Overview: Pistons vs Magic

After a very doubtful first round survival agains the Sixers the Pistons are now rolling. I have two points of concern here regarding the Pistons:

1. They got outplayed the first three games by a younger less experience team
2. Chauncey Billups have been regular at best. For his own standards that's it.

Slowly but surely all those concerns are now history. Orlando was a team with the same youth going on for them but with a lot more of firepower and a inside monster that just went Wilt Chamberlain against Chris Bosh and the Raptors. All that just went puff against the Pistons' D and so far in these playoffs they are the only team that have shut down a quality oponent. I've said it before, I'll say it again. The Pistons are the team to beat. Orlando got a pride win but this series was clear from the get go. They never had a chance not with Howard being underSupermanesque.

Whose fault is it? You could argue that Jameer Nelson that a chance of taking control of the series when Chauncey went down. For those who knows Stuckey they were never worried about that whole situation.

Overview: Magic vs Raptors

I told u so, Dwight Howard dominated and the Magic won the series. I expected more from Bosh and company but they got outplayed in every position including at the 1. Jameer Nelson was a pretty cool surprse with 17.2 ppg with a 52% shooting, he was the better point guard in the series which helped tons to the final result.

What to say about the Raptors? The need help in almost every department. Chris Bosh can't do everything alone. They have no defense, they have no ball movement, they have no bench. They have a bunch of shooters and Andrea Bargniani. The guys that were suppose to be able to create their own shots (Parker, TJ, Moon) struggle mighty and they wasn't facing no Spurs defense.


Whose fault is it? I'm blaming TJ Ford and Bargniani. If they had fall out of bed and broke something in their bodies and they haven't been able to play one minute, it wouldn't have made any difference.

First Round: Magic vs Raptors

3. Magic (52-30) vs 6. Raptors (41-41)
Regular Season Series: ORL 2-1
Point Differencial: ORL +2.3

The first superstar against superstar direct-in-your-face matchup: Chris Bosh vrs Dwight Howard. This matchup is as key as any other you can think in the East. They might look like similar teams given they love the 3 ball - specially Orlando they are second behind only the trigger happy Golden State Warriors - and base they run their offense through their respective big man. Besides that they are different teams. Toronto has a lot of shooters and lots of guys that can create shots ( Ford, Calderon, Delfino) but they have been very inconsistent all season long specially lately (they were 7-13 in their las 20 games).

The Magic has a better team from top to bottom. Howard has a better supporting cast, they are better coached, they know how to win outside their home (27 -14, second best in the East). Said that, Toronto has a shot is Bosh outplays Howard something that has happened prettty much everytime they face each other. Bosh has more weapons in the low post and a sweet 10 footer jump shot. He can actually take Howard out of the zone and maybe put him in foul trouble. With Howard's role limited Orlando is a jump shooting team and we know that just doesn't work in the playoffs. Toronto has a simple offense runned by two very eficient point guards ("El Calderon" like Arenas call him and TJ "Don't hit me in my neck" Ford) what translates in good offense and the Magic ain't no Pistons (defensive wise) but ,lucklily for the Magic , Raptors' shooters haven't made anybody pay lately.

X Factor: Outside the Bosh vrs Howard matcup it has tobe Turkoglu. He can score and create for others. If Howard is controled by Bosh he must be the main guy for Orlando. Hedo owns Scotti Pippen like stats against the Raptors: 21.3 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 7,7 apg. He actually had a triple double against these guy November 7th

Basketball Gods' prediction: ORL 4-2

Staying put

14 total trades. 4 Blockbusters. 24 teams adquired new players somehow. Yeap, there were lots of movement around the league. For a more complete analysis go read Holllinger's piece about all those 14 trades.

There's always the other side of the coin. Those teams that didn't make any real moves, those players that didn't get a fresh start and that all are looking for next summer to a needed "shake up". Here are some of those teams and players




Mike Miller:Heat, Spurs, Rockets, Hornets, Magic, etc. They all were trying to get Miller. He's a great shooter, can put the ball on the floor and create his own shot and has a decent contract. As we all know Memphis is cutting lose of every contract they can but they were asking for high draft picks and most of the teams looking to get Miller were contenders, hence, low draft picks.


Ron Artest: Apparently the trade to Denver didn't went through 'cause the Nuggets didn't want to give Linas Kleiza. Why would Denver go after Artest? What's the point? The guy is crazy. He really is out there. Any team the appreciates locker room peace and chemistry and stuff like that should stay apart of Artest. For real. You know what, I'd really like to see Artest on New York. Don't know why. It would be fun.


Sam Cassell: Trade him! Buy him out! Do something with this guy. Why would the Clippers keep him? They could easily get at least a draft pick. They maybe holding him for next year when Livingston and Brand get back, but it will be far cheaper for them to sign a cheap back up for Livingston that having Cassell around.


Vince Carter: Are the Nets in rebuilding mode 'cause they traded their franchise player? I don't think so, Kidd wanted out all year long and one of the reason was Vince Carter. When the guy is not motivated (Because millions of dollars doesn't motivate him) he can really be a pain to his team and teammates. This is the reason why the Nets are trying to trade him to anywhere. Rumored deals to New York and Indiana never got rolling.


Jermaine O'neal: It is me or JO have like 2 more seasons in the tank. Seriously, since the brawl neither Jermaine nor the Pacers have been the same. Any team trading for O'neal have to had a Boston-Celtics-win-now approach.


Al Harrington and Mickael Pietrus: Both of this poor souls are in Don Nelson's doghouse since his comeback to Golden State. They are good players and should be quite effective in the right scheme. Harrington was linked to Chicago, Cleveland and New Jersey among other. Pietrus was courted by San Antonio, the Lakers, Rockets and Mavs.


New York Knicks: They had to do something. They needed to separte Randolph and Curry. They needed to get a real point guard. They needed to decide what to do with Quentin Richardson. Isiah Thomas is pretty sure that if they "keep working hard" everything would be a'right and the championship would surely follow them


Orlando Magic: They still need a enforcer to play alongside Howard and a veteran point guard never hurts. JJ Redick have been crying for a while to get traded and he could be useful for a team that actually plays him.


Toronto Raptors: Perhaps the biggest looser of the trading frenzy. They practically did nothing and their closer competitor, Lebron, got lot's of help. The team doesn't look hungry enough to make some real noice