http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/07/orlando-magic-clinch-the-easts-2nd-seed/ Basketball - NBC Sports Sat, 25 May 2013 21:24:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/07/orlando-magic-clinch-the-easts-2nd-seed/comment-page-1/#comment-3860 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 15:11:32 +0000 http://localhost/wp/nbcpbt/?p=1236#comment-3860 re: the big payoff in the East
It would be a serious mistake for either Cleveland or Orlando to under-estimate the abilities of Boston, Atlanta, Miami or Charlotte, should they happen to meet in the 2nd Round of this year’s playoffs.
The Celtics’ overall level of experience, the Hawks’ and the Bobcats’ overall level of NBA talent, and the Heat’s overall level of team cohesiveness, assembled around their transcendent superstar and the Bobcats … makes each of these 2nd Tier opponents a very “live dog” against either Cleveland or Orlando, in a Best-4-of-7 series.
If Bogut/Milwaukee and Bosh/Toronto hadn’t both sustained recent injuries, each of the 4 series match-ups in the East had the potential to be highly entertaining and [perhaps, surprisingly?] competitive.

]]> http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/04/07/orlando-magic-clinch-the-easts-2nd-seed/comment-page-1/#comment-3859 Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:52:15 +0000 http://localhost/wp/nbcpbt/?p=1236#comment-3859 Those who are simply conceding this year’s NBA title to Cleveland, as the team with the best overall regular season w-l record in the entire league, are being wholly premature … when, in reality, the Cavaliers might not even be the best team in the Eastern Conference, if/when all the players for each team are healthy.
If the playoffs were to start today, Orlando SHOULD actually be listed as the betting favourite to represent the East in this year’s NBA Finals.

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