This Cavs/Magic series has shown me...

[GeoDim]

How valuable Perk is to this team.  While Perk was able to contain Howard and expose his mediocre post game, Cleveland has absolutely no answer for Howard.  They're making him look like the league MVP.  Howard is getting whatever he wants this series. 

I can't wait to see what Perk is going to look like next season.  Every year he's improving on so many levels.  I see him working more on that 18-foot jumper that he's showcased a few times this year.

Also, Cleveland is who we thought they were at the beginning of the season.  One-man team with a few valuable role-players.  Looks like they're going to have to make a Dwight Howard puppet now.

[lrybrd]

Certainly makes you even more proud of Cs effort against the Magic.   Injured team took this team to 7 games.   

[star18]

ITS ALL OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[pengaloo]

We were also able to control their shooters for a while...

Bittersweet victory today.

[GeoDim]

On a side note: I'm rooting for Orlando in this, but I cringe every time their fans chant "BEAT LA."

[PosImpos]

Certainly makes you even more proud of Cs effort against the Magic.   Injured team took this team to 7 games.   

To be fair to the Cavs, though, I really think we saw a different Magic team in Round 2 of the playoffs than the Cavs saw in the ECF.  You can't tell me that the Magic played as well or as hard against the Celtics as they did against the Cavs.

[ACF]

Certainly makes you even more proud of Cs effort against the Magic.   Injured team took this team to 7 games.   

You can't tell me that the Magic played as well or as hard against the Celtics as they did against the Cavs.

Why not?

[ACF]

ITS ALL OVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

TP.

[ManUp]

Certainly makes you even more proud of Cs effort against the Magic.   Injured team took this team to 7 games.   

You can't tell me that the Magic played as well or as hard against the Celtics as they did against the Cavs.

Why not?

Lol, Let's just choose to take credit for their success.

We were their trial of fire.

They'd be no where if it wasn't for us. 

[kenmaine]

TP to the OP.
The C's have a center who can cover Howard one on one. That's huge, because both Howard and Perk(if his shoulder holds up) are going to be around for a long time.

Also, the announcers excusing LeBron's poor game because he was "tired" was pretty lame, considering the insane amount of minutes that PP and Ray had to play in the playoffs. The C's didn't get much sympathy- mostly they were just called too old. LeBron is a 24 yr. old stud who may or may not be artificially enhanced, so let's not cry too much for him if he has to play 45 minutes/game.

This series also showed me that if the Cavs ever want to unload D West, he's be a very nice sixth man.

Also that Wally played the worst game in the history of the NBA yesterday- ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but that was putrid. One of the stupidities of the NBA salary cap rules is that a guy like Wally, or countless other highly paid stiffs or washed up guys are "valuable" commodities because they have huge contracts. Makes for some really strange trades.

Also that the C's could obviously improve in a couple of areas, but if KG can come back at close to 100%, the C's are still the best team in the NBA.

[celticinorlando]

boston needs to work a team to match up with orlando not the cavs....perk handles howard but we need answers for lewis and Hedo (if he stays)...KG solves the lewis match up...and pierce helps with hedo...peitrus is this year's posey...

[footey]

It has shown me that Orlando is the new template for success in the league, and Danny Ainge is going to think long and hard about what he needs to do this off-season to both beat and emulate them.  Big guys who can play 3 ball are going to get a premium in this coming off-season market.  Sure wish we could get Posey back in a trade.

I also think Orlando is going to beat the Lakers in 5 or 6 games.  No one talks about Orlando's defense, but it is excellent. 

[TBreezy]

A healthy celts squad would be fine against orlando.  Pierce was just unable to move his fet quick enough to stay with hedo - but healthy I just can't see hedo as quick as pierce; plus c's were missing thier best help d-

The c's need to focus on building the best team possible and not a team that would have helped this years team beat this years magic.  Both teams will be different next year - different injuries, different free agent, and everybody a year older...

[TBreezy]

Not to mention Hedo is on a player option for 7 for 2009/2010.  I would think he might be in line for a bump after this performance - who knows if he stays in orlando.

[CoachBo]

Good thread. Agree strongly on a couple of points.

Perkins really elevated his game in the playoffs, making a major leap on both ends of the floor.

And the post about matchups is spot on. If you learn anything at all from this series it's that you need depth to control various kinds of matchup issues presented by quick length.

If Ainge approaches this as "Boy, we were close. I don't have much work to do this summer," we're in trouble. If he goes to work on that quick length, we'll be back in the hunt next year with a healthy Garnett.

TPs for several of you.