celtics afterthoughts: magic demand respect
Celtics @ Magic 82-84
When I afterthought these games, I do so with the assumption that anyone reading this has already either seen or heard about the game. Heck, I’m lucky if they even remember the game by the time I get around to discussing it. So, I won’t bother breaking down plays and get right into what I think this game means.
Nothing.
Flip the results, the Celtics win by 2, it means even less. Ok, why not? Why doesn’t anyone respect the Magic? Why doesn’t anyone give them the credit they so richly deserve? I’ll tell you why. They’re a good team. They were supposed to win at home. That’s not impressive. They have a better record now than the Celtics, doesn’t that mean something? No.
Why not?
Because I still don’t think they play consistently enough on defense or demonstrate enough mental toughness in crunch time situations. I don’t think there’s any team out there that says, “Oh $h*t, we have to play the Magic tonight. We have no chance.” They think, “$h*t, we have to play Dwight Howard tonight. Let’s work on shutting him down and make sure we cover the 3-pt shooters like a blanket.”
I like the Magic. I would be happy for them if they became an elite team. They’re very close, but I just don’t think they’re there yet. I also think they better pray to Mickey Mouse, Goofy and all that are holy that they don’t draw the Detroit Pistons in the first round. These aren’t your daddy’s Pistons, but I still think they could hurt (and possibly sweep) Orlando. That being said, I do think the Magic are closer than they’ve ever been. I do respect their talent and do think they can become a scary Eastern conference team. Hopefully, that’s enough respect for Stan… who’s turning into Rodney Dangerfield.
