05-06 Cinderella Team

by **Isaiah** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:25 am

George Mason University was considered as March Madness' Cinderella team during the NCAA Tournament. Who can be considered as the Cinderella team heading into the playoffs?

I think its the Clippers, with the surprise season they're having

by **Blasphemy** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:25 am

Lakers

by **Mayerhendrix** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:43 am

The Lakers aren't a Cinderella team, they haven't even really been too successful.

The Cinderella team before the All-Star Break was New Orleans/Oklahoma City, but they've gone back to usual lately. Still, they deserve merit for such improvement when they were displaced in the summer.

by **Its_asdf** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:02 am

The Clippers I think suprised quite a few people.

Phoenix also exceeded expectations as well, and to a lesser extent, Memphis.

by **Axel** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 10:04 am

Clippers were the surprise of the season. Realistically, they had the talent to win 50 + games barring the injury to Maggette midway through the season. It's just the fact that they are the Clippers that they were overlooked as a winning team.

Indiana was also surprising, but not in terms of exceeding expectation.

As far as Cinderella, it's a toss up between the Clips and Mavs. I think we all knew Dallas would be good, but not to such a high extent. Plus, who would have thought they would actually play defense??

by **artestfighttrainer** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 12:03 pm

If the Hornets made the post season then it would of been them but now its the Clips.

Bluesky · by **Andrew** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:47 pm

My vote goes to the Clippers as well. With the help of one trade, they overcame not only Maggette's injury woes and the challenge brought to them by the rest of the league, but also their own history.

by **The_Flying_Tomato** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 2:53 pm

would've been NOK. but I guess out of the playoff teams, clippers

by **Laxation** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 3:28 pm

Clippers fo sho

by **zmac** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 4:08 pm

Definitely Clips. I aint gonna explain why because Andrew and Axel did a good job of that already (Y)

.

by **frenchy** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:01 pm

The clippers of course, hope they have a good post season and a really good off season (please do not make stupid trades)

by **Nel** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:50 pm

Chicago for me. Coming from the back and getting in is one cinderella story.

by **Jugs** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:53 pm

chibo wrote:Chicago for me. Coming from the back and getting in is one cinderella story.

Maybe if we were talking about last season....

How they can be a cinderalla story going from 4th place or whatever down to just making the play-offs?

by **The X** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:57 pm

was hoping it would be the Magic or Jazz, but I guess the Clips get it by default now that those teams, as well as Hornets, are out....

by **Immali** on Tue Apr 18, 2006 9:59 pm

LAC...and for the future Orlando, with the trade they made and the offseason.
Imagine: Orlando gets the number 1 pick, one second after Isaiah Thomas suicide... :mrgreen:

Bluesky · by **Andrew** on Wed Apr 19, 2006 1:16 am

Jugs wrote:
chibo wrote:Chicago for me. Coming from the back and getting in is one cinderella story.

Maybe if we were talking about last season....

How they can be a cinderalla story going from 4th place or whatever down to just making the play-offs?

I think chibo was referring to the final push from 29-39 to being a playoff team. But you're right, with the expectations before the season they might have made the comeback of the year, but they're not really a "Cinderella Story".

by **benji** on Wed Apr 19, 2006 5:07 am

But what determines a "Cinderella Story" then? George Mason was considered one by some because of a string of games, specifically the ones in the NCAA tournament. Could the Bulls push to the playoffs or even Orlando's be considered one because it too has been a string of games where they have exceeded most peoples expectations?

Clippers fo sho

See I agree with teams like Hornets and even the Jazz (simply because I didn't think they'd get healthy or survive their backcourt) but the Clippers were a team I certainly had high expections for. They had a superstar (Brand), a near all-star (Maggette), two solid starters (Kaman and Simmons/Mobley) and replaced the atrocious Jaric with Sam Cassell who was merely one of the ten best point guards even in his down year. Maggette wound up getting hurt but Brand was better than expected so it balanced out in the end.

Mavs. I think we all knew Dallas would be good, but not to such a high extent. Plus, who would have thought they would actually play defense??

Well, to answer your question, anyone who saw them do it the year before. Also considering it was even better than this years.

I also certainly did expect them to be close to this good, they were a 57 win team last season and are a 59 win team this year. Not that farfetched. Especially with Howard and Harris's developments.

If we're including Dallas, why not Detroit? Who would've figured they would have a top three offense at the end of the season?

I can see going with the Lakers, I might. I certainly did not expect them to be a 47 win team, and honestly I until did the recent MVP thing on dotblog I still didn't see how they could be one.

by **air gordon** on Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:57 am

Kings in the West
Bulls in the East

05-06 Cinderella Team

05-06 Cinderella Team

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