celtics to beat the Cavs in 6 and this was before the smashing in Game 2. With that being said I almost find it sacrilegious to go against King James. The C's are finally allowing Rondo to shine (the aging big 3 helps) and are reaping the rewards as he has been scorching the Cavs. Ultimately I do believe the Cavs will win the series but it will definitely go 7 games. The NBA wants the Lakers/Cavs in the finals but they forgot to tell Boston. This series will be a close one.








MAGIC-HAWKS

The Magic look like they are on a mission, and getting back to the Eastern Finals will be the easy part. With a 3-0 lead on the Hawks only 1 win separates them from going back to the East Finals. As for the Hawks there is nothing that needs to be said..they are not ready for Prime Time yet. Crawford was a huge pick up but their need for a big man of any kind is holding them back from taking the next step in their team maturation. Hopefully, they will go after a big man this off season to battle Dwight but it may be too little too late.