Season Preview: Orlando Magic

And we continue with either something deeply insightful or ludicrous, however you want to look at it. I'm no sports analyst, but hey, maybe I'm on to something. I don't know. On to Orlando.

Starting 5:
PG- Jameer Nelson
SG- Mickael Pietrus
SF- Hedo Turkoglu
PF- Rashard Lewis
C- Dwight Howard

Off the bench
Guards: Anthony Johnson, Keith Bogans, JJ Reddick
Forwards: Courtney Lee, Brian Cook, Tony Battie
Centers: Adonal Foyle, Marcin Gortat

As it can be said with any other team, depth is something of an issue here. They have a solid starting 5, though Jameer Nelson still needs to figure out his game. Regardless, the starting 5 has, I believe upgraded, granted you're asking an ex-Don Nelson Warrior to be your defensive stopper, I'm not the only one who sees the irony in that, but I still believe that Pietrus (Air France if you would) is a major improvement over Bogans. He's athletic, and like any Warrior that actually got playing time under Don Nelson, he can shoot the three. Lewis at the 4 is always a major matchup problems because of his proficiency with the 3 pointer, I know I say this a lot, but I don't think a lot of people understand how good Lewis is, this man was breaking 3 point records on the Sonics, as Ray Allen's teammate. I actually envision him getting the ball more, and Turkoglu becoming more of a third option, though his breakout season last year was a very pleasant surprise. Dwight Howard can only look to get better, he's developing a sort of jump hook, but it's still pretty ugly, hopefully assitant coach Patrick Ewing can really polish his game and help him get something more than spin and dunk.

I don't know how well the Pietrus thing would work out, I personally would have been a fan of getting another legitmate big man to play next to Howard, no one special, someone on the block that can get the leftovers after Howard, kind of like Kendrick Perkins to Kevin Garnett or Fabricio Oberto to Tim Duncan. If they could get like an Antonio McDyess or Udonis Haslem type of player, a hard working 4 who doesn't need shots, I would like the lineup a lot more. If I were to start the team then, I'd slide Hedo to the 2 and Lewis back to the 3, which would create monstrous matchup problems. Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison are two other possibilities that just popped up into my mind. I like Pietrus, but Air France hasn't really lived up to his name, and honestly, he's a lot potential too, I see him thriving as a 2/3 guard-forward reserve, but as a starter, I'm not so sure. I understand that Dwight Howard is a rebounding monster (14.2 rpg last season) but still. I'm not saying Lewis can't rebound, I just would like him to play to his strengths more. The issue with getting a legit 4 would simply be, can Hedo keep up with faster 2s like Kobe Bryant? Regardless, I think the team is still young, and improving, and they'll just get better, hopefully.

I say 54-58 wins, clinching 2nd or 3rd in the Eastern Conference, just like last year. Easily 2nd round, and potentially Eastern Conference Finals.