What happened to Detroit in its series with Orlando?

The Magic are the better team plain and simple. Detroit is a team built for the regular season, but they don't have the scoring punch to win in the playoffs.

Plus McGrady is the best player on the floor and draws double and triple teams, freeing up Armstrong, Gooden and Giricek to do their part, which they have done the last two games.

Who on detroit do you have to double?

Nobody.

This is not a shock at all.

 

Well, I think the late season acquisition of Gooden and Giricek have really helped with Orlando's punch down low and gives them some added size. I think their reg. season record is more reflective of their pre-trade team, and now they have an entirely different look.

 

Man, I couldn't agree more. Giricek and Gooden are nearly a perfect compliment to T-Mac. The Magic were 26-29 and then went 16-11 after the trade. 3 of the 11 losses were in a brutal trip through Texas!

 

It's simple, the difference in level between the playoff Eastern teams is marginal at best.

 

Orlando has a prime time player. Detroit does not. That's what this series seems to be coming down to.

 

I agree. Like Van Gundy said, Detroit is a regular-season team. They just don't have that primetime go-to player down the stretch (like T-Mac). I'm glad the Magic are whoopin ass.

It's a strange year in the NBA. There could possibly be two 8-1 upsets. As much as I hate the Spurs, I like the Suns more.

 

umm....two words: tracy mcgrady.


it's really that simple.


here's the more complex version:


detroit built there entire team around the defensive efforts of ben wallace. ben wallace and the pistons, defensively, are good enough to beat the majority of the teams in the nba. they have 2 major weakspots, though:

1) playing a big man that big ben can't stop (duncan, shaq)

2) playing a truly dominant guard/forward (tmac)

they just happened to be matched up against the best guard/forward in the nba: tracy mcgrady.