NBA Playoffs Series Preview – #7 Charlotte Bobcats vs. #2 Orlando Magic

Series Start: 4/18/2010 5:30 pm EST
Series Format: 2-2-1-1-1

The Charlotte Bobcats aren’t going to be at the top of the list of basketball picks for this year’s NBA Playoffs. No offense to Charlotte, but the team they face in the 1st round of the NBA playoffs might be the hottest team in the NBA right now after the Phoenix Suns and that’s debatable.

The Orlando Magic, that’s the team that Charlotte faces, is definitely the hottest team in the Eastern Conference. The Magic has won 9 out of their last 10 games. In a contrast to what most coaches were doing with their star players towards the end of regular season, coach Stan Van Gundy played all of his starters in every single game. He wanted to keep them sharp for the playoffs.

The Charlotte Bobcats may be the unwanted beneficiaries of that sharpness.

NBA Playoff Series Preview:
#7 Charlotte bobcats (44-38) vs. #2 (Orlando Magic 59-23)

Basketball Odds

Charlotte Bobcats +550
Orlando Magic -900

Offense: Charlotte’s offense is close to being awful. Okay, maybe not close. The Bobcats’ offense is awful. Charlotte scores 95 points a game. They’re ranked 28th in terms of scoring. Charlotte’s game is not to outscore their opponents. They use their defense in order to slow the game down and then they convert high percentage shots. As a team they shoot 45% from the field.

Orlando has one of the best offenses in the NBA. They score 103 points a game, shoot 47% from the field, and 34% from behind the arc. Orlando will try to get Charlotte into an up and down game, but if they can’t, they will just dump the ball into Dwight Howard and let him take advantage of Charlotte’s interior.

Edge: Magic

Defense: Charlotte’s defense is something to behold. It’s t he #1 ranked defense in the NBA. Larry Brown’s kids allow only 94 points per game against them. Teams shoot only 34% against them on average and they often times can keep a team to not only under 100 points but also under 90 points.

Orlando did beat Charlotte in 3 out of 4 games during the regular season, but the Magic didn’t score 100 points in 3 out of the 4 and actually didn’t reach 90 points in one of the games.

Edge: Bobcats

Intangibles: Orlando is ready to roll after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals in 2009. Dwight Howard and Co. have been waiting for this moment. Their desire to get back to the Finals, and to actually win it, is very strong and cannot be discounted as a factor in this series.

As far as benches go, there aren’t many better than Orlando’s. The J.J. Reddick, Jason Williams and Brandon Bass could all start for more than a few teams in this league. Reddick and Williams are deadly from behind the arc.

Edge: Magic

Prediction: Orlando Magic in 4

The Orlando Magic is easily the best team in the Eastern Conference in my opinion. Yes, better than Cleveland. I see them making it to the NBA Finals.

They won’t let the Charlotte Bobcats get in their way.

Orlando is the basketball pick to win this series at -900 in the sportsbook.

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