Just got through watching the Magic regular season game in Orlando. I have no doubt whatsoever we would have won the series with KG. We all know the difference he would have made defensively with him covering Rashard Lewis but the impact on offense would have been just as important. The double was not coming on Pierce, not on Allen but on KG. They doubled him each time he touched the ball in the post. Orlando left BBD open and doubled Pierce which resulted in an uneven series for PP.

This is how I see the matchup for next year

Center-As we have seen Perk plays Howard as well as any center in the NBA and he is proven to be an effective offensive force against the reigning DPOY. Howard will get more points and rebounds but that is due more to the fact that the Magic don't have any other player who can rebound. Dwight would also gets more shot attempts than Perk. No 30 pt game for Howard against the Cs. Advantage Magic, but not as big an advantage that Howard has against the rest of the NBA centers.

Power Forward-Like the center position, the C's have the big advantage of having the very possible defender at an important position. KG is long and quick enough to both challenge the outside shot and protect against the drive of Lewis. Lewis would also have problems posting up KG. Perk would not have to help out on Lewis leaving Howard for those easy dunks. Big advantage C's

Small Forward-Terkoglu is a challenge because of his height and ball handling skills. He is very similar to what Odom does for the Lakers. I think Paul would have a problem with Turkoglu's quick release, craftiness, and the fact that he could shoot over Pierce but defensively for Turkoglu this is where KG's presence would be felt the most. In the regular season, KG is the man they chose to double and this left Pierce one on one against Hedo. In this case Pierce would absolutely destroy him. In the playoffs, Pierce would be doubled because they were not going to double the PF position. Hedo also had the added benefit of playing him tight on the wing because Howard was back to protect him. Advantage C's

Shooting Guard-I have to believe that Ray's hamstring hindered him. I just find it too unlikely that Redick turned into a great defender overnight against one of the hardest working SGs in the game. A healthy Ray Allen against Courtney Lee/Pietrus/Reddick...Give me Ray. Advantage C's

Point Guard-This would probably be a wash. Both are all-star caliber PGs in the East. Rondo's penetration in the half court would not be as effective because of Howard's presence but Rondo's effectiveness is not judged by his scoring. He could score 10 pts and still have a huge impact on the game. Its not uncommon for him to end up with 10pts, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, 5 steals, 1 turnover. Jameer is not really a true PG but more of combo guard like Mo Williams. He can score and has proven to be a very good pick-n-roll player. Advantage no one-a draw.

The Magic's bench doesn't strike fear in anyone then again neither do ours. In hindsight though, BBD, House, and a healthy Powe is a nice starting point. Gortat, Pietrus, A. Johnson, Reddick are the core of the Magic's bench. Boy, that Pietrus is just what we needed to help PP out this year. I'd say slight advantage Magic