Magic (41-24) at Warriors (28-36)
Tip-Off: 7:30pm | CSN+ | KNBR 680
SB Nation Blog Buddy: Orlando Pinstriped Post
That was one of the easiest road trips the Warriors have had all season - 6 of 7 teams with records of .500 or worse - and they completely flopped. 2 wins, 5 losses. They beat the worst team in the league and the second worst team in the league. And they lost to the Nets who just flew back from London and were without Deron Williams.
Well at least they're home and can sleep in their own beds, not hotel rooms.
So what should we expect as our heroes return home to face the Magic?
There's 2 things that could happen. The Warriors surprise us all with a close win or they get completely and utterly destroyed.
A win after such a horrible road trip? Yup. This team is a completely different team at home versus the road. They've beaten some pretty good teams at home. Overall, they're 19-13 at home. They match up decently at all but one position, center, where Duh-wight Howard will destroy whatever tall person the Warriors put in there.
If Monta Ellis can shoot like he did against Boston, if Stephen Curry can have a big game, and if Reggie Williams is allowed to play more than a few minutes, the Warriors might be able to outscore the Magic. Lord knows they're not going to out-defend anyone.
But the result I'm leaning towards is the blowout version.
The Warriors are a soft team. The Magic are not. The Warriors have nothing to play for. The Magic want home court advantage in the playoffs. The Warriors should start tanking it for a better draft pick. The Magic won't be in the lottery for many years. The Warriors start Ekpe Udoh. The Magic start Duh-wight Howard. The Warriors play Acie Law and Vladimir Radmanovic significant minutes. The Magic don't.
To sum it up, the Warriors are a bad team. The Magic are a very, very good team. Tell Joe Lacob the Warriors are a bad team and that tinkering with the team isn't going to get them over the hump and out of the lottery. Clean out the front office to give yourself a better chance at finally making that "bold move" that he speaks of.
Predictions
- Warriors by -22
- Duh-wight Howard with 25 points and 17 rebounds
- Monta bounces back with 30 points and shoots better than 50% from the field.