What do you think about this team? Are they for real or is this fools gold?

Yes Howard is unstoppable. Lewis, while overpaid, is a good foil. Hedo is underrated, a decent outside shooter with good length and size. To me the unheralded person is Jameer Nelson. When I saw the Magic just crush the Hawks in a home-and-home, Nelson was great. Played within his game and was on fire from outside.

I'm actually starting to believe in them. I think they could take out Cleveland and while I'm not positive they could beat Boston, they do match up well....Howard can match up w/ Perkins and KG inside, you have a tall guy (Hedo) who while not a great defender can at least present problems for Ray Allen, and you have Nelson to battle Rondo. Sure Pierce likely trumps Lewis but doesn't crush him

Couldn't agree more. Tonight's game against the Celtics is going to be an opportunity for the Magic to make a resounding statement. Too bad I'll be seeing all four hours of Che .

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The Orlando Magic are flying under the basketball radar with practically all the attention focused on the NBA Champion Boston Celtics, L.A. Lakers & Cleveland Cavaliers nationally. Dwight Howard has become quite a beast in the middle and I feel he's the most dominating big man in the East right now. The much-maligned Patrick Ewing has done outstanding work tutoring Dwight to stardom as an assistant down there, too. I don't think it's an accident that the Magic have the NBA's best record right now.

SHARK, where's the bit on Steven Soederbergh's epic biopic? I put it out there for you on a platter, man.

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Since Garnett and Allen have been on the Celtics, the Magic have played them 4 times - Orlando has won by 2 and 3 points at home, and lost by 12 and 19 on the road.....In the 2 point win, Orlando held on because they were up 17 points, and Garnett did not play in the other game.

Since losing 7 of 9, Boston has won 6 straight. Orlando has won 7 straight, and their first home game in 2 weeks.

Howard alone makes them the real deal but I see them cooling off quite a bit after the all star break. Garnett-Howard should be epic.

Terrible game for Nelson and Howard. Strange that the Magic have such problems at home against the Celtics (was it the Nuggets or the Jazz who had that impossible home/road split last season?) but this was not the game I was hoping for (when it was decided that 4 1/2 hours of Soederbergh was too much last night).

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